Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Back cover

Researchers developed a scalable continuous low-pressure hydrothermal processing method to convert polystyrene plastic waste into valuable monomers, operating without catalysts, producing less char than pyrolysis, and requiring substantially lower pressures than supercritical methods.

2025 RSC Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Vacuum pyrolysis depolymerization of waste polystyrene foam into high-purity styrene using a spirit lamp flame for convenient chemical recycling

Researchers developed a simple method for recycling waste polystyrene foam by vacuum pyrolysis over a spirit lamp flame for just 20 minutes, producing styrene monomer at 98% purity without additional purification steps, enabling low-cost closed-loop chemical recycling.

2023 RSC Sustainability 8 citations
Article Tier 2

КАТАЛІТИЧНИЙ ПІРОЛІЗ ВІДХОДІВ ПОЛІЕТИЛЕНУ ВИСОКОЇ ЩІЛЬНОСТІ: ФАЗОВИЙ РОЗПОДІЛ ПРОДУКТІВ І ХІМІЧНИЙ СКЛАД

This Ukrainian study examined catalytic pyrolysis of high-density polyethylene plastic waste using various catalysts, finding that catalyst choice strongly controls the composition and proportion of gas, liquid, and solid products. The research frames plastic pyrolysis as a strategy to prevent plastic waste from fragmenting into environmental microplastics by converting it into useful fuel products instead. Identifying optimal catalyst conditions is a step toward practical industrial-scale plastic-to-fuel conversion.

2026 Herald of Khmelnytskyi National University Technical sciences
Article Tier 2

Renewable aromatics from the degradation of polystyrene under mild conditions

Researchers developed a bimetallic iron-copper catalyst that breaks down polystyrene plastic into useful aromatic chemicals at just 250°C, producing a liquid yield of 66% without coke or gas waste. This low-temperature method offers a promising way to convert polystyrene waste into valuable raw materials for industry.

2017 Journal of Saudi Chemical Society 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Economic feasibility of catalytic cracking of polymer waste for fuel production

This study analyzed the economic feasibility of catalytic cracking of polyethylene and polypropylene plastic waste to produce liquid fuel, finding that the process can be cost-competitive under certain conditions. Converting plastic waste into fuel reduces the amount that degrades into microplastics in the environment while generating economic value.

2023 Revista de Geografia
Article Tier 2

Base- or acid-assisted polystyrene plastic degradation in supercritical CO2

Researchers demonstrated that polystyrene plastic can be chemically degraded in supercritical CO₂ at 400°C when assisted by base or acid solutions, finding the process converts PS into hydrogen-rich gases and could offer a feasible route for disposing of plastic waste.

2023 Waste Disposal & Sustainable Energy 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimisation of Process Parameters to Maximise the Oil Yield from Pyrolysis of Mixed Waste Plastics

Researchers optimized the process parameters for thermal pyrolysis of mixed waste plastics to maximize oil yield from HDPE, polypropylene, and polystyrene. The study used response surface methodology to identify ideal conditions for converting plastic waste into pyrolytic oil, supporting chemical recycling as a strategy to reduce plastic pollution.

2024 Sustainability 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Production of valuable chemicals via multiphase catalytic pyrolysis of hazardous waste expanded polystyrene using low cost CaCO3 solid base catalyst

Researchers conducted multiphase catalytic pyrolysis of waste expanded polystyrene (WEPS) using low-cost calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as a solid base catalyst across temperatures from 400 to 700 degrees C. They found that CaCO3 catalysis at 550 degrees C produced pyrolysis oil with 93.24 wt.% styrene monomer content, significantly higher than thermal pyrolysis alone (84.74 wt.%), demonstrating high selectivity toward styrene recovery from plastic waste.

2024 Indian Journal of Chemical Technology
Article Tier 2

Polyurethane Foam Waste Upcycling into an Efficient and Low Pollutant Gasification Syngas

Researchers modeled the gasification of polyurethane foam waste under various conditions, finding that optimized thermochemical treatment can convert this common polymer waste into hydrogen-rich syngas with low pollutant output, offering a viable energy recovery pathway for difficult-to-recycle plastic foam materials.

2022 Polymers 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Recovery of gaseous fuels through CO2-mediated pyrolysis of thermosetting polymer waste

This study examined CO2-assisted pyrolysis as a method to recover gaseous fuels from mixed plastic waste, testing how CO2 atmosphere affects product yields and composition. The approach offers a potential chemical recycling route that reduces reliance on fossil fuel feedstocks.

2024 Chemosphere 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing sustainable waste management: Hydrothermal carbonization of polyethylene terephthalate and polystyrene plastics for energy recovery

Researchers applied hydrothermal carbonization to PET and polystyrene plastics and found PET produces higher-energy hydrochar with better energy densification (1.37 vs. 1.13) than polystyrene, identifying key structural transformations that determine each material's potential for energy recovery from plastic waste.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a real mixture of post-consumer plastic waste: An analysis of the gasoline-range product

Researchers performed thermal and catalytic pyrolysis on real post-consumer plastic waste mixtures using various catalysts, finding that polymer type strongly influenced gas, liquid, and char yields, and that zeolite catalysts produced gasoline-range hydrocarbon liquids with commercially viable compositions from mixed plastic feedstocks.

2022 Process Safety and Environmental Protection 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydrothermal carbonization of plastic waste: A review of its potential in alternative energy applications

Researchers reviewed how hydrothermal carbonization — a process that converts materials into a coal-like substance using heat and water under pressure — can transform plastic waste into useful products like solid fuels, catalysts, and materials for energy storage devices. While the technology is promising, challenges like variable plastic feedstock quality and scaling up production must be addressed before widespread commercial use.

2023 Fuel Communications 36 citations
Article Tier 2

A State-of-the-Art Review on the Technological Advancements for the Sustainable Management of Plastic Waste in Consort with the Generation of Energy and Value-Added Chemicals

This review examined technological advances for converting plastic waste into energy and value-added chemicals, covering pyrolysis, gasification, and catalytic processes as sustainable alternatives to landfilling, given that global plastic waste generation reached approximately 380 million tonnes in 2022.

2023 Catalysts 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Two Stages Thermal and Catalytic Cracking of Polyethylene Terephthalate to Fuel Production

This study examined two-stage thermal and catalytic cracking of PET plastic to produce fuel, finding that combining thermal and catalytic processes improves fuel yield. Converting waste PET into fuel is one approach to managing plastic waste that might otherwise fragment into microplastics in the environment.

2021 International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics 5 citations
Article Tier 2

A mini-review on expanded polystyrene waste recycling and its applications

This mini-review summarizes recycling technologies and emerging applications for expanded polystyrene waste, examining mechanical, chemical, and dissolution recycling methods and their practical feasibility for diverting EPS from landfill in both developed and developing countries.

2023 World Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology and Sciences 28 citations
Article Tier 2

The Present and the Future of Polyethylene Pyrolysis

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.

2023 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Activated carbon production from Polystyrene Co-Pyrolysis: a bibli-ometric analysis

Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of research on activated carbon production from polystyrene co-pyrolysis, mapping the growth and trends in this field as a sustainable approach to valorizing waste plastic while producing adsorbents for environmental contaminant removal.

2025 OBSERVATÓRIO DE LA ECONOMÍA LATINOAMERICANA
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Waste Recycling Process as an Alternative Antistatic Packaging Raw Material

Researchers synthesized a composite from recycled polystyrene and coconut shell carbon black that could serve as antistatic packaging material, demonstrating a value-added use for styrofoam waste.

2023 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Expanded beads of polyethylene moldable at low steam pressure

Researchers developed an expanded polyethylene bead foam that can be molded at very low steam pressures, making it cheaper and more flexible to manufacture than conventional expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam). Unlike polystyrene, polyethylene foam is more readily recyclable and the study explicitly notes this approach avoids contributing to microplastic pollution. This represents a step toward replacing one of the most environmentally persistent foam plastics with a more manageable alternative.

2024 Journal of Cellular Plastics 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Upcycling of waste plastics: strategies, status-quo, and prospects

This review examines strategies for upcycling waste plastics into valuable products as an alternative to landfilling and incineration, which generate microplastics and carbon emissions respectively. Researchers survey chemical recycling methods including pyrolysis, gasification, and catalytic processes that can convert common plastics like PET, polyethylene, and polystyrene into fuels, chemicals, and new materials. The study highlights the urgent need for more effective recycling technologies to address the growing gap between plastic production and waste management capacity.

2024 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Conversion of Polyethylene to Low-Molecular-Weight Oil Products at Moderate Temperatures Using Nickel/Zeolite Nanocatalysts

Incorporating small nickel nanoparticles into zeolite catalysts allowed polyethylene — the world's most widely used plastic — to be broken down into useful low-molecular-weight oils at 350 °C, compared to the 400 °C required without a catalyst. This lower-temperature catalytic process offers a more energy-efficient route to upcycling plastic waste and reducing microplastic pollution from discarded packaging.

2024 Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Progress in Low-Cost Catalysts for Pyrolysis of Plastic Waste to Fuels

This review evaluated low-cost catalysts — including zeolites, clays, and bimetallic materials — for the pyrolytic conversion of plastic waste into fuel, comparing their effects on product yield and quality and highlighting promising candidates for scaling up plastic-to-fuel processes.

2021 Catalysts 110 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Evaluation of Chemical Plastic Waste Recycling: A Life Cycle Assessment Approach

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research; it performs a life cycle assessment of chemical recycling of plastic waste via pyrolysis in Spain, concluding the process produces lower carbon emissions than fossil diesel, but the focus is on industrial energy recovery rather than microplastic environmental impacts.

2024 Resources 2 citations