PYROLYTIC RECYCLING OF AGROINDUSTRIAL SOLID-WASTES IN MALAYSIA

The agro-industrial sector of Malaysia generates a significant amount of solid waste, including those from palm-oil mills, paddy rice, and s crapped tyres and tubes. All these can be recycled to improve material s and produce energy. Among the various recycling techniques the most promising method appears to be thermo-chemical pyrolysis. In this stud y, rice husk and palm shell wastes were considered for recycling. Feed particles underwent fluidised-bed pyrolysis at moderate temperature a nd were converted into pyrolytic oil, solid char and gas. Oil and char were collected, and the gas was flared. The oil was characterised by FT-ir, GC and GC-MS techniques, and the char was analysed for its elem ental composition. The phenolic fraction in the oil was found to be qu ite high, and the gasoline range fraction was found to be present also ; however, the components were mostly oxygenated.