Pyrolysis of rubber gloves in integral pyrolysis test plant

Previously, pyrolysis of rubber gloves in laboratory study was described. In order to visualize the practical application of rubber gloves pyrolysis in terms of treating rubber gloves in medical waste, a new test plant was designed and constructed. The semi-continuous test plant was designed to accommodate rubber gloves that were not cut or shredded. The test plant has a capacity of 2kg/ hr and employed auxiliary fuel instead of the conventional electrical power for heating. The concept was based on moving bed reactor, but additional feature of sand jacket feature was also introduced in the design. Pyrolysis of the gloves was conducted at three temperatures, namely 350 degree Celsius, 400 degree Celsius and 450 degree Celsius. Oxygen presents inside of the reactor due to the combined effect of imperfect sealing and suction effect. This study addresses the performance of this test plant covering the time temperature profile, gas evolution profile and product yield. Comparison between the yield of the liquid, gas and char pyrolyzate was made against the laboratory study. It was found that the oil yield was less than the one obtained from bench scale study. Water formation was more pronounced. The presence of the oxygen also altered the tail gas composition but eliminate the sticky nature of solid residue, making it easier to handle. The chemical composition of the oil was determined and the main compounds in the oil were esters and phtalic acid. (author)