Abstract
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and their mixture in the mass ratio of 1: 1 (LDPE/PP) were thermally decomposed in a batch reactor at 450°C. The formed gaseous and oil/wax products were separated and analyzed by gas chromatography. The oils/waxes underwent both atmospheric and vacuum distillation. Densities, molar masses and bromine numbers of liquid distillates and distillation residues were determined. The first distillate fraction from the thermally decomposed LDPE contained mostly linear alkanes and alk-1-enes ranging from C6 to C13 (boiling point up to 180°C). The second distillate fraction was composed mostly of hydrocarbons C11 to C22 (boiling point up to 330°C). 2,4-Dimethylhept-1-ene was the major component of the first distillate fraction obtained from the product of PP decomposition, while in the 2nd distillate fraction it was 2,4,6,8-tetramethylundec-1-ene. The yields of some gaseous or liquid hydrocarbons obtained by distillation from thermally degraded LDPE/PP differed from the values corresponding to the decomposition of individual plastics due to the mutual influence of polyalkenes during their thermal cracking. Similarly, the yields of propene and methylpropene in the gaseous phase were higher in the case of mixture. Whereas the content of C9 to C17 alkanes and alkenes in the distillates separated from the liquid mixture obtained by the decomposition of LDPE/PP decreased, the formation of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexamethylpentadec-1-ene remained unchanged. The corresponding mechanisms of thermal cracking were discussed.
[1] Tukker, A., Plastic Waste — Feedstock Recycling, Chemical Recycling, and Incineration, Rapra Review Reports Vol. 3. Rapra Technology Ltd., Shropshire, UK, 2002. Search in Google Scholar
[2] Aguado, J. and Serrano, D. P., in Feedstock Recycling of Plastic Wastes, p. 74. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK, 1999. 10.1039/9781847550804Search in Google Scholar
[3] Williams, P. T., in Feedstock Recycling and Pyrolysis of Waste Plastics: Converting Waste Plastics into Diesel and Other Fuels (Scheirs, J. and Kaminski, W., Editors), p. 285. Wiley, Chichester, 2006. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/0470021543.ch1110.1002/0470021543.ch11Search in Google Scholar
[4] Buekens, A., in Feedstock Recycling and Pyrolysis of Waste Plastics: Converting Waste Plastics into Diesel and Other Fuels (Scheirs, J. and Kaminski, W., Editors), p. 3. Wiley, Chichester, 2006. Search in Google Scholar
[5] Demirbas, A., Energy Edu. Sci. Technol. 6, 19 (2000). Search in Google Scholar
[6] Demirbas, A., Energy Edu. Sci. Technol. 13, 1 (2004). Search in Google Scholar
[7] Hájeková, E. and Bajus, M., J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis 74, 270 (2005). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2004.11.01610.1016/j.jaap.2004.11.016Search in Google Scholar
[8] Hájeková, E., Mlynková, B., Bajus, M., and Špodová, L., J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis 79, 196 (2007). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2006.12.02210.1016/j.jaap.2006.12.022Search in Google Scholar
[9] Soják, L., Kubinec, R., Jurdáková, H., Hájeková, E., and Bajus, M., J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis 78, 387 (2007). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2006.09.01210.1016/j.jaap.2006.09.012Search in Google Scholar
[10] Atkins, P. W., in Physical Chemistry (Slovak translation), p. 198. Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava, 1999. Search in Google Scholar
[11] Ranzi, E., Dente, M., Faravelli, T., Bozzano, G., Fabin, S., Nava, R., Cozzani, V., and Tognotti, L., J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis 40, 305 (1997). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0165-2370(97)00032-610.1016/S0165-2370(97)00032-6Search in Google Scholar
[12] Guselnikov, L. E., Volkova, V. V., and Shevelkova, L. V., Neftekhimiya 26, 216 (1986). Search in Google Scholar
[13] Kiran, E. and Gillham, J. K., J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 20, 2045 (1976). http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/app.1976.07020080310.1002/app.1976.070200803Search in Google Scholar
[14] Ciliz, N. K., Ekinci, E., and Snape, C. E., Waste Manage. 24, 173 (2004). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2003.06.00210.1016/j.wasman.2003.06.002Search in Google Scholar
[15] Ohmukai, Y., Kubo, K., Hasegawa, I., and Mae, K., in Proceedings of the International Symposium on Feedstock Recycling of Plastics (Müller-Hagedorn, M. and Bockhorn, H., Editors). Universitätsverlag Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany, 2005. Search in Google Scholar
[16] Doležal, Z., Pacáková, V., and Kovářová, J., J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis 57, 177 (2001). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0165-2370(00)00107-810.1016/S0165-2370(00)00107-8Search in Google Scholar
[17] Wong, A. C. Y. and Lam, F., Polym. Test. 21, 691 (2002). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0142-9418(01)00144-110.1016/S0142-9418(01)00144-1Search in Google Scholar
[18] Predel, M. and Kaminsky, W., Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 70, 373 (2000). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0141-3910(00)00131-210.1016/S0141-3910(00)00131-2Search in Google Scholar
[19] Westerhout, R. W. J., Waanders, J., Kuipers, J. A. M., and Van Swaaij, W. P. M., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 37, 2293 (1998). http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ie970704q10.1021/ie970704qSearch in Google Scholar
[20] Tsuchiya, Y. and Sumi, K., J. Polym. Sci. 7, 1599 (1969). Search in Google Scholar
[21] Sousa Pessoa De Amorim, M. T., Comel, C., and Vermande, P., J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis 4, 73 (1982). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0165-2370(82)80028-410.1016/0165-2370(82)80028-4Search in Google Scholar
[22] Blaszó, M., in Feedstock Recycling and Pyrolysis of Waste Plastics: Converting Waste Plastics into Diesel and Other Fuels (Scheirs, J. and Kaminsky, W., Editors), p. 315. Wiley, Chichester, 2006. 10.1002/0470021543.ch12Search in Google Scholar
© 2007 Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences
