High Plastic Content Research Articles

Assessment of Binder Modification in Dry-Added Waste Plastic Modified Asphalt.

Plastic production has risen steadily, but recycling rates lag. Researchers are increasingly investigating the use of plastics in road construction, especially in terms of modifying asphalt with waste plastics. The dry process, which involves incorporating plastics into hot aggregates, is increasingly gaining traction as an alternative to the wet process, where plastics are added to hot bitumen. Past studies indicate enhanced asphalt mixture properties with the dry process, but there is debate about the role of waste plastics-whether they should be used as aggregates, fillers, or binder modifiers. This study explores the extent to which dry-added waste plastic modified the binder of the asphalt mixtures. Fluorescent microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed the impact of plastic on the binder, while image analysis quantified polymer swelling and dispersion in the binder matrix. It was concluded that when plastics are added to hot aggregates, they will act as binder modifiers. Lower plastic content and reduced polymer crystallinity led to increased polymer swelling and better dispersion in the mixture. This study recommends plastic inclusion of less than 2.5% (by volume) in the dry-added method since high plastic content leads to polymer agglomeration, especially for highly crystalline polymers. Additionally, mixes modified with amorphous plastics exhibited superior workability and performance compared to those modified with crystalline plastics. This study also suggests that using plastics to replace both bitumen and filler can improve cost efficiency, reduce the carbon footprint, and enhance the overall performance of the asphalt mixture.

Damage function for poly(vinyl chloride) in heritage collections

Yellowing of plastic objects as a consequence of chemical degradation is a common heritage conservation challenge. In the case of poly(vinyl chloride) elimination of hydrogen chloride leads to the formation of polyene sequences that act as chromophores. The objective of this work was to quantitatively evaluate the rate of degradation observed as yellowing, as relevant to room conditions during long-term storage of heritage collections. Degradation was quantified as increase in the b* colour coordinate during accelerated degradation at 50 and 70 °C as a function of temperature, relative humidity, plasticizer content, and polymer molecular weight. The significance of each variable was investigated with multiple linear regression. Lower temperature, lower relative humidity, higher polymer molecular weight and higher plasticizer content were associated with lower degradation rates. The activation energy of 86 kJ/mol was calculated. The concept of ‘1- °C-equivalent’ is introduced to enable variable prioritisation from a heritage management aspect. The resulting model can be used to shape environmental management guidelines and identify the most vulnerable objects in heritage collections.

Effect of temperature and plasticizer content of polypropylene and polylactic acid on migration kinetics into isooctane and 95 v/v% ethanol as alternative fatty food simulants

Plasticizers are commonly used plastic additives. Deep understanding of their effect on the migration of other substances is essential, especially for food contact materials. The migration kinetics of four stabilizer-type additives from polypropylene (PP) and polylactic acid (PLA) with different tributyl acetyl citrate plasticizer content were investigated. The results confirm that the presence of plasticizer in the plastics enhances swelling, and thus the migration of additives. The plasticizer content is in strong correlation with migration rate for all additives, except for PLA-Irgafos 168 samples. Migration kinetic experiments conducted at different contact temperatures showed that the role of temperature apparently exceeds that of plasticization. Nevertheless, hierarchical cluster analysis revealed similarity in the migration mechanisms of stabilizers from plastics with low plasticizer content at high temperature, to that at low temperature from plastics with high plasticizer content.

Sustainable approach toward novel poly(vinyl chloride) composite using calcite‐rich waste particulates

AbstractIn this study, flexible poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) composites with two different types of fillers, precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) and marble waste (MW) particulates, were prepared via melt processing. The MW collected from a dumping site, had a particle size of approximately 60 μm and high calcite content. The content of fillers and plasticizer was varied to study the effect on the properties of the composites. It was found that at higher plasticizer content (30 phr), MW afforded up to 9% higher tensile strength compared to PCC, indicating a better interfacial adhesion of MW particulates with the matrix. However, at lower plasticizer content (15 phr), composites with PCC exhibited slightly higher tensile strength. Additionally, at high plasticizer content, the addition of MW up to 10 phr afforded better tensile strength than pure PVC. When the composites were fully submerged in the water for 48 h at elevated temperature (60 °C), composite with MW had a slightly higher water absorption (0.4–1.4%) compared to PCC‐filled composites. Also, composite with higher plasticizer showed elevated water uptake at any particular filler content. The study categorically proves the potential of MW in flexible PVC formulations as a cost‐effective sustainable filler.

Oil Production by Pyrolysis of Real Plastic Waste.

The aim of this paper is for the production of oils processed in refineries to come from the pyrolysis of real waste from the high plastic content rejected by the recycling industry of the Basque Country (Spain). Concretely, the rejected waste streams were collected from (1) a light packaging waste sorting plant, (2) the paper recycling industry, and (3) a waste treatment plant of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The influence of pre-treatments (mechanical separation operations) and temperature on the yield and quality of the liquid fraction were evaluated. In order to study the pre-treatment effect, the samples were pyrolyzed at 460 °C for 1 h. As pre-treatments concentrate on the suitable fraction for pyrolysis and reduce the undesirable materials (metals, PVC, PET, inorganics, cellulosic materials), they improve the yield to liquid products and considerably reduce the halogen content. The sample with the highest polyolefin content achieved the highest liquid yield (70.6 wt.% at 460 °C) and the lowest chlorine content (160 ppm) among the investigated samples and, therefore, was the most suitable liquid to use as refinery feedstock. The effect of temperature on the pyrolysis of this sample was studied in the range of 430–490 °C. As the temperature increased the liquid yield increased and solid yield decreased, indicating that the conversion was maximized. At 490 °C, the pyrolysis oil with the highest calorific value (44.3 MJ kg−1) and paraffinic content (65% area), the lowest chlorine content (128 ppm) and more than 50 wt.% of diesel was obtained.

Conversion of refuse derived fuel from municipal solid waste into valuable chemicals using advanced thermo-chemical process

In this study, thermo-chemical decomposition of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from municipal solid waste pre-treatment plant has been conducted in pyrolytic conditions. Due to high heterogeneity, individual RDF samples are not necessarily representative of the full variety of different components present. To overcome this, five different samples of RDF with varying compositions were treated in a rotary kiln reactor. RDF feed has been characterized based on the amount of biomass and plastic content. Product (oil & char) composition and quality were analysed using different characterization techniques. It was observed that the quality of pyrolysis products varied with the feed composition and operating temperature. Maximum oil yield of oil ∼43% was obtained from RDF containing ∼77% of plastics at 500 °C. This study showed that the interaction of RDF components has a major role in the pyrolysis oil composition. The oil phase mainly consisted of n-aliphatic, branched aliphatic compounds and primary alcohols while, the aqueous phase consisted of organic acids, furans, methanol, phenols, and their derivatives along with ketones. At higher temperatures, the phenolic compounds decreased and the alcohol content was found to increase. Using solvent extraction, phenolic compounds were extracted with hexane while, ketones and acids were extracted using acetone. With high plastic content (∼85%), the char yield reduced from 55% to 30% with increase in temperature. Char samples consisted of different functional groups such as –OH and –COOH along with the micronutrients such as K, Mg and P, with pH in the range of 7.8–9.5 making it suitable for soil applications. Detailed chemical composition analysis of pyrolysis oil and char is the key to design pyrolysis process and evaluating its importance for producing the value-added chemicals.

Single particle and packed bed combustion characteristics of high ash and high plastic content refuse derived fuel

This work reports fundamental combustion characteristics of high ash (∼ 18 %), high plastic (30–35 %) content refuse derived fuel (RDF) pellets produced currently in India. Single particle and packed bed studies of RDF were carried out to quantify RDF combustion times and RDF ash fusion behavior, respectively. Single particle studies concluded that RDF has glowing time to flaming time ratio of ∼ 3.5, which was similar to that of biomass and four times lower than that of coal. It was also observed that unlike biomass, upon heating, RDF particle showed a unique 5.6 to 10.3 % swelling behavior due to the melting of plastic. Packed bed experiments at different air mass flux on RDF pellets concluded that apart from air mass flux, ash content plays a decisive role on rate of flame propagation. The high plastic content of fuel increased ash fusion tendency inside the packed bed. Packed bed studies suggested maximum superficial velocity of ≤ 0.03 m s−1 to avoid clinker formation. Sieve analysis of RDF ash collected from packed bed studies reported soft ash at a lower air mass flux and bigger lumps of fused ash at higher air mass flux. Clinkers obtained at different air mass flux 0.02, 0.07, 0.13 kg m−2 s−1 were 1 %, 8 % and 11 % of the feed, respectively.

The Terrestrial Plastisphere: Diversity and Polymer-Colonizing Potential of Plastic-Associated Microbial Communities in Soil.

The concept of a ‘plastisphere microbial community’ arose from research on aquatic plastic debris, while the effect of plastics on microbial communities in soils remains poorly understood. Therefore, we examined the inhabiting microbial communities of two plastic debris ecosystems with regard to their diversity and composition relative to plastic-free soils from the same area using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Furthermore, we studied the plastic-colonizing potential of bacteria originating from both study sites as a measure of surface adhesion to UV-weathered polyethylene (PE) using high-magnification field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The high plastic content of the soils was associated with a reduced alpha diversity and a significantly different structure of the microbial communities. The presence of plastic debris in soils did not specifically enrich bacteria known to degrade plastic, as suggested by earlier studies, but rather shifted the microbial community towards highly abundant autotrophic bacteria potentially tolerant to hydrophobic environments and known to be important for biocrust formation. The bacterial inoculates from both sites formed dense biofilms on the surface and in micrometer-scale surface cracks of the UV-weathered PE chips after 100 days of in vitro incubation with visible threadlike EPS structures and cross-connections enabling surface adhesion. High-resolution FESEM imaging further indicates that the microbial colonization catalyzed some of the surface degradation of PE. In essence, this study suggests the concept of a ‘terrestrial plastisphere’ as a diverse consortium of microorganisms including autotrophs and other pioneering species paving the way for those members of the consortium that may eventually break down the plastic compounds.

Enhanced Dry Process Method for Modified Asphalt Containing Plastic Waste

In recent years, the proliferation of plastic waste has become a global problem. A potential solution to this problem is the dry process, which incorporates plastic waste into asphalt mixtures. However, the dry process often has inconsistent performance due to poor interaction with binder and improper distribution of plastic waste particles in the mixture skeleton. This inconsistency may be caused by inaccurate mixing method, shredding size, mixing temperature and ingredient priorities. Thus, this study aims to improve the consistency of the dry process by comparing the control asphalt mixture and two plastic waste-modified asphalt mixtures prepared using the dry process. This study used crushed granite aggregate with the nominal maximum aggregate size of 14 mm whereas the shredded plastic bag is in the range of 5–10 mm. Quantitative sieving analysis and performance tests were carried out to examine the effects of plastic waste added into the asphalt mixture. The volumetric and performance properties combined with image analysis of the modified mixtures were obtained and compared with the control mixture. In addition, the moisture damage, resilient modulus, creep deformation and rutting were evaluated. This study also highlighted in detail the distribution of plastic particles in the final skeleton of the asphalt mixture. Based on the analysis, an enhanced dry process of mixing procedure was proposed and evaluated. Results showed that the addition of plastic particles using the conventional dry process leads to the deviation in the aggregate structure as high plastic content is added. Furthermore, the enhanced dry process developed in this study presents substantial enhancement in the asphalt performance, particularly with plastic waste that accounts for 20% of the weight of the asphalt binder.

Determination of levamisole using ion-selective electrode

Current development of applied ionometry requires focusing of theoretical studies both on revealing the nature of the selectivity of electrode membranes and on the developing the new methods of membrane synthesis and their modification with the goal of obtaining more perfect structural units with improved functional properties. Elucidation of the relationship between the structural characteristics of the membranes and their effect on the electro-analytical properties is a rather important task. The interaction of organic cation levamisole with bromophenol blue was studied to meet the goals. Levamisole-selective sensor with a plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane has been developed. The electrode contains an ionic associate of levamisole with bromophenol blue. PVC was used as a matrix to model the membrane composition. Membranes plasticized with dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dioctyl phthalate (DOP), dinonyl phthalate (DNP), dibutyl sebacate (DBP), tricresyl phosphate (TCP) were studied. It was shown that the nature of the plasticizer insignificantly affected the analytical characteristics of the electrode. The response is linear within the concentration range of 1 × 10–5 – 1 ×10–1 mole/liter with the slope of the electrode function 52.1 ± 1.0 mV/pC. The sensor has a quick response (10 sec) and can be used for at least 8 weeks without any divergence in the long run. The operation life of the membranes with a high plasticizer content is much longer. The electrode can be used within pH range of 3.0 – 8.0. Potentiometric selectivity coefficients of the electrode relative to a number of potentially interfering ions were determined. The developed electrode was tested in determination of levamisole in model solutions and pharmaceuticals («Decaris» and «Levamisole-Zdorovye»).

Polilaktida plastifikatua elikagaien ontziratzerako: plastifikatzailearen pisu molekularraren eragina bolumen aske eta hesi-ezaugarrietan

Gaur egun plastikoen hondakinek sorrarazten duten arazoari aurre egiteko aukera bat polimero biodegradagarriak erabiltzea da. Horien artean polilaktidak interes handia piztu du, baina elikagaien ontziratzean erabilgarria izan dadin bere deformakortasuna hobetu behar da. Helburu horrekin lan honetan polilaktidari polietilenglikol (PEG) plastifikatzailea gehitu zaio. Zehazki pisu molekular desberdina daukaten hiru polietilenglikol erabili dira, eta pisu molekularrak propietate fisikoetan daukan eragina aztertu da. Plastifikatzailea gehitutakoan beira-trantsizio tenperatura jaitsi egiten da, bereziki pisu molekular altuena duen polietilenglikola gehitutakoan, eta kristalinitate-maila handiagoa egiten da. Bolumen askean aldaketak txikiak badira ere, plastifikatzaile kantitatea handitu ahala, bolumen askea nabarmen handiagoa egiten da. Hesi ezaugarriei dagokienez, oxigenoaren kasuan iragazkortasuna murriztu edo bere horretan mantentzen da; karbono dioxidoaren eta uraren kasuan, ordea, iragazkortasuna handitu egiten da plastifikatzaile kantitatearekin batera. Aipatzekoa da plastifikatzaile nahaste desberdinen artean pisu molekular baxueneko plastifikatzailea duen sistemak azaltzen dituela iragazkortasun balio altuenak. PEG 1500 eta PEG 4600 sistemen kasuan aldaketak ez dira hain nabariak, eta, pisu molekularraz gainera, beste faktore batzuek, hala nola beira-trantsizio tenperaturak, kristalinitate-mailak eta bolumen askeak, ere eragina daukate.

POTENCY TO RECYCLE HYDRAPULPER REJECT WASTE OF PAPER MILL INTO COMPOSITE PARTICLEBOARD

Solid waste of paper mill hydrapulper reject (HR) has a relatively high plastic content, with around 45-49% composition of the total HR. About 99% of the plastic has the catagory of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE is a type of Polyethylene (PE) plastic which has high recyclability and may be reformed at high temperature. This study tries to discribe the potential of producing particleboards derived from HR using a hot-press method. Molded HR was being hot-pressed at a presssure of 25 kgf/cm2for 5 – 15 minutes of residence time, with a variation of of the amount of HR from 150-500 gram, and variations in hot-press temperature of 150-180°C. The resulting product is then analyzed for parameters of moisture content, density, water absorption, thickness swelling, and internal bond compared to SNI 03-2105-2006 and JIS A 5908-2003. The results showed that most of the samples were relatively accepted to the SNI. The best results are obtained at HR weight of 250 gram with 165 and 180°C pressing temperature, and pressing time more than 10 minutes. The addition of HDPE pellets shows an increment of density and decrement of moisture content of particleboard, while the addition of MA shows some decrements of moisture content and water absoption of particleboard.

Kinetics of Gaseous Species Formation During Steam Gasification of Municipal Solid Waste in a Fixed Bed Reactor

Surrogate municipal solid waste (MSW) has been prepared to represent high plastic content waste with low fixed carbon in order to be utilized for feedstock for the gasification and pyrolysis. The major components are plastic (PE and PP), food and kitchen waste, and paper, whereas the minor components are textile, rubber, and biomass. Reactions were conducted in small drop tube fixed bed reactor with isothermal reaction temperature at 700, 800, and 900 °C. Steam was supplied as the gasifying agent for the main purpose of producing hydrogen-rich gas. Pyrolysis was also conducted at the same condition to observe the characteristic differences. Producer gas, including H2, CH4, and CO, of both the reactions was a function of the temperature, whereas CO2 showed a reversed trend when the reaction temperature was increased. Simple kinetic models of those gaseous formations were studied for describing the related parameters. It is challenging to determine the kinetics of the individual gas generation while most kinetic studies have focused on mass deterioration. The commonly used kinetic model of nucleation of Avrami–Erofe'ev (A2) could well predict the mechanism of the gas formation of gasification. In parallel, the pyrolysis conformed to the A3 model due to the slower rate of char and tar decomposition when the gasifying agent was absent. The activation energy of each gaseous species and the fitting of experimental data with the selected models are examined in this study.

Effect of sago starch and plasticizer content on the properties of thermoplastic films: mechanical testing and cyclic soaking-drying

Studies on the effect of sago starch and plasticizer concentrations on the tensile and tearing properties of the produced starch films were carried out using universal testing machine. The results showed that both sago starch and plasticizer contents significantly affected the mechanical properties of starch films. With increasing the starch concentration, an increase in tensile strength was observed. This was accompanied by radically reduced tensile strain and increased tearing strength. On the contrary, when increasing the plasticizer concentration, a reduction in tensile and tearing strength was observed, as well as an increment in tensile strain. The results of repeated soaking and drying tests made on sago starch films showed that the films with high plasticizer and low starch content exhibited lower mass loss compared to those containing lower plasticizer and higher starch concentration. Increasing the number of soaking and drying cycles reduced starch dissolution and it was probably related to retrogradation process inside the film. In a nutshell, the study provided preliminary information to assess the possible application fields of sago starch films.

Plastic-containing materials as alternative reductants for base metal production

ABSTRACTShredder residue materials are produced after the removal of ferrous and non-ferrous fractions from end-of-life electronic equipment. Despite the high plastic content and metal value in the ash, high percentages of these materials are currently sent to landfills. In this study, the potential of utilising shredder residue material and other plastic-containing materials as reducing agents was studied. Plastic-containing materials were co-injected with coal into a zinc-fuming furnace in Boliden-Rönnskär smelter. The data obtained from the trial, such as the data from the chemical analysis of the slag and the steam production, are discussed. The observations indicate that plastic-containing material can replace up to 1 ton h−1 of coal without a significant decrease in the zinc reduction rate.

Physical, thermal, morphological, and tensile properties of cornstarch-based films as affected by different plasticizers

ABSTRACT The current research was designed to determine the effect of various concentrations (0%, 25%, 40%, and 55%) of fructose, sorbitol and urea plasticizers in cornstarch-based films, with the aim of achieving a new polymer for the application of biodegradable materials. Casting technique was used to prepare the films. The physical, morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties of produced films were evaluated. The results showed that the thickness, moisture content, and water solubility increased with the addition of plasticizer concentration. While the glass transition temperatures showed an insignificant effect with high plasticizer content. Regardless of plasticizer sort, the tensile stress and Young’s modulus of plasticized films decreased as the plasticizer concentrations were raised beyond 25%. Likewise, the relative crystallinity decreased by increasing the plasticizer content from 0% to 25%, but it began to grow once the concentration increased above 25%. The fructose-plasticized films presented consistent and more coherent surfaces compared to sorbitol and urea counterparts, which appeared less homogeneous surfaces with microcracks. In summary, the plasticizers types and concentrations are affected significantly on the properties and performance of the cornstarch-based film. Film plasticized with 25% fructose appeared the finest set of features and achieved the highest mechanical performance among the plasticizers used in this study.

Air-blown gasification of Solid Recovered Fuels (SRFs) in lab-scale bubbling fluidized-bed: Influence of the operating conditions and of the SRF composition

This article investigates the gasification of Solid Recovered Fuels (SRFs). To better understand the influence of SRF composition on gasification efficiency and syngas quality, two industrial SRFs having different compositions were studied. A detailed SRF characterization was performed (elemental analysis; ash composition; LHV; fraction of biomass, non-biomass, and inert materials) to precisely describe the chemical complexity of such materials. The gasification tests were performed at pilot-scale in a bubbling fluidized bed using air as gasifying agent, and olivine as bed material. The separate contribution of gasification temperature (T = 750–900 °C) and equivalence ratio (ER = 0.21–0.35) on the gasification efficiency was investigated by sequentially varying these two parameters.Gasification tests revealed that the LHV of the syngas and the cold gas efficiency decreased by 45–50% and by 20–30%, respectively, with rising equivalence ratio. These evolutions were attributed to syngas oxidation reactions which promoted the formation of CO2. Indeed, mass balances calculation revealed that the part of carbon atoms in syngas in the form of CO2 rises from 43 to 54% for SRF1, and from 35 to 50% for SRF2. High plastic content in SRF2 was responsible for the formation of stable light hydrocarbons (CH4, C2H4 and C6H6) from the decomposition of the plastic polymer chains, and to lower amount of H2 compared to syngas from biomass-rich SRF1. The carbon conversion decreased by 8% with rising ER from 0.21 to 0.30 for SRF2, as a result of plastics-biomass interactions promoting secondary reactions and leading to char formation. For both SRFs, rising temperature significantly improved the gasification efficiency whatever the SRF composition, and decreased the CO2 concentration. These evolutions were attributed to the promotion of several reactions, such as gasification, steam and dry reforming, Boudouard reaction, and Reverse Water-Gas Shift reaction.

Mechanical properties of poly(lactid acid) plasticized by cardanol derivatives

This work is aimed to study the effect of cardanol derived plasticizers on the tensile modulus of poly(lactic acid), PLA. Neat cardanol, cardanol acetate (CA), and epoxidized cardanol acetate (ECA) were used, at contents ranging between 10% and 30%. For comparison purposes, another green plasticizer, poly(ethylene glycole) (PEG), was used. Tensile tests were carried out to evaluate the influence of the type and the amount of plasticizer on the tensile modulus of injection molded PLA. Within the examined composition limits, PLA plasticized by cardanol derivatives showed lower modulus than PEG plasticized PLA. The tensile modulus of plasticized PLA was correlated to the evolution of glass transition temperature and degree of crystallinity. At low plasticizers content, the modulus of PLA decreased as the glass transition temperature decreased, due to a better miscibility of the plasticizer with PLA. The opposite occurred at high plasticizer content; in this case, the higher modulus found for more compatible plasticizers were attributed to an increased crystallization kinetic. The evolution of elastic modulus as a function of glass transition temperature and degree of crystallinity was analyzed using a single equation capable to fit the data obtained using different plasticizers.

Thermo-catalytic reforming of pulper rejects from a secondary fibre mill

This paper investigates thermal conversion of pre-treated pulper reject waste using a Thermo-Catalytic Reforming process (TCR®) for production of biofuels. Approximately 40% of the original feedstock energy was transferred to the solid and liquid energy vectors. The bio-oil organic fraction accounts for approximately 35% of total liquid yield with a HHV of 40.17 MJ/kg. The two most abundant compounds were oleic acid methyl ester (18.90%; C18:1 FAME) and naphthalene (16.23%). The bio-oil exhibits characteristics well suited for blending with fossil fuels. The other products formed was a synthesis gas with hydrogen content of 29.33 vol% which is attractive for hydrogen separation for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, process heating and other high value applications. The gasification of char is also a promising valorisation opportunity. TCR technology was able to tolerate high plastic content in the feedstock and produced a liquid fuel analogue to the fossil fuels, therefore, this paper highlighted the advantages of the TCR technology as a promising route for pulper rejects valorisation to produce energy vectors.

Thermo-catalytic reforming of co-form® rejects (waste cleansing wipes)

Co-form® products are typically used for personal hygiene care (cleansing wipes), household cleaning (pads and mops) and absorbent applications. Co-form® is a thermo-bonded multilayer nonwoven composite and Kimberly-Clark patented its process in 2008. Co-form® rejects are composed of 30% plastic polypropylene and 70% wood pulp fibre. It is difficult to recycle and to-date no research articles explore pyrolytic valorisation for its energy recovery. This paper investigated pyrolytic valorisation of co-form® rejects into energy vectors. Pelletised co-form® rejects obtained from a secondary fibre paper mill were processed using a laboratory scale 2 kg/h Thermo-Catalytic Reforming (TCR®) reactor. The TCR® process combines intermediate pyrolysis, using an auger reactor to heat the material under moderate temperatures (350–450 °C) and moderate solid residence times (minutes) in the complete absence of Oxygen, with post catalytic reforming in a fixed bed reactor at 700 °C. Pelletised co-form® rejects were successfully converted into 12 wt% bio-oil, 9 wt% aqueous phase liquid, 8 wt% char and 71 wt% syngas products. The bio-oil higher heating value was found to be 39.36 MJ/kg, comparable to biodiesel. Naphthalene was found to be the most abundant aromatic compound within the oil, with a relative abundance of 15.22% measured by GC–MS. Oleic acid methyl ester (15.86%) was the most abundant long chain hydrocarbon detected. The higher heating value of produced gas was 11.02 MJ Nm3 and char 30.79 MJ/kg. TCR® conversion of co-form® rejects proved to be a feasible route for the valorisation of this waste stream into sustainable energy vectors. In previous works, gasification processes could not successfully convert organic waste streams with a high plastic content, without implications attributed to agglomeration and melting of plastics. The TCR® process overcome these issues with no evidence of agglomeration or melting of plastics present within the reactor. The success was believed to be through applying moderate heating rates (°C/min) and temperatures (max 700 °C), as well as the mechanical effect of continuous mixing of material within the reactor via the internal auger screw. Overall, TCR® is a promising future route for the valorisation of co-form® rejects to produce energy vectors.