Influence of Heating Rate and Temperature on the Yield and Properties of Pyrolysis Oil Obtained from Waste Plastic Bag

Abstract

The objective of the research was to investigate the influence of heating rate and temperature in the reactor on the yield and properties of pyrolysis oil obtained from waste plastic bag, that is considered as low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The experiments were performed in fixed bed reactor equipped with a steam atomizing burner, a temperature controller, and a condenser. Approximately, the amount of ten kilograms of waste plastic bag loaded into the reactor chamber and then pyrolyzed using the temperature between 250 and 450°C and heating rates of 5 to 15°C/min. The results showed that as the oil yield decreased, the heating rate increased. Alternatively, the oil yield increased with temperature and the wax content decreases as the temperature increases. The highest quantity of pyrolysis oil was produced from waste plasctic bag is 45%, in the temperature 450 o C and the heating rate 15°C/min, with wax content of 25%, solid char of 12 % and non-condensable gas of 41%. The physical properties of oil were evaluated and compared to those of diesel oil. The analysis results showed that the oil product’s properties from pyrolysis of the waste plastic bag in temperature 450 0 C, were relatively closer to those of diesel oil with caloric value 11,043 kcal/kg, specific gravity of 0.812, kinematic viscosity 2.80 mm 2 /s, and flash point of 27 o C.