Pyrolysis of polypropylene over mesoporous MCM-48 material

The catalytic performance of mesoporous MCM-48 materials in the degradation of polypropylene (PP) was evaluated using a thermogravimetric analyzer and batch reactor. The activation energy of PP degradation was significantly lowered by the addition of Al-MCM-48. The catalytic conversion was also higher over Al-MCM-48 than over Si-MCM-48. Al-MCM-48 mainly generated C7–C10 hydrocarbons, while Si-MCM-48 exhibited a relatively broader distribution of oil products (C7–C14). Al-MCM-48 showed high catalytic stability for the PP degradation.