Energy out of waste: kinetics and thermolysis of co-pyrolysis of biomass and municipal plastic waste

To build effective co-pyrolysis processes and reactor systems, it is vital to understand the kinetics, synergistic effects, reaction mechanisms, and thermodynamic analysis of co-pyrolyzing biomass with different types of plastics. The present study deals with non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis carried out at heating rates of 20, 25, 30, 35 degrees C/min to assess the kinetic and thermodynamic attributes of Areca catechu husk fiber and municipal plastic waste co-pyrolysis process. The co-pyrolysis process was carried out at 350 degrees C. Three iso-conversational methods, including Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, Starink, and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, were employed to find the activation energy (E-a) and thermodynamic triplets of entropy (Delta S), enthalpy (Delta H), and Gibbs free energy (Delta G) of the dual feedstock blend. The average E-a, when estimated by using Starink, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose methods, was identified to be 212.95 kJ/mol, 223.64 kJ/mol, and 214.06 kJ/mol with an average linear co-efficient of regression (R-2) value of more than 0.9. The output responses of this present research expose that co-pyrolysis blend can be utilized as an effective feedstock for a waste reduction and sustainable environment.