New & Renewable Energy (신재생에너지)

Korean Society for New and Renewable Energy (한국신·재생에너지학회)
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Analysis on the Pyrolysis Characteristics of Waste Plastics Using Plug Flow Reactor Model

Plug Flow Reactor 모델을 이용한 폐플라스틱의 열분해 특성 해석

  • Sangkyu, Choi (Department of Zero-carbon Fuel and Power Generation, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials) ;
  • Yeonseok, Choi (Department of Zero-carbon Fuel and Power Generation, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials) ;
  • Yeonwoo, Jeong (Department of Zero-carbon Fuel and Power Generation, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials) ;
  • Soyoung, Han (Department of Zero-carbon Fuel and Power Generation, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials) ;
  • Quynh Van, Nguyen (Department of Environment.Energy Machinery, University of Science and Technology)
  • Received : 2022.11.11
  • Accepted : 2022.12.20
  • Published : 2022.12.25
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Abstract

The pyrolysis characteristics of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP) were analyzed numerically using a 1D plug flow reactor (PFR) model. A lumped kinetic model was selected to simplify the pyrolysis products as wax, oil, and gas. The simulation was performed in the 400-600℃ range, and the plastic pyrolysis and product generation characteristics with respect to time were compared at various temperatures. It was found that plastic pyrolysis accelerates rapidly as the temperature rises. The amounts of the pyrolysis products wax and oil increase and then decrease with time, whereas the amount of gas produced increases continuously. In LDPE pyrolysis, the pyrolysis time was longer than that observed for other plastics at a specified temperature, and the amount of wax generated was the greatest. The maximum mass fraction of oil was obtained in the order of HDPE, PP, and LDPE at a specified temperature, and it decreased with temperature. Although the 1D model adopted in this study has a limitation in that it does not include material transport and heat transfer phenomena, the qualitative results presented herein could provide base data regarding various types of plastic pyrolysis to predict the product characteristics. These results can in turn be used when designing pyrolysis reactors.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

본 연구는 2022년 중소벤처기업부의 "연속 투입과 배출이 가능하고 폐수와 미세먼지 발생이 없는 폐플라스틱 열분해 유화 공정 개발"(과제번호: S3264002)의 일환으로 수행되었으며 이에 감사드립니다.

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