Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a synthetic mixture representative of packaging plastics residue

Simona Colantonio, Lorenzo Cafiero, Doina De Angelis, Nicolò M. Ippolito, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti

PDF(782 KB)
PDF(782 KB)
Front. Chem. Sci. Eng. ›› 2020, Vol. 14 ›› Issue (2) : 288-303. DOI: 10.1007/s11705-019-1875-3
RESEARCH ARTICLE
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a synthetic mixture representative of packaging plastics residue

Author information +
History +

Abstract

A synthetic mixture of real waste packaging plastics representative of the residue from a material recovery facility (plasmix) was submitted to thermal and catalytic pyrolysis. Preliminary thermogravimetry experiments coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed to evaluate the effects of the catalysts on the polymers’ degradation temperatures and to determine the main compounds produced during pyrolysis. The thermal and catalytic experiments were conducted at 370°C, 450°C and 650°C using a bench scale reactor. The oil, gas, and char yields were analyzed and the compositions of the reaction products were compared. The primary aim of this study was to understand the effects of zeolitic hydrogen ultra stable zeolite Y (HUSY) and hydrogen zeolite socony mobil-5 (HZSM5) catalysts with high silica content on the pyrolysis process and the products’ quality. Thermogravimetry showed that HUSY significantly reduces the degradation temperature of all the polymers—particularly the polyolefines. HZSM5 had a significant effect on the degradation of polyethylene due to its smaller pore size. Mass balance showed that oil is always the main product of pyrolysis, regardless of the process conditions. However, all pyrolysis runs performed at 370°C were incomplete. The use of either zeolites resulted in a decrease in the heavy oil fraction and the prevention of wax formation. HUSY has the best performance in terms of the total monoaromatic yield (29 wt-% at 450°C), while HZSM5 promoted the production of gases (41 wt-% at 650°C). Plasmix is a potential input material for pyrolysis that is positively affected by the presence of the two tested zeolites. A more effective separation of polyethylene terephthalate during the selection process could lead to higher quality pyrolysis products.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

packaging plastics waste / plasmix / pyrolysis / zeolite catalyst / degradation temperature

Cite this article

Download citation ▾
Simona Colantonio, Lorenzo Cafiero, Doina De Angelis, Nicolò M. Ippolito, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a synthetic mixture representative of packaging plastics residue. Front. Chem. Sci. Eng., 2020, 14(2): 288‒303 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-019-1875-3

References

[1]
Association of Plastics Manufacturers. Plastics—the facts 2018. An analysis of European latest plastics production, demand and waste data. Plastic Europe, 2018
[2]
Wang C Q, Wang H, Fu J G, Liu Y N. Flotation separation of waste plastics for recycling—A Review. Waste Management (New York, N.Y.), 2015, 41: 28–38
CrossRef Google scholar
[3]
The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Directive 2018/852/EU amending Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste. 2018
[4]
Adrados A, de Marco I, Caballero B M, López A, Laresgoiti M F, Torres A. Pyrolysis of plastic packaging waste: A comparison of plastic residuals from material recovery facilities with simulated plastic waste. Waste Management (New York, N.Y.), 2012, 32(5): 826–832
CrossRef Google scholar
[5]
Tuffi R, D’Abramo S, Cafiero L M, Trinca E, Vecchio Ciprioti S. Thermal behavior and pyrolytic degradation kinetics of polymeric mixtures from waste packaging plastics. Express Polymer Letters, 2018, 12(1): 82–99
CrossRef Google scholar
[6]
Panda A K, Singh R K, Mishra D K. Thermolysis of waste plastics to liquid fuel A suitable method for plastic waste management and manufacture of value-added products—A world prospective. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2010, 14(1): 233–248
CrossRef Google scholar
[7]
Kiran N, Ekinci E, Snape C E. Recycling of plastics wastes via pyrolysis. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2000, 29(4): 273–283
CrossRef Google scholar
[8]
Jamradloedluk J, Lertsatitthanakorn C. Characterization and utilization of char derived from fast pyrolysis of plastic wastes. Procedia Engineering, 2014, 69: 1437–1442
CrossRef Google scholar
[9]
Wampler T P. Applied Pyrolyis Handbook. 2nd ed. New York: Marcel Dekker Inc., 1995, 77–96
[10]
Grassie N, Scott G. Polymer Degradation and Stabilization. 1st ed. London: Cambridge University Press, 1985, 23–34
[11]
Achilias D S, Kanellopoulou I, Megalokonomos P, Antonakou E, Lappas A. Chemical recycling of polystyrene by pyrolysis: Potential use of the liquid product for the reproduction of polymer. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, 2007, 292(8): 923–934
CrossRef Google scholar
[12]
Lovink H J, Pine L A. Hydrocarbon Chemistry of FCC Naphtha Formation. Paris: Technip Editions, 1990, 165–172
[13]
Miandad R, Barakat M A, Aburiazaiza A S, Rehan M, Nizami A S. Catalytic pyrolysis of plastic waste: A review. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2016, 102: 822–838 doi:10.1016/j.psep.2016.06.022
[14]
Zhao W, Hasegawa S, Fujita J, Yoshii F, Sasaki T, Makuuchi K, Sun J, Nishimoto S. Effects of zeolites on the pyrolysis of polypropylene. Polymer Degradation & Stability, 1996, 53(1): 129–135
CrossRef Google scholar
[15]
Serrano D P, Aguado J, Escola J M. Developing advanced catalysts for the conversion of polyolefinic waste plastics into fuels and chemicals. ACS Catalysis, 2012, 2(9): 1924–1941
CrossRef Google scholar
[16]
Buekens A G, Huang H. Catalytic plastics cracking for recovery of gasoline-range hydrocarbons from municipal plastic wastes. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 1998, 23(3): 163–181
CrossRef Google scholar
[17]
de Marco I, Caballero B M, Lopez A, Laresgoiti M F, Torres A, Chomon M J. Pyrolysis of the rejects of a waste packaging separation and classification plant. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2009, 85(1-2): 384–391
CrossRef Google scholar
[18]
Muhammad C, Onwudili J A, Williams P T. Catalytic prolysis of waste plastic from electrical and electronc equipment. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2015, 113: 332–339
CrossRef Google scholar
[19]
Santella C, Cafiero L M, De Angelis D, La Marca F, Tuffi R, Vecchio Ciprioti S. Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a mixture of plastics from small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Waste Management (New York, N.Y.), 2016, 54: 143–152
CrossRef Google scholar
[20]
Al-Salem S M, Antelava A, Constantinou A, Manos G, Dutta A. A review on thermal and catalytic pyrolysis pf plastic solid waste (PSW). Journal of Environmental Management, 2017, 197: 177–198 doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.03.084
[21]
Lee K H. Feedstock Recycling and Pyrolysis of Waste Plastics. 1st ed. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2006, 129–157
[22]
Faravelli T, Pinciroli M, Pisano F, Bozzano G, Dente M, Ranzi E. Thermal degradation of polystyrene. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2001, 60(1): 103–121
CrossRef Google scholar
[23]
Demirbas A. Pyrolysis of municipal plastic wastes for recovery of gasoline-range hydrocarbons. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2004, 72(1): 97–102
CrossRef Google scholar
[24]
Angyal A, Miskolczi N, Bartha L. Petrochemical feedstock by thermal cracking of plastic waste. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2007, 79(1-2): 409–414
CrossRef Google scholar
[25]
Cafiero L M, Fabbri D, Trinca E, Tuffi R, Vecchio Ciprioti S. Thermal and spectroscopic (TG/DCS-FTIR) characterization of mixed plastics for materials and energy recovery under pyrolytic conditions. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 2015, 121(3): 1111–1119
CrossRef Google scholar
[26]
Seo Y, Lee K, Shin D. Investigation of catalytic degradation of high density polyethylene by hydrocarbon group type analysis. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2003, 70(2): 383–398
CrossRef Google scholar
[27]
Onwudili J A, Insura N, Williams P T. Composition of products from the pyrolysis of polyethylene and polystyrene in a closed batch reactor: Effects of temperature and residence time. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2009, 86(2): 293–303
CrossRef Google scholar
[28]
López A, de Marco I, Caballero B M, Adrados A, Laresgoiti M F. Deactivation and regeneration of ZSM-5 zeolite in catalytic pyrolysis of plastic wastes. Waste Management (New York, N.Y.), 2011, 31(8): 1852–1858
CrossRef Google scholar
[29]
Benedetti M, Cafiero L, De Angelis D, Dell’Era A, Pasquali M, Stendardo S, Tuffi R, Ciprioti S V. Pyrolysis of WEEE plastics using catalysts produced from fly ash of coal gasification. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2017, 11(5): 11–21
CrossRef Google scholar
[30]
Kidany A J, Parrish W R. Fundamentals of Natural Gas Processing. 1st ed. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2006, 354–360
[31]
Marcilla A, Gomez-Siurana A, Berenguer D. Study of the influence of the characteristics of different acid solid in the catalytic pyrolysis of different polymers. Applied Catalysis, 2006, 301(2): 222–231
CrossRef Google scholar
[32]
Marcilla A, Gomez-Siurana A, Valdes F. Catalytic pyrolysis of LDPE over H-beta and HZSM5 zeolites in dynamic conditions study of the evolution of the process. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2007, 79(1-2): 433–442
CrossRef Google scholar
[33]
Agullo J, Kumar N, Berenguer D, Kubicka D, Marcilla A, Gomez A, Salmi T, Murzin D Y. Catalytic pyrolysis of low-density polyethylene over H-b, H-Y, H-Mordenite and H-Ferrierite zeolite catalysts: Influence of acidity and structures. Kinetics and Catalysis, 2007, 48(4): 535–540
CrossRef Google scholar
[34]
Manos G, Garforth A, Dwyer J. Catalytic degradation of high-density polyethylene over different zeolitic structures. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2000, 39(5): 1198–1202
CrossRef Google scholar
[35]
Csicsery S M. Catalysis by shape selective zeolites-science and technology. Pure and Applied Chemistry, 1986, 6(6): 841–856
CrossRef Google scholar
[36]
Williams P T, Slaney E. Analysis of products from the pyrolysis and liquefaction of single plastics and waste plastic mixtures. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2007, 51(4): 754–769
CrossRef Google scholar
[37]
Kaminsky W, Zorriqueta I J N. Catalytical and thermal pyrolysis of polyolefins. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2007, 79(1-2): 368–374
CrossRef Google scholar
[38]
Ates F, Miskolczi N, Borsodi N. Comparison of real waste (MSW and MPW) pyrolysis in batch reactor over different catalysts. Part I: product yields, gas and pyrolysis oil properties. Bioresource Technology, 2013, 133: 443–454
CrossRef Google scholar
[39]
Green D W, Perry R H. Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007, 24–34
[40]
Serrano D P, Aguado J, Escola J M. Catalytic cracking of a polyolefin mixture over different acid solid catalysts. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2000, 39(5): 1177–1184 doi:10.1021/ie9906363
[41]
Serrano D P, Aguado J, Escola J M, Rodriguez J M, San Miguel G. An investigation into the catalytic cracking of LDPE using Py-GC/MS. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2005, 74(1-2): 370–378
CrossRef Google scholar
[42]
Olson D H, Kokotailo G T, Lawton S L, Meler W M. Crystal structure and structure-related properties of ZSM-5. Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1981, 85(15): 2238–2243
CrossRef Google scholar
[43]
Serrano D P, Aguado J, Escola J M. Catalytic conversion of polystyrene over HMCM-41, HZSM-5 and amorphous SiO2-Al2O3: Comparison with thermal cracking. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2000, 25(2-3): 181–189
CrossRef Google scholar
[44]
Aguado J, Sotelo J L, Serrano D P, Calles J A, Escola J M. Catalytic conversion of polyolefins into liquid fuels over MCM-41: Comparison with ZSM-5 and amorphous SiO2-Al2O3. Energy & Fuels, 1997, 11(6): 1225–1231
CrossRef Google scholar
[45]
Audisio G, Silvani A, Beltrame P L, Carniti P. Catalytic thermal degradation of polymers: Degradation of polypropylene. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 1984, 7(1-2): 83–90
CrossRef Google scholar
[46]
Tae J, Jang B, Kim J, Kim I, Park D. Catalytic degradation of polystyrene using acid-treated halloysite clays. Solid State Ionics, 2004, 172(1-4): 129–133
CrossRef Google scholar
[47]
Marcilla A, Beltran M I, Navarro R. Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of polyethylene over HZSM5 and HUSY zeolites in a batch reactor under dynamic conditions. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2009, 86(1-2): 78–86
CrossRef Google scholar
[48]
Zhang Z, Hirose T, Nishio S, Morioka Y, Azuma N, Ueno A, Ohkita H, Okada M. Chemical recycling of waste polystyrene into styrene over solid acids and bases. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 1995, 34(12): 4514–4519
CrossRef Google scholar
[49]
Whyte H E, Loubar K, Awad S, Tazerout M. Pyrolytic oil production by catalytic pyrolysis of refuse-derived fuels: Investigation of low cost catalysts. Fuel Processing Technology, 2015, 140: 32–38 doi:10.1016/j.fuproc.2015.08.022
[50]
Murzin D. Chemical Engineering for Renewable Conversion. 1st ed. Oxford: Academic Press, 2013, 76–132
[51]
Imam T, Capareda S. Characterization of bio-oil, syn-gas and bio-char from switchgrass pyrolysis at various temperatures. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2012, 93: 170–177
CrossRef Google scholar
[52]
Corma A, Orchilles A V. Current views on the mechanism of catalytic cracking. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2000, 35-36: 21–30
CrossRef Google scholar
[53]
Vogt E T C, Weckhuysen B M. Fluid catalytic cracking: Recent developments on the grand old lady of zeolite catalysis. Chemical Society Reviews, 2015, 44(20): 7342–7370
CrossRef Google scholar
[54]
Audisio G, Bertini F, Beltrame P, Carniti P. Catalytic degradation of polymers: Part III. Degradation of polystyrene. Polymer Degradation & Stability, 1990, 29(2): 191–200
CrossRef Google scholar

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-019-1875-3 and is accessible for authorized users.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2019 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
AI Summary AI Mindmap
PDF(782 KB)

Accesses

Citations

Detail

Sections
Recommended

/