Waste plastics make up approximately 20% of the volume of landifill material and almost 10% of the weight. These products contain substantial energy recovery value, and also represent a potentia!iy valuable source of feedstock raw material for additional plastics production. Controlled pyrolysis offers a method of converting raw, mixed waste plastics back into feedstock grade liquids by the application of heat in the absence of oxygen. However, chlorine from the thermal degradation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can contaminate the reclamed liquids making them more difficult and expensive for processing, and also produce a corrosive atmosphere which makes processing more expresive. This paper reports on a study of the impact of PVC on the thermal degradation rates other plastics including polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Commodity plastics were mixed at various ratios with PVC and analyzed by means of their degradation rates to determine the kinetic rate constants which were compared to the rates obtained for the pure plastics. The values of the kinetic parameters for the pure compounds were all very close to, or within the ranges obtained from the literature. The results indicated that the decomposition behavior of the mixtures differed from those of the pure polymers. These deviations were greatest for mixtures of PVC with polyethylene terephthalate where it was determined that the dehydrochlorination step of PVC catalyzes the decomposition of PET. Pyrolysis of mixtures of PVC and polysteryne at temperatures between 200° C and 350° C result in incomplete dehydrochlorination. This results in more chlorinated compounds being released at higher temperatures.

A proper management of sand grains of moulding sands requires knowing basic properties of the spent matrix after casting knocking out. This information is essential from the point of view of the proper performing the matrix recycling process and preparing moulding sands with reclaimed materials. The most important parameter informing on the matrix quality – in case of moulding sands with organic binders after casting knocking out – is their ignition loss. The methodology of estimating ignition loss of spent moulding sands with organic binder– after casting knocking out - developed in AGH, is presented in the paper. This method applies the simulation MAGMA software, allowing to determine this moulding sand parameter already at the stage of the production preparation.

In this study, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method were used to analyze the main characteristics of sweet potato starch, and to analyze the thermal degradation process of sweet potato starch. Specifically, X-ray diffraction to study its structure, thermogravimetric analysis to study the thermal degradation kinetics, and differential scanning calorimetry to study the thermogram of sweet potato starch. The thermal decomposition kinetics of sweet potato starch was examined within different heating rates in nitrogen atmosphere. Different models of kinetic analysis were used to calculate the activation energies using thermogravimetric data of the thermal degradation process. Activation energies obtained from Kissinger, Flynn-Wall- Ozawa, and Šatava-Šesták models were 173.85, 174.87 and 174.34 kJ/mol, respectively. The values of activation energy indicated that the thermal degradation of the sweet potato starch was a single reaction mechanism or the combination of multi-reaction mechanisms. The differential scanning calorimetry analysis show that two decomposition stages were presented: the first at a low temperature involves the decomposition of long chain; and the second at a high temperature represents the scission of glucose ring. This information was helpful to design the processing process of many natural polymers. Thermogravimetric Fourier transform-infrared (TG–FTIR) analysis showed that the main pyrolysis products included water, methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and others.

In this study, thermal conductivity, mechanical properties, and thermal degradation of pumice-added epoxy materials were investigated. 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% of pumice was added to the epoxy resin (EP) % by weight. Various types of analyses and tests were conducted to determine the thermal conductivity, mechanical properties, and thermal degradation of these epoxy materials. The tests and analyses proved that the addition of pumice leads to a decrease in the thermal conductivity coefficient and density of the pure EP material. It also increases the degree of hardness. The addition of pumice had a positive effect on mechanical properties. Compared to pure EP, it increased the tensile strength, Young’s modulus, bending strength, and flexural modulus. As a result of TGA analysis it was determined that with the incorporation of pumice into the EP, its decomposition rate progressed more slowly. At 800_C, the carbon residue improved as a result of the addition of pumice.

Results of the investigation of thermal degradation of polyolefins in the laboratory-scale set-up reactors are presented in the paper. Melting and cracking processes were carried out in two different types of reactors at the temperature of 390-420°C. This article presents the results obtained for conversion of polyolefin waste in a reactor with a stirrer. Next, they were compared with the results obtained for the process carried out in a reactor with a molten metal bed, which was described in a previous publication. For both processes, the final product consisted of a gaseous (2-16 % mass) and a liquid (84-98 % mass) part. No solid product was produced. The light, "gasoline" fraction of the liquid hydrocarbons mixture (C4-C10) made up over 50% of the liquid product. The overall (vapor) product may be used for electricity generation and the liquid product for fuel production.