Pyrolysis-catalysis for waste polyolefin conversion into low aromatic naphtha

Leilei Dai; Nan Zhou; Yuancai Lv; Kirk Cobb; Yanling Cheng; Yunpu Wang; Yuhuan Liu; Paul Chen; Rongge Zou; Hanwu Lei; Roger Ruan

doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2021.114578

Pyrolysis-catalysis for waste polyolefin conversion into low aromatic naphtha

Leilei Dai, Nan Zhou, Yuancai Lv, Kirk Cobb, Yanling Cheng, Yunpu Wang, Yuhuan Liu, Paul Chen, Rongge Zou, Hanwu Lei, Roger Ruan

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

50 Scopus citations

Abstract

The global waste plastic crisis, caused by overconsumption of single-use plastics, is threatening ecological systems and public health, worldwide. This study presents a novel catalytic conversion of waste polyolefinic plastics to low aromatic naphtha for new plastic manufacturing by a tandem catalysis process. Zn/SBA-15 was found to be an effective heterogeneous catalyst for cracking high density polyethylene (HDPE) pyrolytic wax into short chain olefins. This catalyst shows a much higher activity than pure catalysts or SBA-15 catalysts that were modified with other metals. This tandem catalysis system was also applicable to catalytic reforming of various waste polyolefins including HDPE, low density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP), producing high quality naphtha with a C5-C12 paraffin selectivity of 50–71 % peak area. Furthermore, the pure and real-world plastic mixture can also be used to produce high quality naphtha, with a C5-C12 paraffin selectivity of 60.39 % peak area and 57.16 % peak area, respectively. This new plastic to low-aromatic naphtha technology highlights the feasibility of upcycling waste plastics into virgin plastic products.

Original language	English
Article number	114578
Journal	Energy Conversion and Management
Volume	245
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2021.114578
State	Published - Oct 1 2021
Externally published	Yes

Funding

We acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China ( 21766019 , 21878137 ), The Centrally Guided Local Science Technology Special Project ( 20202ZDB01012 ), the Major Discipline Academic and Technical Leaders Training Program of Jiangxi Province ( 20204BCJ23011 ), China Scholarship Council (CSC), Xcel Energy, Resynergi, University of Minnesota MnDrive Environment Program MNE12, and University of Minnesota Center for Biorefining. Parts of this work were carried out in the Characterization Facility, University of Minnesota, which receives partial support from NSF through the MRSEC program.

Keywords

Naphtha
Pyrolysis
Tandem catalysis
Waste plastics

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10.1016/j.enconman.2021.114578

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title = "Pyrolysis-catalysis for waste polyolefin conversion into low aromatic naphtha",

abstract = "The global waste plastic crisis, caused by overconsumption of single-use plastics, is threatening ecological systems and public health, worldwide. This study presents a novel catalytic conversion of waste polyolefinic plastics to low aromatic naphtha for new plastic manufacturing by a tandem catalysis process. Zn/SBA-15 was found to be an effective heterogeneous catalyst for cracking high density polyethylene (HDPE) pyrolytic wax into short chain olefins. This catalyst shows a much higher activity than pure catalysts or SBA-15 catalysts that were modified with other metals. This tandem catalysis system was also applicable to catalytic reforming of various waste polyolefins including HDPE, low density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP), producing high quality naphtha with a C5-C12 paraffin selectivity of 50–71 % peak area. Furthermore, the pure and real-world plastic mixture can also be used to produce high quality naphtha, with a C5-C12 paraffin selectivity of 60.39 % peak area and 57.16 % peak area, respectively. This new plastic to low-aromatic naphtha technology highlights the feasibility of upcycling waste plastics into virgin plastic products.",

keywords = "Naphtha, Pyrolysis, Tandem catalysis, Waste plastics",

author = "Leilei Dai and Nan Zhou and Yuancai Lv and Kirk Cobb and Yanling Cheng and Yunpu Wang and Yuhuan Liu and Paul Chen and Rongge Zou and Hanwu Lei and Roger Ruan",

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AU - Dai, Leilei

AU - Zhou, Nan

AU - Lv, Yuancai

AU - Cobb, Kirk

AU - Cheng, Yanling

AU - Wang, Yunpu

AU - Liu, Yuhuan

AU - Chen, Paul

AU - Zou, Rongge

AU - Lei, Hanwu

AU - Ruan, Roger

PY - 2021/10/1

Y1 - 2021/10/1

N2 - The global waste plastic crisis, caused by overconsumption of single-use plastics, is threatening ecological systems and public health, worldwide. This study presents a novel catalytic conversion of waste polyolefinic plastics to low aromatic naphtha for new plastic manufacturing by a tandem catalysis process. Zn/SBA-15 was found to be an effective heterogeneous catalyst for cracking high density polyethylene (HDPE) pyrolytic wax into short chain olefins. This catalyst shows a much higher activity than pure catalysts or SBA-15 catalysts that were modified with other metals. This tandem catalysis system was also applicable to catalytic reforming of various waste polyolefins including HDPE, low density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP), producing high quality naphtha with a C5-C12 paraffin selectivity of 50–71 % peak area. Furthermore, the pure and real-world plastic mixture can also be used to produce high quality naphtha, with a C5-C12 paraffin selectivity of 60.39 % peak area and 57.16 % peak area, respectively. This new plastic to low-aromatic naphtha technology highlights the feasibility of upcycling waste plastics into virgin plastic products.

AB - The global waste plastic crisis, caused by overconsumption of single-use plastics, is threatening ecological systems and public health, worldwide. This study presents a novel catalytic conversion of waste polyolefinic plastics to low aromatic naphtha for new plastic manufacturing by a tandem catalysis process. Zn/SBA-15 was found to be an effective heterogeneous catalyst for cracking high density polyethylene (HDPE) pyrolytic wax into short chain olefins. This catalyst shows a much higher activity than pure catalysts or SBA-15 catalysts that were modified with other metals. This tandem catalysis system was also applicable to catalytic reforming of various waste polyolefins including HDPE, low density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP), producing high quality naphtha with a C5-C12 paraffin selectivity of 50–71 % peak area. Furthermore, the pure and real-world plastic mixture can also be used to produce high quality naphtha, with a C5-C12 paraffin selectivity of 60.39 % peak area and 57.16 % peak area, respectively. This new plastic to low-aromatic naphtha technology highlights the feasibility of upcycling waste plastics into virgin plastic products.

KW - Naphtha

KW - Pyrolysis

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KW - Waste plastics

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Pyrolysis-catalysis for waste polyolefin conversion into low aromatic naphtha

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