Waste Tyres Pyrolysis for Obtaining Limonene

Abstract

This review deals with the technologies of limonene production from waste tyre pyrolysis. Thermal decomposition is attractive for tackling the waste tyre disposal problem, as it enables both: energy to be recovered and limonene to be obtained. This material management recycling of tyres is environmentally more beneficial than the burning of all valuable products, including limonene. Given this recoverability of materials from waste tyres, a comprehensive evaluation was carried out to show the main effect of process conditions (heating rate, temperature, pressure, carrier gas flow rate, and type of volatile residence and process times) for different pyrolytic methods and types of apparatus on the yield of limonene. All the results cited are given in the context of the pyrolysis method and the type of reactor, as well as the experimental conditions in order to avoid contradictions between different researchers. It is shown that secondary and side reactions are very sensitive to interaction with the above-mentioned variables. The yields of all pyrolytic products are also given, as background for limonene, the main product reported in this study.