Catalytic Co-Pyrolysis of Waste Tyres with Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches

  • Mr Rusmi Alias, UiTM, Malaysia, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Dr Ku Halim Ku Hamid, UiTM, Malaysia, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Mrs Kamariah Noor Ismail, UiTM, Malaysia, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Catalytic co-pyrolysis of shredded waste tyres and oil palm empty fruit bunches was studied under nitrogen atmospheric pressure. Main objective of this study is to analyse the effect of the addition of cobalt catalyst with direct impregnation into the shredded empty fruit bunch fibers itself with respect to the liquid yields and their compositions. Shredded waste tyres and empty fruit bunches were pyrolysed in a fixed bed reactor at 500oC with a ratio of 1:1 as a control. Shredded waste tyres and shredded empty fruit bunches which were previously impregnated directly with 5% w/w, 10%w/w and 15%w/w of cobalt catalyst solutions were then pyrolysed in the same reactor. The pyrolysed oils were collected in a condenser (cold trap) and analysed with GC-MS to determine their compositions in relation to the process conditions. The reactor was externally heated by means of electrical resistance, the heating rate being approximately 30oC min-1. Once the required temperature was reached and stabilized, it was maintained for two hours. Three phases were obtained after pyrolysis : solid, liquid and gas. It was observed that the liquid yield was higher with co-pyrolysis waste tyres and empty fruit bunches compared to individual pyrolysis of shredded waste tyres and empty fruit bunches. The yield of liquid product was enhanced with the presence of catalyst in the shredded empty fruit bunches.