Non-biodegradable polymeric waste pyrolysis for energy recovery

Abstract

Nowadays, increasing population, widespread urbanization, rise in living standards together with versatile use of polymers have caused non-biodegradable polymeric wastes affecting the environment a chronic global problem, simultaneously, the existing high energy demand in our society is a matter of great concern. Hence forth, this review article provides an insight into the technological approach of pyrolysis emphasizing catalytic pyrolysis for conversion of polymeric wastes into energy products and presents an alternative waste management technique which is a leap towards developing sustainable environment. Pyrolysis of waste non-biodegradable polymer materials involves controlled thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen, cracking their macromolecules into lower molecular weight ones, resulting into the formation of a wide range of products from hydrogen, hydrocarbons to coke. Nanocatalyzed pyrolysis is a recommended solution to the low thermal conductivity of polymers, promoting faster reactions in breaking the CC bonds at lower temperatures, denoting less energy consumption and enabling enhancement in the process selectivity, whereby higher value added products are generated with increased yield. Nanotechnology plays an indispensable role in academic research as well as in industrial applications. Existing reviews illustrate that one of the oldest application field of nanotechnology is in the arena of nanocatalysis. Nanocatalysis closes the gap between homo and heterogeneous catalyses while combines their advantageous characteristics and positive aspects, reducing the respective drawbacks. During the current nanohype, nanostructured catalysts are esteemed materials and their exploration provide promising solutions for challenges from the perspective of cost and factors influencing catalytic activity, due to their featured high surface area to volume ratio which render enhanced properties with respect to the bulk catalyst.

Utilization of liquid product through pyrolysis of LDPE and C/LDPE as commercial wax

“…The plastic wastes are bulkier than the organic residues and a large part of these wastes do not degrade. High continuous demand for plastics, causes plastic wastes to accumulate in land lls, take up a lot of space, and also environmental hazards (Dwivedi et al 2019). Mass consumption of plastic threatens the lives of not only marine animals but also humans.…”

“…Waste plastics must be reused or recycled to protect the ecosystem (Park et al 2019). Post-use waste plastic is appropriate for recycling (Schneider et al 2017) and they can be grouped in different kinds of waste plastics such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyamide (PA), polyvinyl-chloride (PVC) (Dwivedi et al 2019).…”

The Effect of Temperature on Catalytic Pyrolysis of HDPE Over Ni/Ce/Al2O3

“…Among the various conversion technologies, pyrolysis of plastic waste offers a practical way to produce fuel-grade bio-oil and fuel gas while simultaneously managing plastic waste in a manner that will not harm the environment [5]. Several studies have reported on the suitability of pyrolysis as a thermochemical recycling technique for plastics [6]. Valuable oil and gas products are formed from the pyrolysis of plastic waste [7].…”

Pyrolysis Conversion of Polymer Wastes to Noble Fuels in Conditions of the Slovak Republic

“…Polymers, as materials that are used daily, contribute fundamentally in our daily waste production. Daily use in vast applications in various sectors resulted into enormously increased global production and disposal over the years [8]. Waste polymeric materials can be described as mixtures of different polymer molecules, for example high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyamide(PA), polyvinyl-chloride(PVC), polyacrylate (PAC), etc., [9,10].…”