Optimization of bio-oil production from microwave co-pyrolysis of food waste and low-density polyethylene with response surface methodology.

The applicability of waste to energy conversion technique is facing many issues because of current waste management practices. Focusing on the segregation issue of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) from food waste (FW), microwave (MW) co-pyrolysis of FW and LDPE was investigated in this study. Multifactor optimization of the operating parameters, viz., residence time, LDPE in feed and temperature, was done with response surface methodology to achieve maximum bio-oil yield with a low total acid number (TAN). Bio-oil yield and TAN varied from 17 to 42 wt% and 16-45 mg KOH/g respectively, in various experimental runs. The optimum conditions for maximum bio-oil yield with minimum TAN were residence time -7 s, LDPE in the feed-13% and temperature - 550 °C. A quadratic model was developed to predict bio-oil yield and TAN as a function of operating parameters with an error <8.1 %. Addition of LDPE improved the bio-oil yield (by 20 %). The bio-oil also exhibited reduction in moisture content and TAN (30% and 62 %) and increase in pH and higher heating value (HHV) (40 % and 44 %). Sugars (3.09 wt%), alkanes (1.64 wt%), acids (1.07 wt%), alcohols (0.85 wt%), phenols (0.59 wt%), furans (0.58 wt%) and ketones (0.55 wt%) were the major identified compounds in the bio-oil. Thus, the high HHV and chemical composition of bio-oil indicate its potential use in boilers, engines, turbines, transportation fuels and as a renewable feed for chemical synthesis. The main mechanism for bio-oil quality improvement was the synergetic effect of FW hydrocarbon and hydrocarbon radical (HC) and hydrogen radical (H) of LDPE. The energy consumption analysis showed an energy requirement of 13.11 kWh/kg for bio-oil production.