Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Lopez, A.
This presentation shows key findings of an effort to simulate the evolution of the U.S. power sector under a number of policy and technology scenarios using the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) Model.
Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Pyrolysis of plastic waste. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Comparison of different samples: real waste, simulated and real waste + catalyst. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Study of the effects of inorganic components in the pyrolysis products. - Abstract: Pyrolysis may be an alternative for the reclamation of rejected streams of waste from sorting plants where packing and packaging plastic waste is separated and classified. These rejected streams consist of many different materials (e.g., polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), aluminum, tetra-brik, and film) for which an attempt at complete separation is not technically possible or economically viable, and they are typically sent to landfills or incinerators. For this study, a simulated plastic mixture and a real waste sample from a sorting plant were pyrolyzed using a non-stirred semi-batch reactor. Red mud, a byproduct of the aluminum industry, was used as a catalyst. Despite the fact that the samples had a similar volume of material, there were noteworthy differences in the pyrolysis yields. The real waste sample resulted, after pyrolysis, in higher gas and solid yields and consequently produced less liquid. There were also significant differences noted in the compositions of the compared pyrolysis products.
Highlights: > ZSM-5 zeolite catalytic pyrolysis transforms municipal plastic waste into liquids and gases useful as fuels or source of chemicals. > The composition of the waste sample plays an important role on the catalyst activity and the products obtained. > ZSM-5 zeolite is somehow deactivated when high proportions of fine inorganic materials are present in the sample. > When the sample contains cellulose-based materials, the formation of a two-phase liquid fraction can be avoided by a low temperature step. - Abstract: In this work, the results obtained in catalytic pyrolysis of three plastic waste streams which are the rejects of an industrial packing wastes sorting plant are presented. The samples have been pyrolysed in a 3.5 dm{sup 3} reactor under semi-batch conditions at 440 {sup o}C for 30 min in nitrogen atmosphere. Commercial ZSM-5 zeolite has been used as catalyst in liquid phase contact. In every case, high HHV gases and liquids which can be useful as fuels or source of chemicals are obtained. A solid fraction composed of the inorganic material contained in the raw materials and some char formed in the pyrolysis process is also obtained. The zeolite has shown to be very effective to produce liquids with great aromatics content and C3-C4 fraction rich gases, even though the raw material was mainly composed of polyolefins. The characteristics of the pyrolysis products as well as the effect of the catalyst vary depending on the composition of the raw material. When paper rich samples are pyrolysed, ZSM-5 zeolite increases water production and reduces CO and CO{sub 2} generation. If stepwise pyrolysis is applied to such sample, the aqueous liquid phase can be separated from the organic liquid fraction in a first low temperature step.
Highlights: > Pyrolysis transforms plastic wastes in valuable liquids and gases useful as fuels or source of chemicals. > The use of ZSM-5 zeolite in pyrolysis favours the production of gases and of lighter and more aromatic liquids. > ZSM-5 zeolite is almost completely deactivated after one plastics pyrolysis experiment. > ZSM-5 zeolite used in plastic wastes pyrolysis can be regenerated by burning the deposited coke in an air stream. > Regenerated ZSM-5 recovers its activity and produces liquids and gases equivalent to those obtained with fresh catalyst. - Abstract: In this work, a study of the regeneration and reuse of ZSM-5 zeolite in the pyrolysis of a plastic mixture has been carried out in a semi-batch reactor at 440 deg. C. The results have been compared with those obtained with fresh-catalyst and in non-catalytic experiments with the same conditions. The use of fresh catalyst produces a significant change in both the pyrolysis yields and the properties of the liquids and gases obtained. Gases more rich in C3-C4 and H{sub 2} are produced, as well as lower quantities of aromatic liquids if compared with those obtained in thermal decomposition. The authors have proved that after one pyrolysis experiment the zeolite loses quite a lot of its activity, which is reflected in both the yields and the products quality; however, this deactivation was found to be reversible since after regeneration heating at 550 deg. C in oxygen atmosphere, this catalyst recovered its initial activity, generating similar products and in equivalent proportions as those obtained with fresh catalyst.
This presentation summarizes Biogas Resources Characterization