Hui Zhou, Chunfei Wu, Jude A. Onwudili, Aihong Meng, Yanguo Zhang, Paul
T. Williams, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) formation from the
pyrolysis of different municipal solid waste fractions, Waste
Management, Available online 11 October 2014, ISSN 0956-053X,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2014.09.014.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X1400436X)
Abstract: The formation of 2?4 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAH) from the pyrolysis of nine different municipal solid waste
fractions (xylan, cellulose, lignin, pectin, starch, polyethylene (PE),
polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene
terephthalate (PET)) were investigated in a fixed bed furnace at 800 °C.
The mass distribution of pyrolysis was also reported. The results showed
that PS generated the most total PAH, followed by PVC, PET, and lignin.
More PAH were detected from the pyrolysis of plastics than the pyrolysis
of biomass. In the biomass group, lignin generated more PAH than others.
Naphthalene was the most abundant PAH, and the amount of
1-methynaphthalene and 2-methynaphthalene was also notable. Phenanthrene
and fluorene were the most abundant 3-ring PAH, while benzo[a]anthracene
and chrysene were notable in the tar of PS, PVC, and PET. 2-ring PAH
dominated all tar samples, and varied from 40 wt.% to 70 wt.%. For PS,
PET and lignin, PAH may be generated directly from the aromatic
structure of the feedstock.
Keywords: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); Waste; Plastics;
Biomass; Pyrolysis