Faculty Publications
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Item Role of ZSM5 catalyst and char susceptor on the synthesis of chemicals and hydrocarbons from microwave-assisted in-situ catalytic co-pyrolysis of algae and plastic wastes(Elsevier Ltd, 2022) Suriapparao, D.V.; Tanneru, T.; Rajasekhar Reddy, B.R.; Yerrayya, A.; Bhasuru, B.A.; Pandian, P.; Prakash, S.R.; Sankar Rao, C.; Sridevi, V.; Desinghu, J.The synergetic effect between algae biomass in co-pyrolysis with synthetic plastics (polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and expanded polystyrene (EPS)) was investigated in this work. Individual feedstock pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis of algae with PP, PE, and EPS were conducted at a constant supply of microwave energy (420 J/s). Pyrolysis char was used as a susceptor in all the experiments. The average heating rate was varied in the range of ∼50–60 °C/min for achieving the final pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C. In catalytic co-pyrolysis, the ZSM-5 catalyst was used for upgrading the physicochemical properties of pyrolysis oil. The use of catalyst promoted the excessive cracking of biomass in co-pyrolysis, leading to higher gas and coke residue comparatively. The viscosity, density, and flash point of oil obtained in catalytic co-pyrolysis were significantly reduced. While the oil obtained from individual pyrolysis of algae is rich in phenolic derivatives, and that of PP, PE has aliphatic hydrocarbons, and EPS has monoaromatic hydrocarbons as major compounds. The synergistic role of plastic and biomass in co-pyrolysis was observed in the formation of products and oil composition. The bio-oil from catalytic co-pyrolysis is composed of aliphatic oxygenates, aliphatic hydrocarbons, cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons, and phenolics. The chemicals and hydrocarbons present in the oil have a carbon number in the range of C6 to C30. An increase in carbon and hydrogen elemental composition was observed in bio-oil obtained from co-pyrolysis. © 2021 Elsevier LtdItem Microwave-assisted in-situ catalytic pyrolysis of polystyrene: Analysis of product formation and energy consumption using machine learning approach(Institution of Chemical Engineers, 2022) Terapalli, A.; Kamireddi, D.; Sridevi, V.; Tukarambai, M.; Suriapparao, D.V.; Sankar Rao, C.S.; Gautam, R.; Modi, P.R.Microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis is a prominent technology for the production of high-quality fuel intermediates and value-added chemicals from polystyrene waste. The objectives of this study were to understand the role of catalyst (KOH) on polystyrene (PS) pyrolysis. Pyrolysis experiments were conducted using a microwave oven at a power of 450 W and a temperature of 600 °C. Graphite susceptor (10 g) was used to achieve the required pyrolysis conditions. In addition, the design of experiments (DoE) with machine learning (ML) was used to understand the loading of PS (5 g, 27.5 g, and 50 g), and KOH (5 g, 7.5 g, and 10 g). The products including oil, gas, and char were collected in every experiment. The average heating rates achieved were in the range of 30–50 °C/min. The specific microwave power (microwave power per unit mass of feedstock) decreased with an increase in PS amount from 90 to 9 W/g. However, the specific microwave energy (microwave energy per unit mass of feedstock) (27–73 kJ/g) was in line with the average heating rate. The maximum yield of pyrolysis oil was found to be 95 wt%, which was obtained with a PS:KOH ratio of 27.5 g: 7.5 g. The oil yield increased from 80 to 95 wt% when the mass of the catalyst increased from 5 to 7.5 g. On the other hand, the gas yield (3–18 wt%) varied significantly and char yield (1–2 wt%) was not influenced. The yields predicted by ML matched well with the experimental yields. This study demonstrated the potential of KOH as a catalyst for PS pyrolysis technology as the formation of aliphatic hydrocarbons in the oil fraction was significantly promoted. © 2022 The Institution of Chemical EngineersItem Synthesis of sustainable chemicals from waste tea powder and Polystyrene via Microwave-Assisted in-situ catalytic Co-Pyrolysis: Analysis of pyrolysis using experimental and modeling approaches(Elsevier Ltd, 2022) Suriapparao, D.V.; Sridevi, V.; Ramesh, R.; Sankar Rao, C.S.; Tukarambai, M.; Kamireddi, D.; Gautam, R.; Dharaskar, S.A.; Pritam, K.In the current study, catalytic co-pyrolysis was performed on waste tea powder (WTP) and polystyrene (PS) wastes to convert them into value-added products using KOH catalyst. The feed mixture influenced the heating rates (17–75 °C/min) and product formation. PS promoted the formation of oil and WTP enhanced the char formation. The maximum oil yield (80 wt%) was obtained at 15 g:5 g, and the maximum char yield (44 wt%) was achieved at 5 g:25 g (PS:WTP). The pyrolysis index (PI) increased with the increase in feedstock quantity. High PI was noticed at 25 g:5 g, and low PI was at 5 g:5 g (PS:WTP). Low energy consumption and low pyrolysis time enhanced the PI value. Significant interactions were noticed during co-pyrolysis. The obtained bio-oil was analyzed using GC–MS and a plausible reaction mechanism is presented. Catalyst and co-pyrolysis synergy promoted the formation of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons by reducing the oxygenated products. © 2022 Elsevier LtdItem Microwave-assisted In-situ catalytic co-pyrolysis of polypropylene and polystyrene mixtures: Response surface methodology analysis using machine learning(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Kamireddi, D.; Terapalli, A.; Sridevi, V.; Tukaram Bai, M.T.; Surya, D.V.; Sankar Rao, C.S.; Jeeru, L.R.Polypropylene (PP) and Polystyrene (PS) are the major plastic fractions found in mixed plastic waste. Hence, the current study was focused to convert PP and PS into useful products via microwave-assisted pyrolysis (MAP). In addition, the understanding of feedstock conversion, product yields, and energy requirements in pyrolysis, co-pyrolysis, and catalytic co-pyrolysis was investigated. Experiments were conducted at a constant microwave power of 450 W till the reaction temperature reached up to 600 °C. When PS pyrolyzed, a heating rate of 56 °C/min resulted in 80 wt% of oil yield. Whereas PP pyrolysis produced 42 wt% of oil at a heating rate of 76 °C/min. In the PP: PS co-pyrolysis, the heating rate was decreased to 52 °C/min by yielding 51 wt% of oil. In catalytic co-pyrolysis of PP: PS with KOH resulted in variation in product yields and heating rate. An increase in PS quantity at a constant mass of PP resulted in the enhancement of oil yields from 58 to 84 wt% and a decrease in gas yields. The specific microwave power in the catalytic co-pyrolysis (7–18 W/g) is lower compared to the non-catalytic case (22–30 W/g). Whereas, the pyrolysis time in non-catalytic pyrolysis (7–11 min) is lower compared to catalytic co-pyrolysis (14–37 min). The addition of a catalyst resulted in a decrease (23–50%) in microwave conversion efficiency than that of the non-catalytic case (60–85%). The difference in predicted and actual result analysis proved co-pyrolysis synergy in product formation and energy consumption. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.Item Two-step synthesis of biochar using torrefaction and microwave-assisted pyrolysis: Understanding the effects of torrefaction temperature and catalyst loading(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Ramesh, P.; Sankar Rao, C.S.; Surya, D.V.; Sridevi, V.; Kulkarni, A.The study focused on synthesizing the biochar from sawdust using torrefaction followed by pyrolysis. Sawdust was torrefied at different temperatures (125 °C, 150 °C, and 175 °C) using a conventional hot air oven. The obtained torrefied biochar was subjected to Microwave-assisted pyrolysis at a power of 300 W for 10 min. Graphite was used as a susceptor, and KOH was used as a catalyst. The maximum biochar product yield varied from 24 to 48 wt% and increased with torrefaction temperature. The average heating rates ranged from 54.5 to 74.6 °C/min. At 10 g of KOH, higher heating rates were obtained. The pyrolysis index analyzed varied between 97.5 and 111.5 and decreased with the increase in torrefaction temperature. The obtained biochar was analyzed using SEM, BET, XRD, FTIR, ICP-OES, and Raman spectroscopy. Porous structure formation enhanced, and the concentrations of Ca, Al, and Fe decreased with the increase in torrefaction temperature. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.Item Synergistic effects and product yields in microwave-assisted in-situ co-pyrolysis of rice straw and paraffin wax(Institution of Chemical Engineers, 2024) Hamzah, H.T.; Sridevi, V.; Surya, D.V.; Ramesh, P.; Sankar Rao, C.; Palla, S.; Abdullah, T.A.Microwave-assisted pyrolysis is one of the most efficient methods for solid waste management. This study employed microwave-assisted catalytic co-pyrolysis to convert Paraffin wax (PW) and rice straw (RS) into valuable char, gas, and oil products. KOH and graphite were used as the catalyst and susceptor, respectively. The RS and PW blend served as the feedstock (with a blend ratio of 0–10 g). The yields of co-pyrolysis at different blending ratios of RS: PW exhibited variations in char content (ranging from 9.8% to 22.6% by wt.), oil production (ranging from 34.1% to 76.9% by wt.), and gas formation (ranging from 13.2% to 47.5% by wt.). The effects of the RS: PW ratio on the average heating rate, feedstock conversion, and product yields were also investigated. Analyses were performed to assess the synergistic impacts on product yields, average heating rates, and conversion factors. Notably, co-pyrolysis synergy led to increased oil and char production. Furthermore, we conducted FTIR analysis on the oil and char produced through the catalytic co-pyrolysis of RS: PW. In conjunction with co-pyrolysis synergy, the catalyst facilitated the formation of amides, alkenes, aliphatic compounds, and aromatic compounds. © 2023 The Institution of Chemical Engineers