Resources, Conservation and Recycling 29 (2000) 273 – 283
Recyling of plastic wastes via pyrolysis
N. Kiran
a,
*, E. Ekinci
b
, C.E. Snape
c
a
TUBITAK-MRC Energy Systems and Enironmental Research Instititue, Gebze,
41470 Kocaeli, Turkey
b
Istanbul Technical Uniersity, Chemical Engineering Department, Maslak, 80626 Istanbul, Turkey
c
Uniersity of Strathclyde, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Glasgow G11XL, UK
Abstract
Pyrolysis for the simultaneous generation of oils and gases can be convenient to obtain
hydrocarbons and even to recover crude petrochemicals or to generate energy from waste
plastics. A Gray – King apparatus has been used to pyrolyze waste polyethylene (PE),
polystyrene (PS), both separately and with different compositions. Thermogravimetric analy-
sis of waste plastics indicated the critical temperatures, which should be effective for
pyrolysis. The chosen heating rate was low in order to achieve higher liquid yields. The
results showed that waste PS yielded higher liquid, and waste PE yielded higher gaseous
products. The dominant liquid product of PS waste was styrene whereas for waste PE,
prophenylbenzene was the dominant pyrolysis product. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All
rights reserved.
Keywords: Waste plastics; Pyrolysis; Recovery; Petrochemicals; Energy
www.elsevier.com/locate/resconrec
1. Introduction
As a result of the increase in the consumption of plastics, the wastes generated
from their production, transportation and consumption create various environmen-
tal problems. The problem of waste plastic management can be solved if economic,
political, technological, energetic, material and environmental dimensions are all
considered [1].
Since plastics are generally high calorific value products ranging approximately
from 18 000 to 38 000 kcal/kg, utilization for their energy alone or for related
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +90-262-6412300; fax: +90-262-6413554.
E-mail address: kiran@mam.gov.tr (N. Kiran)
0921-3449/00/$ - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
PII:S0921-3449(00)00052-5