Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Pittman, Jr., Charles U.

Committee Member

Ingram, Leonard L.

Committee Member

Steele, Philip

Committee Member

Gwaltney, Steven

Committee Member

Saebo, Svein

Date of Degree

12-15-2007

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Chemistry

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Chemistry

Abstract

Highly oxygenated compounds in bio-oil produce negative properties that have hampered fuel development. Copyrolysis with plastics has increased hydrogen content in past research. Py-GC/MS analyses for two wood types (pine and oak) and three plastic types (polystyrene, polypropylene and high density polyethylene) established temperature, heating rate and residence time to produce a typical bio-oil. Analysis of various plastics to wood ratios by Py-GC/MS showed that a 50:50 wt/wt ratio produced the highest level of low molecular weight compounds best for fuel viscosity. Copyrolysis was performed on a laboratory-scale reactor at these temperature and wood-to-plastic ratios. Copyrolysis lowered bio-oil oxygen content and increased carbon content. Lower water content, acid value and viscosity also resulted, improving bio-oil suitability for fuels. Cross reactions between wood and plastics formed no new chemical species during copyrolysis. These results indicate that copyrolysis of waste plastics with woody biomass has potential for improving bio-oil properties for fuels production.

Temporal Coverage

2000-2009

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/14871

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