Chemical recycling of plastics by fluidized bed pyrolysis

Abstract

The chemical recycling of different kinds of mixed, dirty, or filled plastic waste is carried out in a fluidized bed process. The high heat transfer is one of the advantages for using a fluidized bed reaktor. The cracking process is fast and less side reactions happen. Olefins and oil are produced by pyrolysis of polyolefin. If the pyrolysis gas is cycled as fluidizing gas aromatics are formed. Up to 98 % of methylmethacrylate can be obtained by pyrolysis of poly(methylmethacrylate) and 77 % styrene from polystyrene. The hydrolysis and pyrolysis of polyester produced terephthalic acid and only smal amounts of soot.The pyrolysis of plastics in a fluidized bed has the potential for an up-scale to recycle great amouns of plastic waste.

Keywords

• Chemical recycling
• Pyrolysis
• Fluidized bed
• Polyolefin
• Plastics
• Monomer