FLOGEN Logo
In Honor of Nobel Laureate Dr. Avram Hershko
SIPS 2024 logo
SIPS 2024 takes place from October 20 - 24, 2024 at the Out of the Blue Resort in Crete, Greece

Honoree Banner
PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE - CLICK HERE

More than 540 abstracts submitted from over 50 countries


Featuring many Nobel Laureates and other Distinguished Guests


Back

DIRECT LIQUEFACTION OF POLYPROPYLENE AND LOW-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE USING TETRALIN AND BENZENE AS SOLVENTS
Naldo J.A. Meyer1; Christien Strydom1; John Bunt1; Romanus Uwaoma2; Ettiene Wiese1
1North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa; 2Mintek, Johannesburg, South Africa

PAPER: 224/Carbon/Regular (Oral) OS
SCHEDULED: 14:00/Wed. 23 Oct. 2024/Dazzle D.

ABSTRACT:

In this investigation, polypropylene (PP) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were used in liquefaction experiments using tetralin and benzene as solvents. The temperature of the reaction vessel was increased to 450°C at 10 °C/min, with an isothermal reaction time of 60 minutes. This study investigated the influence of feed material and choice of solvent on conversion values and liquid yield composition during liquefaction experiments. Results showed that differences in the molecular structure of polypropylene and low-density polyethylene significantly affected conversion. Tetralin liquefaction yielded conversion values of 97.0% for PP and 23.8% for LDPE, while benzene liquefaction yielded conversion values of 98.5% for PP and 97.5% for LDPE at 450°C. Benzene liquefaction of PP and LDPE produced liquid fractions comprising alkanes and alkenes. Furthermore, it was found that benzene acted as a hydrogen-donor solvent, which was supported by the presence of biphenyl in the liquid fraction derived from benzene liquefaction. Overall, PP and LDPE demonstrated potential for high conversion to liquid products in liquefaction experiments conducted at 425–450°C.

REFERENCES:
[1] Yang, R. X.; Jan, K.; Chen, C. T.; Chen, W. T.; Wu, K. C. W. Thermochemical conversion of plastic waste into fuels, chemicals, and value‐added materials: A critical review and outlooks. ChemSusChem 2022, 15 (11).
[2] Murty, M.; Rangarajan, P.; Grulke, E.; Bhattacharyya, D. Thermal degradation/hydrogenation of commodity plastics and characterization of their liquefaction products. Fuel Processing Technology 1996, 49 (1-3), 75-90.
[3] Serrano, D.; Aguado, J.; Vicente, G.; Sánchez, N. Effects of hydrogen-donating solvents on the thermal degradation of HDPE. Journal of analytical and applied pyrolysis 2007, 78 (1), 194-199.
[4] Kameel, N. I. A.; Daud, W. M. A. W.; Patah, M. F. A.; Zulkifli, N. W. M. Influence of reaction parameters on thermal liquefaction of plastic wastes into oil: A review. Energy Conversion and Management: X 2022, 14, 100196.