Converting Styrofoam Waste into Fuel Using a Sequential Pyrolysis Reactor and Natural Zeolite Catalytic Reformer

Abstract

Converting styrofoam plastic waste (SPW) into liquid pyrolysis oil (PLO) using a sequential pyrolysis reactor and natural zeolite catalytic vessel was conducted at relatively low temperatures from 160oC to 260oC and complete pyrolysis time, tp of 60-120 minutes. The presence of natural zeolites on a reformer vessel was intended to undergo the second stage degradation of pyrolysis gas produced without further heating. This work aims to find the yield and quality of PLO that are significantly influenced by the feedstocks of SPW and natural zeolite as a catalyst. The modification of zeolite enhances its fundamental characteristics and its effect on thermochemical behavior and pyrolysis reactions. Utilizing natural zeolite catalysts as TA-ZN (thermal activation) and AA-NZ (acid activation) increases the yield and quality of PLO as fuel. The utilization of the AA-NZ catalyst provided the highest PLO yield, lowest wax, and smallest solid deposit in the shortest at complete pyrolysis time, tp.  PLO produced from SPW pyrolysis with AA-NZ catalyst contains a higher range of hydrocarbon gasoline (C5-C12) as styrene, ethylbenzene, and methylbenzene with styrene compound as the highest amount of 74.63% and without a heavy hydrocarbon compound fraction (>C20). According to the analysis of all physical properties and GC-MS characterization, this PLO lies within a range comparable to that of conventional commercial kerosene.

Keywords

• catalytic
• fuel
• natural-zeolite
• pyrolysis
• styrofoam