Production of Hydrocarbon Liquid by Thermal Pyrolysis of Paper Cup Waste

Abstract

The paper cup waste was pyrolysed in a stainless steel semibatch reactor at a temperature range of 325°C to 425°C and at a heating rate of 20°C min −1 with an aim to study the physical and chemical characteristics of the obtained hydrocarbon liquid and to determine its feasibility as a commercial fuel. The maximum liquid yield was 52% at 400°C. The functional groups present in the liquid are aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, alkenes, and alkanes. It was found that the pyrolytic liquid contains around 18 types of compounds having carbon chain length in the range of C 6 –C 20 . The obtained liquid can be used as valuable chemicals feedstock.