Experimental investigation on the chemical characterisation of pyrolytic products of discarded food at temperatures up to 300 °C

Discarded food generation is one of the most crucial problems of constantly growing modern society. There are several conventional treatment methods of this type of material, however, each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. Pyrolysis, a thermal degradation process, has recently been attracting an increased attention in this field. Pyrolysis allows the utilization of resources to recover the energy within materials with relatively low environmental impact. In this paper results of food pyrolysis products analysis are shown. Liquid and solid residue were tested for the content of various compounds and elements. Composition and concentration of particular compounds and elements indicates a strong presence of long chain alkane and alkene, as well as carboxylic acid molecules within the bio-oil samples. The presence of heavy metals in residues was detected, too. The idea of low-temperature thermal treating in household was critically analyzed. In general, the composition of products from low-temperature slow pyrolysis is safe for the environment. The obtained bio-oils and ash are non-toxic, therefore food residues can be utilized through pyrolysis. The most important advantage of proposed solution is no need of pretreatment of chamber load, and possibility of simple energy recovery for home.