Synergistic effects and kinetics analysis for co-pyrolysis of vacuum residue and plastics

Abstract

This study utilized a thermogravimetric analyzer to assess the thermal decomposition behaviors and kinetics properties of vacuum residue (VR) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) polymers. The kinetic parameters were calculated using the Friedman technique. To demonstrate the interactive effects between LDPE and VR during the co-pyrolysis process, the disparity in mass loss and mass loss rate between the experimental and calculated values was computed. The co-pyrolysis curves obtained through estimation and experimentation exhibited significant deviations, which were influenced by temperature and mixing ratio. A negative synergistic interaction was observed between LDPE and VR, although this inhibitory effect could be mitigated or eliminated by reducing the LDPE ratio in the mixture and increasing the co-pyrolysis temperature. The co-pyrolysis process resulted in a reduction in carbon residue, which could be attributed to the interaction between LDPE and the heavy fractions, particularly resin and asphaltene, present in VR. These findings align with the pyrolysis behaviors exhibited by the four VR fractions. Furthermore, it was observed that the co-pyrolysis process exhibited lower activation energy as the VR ratio increased, indicating a continuous enhancement in the reactivity of the mixed samples during co-pyrolysis.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

co-pyrolysis / heavy residual oil / polyethylene / thermogravimetric analysis / synergistic effects

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Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2021YFB3801300) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U22B20149, 22021004).

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