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Depolymerization of Polyethylene Using Induction-Coupled Plasma Technology

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Abstract

A significant, valuable percentage of today's municipal solid wastestream consists of polymeric materials, for which almost no economicrecycling technology currently exists. This polymeric waste is incinerated,landfilled, or recycled via downgraded usage. Thermal plasma treatment is apotentially viable means of recycling these materials by converting themback into monomers or into other useful compounds. The technical, laboratoryscale, feasibility of using an induction-coupled RF plasma (ICP) heatedreactor for this purpose has been demonstrated in the presentstudy. Polyethylene powder was injected axially through the center of anICP torch. Results from the initial set of experiments, analyzed using astatistical design of experiment technique, showed that plasma plate power,central gas flow rate, probe gas flow rate, powder feed rate, and theinteraction between the quench gas flow rate and power input were the keyprocess parameters affecting the yield of ethylene in the product gasstream. The gaseous products obtained were mainly mixtures of ethylene andpropylene. The amount of propylene obtained was significantly higher thananticipated and was believed to be due to β-scission reactionsoccurring at the higher plasma temperatures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104

    R. R. Guddeti & E. D. Grossmann

  2. Center for the Plasma Processing of Materials [CPP, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104

    R. Knight

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  1. R. R. Guddeti
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  2. R. Knight
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  3. E. D. Grossmann
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Guddeti, R.R., Knight, R. & Grossmann, E.D. Depolymerization of Polyethylene Using Induction-Coupled Plasma Technology. Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing 20, 37–64 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006969710410

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