Effect of Ni/Co vermiculite as catalysts for Catalytic pyrolysis of plastic wastes

Abstract

In this study, the modified vermiculite adjusted with Ni and Co for pyrolysis of plastic is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET). These results indicate that the ratio of Ni and Co can affect the surface area and pore diameter of catalyst. In addition, the results of GC show that Ni and Co not only have a good selectivity of C3, the main gaseous hydrocarbons of pyrolysis products, but also play an important role in dealing with low quality of oil products of plastic pyrolysis by controlling the concentration of metal oxide particles in the vermiculite layer. The adjustment of the molar ratio of Co and Ni can optimize the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of metal active sites. It means that the greatly catalytic activity of supported Ni and Co catalysts is caused by moderate total acidity, relatively high surface area, and uniformly dispersed oxide particles on vermiculite support. Therefore, it suggests that adopting the clay catalyst is an efficient and environmentally friendly way to produce valuable products in pyrolysis of plastic waste.