Increasing pyrolysis oil yields and decreasing energy consumption via thermal oxo-degradation of polyolefins

• DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.101856
• Publication Date: 2024-03-08T15:39:50Z
• Authors: Jessica L. Brown; Robert C. Brown; Victor S. Cecon; Keith Vorst; Ryan G. Smith; Tannon J. Daugaard
• Keywords: polyethylene; 660; enthalpy; thermal oxo-degradation; DegreeDisciplines::Engineering::Mechanical Engineering; pyrolysis; 540; Plastics

Commercialization of pyrolysis of plastics in an inert atmosphere is challenging due to large thermal requirements. This study employs thermal oxo-degradation and demonstrates how oxygen supplied at modest equivalence ratios can both accelerate depolymerization and provide the enthalpy for pyrolysis without dramatically impacting desired product yields. The enthalpies for pyrolysis of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) are measured to be 2,300 ± 90J g−-1 and 2,800 ± 60J g−1, respectively. Using air as an oxygen source in a fluidized bed reactor, HDPE and PP are rapidly deconstructed while using up to 84% less energy through the energy released by partial oxidation. Characterization of the thermal oxo-degradation product oil shows comparable composition to conventional pyrolysis oil. Thermal oxo-degradation proves to be a promising technology for upcycling of plastics by improving thermal depolymerization of waste plastics and reducing energy requirements while maintaining desirable yields. ; This article is published as Jessica L. Brown, J.L., Brown, R.C., Cecon, V.S., Vorst, K., Smith, R.G., Daugaard, T.J., Increasing pyrolysis oil yields and decreasing energy consumption via thermal oxo-degradation of polyolefins. Cell Reports Physical Science, March 2024, 5(3);101856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.101856. Posted with permission. © 2024 The Authors, etc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, which does not comply with these terms.