Co-pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse and low-density polyethylene: Influence of plastic on pyrolysis product yield

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect on plastic during co-pyrolysis with biomass. Pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse (SCB), low density polyethylene (LDPE), and their mixtures of different ratios was carried out in a semi-batch reactor with varying temperatures ranging from 350 to 600 °C at a heating rate of 20 ± 1 °C/min. The maximum liquid product yields for the pyrolysis of SCB and LDPE obtained were 47.15% and 74.40%, respectively, whereas the maximum liquid product yield for SCB/LDPE co-pyrolysis was 52.75% at 500 °C with 1:1 blend ratio. A significant improvement of the calorific value has been observed for the co-pyrolytic oil in comparison with SCB pyrolytic oil. The results of GC-MS and FTIR analysis confirmed the interaction between SCB and LDPE during co-pyrolysis, which resulted into a decreasing amount of oxygenated compounds, phenol and acidic compounds, makes the co-pyrolysis process more favorable for the production of high calorific value fuel.