Chemical Catalyzed Recycling of Polymers: Catalytic Conversion of PE, PP and PS into Fuels and Chemicals over H-Y

In the following study the termocatalytic degradation of polyethylene of high and low density, (HDPE, LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polyestyrene (PS) on the H-Y zeolite was performed. The catalytic activity was carried out in a batch reactor at 500°C. The reaction time was 43,75min. Liquid product yields ranged from ∼42 and ∼44% wt% for polyethylenes and PP, while the production of PS showed ∼71 wt%. The gaseous products ranged between ∼46 and ∼52 for PE and PP and ∼24 wt% for PS. The PP generated the greatest amount of carbonaceous residues (∼10 wt%) whereas the LDPE produced the lowest (∼4 wt%).