TG-FTIR and Py-GC/MS study of the pyrolysis mechanism and composition of volatiles from flash pyrolysis of PVC

To facilitate the reuse and recycling of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to achieve sustainable development and new industrialization, the composition and mechanism of formation of volatiles during the flash pyrolysis of PVC were studied by thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared (TG-FTIR) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). TG and derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) analyses indicated two main degradation stages during flash pyrolysis of PVC, namely dehydrochlorination of PVC and decomposition of dechlorinated-PVC. Simultaneously, the FTIR results revealed that the main functional groups in the pyrolysis process were H–Cl, -C-Cl, C–H, CH, and aromatic groups. The relative content of main volatiles was determined by Py-GC/MS, and decreased in the following order: aromatics > alkenes > hydrogen chloride (HCl) > chlorinated hydrocarbons. Specifically, the relative content of aromatics was as high as 76.790–81.809%, while that of HCl was in the range of 3.016–3.096%. The carbon number distribution and the relative content of main products obtained from the flash pyrolysis of PVC at different final temperatures were also analysed. According to the experimental results, the mechanism of formation of the main volatiles based on free-radical reactions was deduced in detail. Therefore, this study provides further details for deepening the understanding of the PVC pyrolysis process.