Assessing the environmental footprint of plastic pyrolysis and gasification: A life cycle inventory study

Xayachak, Tu; Haque, Nawshad; Lau, Deborah; Parthasarathy, Raj; Pramanik, Biplob Kumar

doi:10.1016/j.psep.2023.03.061

Cited by 24 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…As a result, WPO performed best in all three impact categories: human health, ecosystem quality, and resource scarcity. In another analysis by Xayachak et al, 249 the main driving factor of the environmental impacts for chemical recycling was reported to be the energy consumption required to achieve the required reaction temperature. Specifically, for the production of high-value chemical production from pyrolysis, electricity consumption was the primary contributor to the life cycle impacts in the categories of CC, terrestrial acidification, marine eutrophication, and TE.…”

Section: ■ Economic and Environmental Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermochemical Valorization of Waste Plastic for Production of Synthetic Fuels, Fine Chemicals, and Carbon Nanotubes

Tang,

Chan,

Chai

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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Globally, approximately 300 million metric tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually, and over 90% of them are either disposed to the landfill or incinerated. Though there are commitments to reduce waste plastics, it has its limitations. In this review, the various types of thermochemical processes (pyrolysis, gasification, and hydrothermal liquefaction) used for plastic waste upcycling are first introduced. The production of synthetic fuel, fine chemicals, and carbon nanotubes through these processes are then discussed, with the effects of each factor scrutinized. Technical challenges of the production using plastic waste and how it can be overcome are then highlighted. Economical and environmental assessment of the processes are also analyzed to determine whether such processes are viable for upcycling of waste plastic, closing the carbon economy loop.

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Section: ■ Economic and Environmental Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermochemical Valorization of Waste Plastic for Production of Synthetic Fuels, Fine Chemicals, and Carbon Nanotubes

Tang,

Chan,

Chai

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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“…As thermo‐chemical recycling technologies advance, more life cycle assessments (LCAs) for various routes are becoming available. [ 55–57 ] If differentiated between pyrolysis and gasification, pyrolysis is often favoured over gasification, and a common finding is that any recycling process outperforms incineration. [ 55 ] However, the route presented here, from mixed plastic to new polymers, is often overlooked.…”

Section: Challenges and Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[ 55–57 ] If differentiated between pyrolysis and gasification, pyrolysis is often favoured over gasification, and a common finding is that any recycling process outperforms incineration. [ 55 ] However, the route presented here, from mixed plastic to new polymers, is often overlooked. This oversight may stem from gasification being analyzed primarily as a waste‐to‐energy application, [ 55,56 ] the emergence of the gasification technology pathway where the necessary cleaning and upgrading processes are still in the research and design phase, and the reliance on experimental studies based on single polymer streams or excluding specific feedstock.…”

Section: Challenges and Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gasification for material recycling—A solution to the plastic flood?

Schulze‐Netzer

2024

Can J Chem Eng

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Since 1950, only 9% of all plastic produced has undergone recycling, and a mere 10% of that has been recycled multiple times. Most discarded plastic (around 73%) ends up in landfills or is improperly managed, resulting in widespread littering. The main reason for low recycling rates is the lack of recycling technology for multi‐polymer and multi‐layer materials and unsortable mixed plastic waste. This plastic waste is one of the most accumulating types, including for example single‐use food packaging with an average lifetime of less than 6 months. These multi‐layer films, consisting of various polymer types, are not feasible for traditional mechanical recycling, which requires well‐sorted, clean, and homogeneous materials. Several methods for plastic recycling have been proposed to address this issue and tackle the overwhelming influx of plastic waste, among which steam gasification stands out as one of the most promising approaches for recycling mixed, contaminated, and unsortable plastics. This method utilizes high temperatures (800°C) to atomize the plastics, resulting in a gas mixture of , CO, and and small hydrocarbons. The resulting gas can be reformed through hydrocarbon syntheses, for example, via methanol to propylene and ethylene, and successive into new mono‐ and polymers of equal quality to fossil‐based plastics. Moreover, since the high temperatures atomize any organic structure, biomass can be used as a substitute for an extension of the carbon feed, ultimately reducing reliance on fossil feedstock. With these advantages, steam gasification can significantly increase recycling rates and contribute to a bio‐integrated circular carbon economy.

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“…In particular, pyrolysis is extensively researched for its ability to achieve high yields by thermally degrading plastic waste at high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment . Nevertheless, a more energy-efficient pyrolysis process is required due to the considerable energy consumption …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…10 Nevertheless, a more energy-efficient pyrolysis process is required due to the considerable energy consumption. 13 Polystyrene (PS), formed through the polymerization of styrene monomers (SM), is a versatile plastic renowned for its high strength, often employed alongside materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride. 14,15 However, the recycling rate of PS significantly lags behind other plastics due to low profitability concerns.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy-Efficient Design Sequences for the Purification of Styrene Monomer from the Pyrolysis Oil of Waste Polystyrene

Kim,

Shin,

Lee

et al. 2024

Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

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This study focuses on the energy-efficient separation process of styrene monomer, avoiding the formation of an azeotrope by using a vacuum distillation, derived from the pyrolysis of waste polystyrene (PS). The direct-indirect sequence, which positions the separation column of ethylbenzene and styrene monomer as the last step, exhibited a 30% reduction in the total utility consumption and a 37% reduction in the total annual cost compared to that of the direct-direct sequence that separates lighter components sequentially. A dividing wall column (DWC) configuration derived from the direct-indirect sequence showed the most significant reduction of 40% in utility consumption. However, when the feed capacity was low, the increased capital cost of DWC resulted in a total annual cost similar to that of the direct-indirect sequence. As the capacity of the entire distillation system increased, the reduction in the total operating cost of the DWC was amplified, indicating the advantages of using the DWC in high product throughputs from both energy and economic perspectives. Therefore, implementing the DWC in large-scale PS recycling processes demonstrates superior performance compared to the conventional distillation process, resulting in a more streamlined process with substantial energy savings and CO2 emissions.

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Assessing the environmental footprint of plastic pyrolysis and gasification: A life cycle inventory study

Cited by 24 publications

References 31 publications

Thermochemical Valorization of Waste Plastic for Production of Synthetic Fuels, Fine Chemicals, and Carbon Nanotubes

Thermochemical Valorization of Waste Plastic for Production of Synthetic Fuels, Fine Chemicals, and Carbon Nanotubes

Gasification for material recycling—A solution to the plastic flood?

Energy-Efficient Design Sequences for the Purification of Styrene Monomer from the Pyrolysis Oil of Waste Polystyrene

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