Concept of Catalytic Depolymerization of Polyolefinic Plastic Waste to High Value Chemicals

Abstract

To establish a circular economy the chemical recycling of plastic waste seems to be crucial as contaminated waste streams cannot be easily recycled by mechanical processes. Some plastic components and contaminants cause severe problems in thermo-chemical processes and the refining of the intermediates, which leads to a crucial waste pretreatment. Therefore, robust and efficient conversion methods have to be developed. A contribution to this, a new concept regarding the catalytic conversion of plastic waste, the necessary refining steps and ecological considerations, is proposed in this work.