Identification of Plastics in Mixtures and Blends through Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

In this paper, the possibility of detecting polymers in plastic mixtures and extruded blends has been investigated. Pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS) allows researchers to identify multicomponent mixtures and low amounts of polymers without high spatial resolution, background noise and constituents mix interfering, as with molecular spectrometry techniques normally used for this purpose, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In total, 15 solid mixtures of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyamide (PA) and polycarbonate (PC) in various combinations have been qualitatively analyzed after choosing their characteristic pyrolysis products and each polymer has been detected in every mix; thus, in extruded blends of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), PP and PS had varying weight percentages of the individual constituents ranging from 10 up to 90. Moreover, quantitative analysis of these polymers has been achieved in every blend with a trend that can be considered linear with coefficients of determination higher than 0.9, even though the limits of quantification are lower with respect to the ones reported in the literature, probably due to the extrusion process.

Effect of Pulping Waste Liquid on the Physicochemical Properties and the Prediction Model of Wheat Straw Residue Granular Fuels

“…2.8 (10) in which, x ∈ [0, 50], and y ′ < 0. So, the value of S is negatively associated with the solid content of pulping waste liquid.…”

“…The co-granularization of agricultural and forestry waste using refuse-derived fuel lowered energy consumption during granularization slightly improved particle and bulk densities, which resulted in a significant increase in the breaking load and tensile strength of the granular fuel and reduced the ash content of the roasted biomass granular fuel. However, the durability, net calorific value, and energy density were impoverished as the refuse-derived fuel in the blend increased [ 9 , 10 ]. The effect of paper sludge was studied as an additive to the quality of granular fuels [ 11 ].…”

Thermomechanical Properties of Polymers and Their Composites with Other Materials: Advances in Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polymeric Materials (2nd Edition)

“…Composites are reinforced with fiber strikethroughs to enhance their thermal properties. Research on the thermal properties of polymer composites is conducted using different methods, including thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, thermomechanical analysis [5][6][7][8], gas chromatography/mass spectrometry [9], and stereoscopic microscope imaging [10].…”