Pyrolysis of waste polyolefins and e-component to produce renewable green fuel over cadmium carbonate

Abstract

The interest and relevance of the present paper are in the current waste plastic valorisation scenario. The rapid depletion of fossil source carbon as crude oil and its ever-increasing costs have led to an intensive search for alternative fuels. An alternative or renewable green fuel (RGF) was obtained from waste low- and high-density polyethylene or polyolefins and computer body plastics through a pyrolysis process using cadmium carbonate (CdCO3) from 23 to 400°C. Five types of hydrocarbons were observed through two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS): 7.621% paraffins, 53.668% branched/cyclic hydrocarbons, 14.083% aromatics, 0.327% phenanthrenes and 24.301% unclassified compounds. The research octane number of the RGF was 88.29. The bromine number of the RGF was 34.03%. The RGF was suitable for diesel engines and diesel furnaces without any upgrading. During the first, second and third pyrolysis experiments, 98, 95 and 100 g (wt%) waste granules with 2, 5 and 0 g (wt%) cadmium carbonate into RGFs were collected at 85, 89 and 80%; uncondensed gases were collected at 14.22, 10.15 and 19.52%; and the residue was collected at 0.78, 0.85 and 0.48%.