| Title |
On the gasification of end-of-life plastic waste in an air/oxygen/steam atmosphere |
| Authors |
Striūgas, Nerijus ; Zakarauskas, Kęstutis ; Eimontas, Justas ; Jančauskas, Adolfas |
| Full Text |
|
| Is Part of |
10th International Conference on Sustainable Solid Waste Management.. Chania. 2023, Session XI, p. 1-2 |
| Abstract [eng] |
Currently, more than 129 million surgical masks are wasted every month due to their short lifespan and single use. This type of waste constitutes the majority of medical waste and contains a large amount of plastic material in the form of fibers. These masks are typically composed of three layers: the traditional two non-woven fabrics (top and bottom layers) and a middle layer (melt blown filter) made of polypropylene as the main polymeric material, mixed with other polymeric fillers (e.g. PET, PA, PE, PUR etc.). All these layers are connected by a mechanical bond resulting from friction between the polymer fibers. In addition, these wastes are classified as non-biodegradable waste and have negative impacts on the environment and human health. They are considered as a new source of micro plastic production with several serious consequences for living organisms and marine life. Despite all these scourges, these masks, when exposed to thermal treatments (e.g. gasification), can decompose into so-called syngas with high heating value and economic benefits. This paper presents results of the syngas production from gasification of pelletized end of life facemasks as a source of waste plastics. |
| Published |
Chania |
| Type |
Conference paper |
| Language |
English |
| Publication date |
2023 |
