Gasification characteristics of waste plastics (SRF) in a bubbling fluidized bed: Effects of temperature and equivalence ratio

This study investigates air gasification properties of SRF with high content of residual mixed waste plastic in a 1 kg/h lab scale bubbling fluidized bed gasifier. Gasifier internal diameter is 0.114 m and its height is 1 m. Silica sand particles with a mean diameter of 400 mm is used as the bed material. During the gasification experiments the effect of bed temperature is determined in the range of 600-900 degrees C and the effect of air-to-fuel equivalence ratio (ER) is investigated in the range of 0.15-0.30. Gas analysis is conducted using a non-dispersive infrared analyzer and gas chromatograph. As the operating temperature and ER increases, the gas yield increases, and tar yield decreases. The yield of CO, CH4, H-2, and C2H2 in the gas product increases with temperature, whereas those of CO2, C-2-C-3 hydrocarbons decreases. The increase in ER decreases the concentrations of CO, CH4, H-2, and C-2-C-3 hydrocarbons and increases the CO2 in the gas product. H-2/CO ratio substantially increases with rising temperature and decreases with rising ER. Carbon conversion efficiency (CCE) and cold gas efficiency reach peak at 800 degrees C and ER of 0.25. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study investigated the air gasification properties of SRF with high content of residual mixed waste plastic in a lab scale bubbling fluidized bed gasifier. The results showed that gas yield increases and tar yield decreases as the operating temperature and air-to-fuel equivalence ratio (ER) increases, with changes in the concentration of various gases in the gas product. The H2/CO ratio increases with rising temperature and decreases with rising ER, while carbon conversion efficiency (CCE) and cold gas efficiency peak at 800 degrees C and ER of 0.25.