Characteristics of soot emitted from combustion of municipal waste fuels

Conference · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2000

OSTI ID:20034329

Levendis, Y A; Shemwell, B E

This manuscript reports on particulate emissions (mainly soot) from laboratory combustion of typical municipal waste plastics, such as poly(styrene)(PS), poly(propylene)(PP), poly(methylmethacrylate)(PMMA), and poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC). In this experimental study combustion took place in a laboratory-scale, electrically-heated, drop-tube furnace at a gas temperature of 1,500 K, in air. The bulk (global) equivalence ratio, {phi}, was varied in the range of 0.5--1.5 and the gas residence time in the nearly-isothermal radiation zone of the furnace was {approximately}1 sec. The particle emissions were size-classified at the exit of the furnace, using a multi-stage inertial particle impactor. Combustion of PS yielded the highest amounts of soot (most highly agglomerated), several times more than the rest of the polymers. Substantial amounts of soot agglomerates were larger than 10 {micro}m. At this temperature <35% of the soot mass was PM{sub 2.5} (2.5 {micro}m or smaller). Soot yields increased with increasing bulk equivalence ratio in the furnace. The emissions from PE and PP were remarkably similar to each other, but strikingly different than those from PS. These polymers produced very low emissions at {phi} {le} 0.5, but emissions increased drastically with {phi}, and most of the soot was very fine (70--97% of the mass was PM{sub 2.5} depending on {phi}). Emissions from the combustion of PMMA were comparatively low and were the least influenced by the bulk {phi}; 80--95% of the emissions were PM{sub 2.5}. Combustion of PVC yielded relatively low amounts of soot; moreover, only 13--34% of the mass was PM{sub 2.5}. Hence, comparatively, PS produced the highest amounts of fine particulates followed by PP, PE, and PMMA, and then PVC. Burning these materials with excess oxygen drastically reduced the particulate emissions from PE and PP, substantially reduced those from PS, and mildly reduced those from PMMA and PVC.

• Research Organization: Northeastern Univ., Boston, MA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation
• OSTI ID: 20034329
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
COMBUSTION
MUNICIPAL WASTES
PARTICLE SIZE
PMMA
POLYETHYLENES
POLYPROPYLENE
POLYSTYRENE
PVC
SOOT