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In this work, pyrolysis experiments were carried out in a stainless steel semi-batch reactor to produce a diesel-like fuel from waste polypropylene (PP). Aiming to maximize the liquid oil yield, the optimal reactor operating conditions (e. g. heating rate, batch time, degradation temperature, and N2 flow rate) was obtained by the investigation of the thermal behavior of the waste PP using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). The waste PP pyrolysis oil was successfully purified by adsorption onto activated carbon, resulting in a colorant removal percentage of 49.56% as well as in the removal of the particle matter. The functional groups of purified waste PP pyrolysis oil (PWPO) and the Brazilian commercial S-10 diesel fuel were obtained and compared using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). According to the experimental results, the proposed thermal pyrolysis process has shown a very high liquid oil yield of about 94 wt%, and fuel heavy and light hydrocarbons were identified in PWPO. It was observed that PWPO has physico-chemistry properties similar to those of commercial S-10 diesel fuel, enhancing the high lower heating value (LHV) of about 43.06 MJ/kg. The work findings pointed out the synthetic diesel-like fuel as a promising alternative for cycle diesel engines, dropping the use of fossil fuels without reducing energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste tyre generation in South Africa is one of the issues that have not found a sustainable solution. Approximately 1.5 billion tyres are produced annually around the world, and South Africa contributes about 11 million tyres accounting to about 177 835 tons of waste annually. Numerous technologies have been used as possible pathways to recycle waste tyres. This review analyzes the main advances in waste tyre pyrolysis and gasification technologies and lists challenges and successes. For waste tyre pyrolysis, recovering high-value products such as limonene, benzene, xylene, and activated carbon can make the process profitable. For gasification, the objective of new studies is for the producer gas to have a desirable composition for further application in the production of chemicals, heat and power and synthesis of liquid fuels. Also, more research is required to fill the gap in the optimum conditions for solar integrated pyrolysis and gasification of waste tyres. A comprehensive comparative techno-economic analysis of chemicals production from waste tyre via gasification is required to determine the most commercially viable route for tyres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis treatment of waste tires was studied in a capacitively-coupled radio frequency (RF) plasma reactor. Using RF input power between 1600 and 2000 W and a reactor pressure between 3000 and 8000 Pa, a reactive plasma environment with a temperature between 1200 and 1800 K can be reached. Under these conditions, pyrolysis experiments with tire powder showed that two product streams were obtained: a combustible gas and a pyrolytic char. The main gaseous components were H2, CO, and CH4. When adopting double sets of electrodes in this plasma reactor, the gas yield and concentrations of H2 and CO can be enhanced. The energy utilization efficiency of this RF plasma pyrolysis reactor system was also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]