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Plastic Waste Management towards Energy Recovery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Example of Protective Face Mask Pyrolysis

Author

Listed:
  • Magdalena Skrzyniarz

    (Faculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology, Czestochowa University of Technology, 19 Armii Krajowej Avenue, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland)

  • Marcin Sajdak

    (Department of Air Protection, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 22 B Konarskiego Avenue, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland)

  • Monika Zajemska

    (Faculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology, Czestochowa University of Technology, 19 Armii Krajowej Avenue, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland)

  • Józef Iwaszko

    (Faculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology, Czestochowa University of Technology, 19 Armii Krajowej Avenue, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland)

  • Anna Biniek-Poskart

    (Faculty of Management, Czestochowa University of Technology, 19 B Armii Krajowej Avenue, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland)

  • Andrzej Skibiński

    (Faculty of Management, Czestochowa University of Technology, 19 B Armii Krajowej Avenue, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland)

  • Sławomir Morel

    (Faculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology, Czestochowa University of Technology, 19 Armii Krajowej Avenue, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland)

  • Paweł Niegodajew

    (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, Czestochowa University of Technology, 21 Armii Krajowej Avenue, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland)

Abstract

This paper presents an assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the waste management sector, and then, based on laboratory tests and computer calculations, indicates how to effectively manage selected waste generated during the pandemic. Elemental compositions—namely, C, H, N, S, Cl, and O—were determined as part of the laboratory tests, and the pyrolysis processes of the above wastes were analysed using the TGA technique. The calculations were performed for a pilot pyrolysis reactor with a continuous flow of 240 kg/h in the temperature range of 400–900 °C. The implemented calculation model was experimentally verified for the conditions of the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) pyrolysis process. As a result of the laboratory tests and computer simulations, comprehensive knowledge was obtained about the pyrolysis of protective masks, with particular emphasis on the gaseous products of this process. The high calorific value of the pyrolysis gas, amounting to approx. 47.7 MJ/m 3 , encourages the management of plastic waste towards energy recovery. The proposed approach may be helpful in the initial assessment of the possibility of using energy from waste, depending on its elemental composition, as well as in the assessment of the environmental effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Magdalena Skrzyniarz & Marcin Sajdak & Monika Zajemska & Józef Iwaszko & Anna Biniek-Poskart & Andrzej Skibiński & Sławomir Morel & Paweł Niegodajew, 2022. "Plastic Waste Management towards Energy Recovery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Example of Protective Face Mask Pyrolysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:7:p:2629-:d:786584
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rogelio Ochoa-Barragán & Aurora del Carmen Munguía-López & José María Ponce-Ortega, 2024. "A hybrid machine learning-mathematical programming optimization approach for municipal solid waste management during the pandemic," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(7), pages 17653-17672, July.
    2. Przemysław Rajca & Andrzej Skibiński & Anna Biniek-Poskart & Monika Zajemska, 2022. "Review of Selected Determinants Affecting Use of Municipal Waste for Energy Purposes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-17, November.

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