Molecular-Level Understanding of Municipal Solid Waste Thermo-Catalytic Valorization (Wasteomics)


Wasteomics studies the thermo-catalytic valorization of municipal solid waste at the molecular level. Advanced analytics, miniaturized pyrolysis-catalysis reactors, data mining, reactive molecular dynamics, and microkinetic modeling are combined to map reaction networks and the formation of char and coke [110, 194].

  • Bridging model compounds and real waste feeds [110]
  • Kinetics of plastic-derived oils and blends [195, 172, 143]
  • Data-driven reaction networks [82]
  • Coke formation from waste feeds [92, 86]

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Hydrocracking mechanisms of oxygenated plastics and vacuum gasoil blends

by Trueba, Zambrano, Hita, Palos, Azkoiti, Gutierrez, Castaño
Fuel Process. Technol. Year: 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2023.107822

Abstract

We explore the reaction pathways during the hydrocracking of oxygen-containing waste plastics (polymethylmethacrylate or polyethylene terephthalate) blended with vacuum gasoil (VGO). Reactions are performed in a semi-batch reactor at 400–420 °C, 80 bar, for 300 min, 10 wt% polymer/VGO, 0.1 catalyst/feed weight ratio and using a Pt-Pd/HY catalyst. The gas, liquid and solid product compositions are resolved using bidimensional chromatography (GC × GC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). The results reveal a synergistic transformation of VGO and polymer blends, with >60% fuel selectivity, > 90% plastic conversion and > 70% heavier fraction removal. The obtained naphtha contains 35–40 wt% isoparaffins and 20–25 wt% monoaromatics, ideal for gasoline blending. We provide a detailed molecular-level description of the product fractions leading to the global reaction mechanisms of these complex reactions.

Keywords

HPC W2C ANW