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Study on the effect of Kankara zeolite-Y-based catalyst on the chemical properties of liquid fuel from mixed waste plastics (MWPs) pyrolysis

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Abstract

We report in this study the effect of Kankara zeolite-Y-based catalyst on the chemical properties of liquid fuel from mixed waste plastics pyrolysis using a batch reactor. Fourteen set of 200 g of waste plastics comprising 27 wt%HDPE, 33 wt%LDPE, 13 wt%PP, 18 wt%PS, 9 wt%PET were de-polymerized with catalyst and a set without catalyst. The catalyst used comprises of a mixture of zeolite-Y, metakaolin, aluminum hydroxide and sodium silicate all synthesized from Kankara kaolin from Kankara in Katsina state, Nigeria. Fourteen different catalyst combinations derived from design of experiment using Design expert 11.0 were used to produce fourteen different liquid fuel samples, and the liquid sample with the highest yield was determined. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to detect various characteristic functional groups present in the samples. Furthermore, the various compounds in the uncatalyzed (thermal pyrolysis) and catalyzed samples with highest yield were determined using GC/MS. The results show that the highest yield of liquid fuel from the fourteen catalyst combination was 46.7 wt% while the thermal pyrolysis gave a yield of 66.9 wt%. The GC/MS result shows carbon in the range of C6–C13 and absence of long straight chain paraffins in the catalyzed fuel samples while the uncatalyzed sample has carbon in the range of C7–C20. Consequently, the thermal pyrolysis sample consists of 59%, 36% and 5% of gasoline, diesel and fuel oil, respectively, while the catalyzed sample consists of 93% gasoline and 7% diesel fraction.

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Acknowledgements

We deeply acknowledge the support received from Dr. Solomon Gajere Bawa of Petroluem Technology Laboratory, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria, for providing us with the zeolite-Y and assistance in the synthesis of the other catalyst components. The authors also appreciate the valuable contributions of Dr. T. K. Bello of the Chemical Engineering Department and Dr. Bashir of the multi-user laboratory both in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Nigeria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Polymer Technology, Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology, Zaria, Nigeria

    Wilson Uzochukwu Eze & Michael Ifeanyichukwu Ugbaja

  2. Department of Polymer and Textile Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria

    Innocent Chimezie Madufor, Godwin Nkemjika Onyeagoro & Henry Chinedu Obasi

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  1. Wilson Uzochukwu Eze
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  2. Innocent Chimezie Madufor
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Correspondence to Wilson Uzochukwu Eze.

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Eze, W.U., Madufor, I.C., Onyeagoro, G.N. et al. Study on the effect of Kankara zeolite-Y-based catalyst on the chemical properties of liquid fuel from mixed waste plastics (MWPs) pyrolysis. Polym. Bull. 78, 377–398 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-020-03116-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-020-03116-4

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