The feasibility study of transfer arc plasma pyrolysis system for petrochemical wastes: Hydrogen production from Antar, OTD, and Tar

One of the best and most advanced methods for disposal of urban, hospital, industrial, and other hazardous waste is to convert waste into combustible gases in reactors based on plasma arc technology. Also used for renewable energy generation, this technology involves thermal treatment without a combustion process; therefore, the waste is completely decomposed into simple molecules in a near vacuum environment almost devoid of Oxygen at elevated temperatures. The present research uses a thermal transferred arc plasma reactor to conduct a feasibility study on the pyrolysis of three types of wastes: Antar, Orthotoluenediamine (OTD), and Tar. To this end, three experiments were conducted, and the effective parameters involved in preparing and producing common gaseous raw materials and products, such as hydrogen, and their production amounts were examined. The outcome demonstrates that there are no remnants of spent catalyst waste following the plasma pyrolysis process, confirming the feasibility of complete conversion. The findings of this study revealed that plasma waste reactors could generate recycled energy in the form of renewable fuel free of toxic gases and vapors released from conventional waste incinerators and create negligible amounts of environmental pollutants.