Kinetics Properties and Thermal Behavior of Pine Sawdust and Municipal Solid Waste

Abstract

Waste resulting from economic activities has been an integral part of every human society. Effective waste management is considered to be consistent with improved quality of life through removal of potential hazards of uncontrolled disposal. Recent years has witnessed a number of sustainable energy recovery technologies developed to divert solid waste destined for landfills. Waste management is a global problem and therefore development of energy recovery technologies and at the same time serving dual purpose in its reduction has become a priority in recent years. The present study reports kinetics properties and thermal behavior of pine sawdust and municipal solid waste (MSW) using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thus providing theoretical basis for development of energy recovery technologies. Results of this study have shown that the activation energy of both MSW and pine sawdust varies with temperature. The analysis of pine sawdust shows that it has activation energy (Ea) values of 26.19 kJ/mol., 87.46 kJ/mol. and 54.46 kJ/mol. At respective temperature ranges between 350 – 400K, 550 – 650K and 700 800K.  MSW has activation energy between 72.91 kJ/mol. and 139.1 kJ/mol. at temperature ranges between 700 – 900 K and 500 – 600 K respectively. The estimated value of pre-exponential factor for pine sawdust was determined to have the values of 2.46 x 104, 1.6 x 1010 and 5.32 x 1016 (s-1) with temperature ranges between 350 – 400 K, 550 – 650 K and 700 800 K respectively. Municipal solid waste has the values of 3.01 x 1012 and 7.31 x 103 (s-1) with a temperature range of 500 – 600 K and 700 – 900 K respectively. From these findings, it has been determined that MSW and pine sawdust available in Arusha and Kilimanjaro possess energy recovery potentials.