Thermal cracking of potato-peel powder-polypropylene biocomposite and characterization of products—Pyrolysed oils and bio-char

Abstract Waste plastic disposal is a major environmental issue worldwide. Pyrolysis is an effective tool to convert plastic to liquid fuel. Pyrolysis of biomass yields liquid oil with high oxygen content and thereby low heating value. However copyrolysis of plastic with biomass yield oil of low oxygen content, better stability due to synergy between them. In our research work we have carried out thermal cracking process in which the liquid oil has better stability and with very low oxygen content has been adopted for pyrolysis of potato-peel powder/polypropylene (POPP40) biocomposite and neat PP individually under identical conditions. The liquid products generated have been compared for physico-chemical properties. Analytical techniques like gel permeation chromatography, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gas chromatography mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy has been utilized for detailed characterization of pyrolysed oils and bio-char. A potential use of these pyrolysed oils has been explored where the 10% pyrolysed oil blends in diesel exhibited excellent fuel properties with improvement in cetane index, density and viscosity.