Product characteristics and heat of reaction of municipal solid waste in pyrolysis and gasification at low temperatures

This study examines the pyrolysis and gasification characteristics of municipal solid waste (MSW) via thermogravimetric analysis and laboratory-scale pyrolysis and gasification experiments. The MSW samples were directly collected from an operational MSW incineration plant in Japan. The MSW was classified into 10 visually distinguishable components, which were further categorized as biomass and plastics. The thermogravimetric analysis of each MSW component of the experimental samples demonstrated distinct weight loss patterns between biomass and plastics but similarities within their respective categories. Subsequently, laboratory-scale pyrolysis and gasification experiments were conducted in a N 2 + H 2 O atmosphere at heating temperatures of 450, 550, and 650 °C. The steam-to-carbon ratio (S/C) was set to 2.0. Char, coke, wax, tar, and gas were identified as pyrolysis gasification products, with the major components of tar and gas being determined. The experimental findings revealed the pyrolysis and gasification product yields of biomass and plastics that make up the refuse within a temperature range of 450 to 650 °C. Moreover, the heat of reaction for pyrolysis and gasification ranged from −661 to −237 J/g–sample (db) (exothermic reaction) for biomass and 4649 to 8106 J/g–sample (db) (endothermic reaction) for plastics.