The influence of temperature and residence time on tire thermolysis in subcritical and supercritical water

Abstract

Decomposition of tire and rubber in subcritical and supercritical water was investigated using a batch reactor. The influence of temperature and residence time was studied. Oil yield, gas yield, and residual solid were measured and analyzed. The results showed that tire and rubber could be pyrolyzed in subcritical and supercritical water at temperatures between 380 and 410 °C, and pressure from 19 to 28 MPa. The oil yield increased with residence time to its maximum and decreased quickly afterward. The oil yield maximum was 19.70 wt% at 410 °C at a residence time of 30 min and a pressure of 28 MPa. The gas yield increased with residence time and temperature. The gas yield maximum was 44.71 wt % at 410 °C with a residence time of 50 min and a pressure of 28 MPa. The primary components of the gas products were methane, acetylene, and hydrogen. More than 60 kinds of components in the pyrolytic oil were detected by GC/MS, including aromatic hydrocarbons, alkanes, olefins, and their derivatives.