Integrated assessment of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels derived from fixed-bed pyrolysis of waste tires

de Lima, Harryson Guimarães ; Júnior, Clériston Moura Vieira ; Santos, Humberto (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Júnior, Adalberto Freire do Nascimento ; Antonino, Antônio Celso Dantas ; da Silva, Sérgio Peres Ramos

Resumen: The improper disposal of end-of-life tires poses significant environmental challenges due to their petroleum-based composition and slow degradation, while simultaneously representing an underutilized energy resource. This study investigates the slow pyrolysis of shredded waste tires in a fixed-bed electrically heated reactor to evaluate the production and fuel properties of gaseous, liquid, and solid fractions. Experiments were conducted with 100 g samples under nitrogen at final temperatures of 400, 500, and 600 °C, with residence times of 40, 25, and 10 min, respectively. Higher temperatures promoted gas formation, increasing yields from 27% to 32% and achieving a maximum lower heating value of 30.54 MJ m−3 at 600 °C, with enhanced H2 and CH4 contents. Solid yields decreased slightly (41% to 37%), while char maintained stable heating values (~29 MJ kg−1). Liquid yields remained near 33% and showed high calorific values (~41 MJ kg−1), densities of 700–770 kg m−3, low acidity, low ash content, and increased viscosity at higher temperatures. Energy conversion efficiency reached 74.4% at 500 °C. The integrated evaluation of all fractions under identical conditions highlights fixed-bed pyrolysis as a promising pathway for waste-tire valorization and decentralized fuel production.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/pr14081197

Año: 2026

Publicado en: PROCESSES 14, 8 (2026), 1197 [25 pp.]
ISSN: 2227-9717

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2023-148958OB-C21

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Máquinas y Motores Térmi. (Dpto. Ingeniería Mecánica)