Elemental and Thermogravimetric Analysis of Plastic-Paper Composites as Refuse-Derived Fuels for Energy Generation : Plastic and paper waste recycling and Refuse-derived fuel

Plastic and paper waste samples were collected – as received, dried and sorted manually into sub-fractions, pulverized and homogenized in prescribed mixing ratio by weight, and compacted into briquettes. The elemental analysis to determine the carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), sulphur (S), and oxygen (O) content of the samples was carried out in accordance with ASTM D3176-15 standard using an element analyzer. While, thermogravimetric tests were performed on the samples in a thermal analyser according to IUPAC procedure. The results revealed that; plastic–paper composite samples in the group exhibited a lower elemental carbon and hydrogen than the PL100 (Plastic 100% by weight) benchmark; the tested composite samples displayed a comparably higher presence of elemental oxygen, with exception of the composite sample of PL 75 + PA 25 (Plastic 75% by weight and Paper 25% by weight); it was evident that plastic-paper composite samples with PL 75 + PA 25 (Plastic 75% by weight and Paper 25% by weight); PL 50 + PA 50 (Plastic 50% by weight and Paper 50% by weight), and PL 75 + PA 25 (Plastic 25% by weight and Paper 75% ) exhibited 0.08 %, 0.04 %, and 0% increase in sulphur content, while for sample with PA 100 (Paper 100% by weight) show a decrease in elemental sulphur by 0.04% wt. Based on the peak temperature at the maximum weight loss rate indicating sample combustibility, samples PL100 with peak DSC temperatures (417.08- 474.62 ^oC), PL50+PA50 for Plastic 50% by weight and Paper 50% by weight sample (383.27- 441.47 ^oC) and PL75+PA25 (373.70- 426.41 ^oC) are more combustible than samples PL25+PA75 (322.52+ 402.05 ^oC) and PA100 (367.48 ^oC), and would be recommended for use as refuse-derived fuel for on account of their energy recovery potentials.