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The Present and the Future of Polyethylene Pyrolysis
Summary
This review examines the pyrolysis of polyethylene as a waste-to-energy strategy, discussing how key process parameters — temperature, catalyst type, and agitation — influence the yield and quality of liquid oils, fuel gases, and solid chars produced from non-biodegradable petroleum-based plastic waste.
Most plastics on the market are based on petroleum. Because of their chemical inertness and durability, plastics are essentially non-biodegradable. Previously, plastic waste management typically focused on reusing and recycling it into valuable products. However, virgin plastic resins and their chemical processing to produce new plastic products are more economical than recycling. As such, most plastic waste ends up in dumpsites and sanitary landfills. Waste-to-energy conversion is a viable solution to the alarming rise of plastic proliferation in the Anthropocene age. The conversion of plastic wastes into valuable products such as liquid oils, fuel gas, and solid chars through a high-temperature pyrolytic process could lead to a source of alternative fuels. In this paper, the application of the pyrolysis process to polyethylene is discussed. Several process parameters were seen to influence the characteristics of the final pyrolysis products, such as the operating temperature, type of catalyst, and presence of agitation. Optimizing these key parameters is essential for the industrial adoption of the pyrolysis of plastics.