Thermal Oxo-degradation and Catalytic Upgrading of Plastic Waste to Light Olefins for a Circular Economy

Brown, Jessica L.; Radhakrishnan, Harish; Coffman, Isabel; Tumu, Khairun; Curtzwiler, Greg; Vorst, Keith; Smith, Ryan G.; Brown, Robert C.; Bai, Xianglan; Daugaard, Tannon J.

doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c02862

Thermal Oxo-degradation and Catalytic Upgrading of Plastic Waste to Light Olefins for a Circular Economy

Journal Article · Thu Sep 04 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Energy & Fuels

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c02862· OSTI ID:2998534

^[1]; ^[1]; Coffman, Isabel ^[1]; Tumu, Khairun ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Smith, Ryan G. ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Daugaard, Tannon J. ^[1]

Iowa State University, Ames, IA (United States)

The commercialization of conventional pyrolysis of plastic in an inert atmosphere has been hindered by large thermal requirements stemming from long reaction rates. The rate of thermal depolymerization of waste plastics can be accelerated by the addition of oxygen in a process known as thermal oxo-degradation (TOD). This study offers the prospect of TOD to upcycle postconsumer waste rapidly and efficiently. Using moderate temperatures and small amounts of air in a fluidized bed reactor, we demonstrated that waste high-density polyethylene and polypropylene are rapidly deconstructed to condensable products. These condensable products were catalytically upgraded in a micropyrolysis reactor using commercially available zeolite (HZSM-5) to monomeric olefins. The olefin yields proved to be greater than those achieved through the catalytic upgrading of condensable products from (nonoxidative) the pyrolysis of the same plastic wastes. The coupling of TOD with catalytic upgrading proves to be an energy-efficient pathway in a plastics circular economy for the production of light olefins from wastes.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Iowa State University, Ames, IA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0009285

OSTI ID:: 2998534

Journal Information:: Energy & Fuels, Journal Name: Energy & Fuels Journal Issue: 37 Vol. 39; ISSN 1520-5029; ISSN 0887-0624

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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