ABSTRACT
Pyrolysis techniques provide an interesting way of recycling plastic wastes (PW) by transforming them into liquid fuels with high calorific values. Catalysts are employed in PW pyrolysis in order to favor cracking reactions; in that regard, cheap and abundant natural resources are being investigated as potential catalyst precursors. This article explores the pyrolysis of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in a semibatch reactor under a reduced pressure of 300 torr and temperatures in the range of 370 °C-430 °C. Three different solid materials, an activated carbon (AC1), a commercial Fluid cracking catalyst (FCC) and an aluminum- pillared clay (Al-PILC), were tested as catalysts for the pyrolysis process. Thermogravimetric analyzes were previously performed to select the most catalytically active materials. AC1 displayed very low catalytic activity while FCC and Al-PILC displayed high activity and conversion to liquid products. Hydrocarbons ranging from C5 to C28 were identified in the liquid products as well as significant changes in their composition when FCC and Al-PILC catalyst were used. Differences in the catalytic activity of the 3 solid materials are ascribed mainly to differences in their acid properties.
ABSTRACT
A regional raw clay was used as the starting material to prepare iron-pillared clays with different iron contents. The catalytic activity of these materials was tested in the heterogeneous photo-Fenton process, applied to the degradation of 2-chlorophenol chosen as the model pollutant. Different catalyst loads between 0.2 and 1.0 g L-1 and pH values between 3.0 and 7.0 were studied. The local volumetric rate of photon absorption (LVRPA) in the reactor was evaluated solving the radiative transfer equation applying the discrete ordinate method and using the optical properties of the catalyst suspensions. The photonic and quantum efficiencies of the 2-chlorophenol degradation depend on both the catalyst load and the iron content of the catalyst. The higher values for these parameters, 0.080 mol Einstein-1 and 0.152 mol Einstein-1, respectively, were obtained with 1.0 g L-1 of the catalyst with the higher iron content (17.6%). For the mineralization process, photonic and quantum efficiencies depend mainly on the catalyst load. Therefore, it was possible to employ a natural and cheap resource from the region to obtain pillared clay-based catalysts to degrade organic pollutants in water.
Subject(s)
Clay/chemistry , Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry , Water Purification/methods , Catalysis , Chlorophenols/chemistry , Hydrogen Peroxide/chemistry , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Iron/chemistry , Photons , Water Purification/instrumentationABSTRACT
Iron pillared clay (Fe-PILC) was prepared from a montmorillonite and was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence. Fe-PILC catalytic activity was evaluated in photo-Fenton processes applied to the degradation of 2-clorophenol. Different catalyst loads were assayed. The Fe-PILC allowed almost complete degradation of the contaminant. An increase in the contaminant degradation rate was observed, following leaching of iron during catalytic assays, which suggest the existence of a homogeneous photo-Fenton mechanism. The catalytic performance of the Fe-PILC was compared with that for goethite and zero valent iron nanoparticles. Differences were found regarding the achieved degradation levels, the efficiency in oxidant consumption, and the extension of iron leaching.
