Fuel Characterization of Waste Plastic Diesel from Mixed Waste Plastic Catalytic Pyrolysis

Abstract

Plastics are an essential part of the human life and the global economy. However, the use of plastics has been associated with significant environmental problems due to their accumulation in landfills, as plastic waste does not degrade or degrades at very low pace. Nowadays, fast pyrolysis of waste plastic into valuable fuels is main platform method in minimizing not only the waste disposal but also could be used as an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines. The purpose of this study was to identify, quantify and compare the composition of waste plastic diesel (WPD) with the commercial diesel (CD) of Thailand. Simulated distillation (GC-FID) and n-d-M method were used to find the composition of both fuels. Results indicated that the content of naphtha, kerosene, diesel, and long residue were determined quantitatively and also identified the paraffin, naphthenes, and aromatic contents for both fuels. Naphtha and heavy oil contents of WPD were 9.2 and 8.9wt% higher than that of CD but kerosene and diesel contents were 0.7and 17.4wt% less than that of commercial diesel. After that, paraffin, naphthenes and aromatic contents of WPD from PNA analysis were 80.42, 14.54 and 5.04wt% and these hydrocarbon contents of CD were 60.61, 25.91 and 13.48wt% respectively. By knowing them, the appropriate method can be determined for fuel upgrading and interpret correctly of combustion and emissions results.