Pyrolysis and combustion kinetics of refuse derived fuel having different plastic ratio

This study reports the effect of plastic variation on the decomposition kinetics, and thermodynamic parameters of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in the N2 and O2 atmospheres. Two simulated RDF compositions were analyzed: RDF-1 with 35 %-plastics, and RDF-2 with 5 %-plastics. Thermo-gravimetric analysis was conducted at multiple heating rates. The activation energy (E) and the pre-exponential factor (A) were determined using both Kissinger-Akahira-Sunnose, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa methods and the compensation factor method, respectively. In N2-atmosphere, increasing plastic fraction from 5 % to 35 %, increased both E, and A values from 169 to 259 kJ mol−1 and 1.6 × 1010 to 1.2 × 1023 s−1, respectively, due to higher energy requirement for plastic decomposition. However, an increase in plastic fraction reduces the fixed‑carbon content of RDF, which leads to a decrease in E and A values in the O2-atmosphere from 126 to 105 kJ mol−1 and 3.5 × 1016 to 1.6 × 106 s−1, respectively. [Display omitted] •Kinetic analysis of different plastic ratio RDF was studied in N2, O2 atmosphere.•Activation energy, E estimated by model free isoconversional methods- KAS and FWO•In N2 atmosphere, comparatively higher E was reported for high plastic ratio RDF.•Contrary to N2 atmosphere, low plastic ratio RDF reported high E in O2 atmosphere.•As plastic increases, plastic decomposition was also controlled by diffusion model.