Kinetic study of low-temperature conversion of plastic mixtures to value added products

Batch-mode pyrolysis of 200.0 g samples of polymers was studied at low temperature. The cracking reaction was carried out in a stainless-steel autoclave with reaction temperatures of 360, 380, 400 and 420 °C, initial pressure of 6.325 kPa (absolute pressure) and reaction times of 0–240 min. Based on the experimental results, a four-lump kinetic model has been developed to describe the production distribution of the light fractions, middle distillates and heavy fraction. This model reasonably fitted the results in each reaction of operation conditions. It was also found that the pyrolysis kinetics of separated plastic, mixed plastic and mixed plastic containing additives can be described by the same kinetic model. The plastic additives have not had a great influence on the product distribution and kinetics of the mixed plastic pyrolysis. Finally, the optimum conditions of low-temperature conversion of plastic mixtures to value-added products were established. The formation of heavy fractions from HDPE was as high as 70 wt% at 380 °C at a reaction time of 250 min. During the thermal degradation of plastic mixtures, the heavy fractions yielded up 50 wt% for 30 min reaction time at 400 °C. The total activation energies for the conversion of HDPE and the plastic mixtures were estimated to be 217.66 kJ mol−1 and 178.49 kJ mol−1, respectively.

► It investigated batch-mode pyrolysis kinetics of plastic mixtures at low temperature.
► This kinetic model reasonably fitted the results in different operation conditions.
► It investigated the effect of additives to pyrolysis of plastic mixtures.
► The optimum conditions of conversion of waste plastic to value added products were established.
► The total activation energies for conversion of HDPE and plastic mixtures were estimated.