Abstract
Herein, the pyrolysis of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) scrap in the presence of a H-ZSM-11 zeolite was conducted as an effort to valorize plastic waste to fuel-range chemicals. The LDPE-derived pyrolytic gas was composed of low-molecular-weight aliphatic hydrocarbons (e.g., methane, ethane, propane, ethylene, and propylene) and hydrogen. An increase in pyrolysis temperature led to increasing the gaseous hydrocarbon yields for the pyrolysis of LDPE. Using the H-ZSM-11 catalyst in the pyrolysis of LDPE greatly enhanced the content of propylene in the pyrolytic gas because of promoted dehydrogenation of propane formed during the pyrolysis. Apart from the light aliphatic hydrocarbons, jet fuel-, diesel-, and motor oil-range hydrocarbons were found in the pyrolytic liquid for the non-catalytic and catalytic pyrolysis. The change in pyrolysis temperature for the catalytic pyrolysis affected the hydrocarbon compositions of the pyrolytic liquid more materially than for the non-catalytic pyrolysis. This study experimentally showed that H-ZSM-11 can be effective at producing fuel-range hydrocarbons from LDPE waste through pyrolysis. The results would contribute to the development of waste valorization process via plastic upcycling.
Highlights
Disposal of plastics is an important contemporary problem
The employment of the H-ZSM-11 catalyst increased the pyrolytic gas yield, likely because thermal degradation of high-molecular-weight species evolved during the pyrolysis is expedited by the H-ZSM-11 catalyst
The H-ZSM-11 catalyst increased the yield of propylene in the pyrolytic gas, attributed to dehydrogenation of propane promoted by the catalyst through monomolecular and protolytic pathways
Summary
Disposal of plastics is an important contemporary problem. Incineration of waste plastics is another option to dispose of them. Incineration causes the loss of chemical content and energy of the plastics (i.e., carbon) with the emission of harmful and toxic byproducts into the atmosphere. Recycling is a more preferred way to treat plastic waste because it has less environmental impacts than landfilling and incineration. The separation of plastics from municipal solid wastes (MSWs) is done mostly by hand by householders before collection and at recycling facilities [1]. The employment of plastic waste as the feedstock for fuels and chemicals (i.e., upcycling of plastic waste) is more attractive than the aforementioned methods for treating waste plastics (e.g., landfilling, manufacturing degradable plastics, incineration, and recycling)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
