Fuel Gases from Gasification Process of Glass Fiber/Epoxy Composite Waste

Abstract

Currently solid wastes generated from manufacturing process of thermosetting composite have caused environmental problems because they are non biodegradable product and cannot be recycled or remolded due to chemically crosslinked. Thus, the aim of this research is to convert glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite waste to fuel gases by gasification process. The composite waste was first grounded and its thermal decomposition behavior was then investigated using isothermal thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) from an ambient to 900°C at heating rate of 10°C/min under nitrogen atmosphere. The results showed that major decomposition temperatures of the epoxy matrix were ranging from 300 to 450°C. The composite sample was then mixed with two different catalysts, olivine (LiFePO4) or 10%NiAl2O3in order to study the effect of catalyst on gas conversion efficiency before it was gasified in a fixed bed reactor at final temperature of 500, 600, 700, and 800°C under nitrogen mixed with air at total flow rate of 200 mL/min. Gasification process indicated that solid residues were mainly brittle black containing residual glass fiber. The significant increasing of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide conversion was achieved from sample mixed with olivine catalyst at gasification temperature of 700°C, when compared with result without catalyst at baseline conversion of 500°C as. Therefore, it can be expected that gasification process is a promising method to deal with epoxy composite for producing renewable energy.