Waste Tire Pyrolysis Oil: Alternative to Conventional Gasoline

Expired automobile tires majorly composed of hydrocarbons are non-biodegradables which pose an environmental concern. These hydrocarbons (HC) were converted to oils through pyrolysis under certain operating conditions carefully selected by an extensive research into the molecular components and structure of the feedstock. The obtained oils were upgraded through binary distillation and gave products in the range of gasoline (35deg.C – 185deg.C) and diesel (185deg.C – 254deg.C). Physiochemical analysis of these refined categories showed the oil produced is near conventional gasoline and diesel. Combustion of certain blends of conventional gasoline and the obtained oil (pyrolysis oil) at different ratios gave reduced emissions of CO2, SO2, and CO gases when increasing percentage of the pyrolysis oil in the pyrolysis-gasoline blend. However, HC emission did not follow this trend. Examination of each blend’s load variation, upon increase, showed an increase in emission of the gases listed above except SO2 emission. Thus, increase in load led to reduction in SO2 emission. It was further observed that oil consumption reduced as the percentage of conventional fuel reduced. This indicates pyrolysis oil can be used as a substitute for conventional gasoline.