Catalytic reforming of polyethylene pyrolysis vapors to naphtha range hydrocarbons with low aromatic content over a high silica ZSM-5 zeolite

In this study, the microwave-assisted pyrolysis coupled with ex-situ catalytic reforming of polyethylene for naphtha range hydrocarbons, with low aromatic content, was investigated. Experimental results revealed that ZSM-5 zeolites with low SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratios led to high aromatic selectivity, while an extremely high SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio significantly reduced the aromatic selectivity. The high selectivity of C5-C12 hydrocarbons (98.9 %) with low selectivity of C5-C12 aromatics (28.5 %) was obtained over a high silica ZSM-5 zeolite at a pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C, catalytic cracking temperature of 460 °C, and a weight hourly space velocity of 7 h⁻¹. The liquid oil produced was mainly composed of C5-C12 olefins that can be easily converted into paraffin-rich naphtha by hydrogenation or hydrogen transfer reactions as the feedstock for new plastic manufacturing. 8 cycles of regeneration-reaction cycles were carried out successfully with little change on the product distribution, showing the great potential for continuous production of low-aromatic liquid oil. Catalyst characterization showed that the catalyst deactivation was primarily caused by coke deposition (approximately 16.0 wt%) on the surface of the catalysts, and oxidative regeneration was able to recover most of the pore structure and acidity of the zeolite by effectively removing coke. This study provides a better understanding for the plastic-to-naphtha process and even for scale-up studies.