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Burning Plastics.

  • 21-08-2011 12:00am
    #1
    Red Neck Hughie
    Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭


    Hey folks, I'm sure you are aware there is an argument against recycling paper and burning it instead as a fuel. Well I'm just wondering if any of you have ..
    1. any data on the outputs of burning plastics and/or rubber compared to kerosene?
    2. Is it any more polluting if a gasifying burner is used? My own guess is that dioxins and furans are more concentrated with combusting rubber but I cant find anything.
    3. Also steel thread at about 800 celsius, will it react with much?
    You see I can get a gasifying burner and tonnes of rubber, would consider myself environmentally sound but if the outputs were in line with kerosene...... Is this a ridiculous line of thinking?


Comments

  • #2
    El Siglo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    Red Neck Hughie wrote: »
    Hey folks, I'm sure you are aware there is an argument against recycling paper and burning it instead as a fuel. Well I'm just wondering if any of you have ..
    1. any data on the outputs of burning plastics and/or rubber compared to kerosene?

    Well I don't have the data on hand, but this website provides an interesting overview of burning rubber and the health impacts.
    2. Is it any more polluting if a gasifying burner is used? My own guess is that dioxins and furans are more concentrated with combusting rubber but I cant find anything.

    Not sure about this.
    3. Also steel thread at about 800 celsius, will it react with much?
    You see I can get a gasifying burner and tonnes of rubber, would consider myself environmentally sound but if the outputs were in line with kerosene...... Is this a ridiculous line of thinking?

    The steel will probably oxidise, it won't melt at that temperature or produce any reaction that I can think of. It's not a ridiculous line of thinking but I would be on the side of caution and contact the EPA regarding the guidelines for what you're considering as you could be in breech of some directives (e.g. this one for example).


  • #3
    Red Neck Hughie
    Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭Red Neck Hughie


    Thanks for the reply. Hidden in one of your links was .....
    It takes approximately 55,000 BTU to produce a pound of rubber. Tires burned for fuel have an energy value of approximately 14,000 BTU per pound. It takes less than 1,000 BTU to convert a pound of waste tire rubber into good quality granulated or crumb rubber. Why 'recover' 14,000 BTU per pound of rubber in cement plants if we can preserve 54,000 BTU by recycling?
    http://www.notoxicburning.org/recycling.html
    So although I'm not convinced on the pollution aspect (the kiln mentioned hadn't second stage burning) the recycling would seem to be sensible in energy terms.


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