Evaluation of pyrolytic oil from used tires and natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis)

ABSTRACTThe pyrolysis of used tires, UT, and natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), NR obtained from Nigerian NIG800 clonal rubber tree, was performed and the effects of process conditions on product yield were investigated. An optimum yield was attained at operating temperature of 600°C, a heating rate of 15°C min−1, for a feed size of 6 mm. The UT and NR gave maximum pyrolytic oil yield of 34.40 and 75.93 wt%, respectively. The pyrolytic oil was characterized using Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Results obtained reveal the pyrolytic oil to be a complex mixture, mainly of aliphatic and aromatic compounds, which can serve as feedstock for industrial application. Nevertheless, a comparative evaluation of the physical and chemical properties of the UT and NR pyrolytic oil showed that NR had hydrocarbon composition of 80% aliphatics, 12% aromatics (with less than 2% polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentration). However, the UT pyrolyt...