Performance Evaluation of an Integrated Pyrolysis-Distillation Reactor for In-Situ Wax-Like Oil Elimination from Polypropylene Waste
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Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hasanuddin University, Gowa Regency, 92171, Indonesia
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Ibrahim Djamaluddin
Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hasanuddin University, Gowa Regency, 92171, Indonesia
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ABSTRACT
The pyrolysis efficiency of plastic waste into fuel is generally constrained by the formation of wax-textured oil fractions. So it requires a catalyst or a separate advanced distillation process to obtain a liquid-phase oil fraction, which adds to production costs. In this study, a design for an integrated pyrolysis-distillation reactor configuration with fractional condensation was developed to enable low-temperature operation by applying a dissected energy system. This study aims to identify empirical elimination patterns of wax-like oils via slow-heating-rate control in an integrated reactor at low temperatures. To achieve this goal, polypropylene (PP) plastic pyrolysis-distillation experiments were carried out with slow heating rate control (2°C/min), low-temperature operational application (200°C, 250°C, and 300°C), and the visual physical characteristics of the oil fraction produced without the formation of a waxy textured oil fraction. The fractional condensation of the oil phase produced in condenser 1 is clear golden yellow, and that from condenser 2 is light clear yellow, similar to the gasoline and kerosene fuel groups in the light-medium fraction with carbon bonds C5 to C16. Meanwhile, the oil phase in condenser 3 is clear reddish-brown, similar to the diesel fuel group in the medium fraction, with carbon bonds ranging from C15 to C20. The results of this study can contribute to the development of large-scale pyrolysis reactors that are more efficient, lower-cost, and capable of producing high-quality liquid fuel without wax-like oil.