Waste to Energy; Conversion of Plastic Waste into Liquid Fuel Equivalent to Diesel and Gasoline Using the Pyrolysis Method

Abstract

The aim of this research is to produce oil equivalent to diesel and gasoline from plastic waste using the pyrolysis method, examining its physico-chemical properties and comparing it with conventional diesel and gasoline. The production of diesel oil and gasoline from plastic waste is a topic that has received increasing attention in recent years, due to increasing awareness of the environmental problems caused by plastic waste and the need for alternative energy sources. Methods for converting plastic waste into liquid fuel, separating diesel and gasoline equivalents and examining their physico-chemical properties are the main focus of this research. Pyrolysis is the process chosen because the technology is simpler than other methods, such as gasification for example. A total of 6000 grams of plastic chips were pyrolyzed in an LPG-fueled reactor. Pyrolysis was carried out at temperatures of 200, 250, 300, 350, 400 °C, then the yield of oil produced at each temperature was weighed. It was found that the optimum temperature for pyrolysis was 300 because the increase in yield afterwards was very small. Next, 2000 grams of pyrolysis oil was distilled by gradually increasing the temperature from 100 to 300. The resulting 1520 grams or 79.17% gasoline equivalent fraction, 320 grams or 16.67% diesel fraction, the remaining 80 grams or 4.17% residual oil. The results of the physico-chemical properties examination showed that the diesel and gasoline fractions were similar to conventional diesel and gasoline.