Hydrogen production potential from plastic pyrolysis oil: Experimental and economic insights

Abstract

Large-scale H2 production conventionally relies on naphtha and natural gas steam reforming, contributing to global dependence on fossil fuels. This study investigates the potential of pyrolytic oil derived from waste personal protective kits as an alternative to fossil fuels for H2 production. Steam reforming was investigated using a three-level Box-Behnken design to optimize temperature, steam-to-carbon ratio (S/C), and weight-hourly space-velocity (WHSV) using Reformax-300 catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor. The generated experimental data aligned well with predicted models, yielding significant quadratic models with high R2 values. The optimal conditions suggested for a maximum 77.5% H2 yield and a 68.3% carbon conversion are 800℃, S/C=3.5, and WHSV of 0.5 h⁻¹. Techno-economic analysis suggested H2 production at $2.57/kg (₹214/kg) for a 250MT/yr plant with rate of return of 6.2% at 70% operational capacity, with feedstock price being the primary cost influencer as observed through sensitivity analysis.