Direct Observation on Pyrolysis of Some Plastics

  • Takasu, Tomio (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology) ;
  • Itou, Hideyuki (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology) ;
  • Shibata, Etsuro (Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University) ;
  • Kasai, Eiki (Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University) ;
  • Nakamura, Takashi (Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University)
  • Published : 2001.10.01

Abstract

Plastics are one of difficult materials for recycling due to their characteristics in use. Recycling ratio of waste plastics was around 40% in last year in Japan, which includes energy recovery. Feed stock recycling and mechanical recycling are not easy because of additives in commercial plastics. Then, pyrolysis treatments have been done to recovery energy. Although plastics are easy to fire, complete combustion of them is not easy if anti-firing agents are added especially. Therefore, researches on pyrolysis or combustion behaviors of plastics containing additives are important from a view point recycling of plastics. Direct observation of popular plastics like polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), polyphenyle ether (PPE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to investigate their pyrolysis behaviors in the present study. In case of PS, melting and gas evolution started at 9$0^{\circ}C$ and 39$0^{\circ}C$ respectively. And combustion finished at 445$^{\circ}C$. On the other hand, more than $600^{\circ}C$ and sufficient oxygen are required for complete combustion of PC and PPE.

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