(628h) Fast Pyrolysis of Polystyrene Foam

Fast pyrolysis of polymers, biomass and other substances is of great interest in various applications. For example, in the lost foam casting process, kinetic information about expandable polystyrene (EPS) decomposition in extremely high heating rate conditions is essential for process development. In this study, a simple laboratory scale fast pyrolysis technique has been developed and demonstrated for the study of EPS decomposition kinetics. Pyrolysis experiments were performed at different reaction temperatures. The cumulative gaseous yields were determined using a flame ionization detector (FID) connected in series with the reactor. The governing equations for a semi-batch reactor were modified and applied to obtain kinetic parameters (the activation energy and the pre-exponential rate constant) for the EPS decomposition process.