Different reaction behaviours of light or heavy density polyethylene during the pyrolysis with biochar as the catalyst

Abstract

Polyethylene is a major contributor of plastic waste, which can be converted into liquid fuel via catalytic pyrolysis. In this study, the pyrolysis of light or heavy density polyethylene (LDPE and HDPE) and their mixture with the biochar produced from gasification of poplar wood as catalyst was investigated. The results showed that, during the co-pyrolysis of LDPE and HDPE in absence or presence of biochar catalyst, cross-interaction of reaction intermediates originated from the degradation of LDPE and HDPE substantially promoted the formation of gaseous products and the evolution of heavy organics with π-conjugated structures in the tar. During the pyrolysis of HDPE, more heavy tar while less wax was produced, while it was contrary during the pyrolysis of LDPE. In the catalytic pyrolysis of LDPE, the volatiles could be effectively cracked over the biochar catalyst, forming more gases, while in the catalytic pyrolysis of HDPE, instead of catalyzing the cracking of the heavy components, the biochar catalyzed the polymerisation reactions. The properties of the biochar catalyst in terms of crystallinity, surface functionality, and internal structures also changed remarkably due to the transfer of oxygen-containing species from the polyethylene to biochar and the interaction of biochar with volatiles in the pyrolysis.

Keywords: Biochar catalyst; Catalyst pyrolysis; Cross-interaction; Polyethylene.