This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Unclaimed
Riccardo Tuffi
Department for Sustainability, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Journal article
Published: 21 April 2021 in Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Plastic is probably the fraction of the waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) most challenging to manage and the market of recycled plastics from WEEE is limited to few cases. In this study, twenty WEEE plastic samples collected in two material recovery facilities (MRFs) from manually sorted housings and components and among some discarded devices stored in Casaccia Research Center were analysed through infrared identification and chemical-physical characterization. The analyses were carried out in order to select the suitable samples for mechanical recycling in 3D printer filaments. Eleven different polymers or blends were found in the WEEE samples and the majority of those collected in the MRFs resulted as mixtures of different plastics, although often of styrene-based nature. On the other hand, many WEEE samples showed a good similarity to the corresponding virgin polymers with a content of halogens and inorganic fillers less than 0.2 and 5 wt%, respectively. The thirteen selected WEEE plastic samples were washed, reduced to < 4 mm and extruded in filaments with the proper diameter. The polymeric heterogeneity and the presence of foreign materials in some samples were the main critical issues highlighted during the extrusion. The suitable filaments were used to print test objects with different geometries. The quality control of the scanned objects, through a structured-light 3D scanner, showed that specimens printed with WEEE plastic filaments had no significant higher deviation from the model design in comparison to the same object produced using the commercial filaments.

ACS Style

L. Cafiero; D. De Angelis; M. Di Dio; P. Di Lorenzo; M. Pietrantonio; S. Pucciarmati; R. Terzi; L. Tuccinardi; R. Tuffi; A. Ubertini. Characterization of WEEE plastics and their potential valorisation through the production of 3D printing filaments. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 2021, 9, 105532 .

AMA Style

L. Cafiero, D. De Angelis, M. Di Dio, P. Di Lorenzo, M. Pietrantonio, S. Pucciarmati, R. Terzi, L. Tuccinardi, R. Tuffi, A. Ubertini. Characterization of WEEE plastics and their potential valorisation through the production of 3D printing filaments. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 2021; 9 (4):105532.

Chicago/Turabian Style

L. Cafiero; D. De Angelis; M. Di Dio; P. Di Lorenzo; M. Pietrantonio; S. Pucciarmati; R. Terzi; L. Tuccinardi; R. Tuffi; A. Ubertini. 2021. "Characterization of WEEE plastics and their potential valorisation through the production of 3D printing filaments." Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 9, no. 4: 105532.

Journal article
Published: 30 December 2020 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Interest in small scale composting systems is currently growing, and this in turn raises the question of whether the compostable bags are as suitable as in industrial composting facilities. In this work the physical degradation percentage of compostable lightweight bioplastic bags in two types of composter was examined. The main goal was to understand whether the mild biodegrading conditions that occur in electromechanical or static home composters are sufficient to cause effective bag degradation in times consistent with the householders’ or operators’ expectations. Bags, which complied with standard EN 13432, were composted in a number of 600 L static home composters, which were run in different ways (e.g., fed only with vegetables and yard waste, optimizing the humid/bulking agent fraction, poorly managed) and a 1 m3 electromechanical composter. Six months of residence time in static home composters resulted in 90–96 wt% degradation depending on the management approach adopted, and two months in the electromechanical composter achieved 90 wt%. In the latter case, three additional months of curing treatment of the turned heaps ensured complete physical degradation. In conclusion, in terms of the level and times of physical degradation, the use of compostable bioplastic bags appeared promising and consistent with home composting practices.

ACS Style

Lorenzo Cafiero; Margherita Canditelli; Fabio Musmeci; Giulia Sagnotti; Riccardo Tuffi. Assessment of Disintegration of Compostable Bioplastic Bags by Management of Electromechanical and Static Home Composters. Sustainability 2020, 13, 263 .

AMA Style

Lorenzo Cafiero, Margherita Canditelli, Fabio Musmeci, Giulia Sagnotti, Riccardo Tuffi. Assessment of Disintegration of Compostable Bioplastic Bags by Management of Electromechanical and Static Home Composters. Sustainability. 2020; 13 (1):263.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lorenzo Cafiero; Margherita Canditelli; Fabio Musmeci; Giulia Sagnotti; Riccardo Tuffi. 2020. "Assessment of Disintegration of Compostable Bioplastic Bags by Management of Electromechanical and Static Home Composters." Sustainability 13, no. 1: 263.

Journal article
Published: 25 September 2020 in Catalysts
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The plastic film residue (PFR) of a plastic waste recycling process was selected as pyrolysis feed. Both thermal and catalytic pyrolysis experiments were performed and coal fly ash (CFA) and X zeolites synthesized from CFA (X/CFA) were used as pyrolysis catalysts. The main goal is to study the effect of low-cost catalysts on yields and quality of pyrolysis oils. NaX/CFA, obtained using the fusion/hydrothermal method, underwent ion exchange followed by calcination in order to produce HX/CFA. Firstly, thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG and DSC, respectively) analyses evaluated the effect of catalysts on the PFR degradation temperature and the process energy demand. Subsequently, pyrolysis was carried out in a bench scale reactor adopting the liquid-phase contact mode. HX/CFA and NaX/CFA reduced the degradation temperature of PFR from 753 to 680 and 744 K, respectively, while the degradation energy from 2.27 to 1.47 and 2.07 MJkg−1, respectively. Pyrolysis runs showed that the highest oil yield (44 wt %) was obtained by HX/CFA, while the main products obtained by thermal pyrolysis were wax and tar. Furthermore, up to 70% of HX/CFA oil was composed by gasoline range hydrocarbons. Finally, the produced gases showed a combustion energy up to 8 times higher than the pyrolysis energy needs.

ACS Style

Marco Cocchi; Doina De Angelis; Leone Mazzeo; Piergianni Nardozi; Vincenzo Piemonte; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Catalytic Pyrolysis of a Residual Plastic Waste Using Zeolites Produced by Coal Fly Ash. Catalysts 2020, 10, 1113 .

AMA Style

Marco Cocchi, Doina De Angelis, Leone Mazzeo, Piergianni Nardozi, Vincenzo Piemonte, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Catalytic Pyrolysis of a Residual Plastic Waste Using Zeolites Produced by Coal Fly Ash. Catalysts. 2020; 10 (10):1113.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marco Cocchi; Doina De Angelis; Leone Mazzeo; Piergianni Nardozi; Vincenzo Piemonte; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2020. "Catalytic Pyrolysis of a Residual Plastic Waste Using Zeolites Produced by Coal Fly Ash." Catalysts 10, no. 10: 1113.

Journal article
Published: 28 May 2020 in Waste Management
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The possibility of a pyrolysis process as a mean of recycling the residual plastic rich fraction (WEEE residue) derived from of a material recovery facility has been evaluated. The unknown product composition of WEEE residue has been supposed through coupled thermal – infrared analysis and ultimate analysis and resulted as PP 3 wt%, PBT 3 wt%, PVC 4 wt%, styrene-based polymers (principally ABS) 50 wt%, thermosetting resins (principally, epoxy/phenolic resins) 24 wt%, inorganic fraction (principally fiber glass) 16 wt%. DSC experiments showed that the overall energy, defined as the degradation heat, needed in order to completely degrade WEEE residue was about 4% of the exploitable energy of the input material. The effect of temperature and different zeolite catalysts were investigated, in particular in terms of yield and quality of the produced oils during the pyrolysis process. Produced oils were potentially exploitable as fuels and almost all catalysts improved their quality. The best performance was reached by NaUSY(5.7) with the second highest production of light oil and the greatest total monoaromatics yield, plus 12 wt% in comparison to thermal pyrolysis experiments. Furthermore, light oil produced by NaUSY(5.7) has one of the best LHV (36 MJ/kg) and no halogenated compounds were detected by GC–MS analysis. Char or pyrolytic gas combustion could supply the energy required for the thermal degradation of WEEE Residue.

ACS Style

Luca Esposito; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Valorization of the plastic residue from a WEEE treatment plant by pyrolysis. Waste Management 2020, 112, 1 -10.

AMA Style

Luca Esposito, Lorenzo Cafiero, Doina De Angelis, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Valorization of the plastic residue from a WEEE treatment plant by pyrolysis. Waste Management. 2020; 112 ():1-10.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Esposito; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2020. "Valorization of the plastic residue from a WEEE treatment plant by pyrolysis." Waste Management 112, no. : 1-10.

Journal article
Published: 15 May 2020 in Fuel
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The coal fly ash (CFA) from a coal gasification plant was used as raw materials for X zeolites synthesis by fusion and hydrothermal method and the ability of CFA-derived zeolites to adsorb CO2 was studied. After characterization of CFA, factors affecting the synthesis of different zeolites from this CFA, i.e., NaOH/CFA weight ratio, crystallization temperature and crystallization time were investigated. X-ray powder diffraction showed that only the experimental conditions corresponding to 1.2 NaOH/CFA, 7 h and 90 °C have led to a mixture composed by NaX and amorphous compounds without the formation of other crystalline structures. This product has a specific surface area of 498 ± 4 m2/g and exhibits a CO2 adsorption capacity of 2.18 molCO2/kg, corresponding to 57% of commercial 13X. Results showed that this feature is directly related to this specific crystalline product and not to other zeolitic forms or to amorphous phases. The design of experiment, named central composite full factorial, was accounted to optimize these synthesis parameters in order to maximize the CO2 adsorption capacity of the CFA-derived zeolites. Thermogravimetry experiments showed that the experimental setting corresponding to 1.4 NaOH/CFA, 80 °C and 7 h has led to a material with an adsorption capacity of 3.3 molCO2/kg, the 86% of commercial 13X. Furthermore, results highlighted that all the examined synthesis parameter are significant for the purpose of improving CO2 adsorption capacity of CFA-derived zeolites but too high values entail the production of more stable and useless (for this purpose) zeolites.

ACS Style

Gabriele Verrecchia; Lorenzo Cafiero; Benedetta de Caprariis; Alessandro Dell'Era; Ida Pettiti; Riccardo Tuffi; Marco Scarsella. Study of the parameters of zeolites synthesis from coal fly ash in order to optimize their CO2 adsorption. Fuel 2020, 276, 118041 .

AMA Style

Gabriele Verrecchia, Lorenzo Cafiero, Benedetta de Caprariis, Alessandro Dell'Era, Ida Pettiti, Riccardo Tuffi, Marco Scarsella. Study of the parameters of zeolites synthesis from coal fly ash in order to optimize their CO2 adsorption. Fuel. 2020; 276 ():118041.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gabriele Verrecchia; Lorenzo Cafiero; Benedetta de Caprariis; Alessandro Dell'Era; Ida Pettiti; Riccardo Tuffi; Marco Scarsella. 2020. "Study of the parameters of zeolites synthesis from coal fly ash in order to optimize their CO2 adsorption." Fuel 276, no. : 118041.

Research article
Published: 07 December 2019 in Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering
Reads 0
Downloads 0

A synthetic mixture of real waste packaging plastics representative of the residue from a material recovery facility (plasmix) was submitted to thermal and catalytic pyrolysis. Preliminary thermogravimetry experiments coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed to evaluate the effects of the catalysts on the polymers’ degradation temperatures and to determine the main compounds produced during pyrolysis. The thermal and catalytic experiments were conducted at 370°C, 450°C and 650°C using a bench scale reactor. The oil, gas, and char yields were analyzed and the compositions of the reaction products were compared. The primary aim of this study was to understand the effects of zeolitic hydrogen ultra stable zeolite Y (HUSY) and hydrogen zeolite socony mobil-5 (HZSM5) catalysts with high silica content on the pyrolysis process and the products’ quality. Thermogravimetry showed that HUSY significantly reduces the degradation temperature of all the polymers—particularly the polyolefines. HZSM5 had a significant effect on the degradation of polyethylene due to its smaller pore size. Mass balance showed that oil is always the main product of pyrolysis, regardless of the process conditions. However, all pyrolysis runs performed at 370°C were incomplete. The use of either zeolites resulted in a decrease in the heavy oil fraction and the prevention of wax formation. HUSY has the best performance in terms of the total monoaromatic yield (29 wt-% at 450°C), while HZSM5 promoted the production of gases (41 wt-% at 650°C). Plasmix is a potential input material for pyrolysis that is positively affected by the presence of the two tested zeolites. A more effective separation of polyethylene terephthalate during the selection process could lead to higher quality pyrolysis products.

ACS Style

Simona Colantonio; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Nicolò M. Ippolito; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a synthetic mixture representative of packaging plastics residue. Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering 2019, 14, 288 -303.

AMA Style

Simona Colantonio, Lorenzo Cafiero, Doina De Angelis, Nicolò M. Ippolito, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a synthetic mixture representative of packaging plastics residue. Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering. 2019; 14 (2):288-303.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simona Colantonio; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Nicolò M. Ippolito; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2019. "Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a synthetic mixture representative of packaging plastics residue." Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering 14, no. 2: 288-303.

Article
Published: 13 November 2019 in Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry
Reads 0
Downloads 0

A plastic packaging residue provided by a central Italy recycling facility was the subject of study of the present paper. The aim is to propose the valorization of plastic film residue (PFR) through a pyrolysis process. The PFR was thermo-chemically characterized through heating value, proximate and ultimate analysis. Fourier transformed infrared measurements have shown that PFR is constituted by 92–95 mass% of polyethylene (PE) film, around 5 mass% of PP, polystyrene (PS) < 1 mass%, PET < 1 mass% and traces of foreign materials. The extremely high percentage (98.7 mass%) of volatile matter and the low content of ash (2.1 mass%), humidity (0.6 mass%) and chlorine (0.1 mass%) make PFR an optimum candidate as load of a pyrolytic reactor. Thermogravimetry (TG) experiments were carried out at five different heating rates (2, 5, 7, 10, 12 K min−1) to determine the kinetic parameters of pyrolysis (activation energy E, pre-exponential factor A and the reaction model). No significant variation of activation energy, calculated by an integral isoconversional method proposed by Vyazovkin, is observed with increasing the degree of conversion. An average value of 264 ± 5 kJ mol−1 was estimated. Then, the Coats–Redfern method and the compensation effect were used to determine the lnA versus α data (being 41.9 the average value within the 0.25 < α < 0.85 range) and the reaction mechanism (R2 contracting cylinder model). Furthermore, the minimum energy required to pyrolyze 1 kg of PFR, about 2.27 MJ, was estimated by differential scanning calorimetry. It corresponds to about 5.5% of the exploitable energy of the input material.

ACS Style

Nicolò M. Ippolito; Lorenzo Cafiero; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Characterization of the residue of a commingled post-consumer plastic waste treatment plant: a thermal, spectroscopic and pyrolysis kinetic study. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 2019, 138, 3323 -3333.

AMA Style

Nicolò M. Ippolito, Lorenzo Cafiero, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Characterization of the residue of a commingled post-consumer plastic waste treatment plant: a thermal, spectroscopic and pyrolysis kinetic study. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. 2019; 138 (5):3323-3333.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nicolò M. Ippolito; Lorenzo Cafiero; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2019. "Characterization of the residue of a commingled post-consumer plastic waste treatment plant: a thermal, spectroscopic and pyrolysis kinetic study." Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 138, no. 5: 3323-3333.

Journal article
Published: 10 February 2018 in Materials
Reads 0
Downloads 0

SiO2-based organic-inorganic hybrids (OIHs) are versatile materials whose properties may change significantly because of their thermal treatment. In fact, after their preparation at low temperature by the sol-gel method, they still have reactive silanol groups due to incomplete condensation reactions that can be removed by accelerating these processes upon heating them in controlled experimental conditions. In this study, the thermal behavior of pure SiO2 and four SiO2-based OIHs containing increasing amount (6, 12, 24 and 50 wt %) of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) has been studied by simultaneous thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The FTIR analysis of the gas mixture evolved at defined temperatures from the samples submitted to the TG experiments identified the mechanisms of thermally activated processes occurring upon heating. In particular, all samples already release ethanol at low temperature. Moreover, thermal degradation of PCL takes place in the richest-PCL sample, leading to 5-hexenoic acid, H2O, CO2, CO and ε-caprolactone. After the samples’ treatment at 450, 600 and 1000 °C, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra revealed that they were still amorphous, while the presence of cristobalite is found in the richest-PCL material.

ACS Style

Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti; Riccardo Tuffi; Alessandro Dell’Era; Francesco Dal Poggetto; Flavia Bollino. Thermal Behavior and Structural Study of SiO2/Poly(ε-caprolactone) Hybrids Synthesized via Sol-Gel Method. Materials 2018, 11, 275 .

AMA Style

Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti, Riccardo Tuffi, Alessandro Dell’Era, Francesco Dal Poggetto, Flavia Bollino. Thermal Behavior and Structural Study of SiO2/Poly(ε-caprolactone) Hybrids Synthesized via Sol-Gel Method. Materials. 2018; 11 (2):275.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti; Riccardo Tuffi; Alessandro Dell’Era; Francesco Dal Poggetto; Flavia Bollino. 2018. "Thermal Behavior and Structural Study of SiO2/Poly(ε-caprolactone) Hybrids Synthesized via Sol-Gel Method." Materials 11, no. 2: 275.

Research article
Published: 12 October 2017 in Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Catalytic pyrolysis of thermoplastics extracted from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was investigated using various fly ash-derived catalysts. The catalysts were prepared from fly ash by a simple method that basically includes a mechanical treatment followed by an acid or a basic activation. The synthesized catalysts were characterized using various analytical techniques. The results showed that not treated fly ash (FA) is characterized by good crystallinity, which in turn is lowered by mechanical and chemical treatment (fly ash after mechanical and acid activation, FAMA) and suppressed almost entirely down to let fly ash become completely amorphous (fly ash after mechanical and basic activation FAMB). Simultaneously, the surface area resulted increased. Subsequently, FA, FAMB and FAMA were used in the pyrolysis of a WEEE plastic sample at 400°C and their performance were compared with thermal pyrolysis at the same temperature. The catalysts principally improve the light oil yield: from 59 wt.% with thermal pyrolysis to 83 wt.% using FAMB. The formation of styrene in the oil is also increased: from 243 mg/g with thermal pyrolysis to 453 mg/g using FAMB. As a result, FAMB proved to be the best catalyst, thus producing also the lowest and the highest amount of char and gas, respectively.Open image in new window

ACS Style

Marika Benedetti; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Alessandro Dell’Era; Mauro Pasquali; Stefano Stendardo; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Pyrolysis of WEEE plastics using catalysts produced from fly ash of coal gasification. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering 2017, 11, 11 .

AMA Style

Marika Benedetti, Lorenzo Cafiero, Doina De Angelis, Alessandro Dell’Era, Mauro Pasquali, Stefano Stendardo, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Pyrolysis of WEEE plastics using catalysts produced from fly ash of coal gasification. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering. 2017; 11 (5):11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marika Benedetti; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Alessandro Dell’Era; Mauro Pasquali; Stefano Stendardo; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2017. "Pyrolysis of WEEE plastics using catalysts produced from fly ash of coal gasification." Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering 11, no. 5: 11.

Article
Published: 13 March 2017 in Polymer Engineering & Science
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Six different silica-polyethylene glycol (SiO2/PEG) organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposites with different amounts of PEG 400 (6, 12, 24, 50, 60 and 70 wt.%) were synthesized by the sol-gel technique. Their thermal behavior was studied by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) under a flowing argon atmosphere in a wide temperature range and their behavior was compared with those of the related materials with 60 and 70 wt.% of PEG, whose results were reported in a previously study. To identify all physical and chemical processes occurring in these promising materials, the gases evolved during TG experiments were analyzed at characteristic constant temperatures by FTIR. These measurements revealed that all the materials undergo a two-step dehydration (loosing water physically bound at temperature lower than 100°C) with overlapping of both TG and DTA curves, thus suggesting an identical behavior up to 200°C regardless the different content of PEG. A different behavior is observed at higher temperature, where three different exothermic effects were observed in the range 200–450°C accompanied by mass losses ranging from 6 to 37% for the SiO2/PEG hybrid materials. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2017. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers

ACS Style

Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti; Michelina Catauro; Flavia Bollino; Riccardo Tuffi. Thermal behavior and dehydration kinetic study of SiO2 /PEG hybrid gel glasses. Polymer Engineering & Science 2017, 57, 606 -612.

AMA Style

Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti, Michelina Catauro, Flavia Bollino, Riccardo Tuffi. Thermal behavior and dehydration kinetic study of SiO2 /PEG hybrid gel glasses. Polymer Engineering & Science. 2017; 57 (6):606-612.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti; Michelina Catauro; Flavia Bollino; Riccardo Tuffi. 2017. "Thermal behavior and dehydration kinetic study of SiO2 /PEG hybrid gel glasses." Polymer Engineering & Science 57, no. 6: 606-612.

Journal article
Published: 29 October 2016 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Bromine and chlorine are almost ubiquitous in waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and the knowledge of their content in the plastic fraction is an essential step for proper end of life management. The aim of this study is to compare the following analytical methods: energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED-XRF), ion chromatography (IC), ion-selective electrodes (ISEs), and elemental analysis for the quantitative determination of chlorine and bromine in four real samples taken from different WEEE treatment plants, identifying the best analytical technique for waste management workers. Home-made plastic standard materials with known concentrations of chlorine or bromine have been used for calibration of ED-XRF and to test the techniques before the sample analysis. Results showed that IC and ISEs, based upon dissolution of the products of the sample combustion, have not always achieved a quantitative absorption of the analytes in the basic solutions and that bromine could be underestimated since several oxidation states occur after combustion. Elemental analysis designed for chlorine determination is subjected to strong interference from bromine and required frequent regeneration and recalibration of the measurement cell. The most reliable method seemed to be the non-destructive ED-XRF. Calibration with home-made standards, having a similar plastic matrix of the samples, enabled us to carry out quantitative determinations, which have been revealed to be satisfactorily accurate and precise. In all the analyzed samples a total concentration of chlorine and/or bromine between 0.6 and 4 w/w% was detected, compromising the feasibility of a mechanical recycling and suggesting the exploration of an alternative route for managing these plastic wastes.

ACS Style

Beatrice Beccagutti; Lorenzo Cafiero; Massimiliana Pietrantonio; Stefano Pucciarmati; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Characterization of Some Real Mixed Plastics from WEEE: A Focus on Chlorine and Bromine Determination by Different Analytical Methods. Sustainability 2016, 8, 1107 .

AMA Style

Beatrice Beccagutti, Lorenzo Cafiero, Massimiliana Pietrantonio, Stefano Pucciarmati, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Characterization of Some Real Mixed Plastics from WEEE: A Focus on Chlorine and Bromine Determination by Different Analytical Methods. Sustainability. 2016; 8 (11):1107.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beatrice Beccagutti; Lorenzo Cafiero; Massimiliana Pietrantonio; Stefano Pucciarmati; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2016. "Characterization of Some Real Mixed Plastics from WEEE: A Focus on Chlorine and Bromine Determination by Different Analytical Methods." Sustainability 8, no. 11: 1107.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2016 in Waste Management
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Pyrolysis seems a promising route for recycling of heterogeneous, contaminated and additives containing plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). This study deals with the thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a synthetic mixture containing real waste plastics, representative of polymers contained in small WEEE. Two zeolite-based catalysts were used at 400 °C: HUSY and HZSM-5 with a high silica content, while three different temperatures were adopted for the thermal cracking: 400, 600 and 800 °C. The mass balance showed that the oil produced by pyrolysis is always the main product regardless the process conditions selected, with yields ranging from 83% to 93%. A higher yield was obtained when pyrolysis was carried out with HZSM-5 at 400 °C and without catalysts, but at 600 and 800 °C. Formation of a significant amount of solid residue (about 13%) is observed using HUSY. The oily liquid product of pyrolysis, analysed by GC–MS and GC-FID, as well as by elemental analysis and for energy content, appeared lighter, less viscous and with a higher concentration of monoaromatics under catalytic condition, if compared to the liquid product derived from thermal degradation at the same temperature. HZSM-5 led to the production of a high yield of styrene (17.5%), while HUSY favoured the formation of ethylbenzene (15%). Energy released by combustion of the oil was around 39 MJ/kg, thus suggesting the possibility to exploit it as a fuel, if the recovery of chemical compounds could not be realised. Elemental and proximate analysis of char and GC-TCD analysis of the gas were also performed. Finally, it was estimated to what extent these two products, showing a relevant ability to release energy, could fulfil the energy demand requested in pyrolysis.

ACS Style

Chiara Santella; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Floriana La Marca; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a mixture of plastics from small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Waste Management 2016, 54, 143 -152.

AMA Style

Chiara Santella, Lorenzo Cafiero, Doina De Angelis, Floriana La Marca, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a mixture of plastics from small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Waste Management. 2016; 54 ():143-152.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chiara Santella; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Floriana La Marca; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2016. "Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a mixture of plastics from small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)." Waste Management 54, no. : 143-152.

Journal article
Published: 24 June 2015 in Journal of Thermal Analysis
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Seven waste thermoplastic polymers (polypropylene, polyethylene film, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene, high-impact polystyrene and polybutadiene terephthalate, denoted as PP, PE (film), PET, PS, ABS, HIPS and PBT, respectively) and four synthetic mixtures thereof with different compositions representing commingled postconsumer plastic waste and waste of electrical and electronic equipment were studied by means of simultaneous thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG/DSC–FTIR) under pyrolytic conditions (inert atmosphere). By summing all the heat change contributions due to physical and/or chemical processes occurring (i.e., melting, decomposition), an overall energy, defined as the degradation heat, was determined for both single component and their mixtures. It was found to be about 4–5 % of the exploitable energy of the input material. Vapors evolved during the pyrolysis of single-component polymers and their mixtures, analyzed using the FTIR apparatus, allowed identifying the main reaction products as monomers or fragments of the polymeric chain. Results from TG/DSC runs and FTIR analysis show that there is no interaction among the plastic components of the mixtures during the occurrence of pyrolysis.

ACS Style

Lorenzo Cafiero; Dario Fabbri; Emiliano Trinca; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and spectroscopic (TG/DSC–FTIR) characterization of mixed plastics for materials and energy recovery under pyrolytic conditions. Journal of Thermal Analysis 2015, 121, 1111 -1119.

AMA Style

Lorenzo Cafiero, Dario Fabbri, Emiliano Trinca, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and spectroscopic (TG/DSC–FTIR) characterization of mixed plastics for materials and energy recovery under pyrolytic conditions. Journal of Thermal Analysis. 2015; 121 (3):1111-1119.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lorenzo Cafiero; Dario Fabbri; Emiliano Trinca; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2015. "Thermal and spectroscopic (TG/DSC–FTIR) characterization of mixed plastics for materials and energy recovery under pyrolytic conditions." Journal of Thermal Analysis 121, no. 3: 1111-1119.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2015 in Environmental Engineering and Management Journal
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Claudia Brunori; Lorenzo Cafiero; Roberta De Carolis; Danilo Fontana; Roberta Guzzinati; Massimiliana Pietrantonio; Stefano Pucciarmati; Giorgia Nadia Torelli; Emiliano Trinca; Riccardo Tuffi. INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR METALS RECOVERY AND PLASTIC VALORIZATION FROM ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC WASTE: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH. Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 2015, 14, 1553 -1562.

AMA Style

Claudia Brunori, Lorenzo Cafiero, Roberta De Carolis, Danilo Fontana, Roberta Guzzinati, Massimiliana Pietrantonio, Stefano Pucciarmati, Giorgia Nadia Torelli, Emiliano Trinca, Riccardo Tuffi. INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR METALS RECOVERY AND PLASTIC VALORIZATION FROM ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC WASTE: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH. Environmental Engineering and Management Journal. 2015; 14 (7):1553-1562.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Claudia Brunori; Lorenzo Cafiero; Roberta De Carolis; Danilo Fontana; Roberta Guzzinati; Massimiliana Pietrantonio; Stefano Pucciarmati; Giorgia Nadia Torelli; Emiliano Trinca; Riccardo Tuffi. 2015. "INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR METALS RECOVERY AND PLASTIC VALORIZATION FROM ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC WASTE: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH." Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 14, no. 7: 1553-1562.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2014 in The Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Riccardo Tuffi; Margherita Canditelli; Nazzareno Faustini; Giovanni Pescheta; Ermanno Barni; Lorenzo Cafiero; Alice Dall'ara. Non-Conventional Biostabilisation Technology of Municipal Solid Waste. The Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management 2014, 40, 175 -184.

AMA Style

Riccardo Tuffi, Margherita Canditelli, Nazzareno Faustini, Giovanni Pescheta, Ermanno Barni, Lorenzo Cafiero, Alice Dall'ara. Non-Conventional Biostabilisation Technology of Municipal Solid Waste. The Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management. 2014; 40 (3):175-184.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Riccardo Tuffi; Margherita Canditelli; Nazzareno Faustini; Giovanni Pescheta; Ermanno Barni; Lorenzo Cafiero; Alice Dall'ara. 2014. "Non-Conventional Biostabilisation Technology of Municipal Solid Waste." The Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management 40, no. 3: 175-184.