Acceleration of cellulose co-pyrolysis with polymer

This study was conducted for greater clarification of pyrolysis of municipal solid waste. The pyrolysis of pure cellulose, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), and poly(vinylidene chloride) (PVdC) was compared with that of mixtures of these compounds by thermal analysis. Interaction only between cellulose and PVC or PVdC was confirmed. The mechanism of pyrolysis of a mixture of cellulose with PVC was also studied. Acceleration of dehydration and production of aldehyde compounds was observed to occur temporarily with the dehydrochlorination of PVC by thermogravimetry-direct mass spectrometry (TG-MS). FT-IR analysis indicated the char of a mixture of cellulose and PVC to have fewer hydroxyl groups and more C=O and C=C bonds compared with the char of pure cellulose. HCl evolution from chlorinated polymer may thus possibly induce reactions of dehydration, scission in intra-ring of glucose unit, cross-linkage and charring rather than the depolymerization of cellulose. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.