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Research on pyrolysis of PCB waste with TG-FTIR and Py-GC/MS

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the pyrolysis characteristics and gas product properties of printed circuit board (PCB) waste. For this purpose, a combination of Thermogravimetry-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum (TG-FTIR) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) techniques is employed. In the TG-FTIR experiment, a heating rate of 10 °C min−1 and a terminal pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C are applied. The thermal decomposition temperature, weight losses, and the temperature trend of evolving gaseous products of PCB waste are investigated. Py-GC/MS is used for the qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of the higher-molecular-weight volatile decomposition products. Associated with the analysis results of TG-FTIR and Py-GC/MS for the volatile products, PCB waste degradation could be subdivided into three stages. The main products in the first stage (<293 °C) are H2O, CH4, HBr, CO2 and CH3COCH3. High-molecular-weight organic species, including bromophenols, bisphenol A, p-isopropenyl phenol, phenol, etc., mainly evolve in the second stage. In the last stage, at temperature above 400 °C, carbonization and char formation occur. This fundamental study provides a basic insight of PCB waste pyrolysis.

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Acknowledgements

The above study was supported by the Geping GreenAid Project—Environmental Scientific Research “123 Project” of Liaoning, China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51006018).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Linggong Road 2, Dalian, 116024, People’s Republic of China

    Cui Quan, Aimin Li & Ningbo Gao

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  1. Cui Quan
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  2. Aimin Li
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  3. Ningbo Gao
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Correspondence to Aimin Li.

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Quan, C., Li, A. & Gao, N. Research on pyrolysis of PCB waste with TG-FTIR and Py-GC/MS. J Therm Anal Calorim 110, 1463–1470 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-011-2048-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-011-2048-x

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