Clean Energy from Plastic: Production of Pyrolysis Oil from Plastic Waste

Abstract

Plastic materials’ applications are expanding on a daily basis due to their unique properties, which enable them to replace other materials in their applications while still meeting customer needs thanks to advanced technology. In Sultanate of Oman 20.9% of the solid waste are plastics. As a result, more plastic produced, which leads to an increase in plastic waste. Since it is produced from an unsustainable crude oil source using a high-energy consuming method, plastic waste contributes significantly to soil, water, and even air pollution. As a result, they are non-biodegradable, resulting in high greenhouse gas emissions, a plastic waste crisis, and the non-renewable fossil fuel petroleum being depleted. One of the methods for handling plastic waste that has been developed is the energy recovery process. Given that petroleum was the primary source of plastic, converting it to liquid oil via pyrolysis had enormous potential, as the resulting oil had a calorific value comparable to commercial fuel. Pyrolysis of plastics is a chemical reaction in which larger molecules are broken down into smaller molecules using heat. As a result, the aim of this study is to catalytically pyrolyze most commonly plastic waste (PET, HDPE) into a liquid oil using a spent FCC catalyst. This will contribute to the plastic waste management program while also providing a renewable energy source which can be used in boilers combustion and engines fueling, reducing plastic waste. Pyrolysis has been found to be an excellent solution for transforming Petroplastics into different functional products, with liquid oil production reaching up to 80%, according to previous studies. This study conduct Pyrolysis of PET and HDPE plastic waste the poly fuel produced was analyzed by Gas Chromatography (GC) instrument and compared with commercial diesel properties