TY  - JOUR
AU  - Penha, Thiago Soares
AU  - Andrade, Romulo Davi Albuquerque
AU  - Suarez, Paulo Anselmo Ziani
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/08
TI  - Pyrolysis of Discarded Chewing Gum for Acetic Acid Recovery
JO  - Catalysis Research
SP  - 008
VL  - 06
IS  - 03
AB  - Chewing gum, typically discarded indiscriminately, is a significant source of urban solid waste with waste that persist for long period. When in contact with notoriously recyclable materials, it can hinder their recycling processes due to its high post-consumer adhesion, leaving only the non-soluble phase. This gum base is commonly composed of polyvinyl acetate (PVAc). In this context, considering what is done for the recycling of other polymers, the pyrolysis of discarded chewing gum was conducted through a series of reactions to produce bio-oil. The influence of temperature, time, and pressure was studied to find the conditions that would favor the highest production of the liquid phase. The results demonstrated that temperature, reaction time, and pressure significantly influenced product distribution. The highest bio-oil yield was obtained at 350°C for 60 min, producing 2.20 g and 1.64 g of bio-oil at initial pressures of 15 and 70 bar, respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed acetic acid as the predominant compound, reaching a maximum concentration of 94.6% at 300°C for 40 min and 15 bar, while acetaldehyde was detected only under low-pressure conditions. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of converting discarded chewing gum into value-added chemicals through pyrolysis.
SN  - 2771-490X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/cr.2603008
DO  - 10.21926/cr.2603008
ID  - Penha2026
ER  -