skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Catalytic co-pyrolysis of LDPE and PET with HZSM-5, H-beta, and HY: experiments and kinetic modelling

Journal Article · · Reaction Chemistry & Engineering
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/d2re00144f· OSTI ID:1978907

In this study, the catalytic pyrolysis of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and their mixture (1 : 1 wt/wt) with three zeolite catalysts (HZSM-5, H-beta, HY) was investigated using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and a Pyroprobe® micro-reactor coupled to a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (Py-GC/MS). The TGA results demonstrated that during pyrolysis at 10 °C min–1, on average, zeolite catalysts decreased the maximum decomposition temperature by 149 °C for LDPE while only decreasing by 8 °C for PET. The derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) curve evidenced interactions when the two polymers were catalytically co-pyrolyzed for all the three catalysts. A lumped nth order reaction scheme was able to accurately model both non-catalytic and catalytic pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis by using the least squares fitting approach for determining the kinetic parameters. The kinetic model was able to model well the interaction effects observed during catalytic co-pyrolysis of LDPE and PET with HZSM-5, H-beta, and HY (Fit%Wt% > 96%, Fit%DTG > 94%). Py-GC/MS experiments for the catalytic fast pyrolysis of LDPE revealed that HZSM-5 resulted in the highest selectivity to aromatic hydrocarbons (31.6%) and HY resulted in the highest selectivity to gasoline range C5–C10 paraffins and olefins (40.9%). Catalytic fast pyrolysis of PET showed high selectivity to benzene for all the catalysts (>43%) and that HZSM-5 resulted in the highest selectivity to polyaromatic hydrocarbons (24.7%). Finally, the catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of LDPE and PET revealed interaction effects for all the three catalysts evidenced by a positive synergy% for alkylated benzenes (3–142%) and polyaromatics (105–187%) with a concomitant negative synergy% for benzene (24–36%) and C5–C10 paraffins and olefins (27–53%).

Research Organization:
Sustainable Manufacturing Innovation Alliance Corp., West Henrietta, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Grant/Contract Number:
EE0007897
OSTI ID:
1978907
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1875713
Journal Information:
Reaction Chemistry & Engineering, Vol. 7, Issue 10; ISSN 2058-9883
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (62)

Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made journal July 2017
Studies on pore systems in catalysts V. The t method journal June 1965
Catalytic cracking of low-density polyethylene over zeolite-containing hierarchical two-layered catalyst with different mesopore size using Curie point pyrolyzer journal March 2022
Influence of nanocrystalline HZSM-5 external surface on the catalytic cracking of polyolefins journal August 2005
Fluidised bed pyrolysis of low density polyethylene to produce petrochemical feedstock journal July 1999
Pyrolysis kinetics and synergistic effect in co-pyrolysis of Samanea saman seeds and polyethylene terephthalate using thermogravimetric analyser journal October 2019
Phenyl radical + propene: a prototypical reaction surface for aromatic-catalyzed 1,2-hydrogen-migration and subsequent resonance-stabilized radical formation journal January 2018
Pyrolysis and combustion of polymer mixtures: Exploring additivity of the heat release rate journal March 2019
A review on thermal decomposition and combustion of thermoplastic polyesters journal December 2004
Catalytic pyrolysis of low density polyethylene over H-β, H-Y, H-Mordenite, and H-Ferrierite zeolite catalysts: Influence of acidity and structures journal July 2007
Determination of Integrated Molar Extinction Coefficients for Infrared Absorption Bands of Pyridine Adsorbed on Solid Acid Catalysts journal June 1993
A review on kinetic study approach for pyrolysis of plastic wastes using thermogravimetric analysis journal November 2021
Pd-modified beta zeolite for modulated hydro-cracking of low-density polyethylene into a paraffinic-rich hydrocarbon fuel journal November 2020
How to determine consistent biomass pyrolysis kinetics in a parallel reaction scheme journal May 2014
Alkylation of Benzene with Short-Chain Olefins over MCM-22 Zeolite: Catalytic Behaviour and Kinetic Mechanism journal May 2000
Pyrolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) in a fluidised bed plant journal December 2004
Propane Dehydrogenation over Pt/TiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 Catalysts journal November 2014
Operating Conditions for the Pyrolysis of Poly-(ethylene terephthalate) in a Conical Spouted-Bed Reactor journal January 2010
Formation of 2- and 1-methyl-1,4-dihydronaphthalene isomers via the crossed beam reactions of phenyl radicals (C 6 H 5 ) with isoprene (CH 2 C(CH 3 )CHCH 2 ) and 1,3-pentadiene (CH 2 CHCHCHCH 3 ) journal January 2015
Mechanical and chemical recycling of solid plastic waste journal November 2017
Chemistry of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Formation from Phenyl Radical Pyrolysis and Reaction of Phenyl and Acetylene journal March 2012
Catalytic Degradation of High-Density Polyethylene over Different Zeolitic Structures journal March 2000
Effect of the acidity of the HZSM-5 zeolite catalyst on the cracking of high density polyethylene in a conical spouted bed reactor journal February 2012
Role of zeolite properties in bio-oil deoxygenation and hydrocarbons production by catalytic cracking journal March 2022
Catalytic cracking of low-density polyethylene over H-Beta and HZSM-5 zeolites: Influence of the external surface. Kinetic model journal February 2007
Selective synthesis of acetaldehyde from lactic acid on acid zeolites journal March 2018
Catalytic pyrolysis of polyolefin and multilayer packaging based waste plastics: A pilot scale study journal May 2021
A hybrid kinetic and optimization approach for biomass pyrolysis: The hybrid scheme of the isoconversional methods, DAEM, and a parallel-reaction mechanism journal March 2020
Real time monitoring of slow pyrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by different mass spectrometric techniques journal April 2020
Application of highly stable biochar catalysts for efficient pyrolysis of plastics: a readily accessible potential solution to a global waste crisis journal January 2020
Effect of catalyst contact mode and gas atmosphere during catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics journal June 2017
Influence of the Operating Variables on the Catalytic Conversion of a Polyolefin Mixture over HMCM-41 and Nanosized HZSM-5 journal November 2001
Thermochemical routes for the valorization of waste polyolefinic plastics to produce fuels and chemicals. A review journal June 2017
A global kinetic model as a tool to reproduce the deactivation behaviour of the HZSM-5 zeolite in the catalytic cracking of low-density polyethylene journal September 2007
Synthesis of high-density jet fuel from plastics via catalytically integral processes journal January 2016
LESS BENZENE IN GASOLINE: AIR POLLUTION: EPA rule aims to cut toxic emissions from cars journal February 2007
Conversion of methoxy and hydroxyl functionalities of phenolic monomers over zeolites journal January 2016
Kinetic modeling of the thermal degradation of polyethylene and polystyrene mixtures journal December 2003
Role of pore structure in the deactivation of zeolites (HZSM-5, Hβ and HY) by coke in the pyrolysis of polyethylene in a conical spouted bed reactor journal February 2011
Catalytic Pyrolysis of Polyethylene Terephthalate Over Desilicated Beta journal September 2020
Conceptual Frame Rationalizing the Self-Stabilization of H-USY Zeolites in Hot Liquid Water journal December 2014
Improving the aromatic production in catalytic fast pyrolysis of cellulose by co-feeding low-density polyethylene journal March 2013
Thermo-catalytic degradation of different consumer plastic wastes by zeolite a catalyst: A kinetic approach journal November 2020
Catalytic pyrolysis of HDPE in continuous mode over zeolite catalysts in a conical spouted bed reactor journal May 2009
Octane Rating of Gasoline and Octane Booster Additives journal June 2015
Effect of precursor on the performance of alumina for the dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether journal October 2012
Deactivation of a Y-zeolite based catalyst with coke evolution during the catalytic pyrolysis of polyethylene for fuel oil journal January 2021
Zeolite shape selectivity impact on LDPE and PP catalytic pyrolysis products and coke nature journal January 2022
Binary mixture pyrolysis of polypropylene and polystyrene: A modeling and experimental study journal June 2005
Pyrolysis of electronic waste and their mixtures: Kinetic and pyrolysate composition studies journal August 2021
Conversion of Polyethylene Terephthalate Based Waste Carpet to Benzene-Rich Oils through Thermal, Catalytic, and Catalytic Steam Pyrolysis journal April 2016
Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Poly (Ethylene Terephthalate) (PET) with Zeolite and Nickel Chloride journal March 2020
Pyrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate containing real waste plastics using Ni loaded zeolite catalysts journal May 2018
Conversion of low density polyethylene (LDPE) over ZSM-5 zeolite to liquid fuel journal March 2017
Atomistics of pre-nucleation layering of liquid metals at the interface with poor nucleants journal January 2019
Thermal degradation behaviors of polyethylene and polypropylene. Part I: Pyrolysis kinetics and mechanisms journal July 2010
Lumped-kinetic modeling and experiments on co-pyrolysis of palm kernel cake with polystyrene using a closed-tubing reactor to upgrade pyrolysis products journal December 2021
Isothermal fast pyrolysis kinetics of synthetic polymers using analytical Pyroprobe journal May 2019
Towards a better understanding of Lewis acidic aluminium in zeolites journal September 2020
Heterogeneous Diels–Alder tandem catalysis for converting cellulose and polyethylene into BTX journal July 2021
The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review journal September 2002
Plastic flexible films waste management – A state of art review journal July 2018