See

discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281064326

CONVERSION OF PLASTIC WASTES INTO

LIQUID FUELS A REVIEW

Chapter November 2013

CITATIONS READS

0 9,815

2 authors:

Arun Joshi Rakesh Punia

1 PUBLICATION 0 CITATIONS Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology
11 PUBLICATIONS 0 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Micro Gasifier Designing View project

Plastic Waste Management View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Rakesh Punia on 18 August 2015.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

CHAPTER 41

CONVERSION OF PLASTIC WASTES INTO LIQUID FUELS

A REVIEW

Arun Joshi, Rambir and Rakesh Punia

Abstract

Various technologies are being developed to overcome the drawback of plastics, namely, their
non-biodegradability. Though work has been done to make futuristic biodegradable plastics,
there have not been many conclusive steps towards cleaning up the existing problem.
Recycling waste plastics into reusable plastic products is a conventional strategy followed to
address this issue for years. However this technique has not given impressive results as
cleaning and segregation of waste plastics was found difficult. Over a 100 million tones of
plastics are produced annually worldwide, and the used products have become a common
feature at overflowing bins. Plastics is placed in a landfill, it becomes a carbon sink,
Incineration, blast furnace, gasification are not much appreciated solution to the problem, as
toxic gases are produced and their cost of production is quite high. Pyrolysis of waste plastics
into fuel is one of the best means of conserving valuable petroleum resources in addition to
protect the environment. This process involves catalytic degradation of waste plastic into fuel
range hydrocarbon i.e. petrol, diesel and kerosene etc. A catalytic cracking process in which
waste plastic were cracked at very high temperature, the resulting gases were condensed to
recover liquid fuels. Type of plastics also effect the rate of conversion of into fuel and the
results of this process are found to be better than other alternate methods which are used for
the disposal of waste plastic.

Key words: waste plastics, thermal degradation, pyrolysis, catalyst degradation.

41.1 Introduction

Plastics play an important role in day- today life. It is unique material because of their
toughness, light weight, resistance to water and chemicals, resistant to heat and cold, low
electrical and thermal conductivity, ease of fabrication, remarkable color range, more design
flexibility, durability and energy efficiency. Due to above properties it is used in packaging

444
 Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

materials, agriculture, construction, insulation, automobile sector, electronic devices, textiles

and sports equipment and toys.

Plastics constitutes in two main categories. It is thermoplastics and thermoset plastics.

Thermoplastics make up 80% of the plastics and thermoset plastics make up of remaining 20
% of plastics produced today (Birley et al, 1988), etc. Thermo plastics can re-melt or re-
mould and therefore it recyclable easily but thermoset plastics cannot re-melt or reshape and
therefore it is difficult to recycling. Use of different type of some thermo plastics is given in
table1 below. Plastics are relatively cheap, easy available, easy to manufacture and their
versatility replace to conventional materials.

Plastic waste management is biggest problem now due to their non- biodegradability
nature. Now plastics manage by plastics recycling technologies.

Table 1:Uses of different types of plastics.

Type of Plastics Uses
Polyester Textile fiber
PET Carbonated drink bottles, plastics film
PE Supermarket bags, plastics bottle
HDPE Milk jugs, detergent bottles, thicker
Plastics film, pipes
LDPE Floor tiles, shower curtains, cling film
PVC Agriculture (fountain) pipe, guttering
Pipe, window frame, sheets for
building material
PS foam use for insulation of roofs and
walls, disposal cups, plates, food
Container, CD and cassette box.
PP Bottle caps, drinking straws,
Bumper, house ware, fiber carpeting and rope.

41.1.1 Plastics in environment

The quantum of solid waste is ever increasing due to increase in population,

developmental activities, changes in life style, and socio-economic conditions, Plastics waste
is a significant portion of the total municipal solid waste (MSW). In India generation of

445
 Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

plastics are increased from about 2.6 MT in 2003 to about 3.6 MT in 2007(MOEF, 2007).
Also it is estimated that approximately 10 thousand tons per day (TPD) of plastics waste is
generated i.e. 9% of 1.20 lacks TPD of MSW in the India(CPCB, 2003). 32 million of plastics
were generated in 2011 in America, representing 12.7 percent of total MSW (EPA, 2011). It is
estimated that 100 million tones of plastics are produced each year with PE, PS, PVC and PP
amounting to more than 65% of total produced. The average European throws away 36kg of
plastics each year. Discarded plastic products and packaging materials make up a growing
portion of municipal solid waste. Plastics packaging totals 42% of total consumption and very
little of this is recycled (Vogler et al, 1984), etc. Only 8 percent of the total plastic waste
generated in 2011 was recovered for recycling (EPA, 2011).

Plastics waste may grow in India in future because more and other countries like as
U.S, China and U.K will comes in Indian market. There is a much wider scope for recycling
in developing countries mainly in India due to low labor cost, plastics consumption increase
and therefore raw materials increase.

41.1.2 Environmental hazards due to mismanagement of plastics waste

Plastics are no biodegradable material. It takes time to biodegrade is 300-500 years

and therefore environmental hazards due to improper manage include following aspect:

1. Littered plastics spoils beauty of the city and choke drains and make important public
places dirty.
2. Garbage containing plastics, when burnt may cause air pollution by emitting polluting
gases.
3. Garbage mix with plastics gives problem in landfill operation.
4. Lack of recycling plant to posing unhygienic problem to environment
41.1.3 Side Effect of plastics in nature

1. Durability and chemical structure greatly influences the biodegradability of some

organic compounds therefore an increased number of functional groups (groups of
atoms) attached to the benzene ring in an organic molecule usually hinders microbial
attack.
2. Instead of biodegradation, plastics waste goes through photo-degradation and turns
into plastic dusts which can enter in the food chain and can cause complex health
issues to earth habitants.

446
 Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

3. Plastics are produced from petroleum derivatives and are composed primarily of
hydrocarbons but also contain additives such as antioxidants, colorants, and other
stabilizers.
4. However, when plastic products are used and discarded, these additives are
undesirable from an environmental point of view.
5. Burning of plastics give NOX, COX, SOX, particulate, dioxins, furans and fumes to
increase air pollution with result acid rain and increase global warming.
6. Plastics in land fill area leaching of toxins into ground water.

41.2. Target of waste plastics into liquid fuel

41.2.1 Recycling Technologies

1. Mechanical Recycling of waste plastics into reusable product is difficult and

unfeasible due to contamination of plastics, difficulty to identifying and separating
different type of plastics.
2. Uncontrolled incineration of plastics at higher temp above 850 deg Celsius to
produces polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, a carcinogen (cancer causing chemical).
Open-air burning of plastic occurs at lower temperatures, and normally releases such
toxic fumes and many oxide gases. So flue gases treatment use for protect
environment and health problems in incineration plant.
3. Chemical recycling could lead to useful raw materials via by degradation and
monomerization of plastics waste, but no method of this primary recycling currently
available. The degradation of some plastics into chemicals has been reported in
research level.
Gasification and blast furnace of plastics waste to produce gases that are carbon
dioxide, nitrogen, carbon mono oxide, hydrogen and methane at higher temp above 800 deg.
Celsius.

41.2.2 Biodegradability

Plastics are non biodegradable material that resists microbial attack. Though work has
been done to make futuristic biodegradable plastics, there have not been many conclusive
steps towards cleaning up the existing problem because prices of biodegradable plastics is
more than petrochemicals based plastics. It may be due to high cost of production and low
availability or high cost of raw materials. Some degradable plastics have been developed, but

447
 Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

none has proved compatible with the conditions required for most waste landfills. Thus, there
is an environmental problem associated with the disposal of plastics.

41.2.3 Energy Demand

Fossil fuel i.e. coal, petroleum and natural gas age is expected to span only 1000 years
of human civilization (1700 AD to 2700 AD). It is limited sources which are likely to be
exhausted in a few more decades or centuries. Increasing population and fuel consumption
rates increase in petroleum prices and due to this the energy starvation is felt by every
developing and less developed country. The Growing energy demand in table 1.2 is below.

Some developing countries like as India have to import petroleum for transportation
and chemical industry sector. The prices of petroleum are increasing due to increase prices in
international market. Conversion of waste plastics into fuel is complete the some part of
objectives in National Energy Strategy is:

1. To reduce petroleum Imports

2. To reduce the annual growth of total energy demand to 2 percent From 4 to 6% by
conservation of energy.
3. To develop alternative sources of energy.
Table 2: Growing Energy Demand.
Year World Primary Energy Demand (exajoules/year)
1972 270
1985 390
2000 590
2020 840
(S. Rao and Dr B.B. Parulekar, 2012)
41.3 Plastics Recycling Technologies

Recycling of plastics should be carried in a manner to minimize pollution during the

process and enhance efficiency and conserve the energy. There is different type of technology
include following aspect:

1. Mechanical Recycling- Recycling of plastics waste into reusable product.

2. Chemical Recycling Gasification, blast furnace
3. Incineration- Burning of waste plastics to obtain energy.
4. Pyrolysis Conversion of waste plastics into liquid fuels.

41.4 Process technology

448
 Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

41.4.1 Raw materials

Type of Plastics as raw materials and its contents in table 3 is below.

Table 3: Type of plastics and its content.

Type of plastics contents
PE (HDPE, LDPE), PP, PS hydro carbons
PET, PVA, PF hydro carbons with oxygen
PVC, PVCD hydrocarbons with chlorine
Nylon (polyamide), PU hydrocarbons with nitrogen
Polyphenylene sulfide hydrocarbons with sulfur

41.4.2 Effect of raw material as plastics in production

If PE, PS, PP with other plastics gives flue gas pollution and contaminated to reactor
by making other unexpected compound. In contamination to reactor resulting liquid may
contain alcohol, waxy hydrocarbons and inorganic substance. Type of plastics and their
product in table 4 is below.

Table 4: Effect of plastics in production.

Type of plastics Product
PET terephthalic acid and benzoic acid
PVA water and alcohol
PVC, PVDC HCL gas and carbonous compound
PU, PF, NYLON carbonous product
PE, PS, PP liquid fuels
(UNEP, 2009)
41.4.3 Pyrolysis

It is thermal degradation process in the absence of oxygen. It prevent of formation of

C0X, NOX, SOX due to absence of oxygen. It breaks large hydrocarbon chain into smaller
ones, but this type of pyrolysis requires higher temperature and high reaction time. Also
resulting fluid have low octane value, higher pour point of diesel and high residue content.

41.4.4 Catalytic Pryolysis

Pyrolysis of waste plastics in presence of catalyst lower the pyrolysis temp and
reaction time, increase conversion rate of waste plastics into fuel, increase the yield of fuel
and satisfying diesel, petrol quality of fuel by increase octane value of petrol and decrease

449
 Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

pour point of diesel. Catalyst use for this purpose is solid acids such as silica, alumina,
zeolite, zeoliteY, mordenite, HZSM-5, MCM-41. Acidic catalysts (HZSM-5, Zeolitey,
mordenite and so on) have greater efficiency than less acidic ones, for example amorphous
alumina silicate. The pore size and structure of catalyst determine their performance on
cracking reaction as well as production, for example mordenite size( about 7x8) larger give
large product molecules while HZSM-5 have smaller pore size(5x5) give small product
molecules.(P.A. Parikh and Y.C. Rotliwala, 2008)

41.4.5 Process of formation

Collect waste plastics and separate that clean and recyclable. Store the waste plastics
that cant separate. Shredding of waste plastics to reduce volume of its. Shredded plastics is
treated in a cylindrical reactor at temperature of 300C 350C(Pawar harshal and Lawankar
Shailendra, 2013).Plastics waste further cracked with catalyst and resulting hydrocarbons are
condensed from water cool condenser and collected in receiver. Then liquid fuel fractionates
to get diesel, kerosene, petrol etc.

Gases produced are toxic, corrosive with non toxic gases. For example hydrogen
chloride, hydrogen sulfide etc is toxic and non toxic is butanes, methane, ethane and
propylene. So all the gases are treated from this process before it discharge into atmosphere.
Therefore flue gas treated through scrubbers and water/ chemical treatment for neutralization
i.e. Solution of methanol amine is use in hydrogen sulfide absorption. Treated flue gas can
incinerate use in dual Fuel diesel-generator set for generation of electricity. After process
remove the formed carbonous substance or residue in reactor to work as insulator for
maintaining the efficiency of process. The block diagram of process is given in figure1.

41.4.6 Yield

The average percentage yield of various fuel fractions by fraction distillation

depending on composition of waste plastics are Gasoline (60% ) and Diesel (30%). The
percentage of liquid distillate is mentioned in terms of weight by volume (Antony Raja and
Advaith Murali 2011).

41.5. Advantages of process of fuel production

41.5.1 Eco-friendly

The fuel satisfies quality of liquid fuel with low sulfur content and low carbon residue.
The properties of waste plastic pyrolysis oil and diesel in table 5.

450
 Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

collection and segregation of plastic waste

storing of plastic waste

shredding of plastic waste

feeding into hopper

Flow of waste into heating vessel in absence of oxygen and presence of catalyst

movement of liquid-vapor into condenser vessel tarry waste

Tapping of liquid fuel

Fractionation of liquid fuel to obtain diesel, petrol, kerosene etc.

Figure 1- Conversion waste plastics into liquid fuel (Pawar Harshal and lawankar, 2013)
Table 5: Properties of Waste Plastic Pyrolysis Oil and Diesel.
Sr. No. Properties WPPo Diesel
1. Density(kg/m2) 793 850
2. Ash content (%) <1.01%wt 0.045
3. Calorific value(kJ/kg) 41,800 42,000
4. Kinematic viscosity @ 2.149 3.05
40C(cst)
5. Cetane number 51 55
6. Flash point oC 40 50
7. Fire point oC 45 56
8. Carbon residue (%) 0.01%wt 0.20%
9. Sulphur content (%) <0.002 <0.035
10. Pour point oC -4 3-15
(Pawar Harshal and Lawankar, 2013)

451
 Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

41.5.2 Feasibility

Process of conversion of waste plastics into liquid fuels is feasible. Also the rate of
fuel does not vary widely along the period. The cost for per kg of input and related output in
table 1.6 is below.

Table 6: cost for 1 kg of input and the yield, cost of output.

Input Qty Kg Rate per Kg Amount (Rs) Output Qty (l) Rate per liter
Amount (Rs)
Plastic 1.00 12.00 12.00 Petrol 0.600 37.50 22.50
Labour 5.00 Diesel 0.300 25.50 7.65
Service
Charge 2.50 Lube oil 0.100 15.00 1.50
Total 1.00 19.50 1.00 31.65
(Antony Raja and Advaith Murali, 2011)
40.5.3 Good performance

Liquid fuels from petroleum is diesel, petrol, kerosene require to mix various additives
for improving burner and engine performance but fuel from waste plastics does not require to
add these additives for work on burner and engines. Tarry waste or residue in reactor can use
as solid fuel.

40.6 Conclusion and recommendation

Based on review papers, waste plastics liquid fuel is good alternative method for
obtaining new energy resource and eliminate greater problem of plastics waste management.
In India 3.6 million ton of plastics waste generated in 2007. Improper management of plastics
gives hazardous problem to human and environment. Mechanical recycling is not effective to
reduce to problem of plastics waste. Incineration, gasification , blast furnace is other method
does not effectively eliminate to this problem due to air pollution, economical unfeasibility
compare to waste plastics fuel method. Biodegradable plastics are not meet at same rate as
petroleum based plastics.

Growth of energy demand due to urbanization, population, industrialization and also

increased price of fuel need to reduce to this demand and increased rate of fuel. Waste plastics
fuel is eco friendly due to low content of pollutants, good performance characteristics on
engine, burner with no added any additives like as lubricants and good feasibility with earning
profit.

452
 Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

Abbreviation
PET- polyethylene terephthalate
HDPE- high density polyethylene
LDPE- low density polyethylene
PS- polystyrene
PVC- polyvinyl chloride
PP- polypropylene
PF- phenol formaldehyde
PU- poly urethane
PVA- poly vinyl alcohol
PVDC- polyvinylidene chloride

References

1. Antony Raja and Advaith Murali, 2011 Conversion of Plastic Wastes into Fuels
Journal of Materials Science and Engineering B 1 (2011) 86-89
2. Birley, A. W., Heath, R. J., and Scott, M. J. (1988) Plastics Materials. Blackie, 2nd ed.
Introductory scientific textbook.
3. Central Pollution Control Board. Study on solid waste management CPCB Delhi.
(2003).
4. Environment Protection Agency, U.S.A. Study on solid waste management (2011).
5. Ministry Of Environment and Forest. News letter on solid waste management, New
Delhi, (2007)
6. Pawar Harshal R. and Lawankar Shailendra M.(2013) Waste plastic Pyrolysis oil
Alternative Fuel for CI Engine A Review Research Journal of Engineering Sciences
ISSN 2278 9472 Vol. 2(2), 26-30, February (2013)
7. P.K Parikh PhD, Y.C Rotliwala (2008) DOI: 10.1680/warm.2008.161.2.85
ISSN : 1747-6526
8. S Rao, Dr. B.B Parulekar (2012) Energy Technology (NONCONVENTIONAL,
RENEWABLE & CONVENTIONAL), Khanna Publishers, ISBN NO. 81-7409-040-1
9. Tiwari D.C., Ejaz Ahmad, Kumar Singh K.K. Catalytic degradation of waste plastic
into fuel range hydrocarbons International Journal of Chemical Research, ISSN: 0975-
3699, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2009, pp-31-36
10. UNEP, Converting Waste Plastics into Resource, (2009).

453
 Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

11. Vogler, Jon, Small-scale recycling of plastics. Intermediate Technology Publications

1984. A book aimed at small-scale plastics recycling in developing countries

454

View publication stats