Performance Test of a Batch Pyrolyser and Characterization of Liquid Fuel from Food Packaging Plastic Wastes

Abstract

Global generation of different types of food packaging plastic wastes which have negative environmental impacts are considerable and posing challenges for effective waste management. They impose environmental threats by blocking drains and thereby forming breeding places for mosquitos. It contributes significantly to the pollution, endangering life through consumption and entanglement. Energy recovery from plastic wastes are a useful choice as conventional energy supplies are decreasing at an alarming rate. Pyrolysis is an effective way for reducing pollution as well as recovering energy from waste plastic. Pyrolysis holds immense promise for the sustainable disposal and resource recovery from organic and inorganic materials like food packaging wastes. Medium temperature and moderate heating rate convert the non-biodegradable wastes into condensable and non-condensable vapour which was then condensed into pyrolytic liquid. As electricity is the final form of energy, so using electricity to produce a medium quality fuel by pyrolysis is not a wise decision. Also, in rural areas electricity may not be available. In this study, heating was done by using low-grade biomass fuel in a furnace. For temperature control, a small electric fan was mounted to control the combustion and thereby the temperature. The ideal temperature range to extract oil from this process was found to be 380 – 420°C. At this temperature, the average yields with 1 × 1 cm, 1.5 × 1.5 cm, and 2 × 2 cm samples of packaging waste were 73.91%, 67.92%, and 62.42%, respectively. The property analysis of the pyrolytic oil showed that they are comparable to diesel or heavy fuel oil. This liquid yield offers the potential production of liquid fuels, petro-chemicals, and other value-added products.