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Howbeit, in the last few years the catalysed pyrolysis of plastics is being considered as
a chance to avoid the problems mentioned above. However, this is not feasible without
a perfect mastering of the kinetics of degradation for each and every polymer and all
their possible mixtures, i.e. understanding their kinetic schemes and in parallel
evaluating their thermodynamic parameters as well. It is imperative to know energy
balances, released gases, products, by-products, … In this perspective, development of
pyrolysis should be favoured.
Therefore, it has become interesting to know pyrolysis behaviour of certain number of
polymers. And finally, in the domain of medical wastes, or even nuclear wastes, pyrolysis
has to be preferred.
The study of kinetics and the knowledge of the main evolved gases are the main
objectives of the present thesis.
2.1.1 Various possible methods of use of plastic polymers
According to the obligation in matter of wastes with the 2002 deadline, plastics cannot be
from now on put on dumping sites. First of all, they must be treated by some method.
However, the method of recycling depends on their nature and source.
Fig. 1: Plastic materials susceptible to recycling.
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