The recent significant increase in the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a remarkable environmental issue. Pyrolysis is a promising thermal treatment process, as it can reduce MSW and produce some valuable products as well. This study evaluated the potential of the carbon residue (CR) as an efficient H2O2 activator. The CR was produced from the co-pyrolysis of a mixture of abandoned cartons and plastic wraps, which are becoming increasingly dominant in MSW. Results shows an interesting interaction between carton and PVC, that the introduction of PVC into carton greatly enhanced the activation rates of H2O2 by CR below the ratio of 0.2:1 (PVC: carton, w:w), whereas higher PVC content lowered its activation ability. Mechanistic study proposed that the rate of H2O2 activation was governed by the electron acceptors on CR (i.e. defects) and the conductivity of CR (i.e. π-system). The introduction of limited amount of PVC to carton greatly increased both factors. An empirical model was established to successfully predict H2O2 activation rates using these two factors. EPR signals under different conditions revealed that CR directly activated H2O2 to mainly produce superoxide radicals, which was responsible for pollutant degradation. In summary, this study provides a new insight into the disposal of a mixture of abandoned plastic wraps and cartons, but also reveals a novel mechanism of H2O2 activation by CR.

H2O2 activation by pyrolysis carbon residue of waste cartons and plastics

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