TG-FTIR characterization of pyrolysis of waste mixtures of paint and tar slag

Safe disposal of hazardous waste is becoming generally more important as industrial production increases. The pyrolysis characteristics and gas evolution of mixtures of several wastes are discussed in this paper. Experiments are described for various heating rates, particle sizes and final temperatures using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The results indicate that there are three stages in the pyrolysis process. The composition of evolved gas includes carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane, nitric oxide, hydrocyanic acid and a number of other light alkanes. Gas evolution temperatures and gas generation rates were significantly influenced by the factors identified. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.