Synthesis of gasoline range fuels by the catalytic cracking of waste plastics using titanium dioxide and zeolite
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Synthesis of gasoline range fuels by the catalytic cracking of waste plastics using titanium dioxide and zeolite Peter E. Nwankwor1 · Immaculata O. Onuigbo1 · Chikaodili E. Chukwuneke1 · Muhammad Falalu Yahaya1 · Bolade O. Agboola1 · Wan Jin Jahng1 Received: 3 July 2020 / Accepted: 9 September 2020 © Islamic Azad University 2020
Abstract The current study examined the carbon recycling application of waste materials. Thermal catalytic cracking reactions were carried out in a fixed bed to synthesize gasoline-range hydrocarbon fuels from used plastics. Titanium (IV) oxide ( TiO2) and zeolite were tested as catalysts for pyrolysis using low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), and polystyrene (PS) reactants. In addition to the catalyzed pyrolysis reactions, we also investigated non-catalyzed thermal degradation of the plastic substrates for negative control. The liquid yield, reaction temperature profile, and physical appearance of the synthesized liquid products were determined. The pyrolysis reactions demonstrated that the optimum catalyst–polymer ratio is 40%. The distillate collection temperatures ranged between 82 and 198 °C (LDPE), 68–172 °C (PVC), and 40–168 °C (PS). Our experiments showed that LDPE, PVC, and PS can readily be pyrolyzed to produce 44% (LDPE), 13% (PVC), and 89% (PS) hydrocarbon liquid products using zeolite catalyst. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to analyze the structure and chemical composition of the products. The main products were C5 (1,2-dimethylcyclopropane), C6 (2-methylpentane), C7 (1,3-dimethylcyclopentene, 1-heptene), and C8 (2-octene, 4-octene, octane, 3-ethylhexane), indicating gasoline-range hydrocarbon molecules. The highest liquid yield of 89.3% was obtained from zeolite catalyst over polystyrene in comparison to all plastics cracked while the lowest liquid yield of 3.9% was obtained from the cracking of PVC under no catalyst condition. Keywords Plastic pyrolysis · Thermal catalytic cracking · Waste-to-energy · Metal oxide catalysts · Fixed bed reactor · Carbon recycle
Introduction Plastics have become one of the largest products and the most profitable molecules of the chemical industry, fetching the top 50 global chemical companies more than $950 billion in annual revenues [1]. Plastics are integrated into our daily lives as they are used in packaging, plumbing, furniture, and vehicle parts [2]. Many plastics are resistant to heat and water, therefore, degrade slowly. The versatile and inexpensive nature of plastics, coupled with their Peter E. Nwankwor and Immaculata O. Onuigbo contributed equally. * Wan Jin Jahng [email protected] 1
Petroleum Chemistry Department, American University of Nigeria, Yola, Nigeria
non-biodegradability makes them exist for a very long period in the oxidative environment. Chemical companies produce an estimated amount of 8.3 billion tons of plastics and 6.3 billion tons become waste with a recycling efficiency of 9% [3]. The majority of the produced and used plastics are dumped
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