Production and Evaluation of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuel from Thermal Pyrolysis of Virgin Polyethylene Plastics

  • Ammar S. Abbas
  • Fahmi Abuelgasim Mohamed
Keywords: Polyethylene, Thermal, Pyrolysis, Kinetic study, Batch reactor, Plastic.

Abstract

   Pyrolysis of virgin polyethylene plastics was studied in order to produce hydrocarbon liquid fuel. The pyrolysis process carried out for low and high-density polyethylene plastics in open system batch reactor in temperature range of 370 to 450°C.

   Thermo-gravimetric analysis of the virgin plastics showed that the degradation ranges were between 326 and 495 °C. The results showed that the optimum temperature range of pyrolysis of polyethylene plastics that gives highest liquid yield (with specific gravity between 0.7844 and 0.7865) was 390 to 410 °C with reaction time of about 35 minutes. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy gave a quite evidence that the produced hydrocarbon liquid fuel consisted mainly alkanes and the x-ray diffraction showed no sulfur in the produced hydrocarbon liquids.  

Published
2015-03-31
How to Cite
Abbas, A. S., & Mohamed, F. (2015). Production and Evaluation of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuel from Thermal Pyrolysis of Virgin Polyethylene Plastics. Iraqi Journal of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, 16(1), 21-33. Retrieved from http://ijcpe.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/ijcpe/article/view/242

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