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The fate of heavy metals in the environment is significantly influenced by their adsorption onto clay minerals. Herein, we investigate the mechanism of MnO4− and Cd2+ removal by nitrate-intercalated Mg–Al-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) in aqueous solution and optimize the corresponding conditions, showing that these adsorbents can effectively remove Zn, Mn, and Cd from mine wastewater and revealing that adsorbent structure is retained after wastewater treatment. The removal of MnO4− ions from aqueous solution is demonstrated to proceed via their exchange for NO3− ions intercalated within LDHs and is well described by the Freundlich adsorption model, following pseudo-second-order kinetics and featuring chemisorption as the rate-determining step. In contrast, Cd2+ is shown to be removed via the formation of Cd5(OH)8(NO3)2·2H2O (at LDH2) and Cd(NO3)2·Cd(OH)2 (at LDH1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis is a promising technique for the recovery of useful gas, tar, and solid products from biomass waste. However, the low tar yields obtained from lignocellulosic biomass are a significant drawback. To enhance tar yields, sugarcane bagasse, which is the most abundant agricultural waste in Fiji, was pretreated at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure using various sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4) concentrations. Here, the ether bonds of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were partially hydrolyzed. The pretreated samples were then pyrolyzed at 500 °C, and it was confirmed that H 2 SO 4 -pretreatment disrupted the bagasse cell structure, with the thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetry results confirming that decomposition occurred at lower temperatures after pretreatment. In addition, tar yields were significantly enhanced from 5.6 wt% to 13.4 wt% for the untreated and 3 M H 2 SO 4 -pretreated samples respectively. The main components detected in this tar product were levoglucosan, andcellulose-and hemicellulose-derived products, whose proportions were increased following pretreatment. Thus, our work demonstrates that dilute acid pretreatment enhances tar production from sugarcane bagasse due to the production of shorter chain components via the partial hydrolysis of ether bonds. • Hydrolysis of bagasse components occurred by ambient temperature H 2 SO 4 pretreatment. • Moderate H 2 SO 4 concentrations enhanced the pyrolysis tar and gaseous production. • Char formation also increased with increasing H 2 SO 4 concentration. • Levoglucosan production was also enhanced by H 2 SO 4 pretreatment. • Lignin hydrolysis was effective with acid pretreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High-purity Cu and PVC were simultaneously recycled from thin electric cables. • PVC swelling and centrifugal action were combined to separate PVC and Cu. • PVC, Cu, and plasticizers were separated in a single organic solvent. • Plasticizer-imbedded PVC and Cu were recovered in ester/H 2 O mixtures. Waste electric cables from end-of-life vehicles and electronic and electrical equipment present a significant problem in terms of environmental protection and resource recycling. Herein we detail a novel recycling method for thin waste electric cables, by combining polyvinyl chloride (PVC) swelling and centrifugal separation to simultaneously recover PVC and high-purity copper. PVC coverings were swollen in an organic solvent at ambient temperatures, which creates a gap between the covering and the copper wire and facilitates centrifugal separation. Electric cables (12 g) were 100% separated, and more than 95% of the plasticizer was extracted by stirring in 100-mL acetone or ethyl acetate that facilitated the separate recovery of copper, the PVC covering, and the plasticizer. In contrast, >97% separation, with <10% extraction of the plasticizer, was achieved with a mixture of 10 mL butyl acetate and 90 mL water. High-purity copper and PVC with controlled plasticizer content were recovered, which is highly advantageous for recycling both copper and PVC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Polyurethanes (PUs) were converted into H 2 -rich syngas. • Toxic HCN was highly removed simultaneous with H 2 -rich syngas production. • Ni/Mg/Al catalysts simultaneously achieved H 2 -rich syngas recovery and HCN removal. • Synergy between Ni, Mg, and Al in the catalysts show excellent performance. • Variety of PUs (flexible and rigid forms and elastomers) were treated by this process. Abstract Polyurethanes (PUs) such as flexible (cushioning material and sponge) and rigid (different insulators) forms and elastomers (flexible tube and smartphone case) were thermally decomposed at 500 °C. The useless decomposition products were converted into H 2 -rich syngas and the toxic HCN in it was removed by Ni/Mg/Al catalysts at 800 °C under 50 vol% steam/He flow. The resultant total gas production was 1411–1623 mL/g (H 2 : 794–967 mL/g), which was almost 30 times larger than that obtained from simple pyrolysis of PUs where no H 2 was produced. Meanwhile, there was a drastic reduction of HCN concentration in the product gas from a maximum at 2.8 to 0.2–0.6 vol%. The excellent performance on the removal of HCN and the enhanced H 2 -rich syngas production is due to the synergy between Ni, Mg, and Al in the catalysts. This approach has great promise for treating a variety of PU wastes that cannot be recycled effectively otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce sludge volume, Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) was used to remove pollutants from mine wastewater. Mg-Al LDH can remove both cations and anions from mine wastewater via co-precipitation and anion exchange mechanisms, respectively. We herein investigated the difference in removal efficiencies between Mg-Al LDH and Ca(OH)2. Initial As and Fe concentrations of 8.4 and 308.6 mg/L led to final concentrations of <0.001 and 15.4 mg/L, respectively, when 5 g/L LDH with an Mg/Al molar ratio of 2:1 was employed. This suggests that As was removed in the form of , which exchanged with intercalated in the Mg-Al LDH structure, while Fe was removed by the formation of Fe-Al LDH via co-precipitation. In contrast, treatment with 5 g/L Ca(OH)2 gave As and Fe concentrations of 0.1 and <0.01 mg/L, respectively. Thus, under Ca(OH)2 treatment, As is removed by the co-precipitation of arsenate with the formation of ferric oxyhydroxide (FeO(OH)), while Fe is removed by co-precipitation of the formed Fe(OH)3. The sludge volume obtained using Mg-Al LDH was approximately ten times lower than that obtained when using Ca(OH)2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pyrolysis of bisphenol A (BPA), an essential process ingredient used in industry and many everyday life products, helps produce low-industrial-demand chemicals such as isopropenyl- and isopropyl-phenols (IPP and iPrP). In this study, tandem micro-reactor gas chromatography/mass spectrometry combined with an H2 generator (H2-TR-GC/MS) was employed for the first time to investigate the selective recovery of phenol via simultaneous hydrogenation/dealkylation of IPP and iPrP. After investigating the iPrP dealkylation performances of several zeolites, we obtained full iPrP conversion with over 99% phenol selectivity using the Y-zeolite at 350 °C. In contrast, when applied to IPP, the zeolite acid centres caused IPP polymerisation and subsequent IPP-polymer cracking, resulting in many byproducts and reduced phenol selectivity. This challenge was overcome by the addition of 0.3 wt% Ni on the Y-zeolite (0.3Ni/Y), which enabled the hydrogenation of IPP into iPrP and subsequent dealkylation into phenol (full IPP conversion with 92% phenol selectivity). Moreover, the catalyst deactivation and product distribution over repetitive catalytic use were successfully monitored using the H2-TR-GC/MS system. We believe that the findings presented herein could allow the recovery of phenol-rich products from polymeric waste with BPA macro skeleton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate-intercalated Mg Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) was successfully delaminated in water by a facile and effective method upon reflux at 120 °C for 24 h followed by sonication at 40 °C for 5 h. This process is environmentally friendly since water is the only solvent used. The delaminated nanosheets were characterized by microscopic, spectroscopic, and particle size analyses. The delamination process successfully produced octahedron-shaped single-layer nanosheets 50–150 nm in size. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data confirmed that the surface elements and their chemical status are consistent with the basic layer of Mg Al LDH. The delaminated nanosheets displayed higher adsorption capacity for removing heavy metals from waste water than the original powdered LDH. After treating the waste water, a sharp and intense peak in the X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) pattern of the precipitate confirms the restacking of the LDH nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the production and properties of gases produced by the pyrolyses of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), and polystyrene (PS), and three of their mixtures at process temperatures of 500, 700, and 900 °C. The overall aim was to characterize all 24 gases in terms of their production and physical properties, and compare the data obtained to those of traditional fuels, namely natural gas (NG) and propane. In addition to experimental and analytical approaches for determining quantities and compositions of the pyrolysis products, various mathematical methods and their combinations were also used to determine product properties. The highest conversion of material into gas occurred during the pyrolysis of PP at 900 °C (66.88 wt% conversion into gaseous products). The pyrolyses of PE and PP at 500 °C were found to generate pyrolysis gases with the highest energy, with gross calorific values of 86.58 and 81.09 MJ m −3 N , respectively. The highest chemical energy yield was obtained by the pyrolysis of PP at 900 °C. Gases produced from PVC had a high thermal conductivity of about 104.83 mW m −1  K −1 . The gas generated from PP at 500 °C exhibited a high specific heat of 2.94 kJ m −3 N  K −1 , and that obtained from PS at 500 °C had a very low kinematic viscosity (5.28 10 −6  m 2  s −1 ) and thermal diffusivity (7.90 10 −6  m 2  s −1 ). Even though numerous reports have dealt with pyrolysis gases, there is still not sufficient information about the specific physical properties of these gases. This article attempts to fill this gap and induce scientific interest in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current energy industry relies heavily on fossil fuels. As reserves of fossil fuels are diminishing, the demands for alternative forms of energy are growing. Therefore, the search for alternative fuels is crucial. This article discusses pyrolysis gases generated from major plastics as possible future successors to fossil fuels. The novelty of this study lies in the comprehensive discussion of the fuel characteristics of different pyrolysis gases that are so far unpublished. The article builds on Part I, which predominantly focused on the production and physical properties of pyrolysis gases from plastics. Various properties are determined by combining experimental and mathematical methods. An interesting aspect of the gases produced from poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is their high upper flammability limits, which are 61.46% on average. Gases from poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) are characterized by very high laminar burning velocities, with an average value of 178.62 cm s −1 , which is about five times higher than that of natural gas (NG). Gases produced from PVC at 500 and 700 °C have autoignition temperatures almost identical to that of NG. Furthermore, the results presented in this article show that, according to standards proposed by the California Air Resources Board and the Gas Research Institute, none of the pyrolysis gases are suitable fuels for gas engines, because the methane number of no gas meets the minimum value of 65 required in the EU and USA. This article discusses results valuable for determining the potential suitability of pyrolysis gases for use in power-engineering facilities, including combustion engines, and includes information on further research prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case study was conducted in Japan in 2012 using material flow analysis (MFA) over a series of processes (salt import, chlor-alkali industry, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production, PVC waste management, and advanced chlorine recovery process) that are steps in the chlorine life cycle, to reveal the potential of Cl recovery from PVC wastes. This study indicated that 335 kt of the Cl exist in PVC waste are targeted for Cl recovery because almost all the Cl fraction in this waste is undesired during its recycling and disposal. Cl recovery potential was estimated to be 293 kt, which corresponds to 40% of Cl demand in PVC resin production, 9% of Cl 2 production in the chlor-alkali industry, and 7% of the imported salt. Advanced chlorine recovery process from PVC waste makes it possible to dechlorinate PVC and to recover Cl as a salt (NaCl). This process reduces risks accompanying Cl removal during PVC waste treatment, and it improves the value of PVC waste as a hydrocarbon source. Recovered NaCl can replace part of the imported salt in the chlor-alkali industry. This will reduce salt supply problems that occur because salt is produced in a limited number of countries. This advanced process will link the PVC industry with the chlor-alkali industry in what can be called the “chlorine circulation system.” It is an efficient system that can create a win–win situation for both industries while reducing the environmental burdens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Background and objective: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common pulmonary manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc). It is unknown whether radiographic fibrosis score predicts mortality in SSc‐associated ILD (SSc‐ILD). We retrospectively analysed patients with SSc‐ILD to evaluate whether radiographic fibrosis score was a useful predictor of mortality. Methods: We identified SSc‐ILD patients evaluated at Kurashiki Central Hospital (Japan) from 2006 to 2016, and radiographic fibrosis scores based on the extent of reticulation and honeycombing on high‐resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scanning were calculated by manually tracing around each fibrotic area. Independent predictors of overall survival were determined using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: The study included 48 patients, of whom 19 had usual interstitial pneumonia on HRCT. The median follow‐up period was 56.6 months, and over the follow‐up period 15 patients died. The 5‐year survival was 72.4%. In the multivariate analysis, radiographic fibrosis score, age, being male and forced vital capacity were independently associated with an increased risk of death, while HRCT pattern was not. Conclusion: A high radiographic fibrosis score was a poor prognostic factor in SSc‐ILD. More widespread fibrosis was associated with an increased risk of death, independent of HRCT pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) woven fibers are one of the hardest-to-recycle polymeric materials. Herein we investigate the possibility of recycling both PVC and PET through alkaline hydrolysis of PET. The coated woven fabrics were treated with NaOH, hydrolyzing the PET fibers into water-soluble sodium terephthalate, while the PVC could be removed by filtration. The PET fibers were completely hydrolyzed between 120 and 180 °C in the presence of 1 M NaOH solution, quantitatively yielding terephthalic acid. A minimum PVC dechlorination rate of 1% was simultaneously achieved at 120 °C. Furthermore, no alkaline hydrolysis of the plasticizer contained in the PVC, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, was observed. Thus, the possibility of simultaneously recycling PET and PVC from PVC-coated woven fabrics was demonstrated. Kinetic analyses of PET hydrolysis and PVC dechlorination revealed that the simultaneously occurring reaction processes did not affect the progress of each other. Thus, the absence of interactions between PET, PVC, or their degradation products enables the design of a simplified recycling process without considering the interactions between the materials derived from coated woven fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previously reported prognostic tools for patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) include factors found postoperatively, but not preoperatively. However, it would be important to predict patient prognosis before NSCLC resection. To suggest a novel preoperative prognostic tool, we evaluated the relationship of preoperative prognostic factors with the survival of patients with resected NSCLC.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of two independent cohorts of patients with completely resected NSCLC. To develop the prognostic index in one cohort, the overall survival (OS) was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model. We assessed the disease-free survival (DFS) and OS of three risk groups defined according to the prognostic index. Then, the prognostic index was validated in the other cohort.Results: Seven independent risk factors for OS were selected: age ≥ 70 years, ever-smokers, vital capacity <80%, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio ≥ 2.1, cytokeratin 19 fragment >normal limit, non-usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern, and UIP pattern. Three risk groups were defined: low-risk (36.9%), intermediate-risk (54.0%), and high-risk (9.1%). In the derivation cohort, the 5-year DFS rate was 77.8%, 58.8%, and 22.6% (P < 0.001), and the 5-year OS rate was 95.2%, 70.4%, and 28.9% (P < 0.001), respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that the prognostic index predicted DFS and OS, independent of pathological stage and tumor histology, in both derivation and validation cohorts.Conclusions: We developed and validated a simple preoperative prognostic index composed of seven variables, which may help clinicians predict prognosis before surgery in patients with NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To identify the prognostic factors for survival in patients with interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF) who meet the serological domain of the IPAF criteria.Methods: We retrospectively analysed 99 IPAF patients who met the serological domain and were hospitalised at the Respiratory Medicine Unit of Kurashiki Central Hospital from 1999 to 2015. The high-resolution computed tomography findings were usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP; n = 1), non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP; n = 63), NSIP with organizing pneumonia (OP) overlap (n = 15), and OP (n = 20). One patient who had radiological UIP pattern, and met the serological and clinical domains was excluded. The clinical characteristics, radiological findings, administered therapy, and prognosis of the remaining 98 IPAF patients who met the serological and morphological domains were analysed.Results: The median age of the 98 IPAF patients was 68 years, and 41 (41.8%) of them were men. Twelve (12.2%) of the 98 IPAF patients developed other characteristics and were diagnosed with connective tissue disease (CTD) later during the median follow-up of 4.5 years. Univariate Cox analysis revealed systemic sclerosis (SSc)-specific and SSc-associated antibodies (ANA nucleolar pattern, ANA centromere pattern, anti-ribonucleoprotein and anti-Scl-70) positive IPAF, radiological NSIP pattern, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid lymphocytes >15%, and age as significant prognostic factors for survival. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed radiological NSIP pattern (hazard ratio [HR], 4.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-15.77, p = 0.02) and age (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11, p = 0.01) were significantly associated with worse survival.Conclusions: We confirmed that radiological NSIP pattern and age are poor prognostic factors for the survival of IPAF patients. This study suggested that the autoantibodies that are highly specific for certain connective tissue diseases might be less important for the prognosis of IPAF compared with the radiological-pathological patterns. The relatively high proportion of IPAF patients who developed CTD later suggests the importance of careful observation for evolution to CTD in IPAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the morphology changes in polyurethane elastomers (PUEs) containing different hard- and soft-segment ratios during ramped-heating pyrolysis revealed that selectivity of urethane bond cleavage is controlled by only the segment composition. Several PUEs were synthesized using 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 1,4-butanediol, and poly(oxytetramethylene glycol) (PTMG) to examine the influence of segment composition on pyrolysis characteristics by pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, evolved gas analysis–mass spectrometry, and isoconversional kinetic studies. Soft-segment-rich PUEs tended to undergo urethane bond cleavage via a 4-membered-ring transition state, while the linkages in other compositions were selectively cleaved via a 6-membered-ring transition state. The reaction selectivity can be explained by the different conformations of the urethane bonds: in the hard-segment domains by H-bonds between urethane unit N H and C O groups, and in soft-segment-rich environments by H-bonds between urethane N H groups and PTMG O linkages. The mechanism of PTMG pyrolysis was the same for all PUEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung disease (LD) have a heterogeneous prognosis. This study aimed to develop and validate a prognostic scoring model for these patients using independent risk factors for survival.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients with MAC-LD from two hospitals (cohort 1, n = 368; cohort 2, n = 118). Cohort 1 was evaluated using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model to identify independent risk factors for overall survival (OS). A prognostic scoring model composed of these factors was developed, and cohort 1 was stratified into three groups according to risk using the log-rank test. Finally, the prognostic scoring model was validated using the data of cohort 2.Results: Seven independent risk factors for OS were selected from cohort 1, including the male sex, age ≥ 70 years, the presence of a malignancy, body mass index <18.5 kg/m2, lymphocyte count <1000 cells/μL, serum albumin levels <3.5 g/dL, and fibrocavitary disease. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the prognostic scoring model were 0.84 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.80 - 0.89] for cohort 1 and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.75 - 0.92) for cohort 2. The 5-year OS rates of patients stratified into low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups were 97.6, 76.6, and 30.8%, respectively (P < 0.001), in cohort 1, and 97.2, 82.3, and 45.4%, respectively (P < 0.001), in cohort 2.Conclusions: This study is the first to develop and validate a prognostic scoring model for patients with MAC-LD. This model may prove useful in clinical settings and practical in estimating the prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic fibrosing idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (CFIIP) has a potential risk of acute exacerbation (AE). However, the usefulness of cellular analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) has never been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the lymphocyte differential count > 15% in BALF on the mortality of patients with AE of CFIIP.Methods: We retrospectively analysed 37 patients with AE of CFIIP who underwent BAL on admission. Patients were divided into two groups: one group consisting of those with a lymphocyte differential count > 15% and the other consisting of those with a lymphocyte differential count ≤ 15%. We compared the 90-day mortality between the two groups as the primary outcome, using the two-tailed log-rank test.Results: The median follow-up duration was 6.9 months. Twenty-four patients had a lymphocyte differential count > 15%. The 90-day mortality was significantly higher in the group with a lymphocyte differential count ≤ 15% than in the group with a lymphocyte differential count > 15% (long rank test, p = 0.003). In the multivariate analysis a lymphocyte differential count > 15% was shown to be an independent favourable prognostic factor for 90-day mortality (HR: 0.125; 95% CI: 0.0247-0.589; p = 0.009).Conclusions: A lymphocyte differential count > 15% in BALF may be associated with favourable outcomes in patients with AE of CFIIP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Co-pyrolysis of xylan and polyethylene was investigated at 500–700 °C. • Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) comprehensively evaluated pyrolytic synergies. • Response surface methodology (RSM) established the prediction models of pyrolyzates. • HCA complemented RSM deficiencies in identifying synergies of low-yield products. • Pyrolytic synergies improved the production of heavy gas oil and C ≥26 hydrocarbons. The distributions of biomass and plastic co-pyrolysis products are complicated by abundant component combinations, pyrolysis conditions, and synergies. Herein, the hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to rapidly determine synergies and predict product yields of xylan and polyethylene (PE) co-pyrolysis at 500–700 °C. The results showed that co-pyrolysis promoted liquid production and suppressed solid and char formation. Pyrolytic interactions improved the decomposition of the PE-derived wax, resulting in 1.5–1.9- and 1.7–2.1-fold higher yields of heavy gas oil and C ≥26 hydrocarbons compared to the theoretical values. HCA classified pyrolyzates with similar synergy into the same cluster, which reflected the suppressed carbonyl compound production, enhanced furfural and phenols yields at 700 °C, and greater C 17 –C 30 hydrocarbon production. The quadratic model of RSM predicted the yields of gas, CO, C 3 H n , C 4 H n , liquid, ethanol, acetaldehyde, hydrocarbon oil, gasoline, solid, and char influenced by synergies. Owing to complex interactions, the cubic model fitted the CH 4 and C 2 H 4 yields. The linear model described the CO 2 yield without synergy. This work illustrates the utility of combining RSM and HCA to predict product distributions of various waste co-treatment processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of sulfur-based plastics has led to the accumulation of end-of-life sulfur-based plastic waste that should ideally be recycled. In this study, several technologies were applied to investigate the thermal-oxidative degradation property of sulfur-based plastics (polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether sulfone (PES), and polysulfone (PSU)). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that these plastics undergo major decomposition at 450–650 °C under N 2 , whereas two-stage weight loss at 450–690 °C was observed in air. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and in-situ radical monitoring by heated electron spin resonance (heated-ESR) spectroscopy revealed that the samples had altered their chemical structures, and that radicals are involved in samples treated at low temperature (≤ 400 °C). The thermo-oxidative products were analyzed by customized pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). PPS pyrolysis mainly produced sulfur-containing aromatic compounds, with H 2 O, CO 2 , and SO 2 released during two-stage degradation in air, which suggests that pyrolysis and oxidation occur simultaneously during the first stage. PES pyrolysis generated various oxygen-containing products, whereas the oxidation of PES resulted in a great number of furans and dioxins at the expense of phenolics. Extensive evolution of SO 2 was initially observed, irrespective of the degradation atmosphere. PSU pyrolysis produced various aromatics, phenolics, and esters, with SO 2 formed as the major sulfur-containing compound, which was released at a lower temperature (∼50 °C) in air compared to N 2 , confirming that PSU is less thermally stable than PPS and PES in air, as observed by TGA. The thermo-oxidative degradation behavior of sulfur-based plastics was comprehensively characterized by combining conventional techniques (TGA and XPS) with advanced analytical technologies (heated-ESR and customized Py-GC/MS). • The thermo-oxidative degradation of sulfur-based plastics was investigated. • Heated-ESR spectroscopy revealed excited radicals at low temperature. • Thermo-oxidative products were analyzed online using customized Py-GC/MS. • The release of products formed in different atmospheres was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]