Mussel shells as catalysts for pyrolysis of polyurethane

Abstract

Mussels is one of the most consumed shellfish in Thailand. Its scientific name is Perna viridis, and common name is (green) mussel. The shell of a mussel constitutes around 50% of its total weight. The shells highly consist of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which can convert to be calcium oxide (CaO) and is used in catalytic applications. In this research, the mussel shells were calcined at 900C to synthesize CaO and applied for a pyrolysis of polyurethane (PU) for obtaining useful products. It was found from the results that when calcinated the mussel shells, they converted from CaCO3 to be CaO determined from the crystal structure with an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and the functional groups with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The CaO was then used for the pyrolysis of PU, and it was observed that CaO provided the better physical property to the pyrolysis oil with reducing the content of water phase in the oil. However, CaO decreased the bio-yield due to occurring of secondary reactions which turn the liquid into gas.