The use of high density polyethylene (HDPE) as a co-feeding feedstock on the catalytic pyrolysis of yellow poplar over Al-MCM-48 and Al-MSU-F

Abstract

High density polyethylene (HDPE) was applied as a co-feeding feedstock on the catalytic pyrolysis (CP) of yellow poplar (YP) over mesoporous catalysts, Al-MCM-48 s(SiO2/Al2O3: 23, 80) and Al-MSU-F(SiO2/Al2O3: 82). Compared to the non-catalytic thermogravimetic (TG) analysis of HDPE, catalytic TG analysis of HDPE had much lower decomposition temperatures, 407 °C over Al-MCM-48(23), 432 °C over Al-MCM-48(80) and 446 °C over Al-MSU-F(82). On the other hand, the decomposition temperatures of HDPE increased up to 460 °C over Al-MCM-48(23), 482 °C over Al-MCM-48(80), and 492 °C over Al-MSU-F(82) by applying the mixture of HDPE and YP as a feedstock on the catalytic TG analysis. The experimental yields of aromatic hydrocarbons obtained from the catalytic co-pyrolysis (CCP) of YP and HDPE over mesoporous catalysts were much higher than their theoretical yields. Among mesoporous catalysts, Al-MCM-48(23) produced the larger amount of aromatic hydrocarbons (2.89%) on the CCP of HDPE and YP than those (2.34–2.48%) over Al-MCM-48(80) and Al-MSU-F(82) and also provided the highest synergistic effect on the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons. The higher synergistic effect over Al-MCM-48(20) was achieved by applying the higher YP/HDPE ratio in the feedstock (3/1), higher catalyst/sample ratio (4/1), and higher reaction temperature (600 °C).