Converting polycarbonate and polystyrene plastic wastes into aromatic hydrocarbons via catalytic fast co-pyrolysis

Type of content
Journal Article
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
English
Date
2020
Authors
Wang J
Jiang J
Wang X
Wang R
Wang K
Pang S
Zhong Z
Sun Y
Ruan R
Ragauskas AJ
Abstract

Thermochemical conversion of plastic wastes is a promising approach to produce alternative energy-based fuels. Herein, we conducted catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of polycarbonate (PC) and polystyrene (PS) to generate aromatic hydrocarbons using HZSM-5 (Zeolite Socony Mobil-5, hydrogen, Aluminosilicate) as a catalyst. The results indicated that employing HZSM-5 in the catalytic conversion of PC facilitated the synthesis of aromatic hydrocarbons in comparison to the non-catalytic run. A competitive reaction between aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic oxygenates was observed within the studied temperature region, and catalytic degradation temperature of 700 oC maximized the competing reaction towards the formation of targeted aromatic hydrocarbons at the expense of phenolic products. Catalyst type also played a vital role in the catalytic decomposition of PC wastes, and HZSM-5 with different Si/Al molar ratios produced more aromatic hydrocarbons than HY (Zeolite Y, hydrogen, Faujasite). Regarding the effect of Si/Al molar ration in HZSM-5 on the distribution of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs), a Si/Al molar ratio of 38 maximized benzene formation with an advanced factor of 5.1. Catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of PC with hydrogen-rich plastic wastes including polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polystyrene (PS) favored the production of MAHs, and PS was the most effective hydrogen donor with a ~2.5-fold increase. The additive effect of MAHs increased at first and then decreased when the PC percentage was elevated from 30% to 90%, achieving the maximum value of 32.4% at 70% PC.

Description
Citation
Wang J, Jiang J, Wang X, Wang R, Wang K, Pang S, Zhong Z, Sun Y, Ruan R, Ragauskas AJ (2020). Converting polycarbonate and polystyrene plastic wastes into aromatic hydrocarbons via catalytic fast co-pyrolysis. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 386. 121970-121970.
Keywords
Plastic polymers, Bisphenol A polycarbonate, Catalytic thermochemical conversion, HZSM-5, Monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Fields of Research::40 - Engineering::4004 - Chemical engineering
Fields of Research::40 - Engineering::4011 - Environmental engineering::401106 - Waste management, reduction, reuse and recycling
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