Co-pyrolysis of olive residue with poly(vinyl chloride) using thermogravimetric analysis

Pyrolytic process has a promising potential for the environmentally friendly upgrading of lignocellulosic materials and plastic waste. The co-pyrolysis of olive residue and poly(vinyl chloride) was investigated under nitrogen atmosphere by dynamic thermogravimetric analysis in the temperature range of 300–975 K. Two main stages of mass loss have been evidenced by TG analysis. The first occurs in the temperature range of 420–684 K, and the second occurs at 631–840 K. This research was focused on the interaction between olive residue and poly(vinyl chloride) during the pyrolysis process. Discrepancies between the experimental and calculated TG/DTG profiles were considered as a measurement of the extent of interactions occurring on co-pyrolysis. It was found that reactivity of olive residue was increased in olive residue/PVC mixture. In addition, a kinetic analysis was performed to fit thermogravimetric data, the mixture is considered as multistage process. A reasonable fit to the experimental data was obtained for all materials and their mixture by isoconversional Friedman method.