engleski

Applicability of Multi-layered Plastic Waste for Plastic-to-Fuel Transformation via Pyrolysis

Since 1869, when the first synthetic polymer began replacing natural materials, industrial polymer use has grown dramatically. This increased the number of polymer materials that became waste after reaching the end of their products' lifespans. The overall composition of discarded waste is different, thus, suitability for recovery needs to be analysed individually. Material recovery is the preferred waste management solution. However, it is applicable only for sorted and clean mono-fractions. Here pyrolysis stands out as one of the most environmentally sustainable energy recovery options for multi- material plastic waste. Through a technological assessment of 30 pyrolysis plants, the applicability of pyrolysis for the recovery of multi-layered plastics (MLP) is reviewed. Acceptable feedstock composition and additional feedstock requirements are identified. According to Resin Identification Code (RIC) system, MLP is classified as other (7). Only 40% of existing plants accept other (7) waste stream, and acceptance of polymer materials that are not classified by the RIC system is even lower. This represents a problem as MLP is commonly used in the food industry and accounts for over 14% of packaging waste. Currently, the recovery is challenging because the available technologies cannot identify and separate the individual layers of MLP. The feedstock composition is an important parameter in setting the operating conditions (temperature, residence time, catalyst) of the pyrolysis process. Since the composition of the MLP waste stream is not sufficiently investigated, it was decided to conduct the identification of its average composition from the discarded plastic waste by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microscopy. The obtained average MLP mixture was examined using thermogravimetric and kinetic analysis and pyrolyzed in a fixed bed reactor. Pyrolysis products (oil and gas) were analysed using FTIR spectroscopy and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.

pyrolysis ; multi-layered plastic waste ; technological assessment

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