Abstract
The aim of this study is to convert polypropylene waste into usable liquid fuel via pyrolysis technique using kaolin as a low-cost catalyst. Waste polypropylene was thermally and catalytically degraded in a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) horizontal glass reactor at a temperature of 450 °C, residence time of 30 min, and heating rate of 30 °C/min. The kaolin clay was characterized by XRF analysis while the ultimate and proximate analysis of the polypropylene feed carried out gave combustible materials content of 93.77 wt%, fixed carbon of 1.62 wt%, calorific value of 45.20 MJ/kg and elemental composition with carbon (83.65%), hydrogen (14.27%), oxygen (0.15%), sulphur (0.1%), chlorine (1.16%), and nitrogen (0.67%). Thermal cracking was carried out in the absence of catalyst and the process gave a yield of liquid, gaseous, and solid products of 67.48, 8.85, and 23.67 wt%, respectively. Furthermore, kaolin clay was employed as a catalyst in catalytic pyrolysis of the same feedstock for catalyst-to-plastic ratio of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4 at the same operating parameters as in thermal cracking. Optimum yield was obtained at a catalyst-to-plastic ratio of 1:3 with a yield of 79.85, 1.48, and 18.67 wt% for liquid, gaseous, and solid products, respectively. The liquid products obtained for both thermal and catalytic cracking at optimum conditions were characterized for their suitability as fuel. The properties determined were density, viscosity, flash point, fire point, pour point, and calorific value. The results suggest that catalytic pyrolysis produced liquid products, whose properties are comparable to conventional fuels (gasoline and diesel oil) than that produced through thermal pyrolysis. FTIR analysis of the liquid product from catalytic pyrolysis also shows that it contains hydrocarbons with different functional groups such as aromatics, olefins, carbonyl, amines, sulphides, and hydroxyl.
Highlights
There is a growing interest in producing fuel which can serve as an alternative to fossil fuel as a result of concerns arising from green house gas emissions and consequent threat to human life [1]
No previous attempt has been made in exploring the potential of Ahoko clay in Kogi state of Nigeria as a catalyst for the pyrolysis of plastic waste; this study is aimed at verifying its potential as a catalyst for the pyrolysis of waste polypropylene into usable fuel
Polypropylene plastic waste is convertible into usable liquid fuel via pyrolysis technique at an optimum condition of 450 °C and at a catalyst-to-plastic ratio of 1:3
Summary
There is a growing interest in producing fuel which can serve as an alternative to fossil fuel as a result of concerns arising from green house gas emissions and consequent threat to human life [1]. Generating fuel from other sources aside fossil resources can complement the nonrenewable fossil fuel reserves [2]. Biofuels are produced from bio-matter, mostly edible plant matter which serves as food for man using what was termed ‘first generation’ technologies; the use of which reduces man’s food reserve [3]. Second generation technologies for the production of biofuels. Waste management and utilisation has been a global concern and as such with the current global focus on conversion of waste to useful energy resources (wtE), there is a concerted call to look for efficient and effective ways of converting these wastes into useful energy resources [7]
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