Capture and Characterization of Particulates from a Single-Cylinder Diesel Engine Fuelled with Refined Tire Pyrolysis Oil

Abstract

Crude tire pyrolysis oil (CTPO) was refined using the principle of selective adsorption and preferential solubility using silica gel as an adsorbent and petroleum ether as a diluent and combusted in a single-cylinder diesel engine. Particulate analysis was conducted in a single-cylinder diesel engine to understand the carbonaceous deposition in piston crowns and surfaces using various analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Further, lubricating oil analysis was performed using a combination of ICP-AES, viscosity, flash, and fire point tests. The results showed that carbon deposition from upgraded tire pyrolysis oil is observed to be higher than diesel due to its high aromatic content. The high amount of carbon deposits from upgraded tire pyrolysis oil was attributed to the high amount of oxygenates in StTPO, which leads to increased polymerization and subsequent condensation on piston crown surfaces, which was then carbonized. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.