Energy Potential of Natural, Synthetic Polymers and Waste Materials -Juniper Publishers
Juniper Publishers- Academic Journal of Polymer Science Authored by Michael Ioelovich In this paper, the energy potential of natural (polysaccharides, lignin, etc.), and synthetic polymers (polyolefins, etc.), polymer materials (plant biomass, plastics and their solid waste), as well as combustible liquids and gases derived from them has been studied. To determine calorific values of solid, liquid and gaseous substances, various experimental and calculation methods were used. For this purpose, improved equations based on chemical structure and elemental analysis was proposed. It was shown that the conversion of solid materials into liquids or gases reduces the yield of thermal energy. Therefore for the production of thermal energy, it is more profitable to burn the solid biomass or plastic than combustible liquids and gases, derived from them. Studies have shown that lipids and lignin increase, whereas moisture and ash reduce the calorific value of biomass.