KINETIC-STUDIES OF THE PRIMARY PYROLYSIS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID-WASTE IN A PYROPROBE-1000

A Pyroprobe 1000 has been used to study primary reactions from pyrolysis of municipal solid wastes (MSW). Yields of 13 pyrolysis products (CH4, C2H6, C2H4 + C2H2, C3H8, C3H6, C4H10, C4H8, CO, CO2, H2), methanol + formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acetic acid) as a function of reaction temperature (within the range 500-900-degrees-C) have been analyzed. Correlations between the yields of these products and those of CH4 are close to those proposed by other researchers with cellulosic materials. Kinetics of formation of these chemicals have been studied by pyrolyzing samples at three different temperatures (500, 700 and 900-degrees-C) and several holding pyrolysis times (between 0.2 and 20 s). A kinetic model considering the heat transfer process (both heating and cooling stages), has been proposed to obtain activation energy and preexponential factor values for the global thermal decomposition process of MSW. The model correlates the data obtained and allows the influence of the heat transfer process in this equipment to be determined.