Environmentally Harmful Low Density Waste Plastic Conversion into Kerosene Grade Fuel

Moinuddin Sarker, Mohammad Mamunor Rashid, Muhammad Sadikur Rahman, Mohammad Molla

Natural State Research, Inc, Department of Research and Development, 37 Brown House Road (2nd Floor), Stamford, CT 06902, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/jep.2012.38083                

Abstract

Plastics wastes from a municipal solid waste (MSW) plant have a high-energy content and are suitable for fuel generation. Thermal cracking is one of the possible ways to obtain petrochemical feedstock from polymer wastes. Municipal waste plastic of LDPE conversion to kerosene grade fuel experiments were carried out under atmospheric conditions at temperatures between 150℃ and 420℃. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic waste (Code #2) was thermally depolymerized in batch process into stainless steel reactor without adding catalyst. The maximum kerosene grade fuel yield is 30%, other grade fuel 60%, light gas 6% and left over residue 4%. The composition, sulphur and Btu value of liquid products were determined by ASTM method. Produced fuel was analyzed by Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometer and FT-IR. Very high conversions from LDPE waste plastic to kerosene grade fuel (up to 35%) were obtained while using this technique. Detailed product analyses and characterization lead to a reasonable explanation of reaction pathways and mechanisms.

Keywords

LDPE; Waste Plastic; Kerosene; Conversion; Fuel; GC/MS; FT-IR

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	P. Picuno and C. Sica, “Mechanical and Spectroradio-metrical Characteristics of Agriculture Recycled Plastic Films,” CIGR E-Journal, Vol. 6, 2000. http://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/10378
[2]	European Environment Agency, “European Topic Center on Waste, Waste Generation and Management—Envi- ronment in the EU at the Turn of the Century,” Copenhagen, 1999. http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/92-9157-202-0/page307.html
[3]	E. Kom, “Annual EKO-KOM Report—2005,” Prague, 2006. http://www.ekokom.cz/uploads/attachments/English/The_Guide.pdf
[4]	N. Shah, J. Rockwell and G. P. Huffman, “Conversion of Waste Plastic to Oil: Direct Liquefaction versus Pyrolysis and Hydroprocessing,” Energy Fuel, Vol. 13, No. 4, 1999, pp. 832-838.
[5]	I. Nakamura and K. Fujimoto, “Development of New Disposable Catalyst for Waste Plastics Treatment for High Quality Transportation Fuel,” Catalysis Today, Vol. 27, No. 1, 1996, pp. 175-179.
[6]	G. de la Puente, J. M. Arandes and U. Sedram, “Recycled Plastics in FCC Feedstocks: Specific Contributions,’’ Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 36, No. 11, 1997, pp. 4530-4534.
[7]	A. R. Songip, T. Masuda, H. Kuwahara and K. Hashimoto, “Test to Screen Catalysts for Reforming Heavy Oil from Waste Plastics,” Applied Catalysis B, Vol. 2, No. 2-3, 1993, pp. 153-164.
[8]	W. Ding, J. Laing and L. L. Andersen, “Thermal and Catalytic Degradation of High Density Polyethylene and Commingled Post-Consumer Plastic Waste,” Fuel Processing Technology, Vol. 51, No. 1-2, 1997, pp. 47-62.
[9]	Z. Zhibo, S. Nishio, Y. Moriaka, A. Ueno, H. Ohkita, Y. Tochihara, Y. Mizushima and N. Kakuta, “Thermal and Chemical Recycle of Waste Polymers,” Catalysis Today, Vol. 29, No. 1-4, 1996, pp. 303-308.
[10]	Y. Uemichi, M. Hattori, T. Itoh, J. Nakamura and M. Sugioka, “Deactivation Behaviors of Zeolite and Silica-Alumina Catalysts in the Degradation of Polyethylene,” Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 37, No. 3, 1998, pp. 867-872.
[11]	H. S. Joo and J. A. Guin, “Continuous Upgrading of a Plastics Pyrolysis Liquid to an Environmentally Favorable Gasoline Range Product,” Fuel Processing Technology, Vol. 57, No. 1, 1998, pp. 25-40.
[12]	L. L. Anderson and W. Tuntawiroon, “Coliquefaction of Coal and Polymers to Liquid Fuels,” Preprints of ACS Meeting, Chicago, 1993, pp. 816-822.
[13]	M. M. Taghici, F. E. Huggins and G. P. Huffman, “Coliquefaction of Waste Plastics with Coal,” Preprints of ACS Meeting, Chicago, Vol. 38, No. 4, 1993, pp. 810- 815.
[14]	L. A. Wall, S. L. Madorsky, D. W. Brown and S. Strauss, “The Depolymerization of Polymethylene and Polyethylene,” Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 76, 1954, pp. 3430-3437.
[15]	R. D. Leaversuch, “Chemical Recycling Brings Real Versatility to Solid-Waste Management,” Modern Plastics, Vol. 68, No. 7, 1991, pp. 40-43.
[16]	X. Xiao, W. Zmierczak and J. Shabtai, “Depolymerization-Liquefaction of Plastics and Rubbers. 1. Polyethylene, Polypropylene and Polybutadiene,” ACS Division of Fuel Chemistry, 1995, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 4-8.
[17]	M. A. Uddin, K. Koizumi, K. Murata and Y. Sakata, “Thermal and Catalytic Degradation of Structurally Different Types of Polyethylene into Fuel Oil,” Polymer Degradation and Stability, Vol. 56, No. 1, 1997, pp. 37-44.
[18]	R. C. Mordi, R. Fields and J. Dwver, “Thermolysis of Low Density Polyethylene Catalysed by Zeolites,” Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, Vol. 29, No. 1, 1994, pp. 45-55.
[19]	W. Zhao, S. Hasegawa, J. Fujita, F. Yoshii, T. Sasaki, K. Makuuchi, J. Sun and S. Nishimoto, “Effects of Zeolites on the Pyrolysis of Polypropylene,” Polymer Degradation and Stability, Vol. 53, No. 1-2, 1996, pp. 129-135.
[20]	P. T. Williams and E. A. Williams, “Fluidised Bed Pyrolysis of Low Density Polyethylene to Produce Petrochemical Feedstock,” Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, Vol. 51, No. 1-2, 1999, pp. 107-126.
[21]	Y. Uemichi, Y. Makino and T. Kanazuka, “Degradation of Polypropylene to Aromatic Hydrocarbons over Pt- and Fe-Containing Activated Carbon Catalysts,” Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, Vol. 16, No. 3, 1989, pp. 229-238.