(363ai) Upcycling Waste Plastics through Pyrolysis

My PhD research focuses on enhancing the quality of pyrolysis products derived from plastic, thereby improving their suitability for further processing. Commercializing plastic pyrolysis remains challenging due to two primary obstacles. Firstly, PVC introduces organic chlorine impurities to plastic pyrolysis oil that corrode pyrolysis reactors. Secondly, the chemical composition of plastic oil, rich in olefins and dienes and have a wide range of carbon numbers (C5 ~C40+) differs significantly from naphtha, limiting it to be upgraded through steam crackers. Consequently, my research investigates PVC dehydrochlorination, polyolefin impact on pyrolysis oil distribution using a fluidized bed reactor, and potential catalytic upgrading of plastic wax derived from pyrolysis to obtain a narrow carbon range of plastic oil distribution.