Low temperature conversion of plastic waste into light hydrocarbons

J Hazard Mater. 2010 Jul 15;179(1-3):15-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.01.134. Epub 2010 Feb 2.

Abstract

Advance recycling through pyrolytic technology has the potential of being applied to the management of plastic waste (PW). For this purpose 1 l volume, energy efficient batch reactor was manufactured locally and tested for pyrolysis of waste plastic. The feedstock for reactor was 50 g waste polyethylene. The average yield of the pyrolytic oil, wax, pyrogas and char from pyrolysis of PW were 48.6, 40.7, 10.1 and 0.6%, respectively, at 275 degrees C with non-catalytic process. Using catalyst the average yields of pyrolytic oil, pyrogas, wax and residue (char) of 50 g of PW was 47.98, 35.43, 16.09 and 0.50%, respectively, at operating temperature of 250 degrees C. The designed reactor could work at low temperature in the absence of a catalyst to obtain similar products as for a catalytic process.

MeSH terms

  • Catalysis
  • Chemical Industry
  • Conservation of Natural Resources / methods*
  • Hydrocarbons / chemistry*
  • Industrial Waste / analysis*
  • Plastics / chemistry*
  • Polyethylenes / chemistry
  • Solvents
  • Temperature
  • Zeolites

Substances

  • Hydrocarbons
  • Industrial Waste
  • Plastics
  • Polyethylenes
  • Solvents
  • Zeolites