SIMULTANEOUS GAS CHROMATOGRAPHIC-FOURIER TRANSFORM-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC-MASS SPECTROMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SYNTHETIC FUEL DERIVED FROM USED TIRE VACUUM PYROLYSIS OIL, NAPHTHA FRACTION

Used tires were pyrolysed in a process development unit under vacuum a t about 510 degrees C and yielded 45% oil from which 27% (w/w) of a na phtha fraction (initial boiling point, IBP: 204 degrees C) was separat ed. A new gas chromatographic configuration by combining infrared, mas s spectrometric and flame photometric detectors to simultaneously anal yze the effluent from a single capillary column injection was tested. Over 150 compounds were identified and quantified. Sulfur compounds di stribution was established by sulfur-specific detection and selected i on GC-MS. Unlike petroleum, tire-derived pyrolytic naphtha is composed of highly branched chain isomeric hydrocarbons. Infrared spectroscopy as an extremely sensitive isomer-specific probe of molecular structur es is described. Over 50 compounds were positively characterized by co mbining MS and IR data. It is shown that mass spectrometry provides su perior quantitative capabilities, while infrared spectroscopy is an ex cellent complementary technique for simultaneous qualitative analysis of pyrolysis oils. Some of the difficulties encountered in the present application are discussed.