Catalytic hydrocracking of synthetic polymers into grid-compatible gas streams

Lee, Wei‐Tse; Bobbink, Félix D.; Muyden, Antoine P. van; Lin, Kun‐Han; Corminbœuf, Clémence; Zamani, Reza; Dyson, Paul J.

doi:10.1016/j.xcrp.2021.100332

Cited by 40 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 70 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“… 48 − 50 The proposed cascade mechanism (iv–vii) must be invoked in the decomposition to rationalize the disproportionally high methane yields in both LDPE and model hexane reactions consistent with recent contributions. 24 , 29 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polyethylene Hydrogenolysis at Mild Conditions over Ruthenium on Tungstated Zirconia

Wang

Xie

Kots

et al. 2021

JACS Au

158

146

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Plastics waste has become a major environmental threat, with polyethylene being one of the most produced and hardest to recycle plastics. Hydrogenolysis is potentially the most viable catalytic technology for recycling. Ruthenium (Ru) is one of the most active hydrogenolysis catalysts but yields too much methane. Here we introduce ruthenium supported on tungstated zirconia (Ru-WZr) for hydrogenolysis of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). We show that the Ru-WZr catalysts suppress methane formation and produce a product distribution in the diesel and wax/lubricant base-oil range unattainable by Ru-Zr and other Ru-supported catalysts. Importantly, the enhanced performance is showcased for real-world, single-use LDPE consumables. Reactivity studies combined with characterization and density functional theory calculations reveal that highly dispersed (WO x ) n clusters store H as surface hydroxyls by spillover. We correlate this hydrogen storage mechanism with hydrogenation and desorption of long alkyl intermediates that would otherwise undergo further C–C scission to produce methane.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polyethylene Hydrogenolysis at Mild Conditions over Ruthenium on Tungstated Zirconia

Wang

Xie

Kots

et al. 2021

JACS Au

158

146

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Ruthenium supported on metal oxides or carbon has been reported to catalyze the production of alkanes, aromatics, and liquid fuels from polyolefins (i.e., LDPE, HDPE, PP), PS, and PC. [881][882][883][884][885][886][887] LDPE, HDPE, and PP can be converted to liquid fuel (C5-C21) and lubricants/waxes (C22-C45) at low temperature and low H2 pressure (i.e., 200-250 °C, 20-30 bar) on metal oxides-supported Ru (e.g., Ru/TiO2, Ru/CeO2). [881][882] Over multifunctional Ru/Nb2O5, monocyclic aromatics can be selectively produced from single or mixed aromatic plastics (i.e., PET, PC, PS, polyphenylene oxide) at 200-320 °C in the presence of hydrogen and solvent (e.g., water, octane etc.).…”

Section: Hydrogenolysis With Noble Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The support can be adjusted to treat different plastics and obtain varied products. [884][885][886][887] Over Ru/WO3/ ZrO2, LDPE can be converted into higher molecular weight fuels and wax/lubricant base-oils at 250 °C and 50 bar H2. 887 While on Ru/FAU, methane (>97%) can be produced from PE, PP, and PS under 50 bar H2 at 300-350 °C.…”

Section: Hydrogenolysis With Noble Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expanding Plastics Recycling Technologies: Chemical Aspects, Technology Status and Challenges

Aguirre-Villegas

Allen

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Less than 10% of the plastics generated globally are recycled, while the rest are incinerated, accumulated in landfills, or leach into the environment. New technologies are emerging to chemically recycle waste plastics that are receiving tremendous interest from academia and industry. Chemists and chemical engineers need to understand the fundamentals of these technologies to design improved systems for chemical recycling and upcycling of waste plastics. In this paper, we review the entire life cycle of plastics and options for the management of plastic waste to address barriers to industrial chemical recycling and further provide perceptions on possible opportunities with such materials. Knowledge and insights to enhance plastic recycling beyond its current scale are provided. Outstanding research problems and where researchers in the field should focus their efforts in the future are also discussed.

show abstract

“…Another recent work described the transformation of PE, PP, and PS into methane (>97% purity) at 300-350 • C using near-stoichiometric amounts of H 2 in the presence of a Ru-modified zeolite as a catalyst [171].…”

Section: Hydrocrackingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Advancements in Plastic Packaging Recycling: A Mini-Review

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Today, the scientific community is facing crucial challenges in delivering a healthier world for future generations. Among these, the quest for circular and sustainable approaches for plastic recycling is one of the most demanding for several reasons. Indeed, the massive use of plastic materials over the last century has generated large amounts of long-lasting waste, which, for much time, has not been object of adequate recovery and disposal politics. Most of this waste is generated by packaging materials. Nevertheless, in the last decade, a new trend imposed by environmental concerns brought this topic under the magnifying glass, as testified by the increasing number of related publications. Several methods have been proposed for the recycling of polymeric plastic materials based on chemical or mechanical methods. A panorama of the most promising studies related to the recycling of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS) is given within this review.

show abstract

Catalytic hydrocracking of synthetic polymers into grid-compatible gas streams

Cited by 40 publications

References 70 publications

Polyethylene Hydrogenolysis at Mild Conditions over Ruthenium on Tungstated Zirconia

Polyethylene Hydrogenolysis at Mild Conditions over Ruthenium on Tungstated Zirconia

Expanding Plastics Recycling Technologies: Chemical Aspects, Technology Status and Challenges

Recent Advancements in Plastic Packaging Recycling: A Mini-Review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About