PYROLYSIS OF FURNITURE AND TIRE WASTES IN A FLAMING PYROLYZER MINIMIZES DISCHARGES TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Wood furniture waste and scrap tires were pyrolyzed in a pilot scale b atch flaming pyrolyzer. The effect of temperature, fuel/air ratio, and reaction times on the temperature distribution, gas and char pyrolysi s yields, oxygen levels, SO2 and NOx emissions, and pyrolysis gas comp osition were studied. Low emission levels of NOx, SO2, and heavy metal s were observed in the pyrolysis of wastes with high content of nitrog en (chipboard), sulfur, or heavy metals (scrap tires), respectively. T he main components of the pyrolysis gas were acetylene, methane, and c arbon monoxide. Gas chromatographic, GC-MS, and FT-IR studies of the h eavy hydrocarbons fraction of pyrolysis gas were consistent with each other and showed the presence of alcohols, carboxylic derivatives, het erocyclic and phenolic compounds in furniture waste pyrolysate, and ar omatic compounds in tires pyrolysate. Kovats indices for GC-MS retenti on times were calculated for a series of organic compounds of environm ental interest. Organic compounds in the pyrolysate were identified fr om mass spectra and by comparison of retention times with authentic st andards or published Kovats indices. The heating value of the pyrolysi s gas from furniture waste and scrap tire was 8.7 and 5.6 MJ/m(3), res pectively.