(173v) Catalytic Pyrolysis of Face Masks to Liquid Fuels

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, 15 trillion face masks were used and discarded as plastic waste. To mitigate mask pollution, a catalytic pyrolysis method was employed to decompose face masks into hydrocarbons in the range of gasoline and diesel. A semi-batch reactor was designed and built to crack the face masks at various temperatures with and without the presence of the zeolite catalyst, yielding a crude oil product after condensation. The compositions of the products were then analyzed using two-dimensional gas chromatography. The results displayed a higher n-paraffin count for uncatalyzed products as compared to a higher iso-paraffins count in catalyzed product.