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Recent Advances in Bioenergy Research Vol. III 2014

CHAPTER 41
CONVERSION OF PLASTIC WASTES INTO LIQUID FUELS
A REVIEW
Arun Joshi, Rambir and Rakesh Punia

Abstract
Various technologies are being developed to overcome the drawback of plastics, namely, their
non-biodegradability. Though work has been done to make futuristic biodegradable plastics,
there have not been many conclusive steps towards cleaning up the existing problem.
Recycling waste plastics into reusable plastic products is a conventional strategy followed to
address this issue for years. However this technique has not given impressive results as
cleaning and segregation of waste plastics was found difficult. Over a 100 million tones of
plastics are produced annually worldwide, and the used products have become a common
feature at overflowing bins. Plastics is placed in a landfill, it becomes a carbon sink,
Incineration, blast furnace, gasification are not much appreciated solution to the problem, as
toxic gases are produced and their cost of production is quite high. Pyrolysis of waste plastics
into fuel is one of the best means of conserving valuable petroleum resources in addition to
protect the environment. This process involves catalytic degradation of waste plastic into fuel
range hydrocarbon i.e. petrol, diesel and kerosene etc. A catalytic cracking process in which
waste plastic were cracked at very high temperature, the resulting gases were condensed to
recover liquid fuels. Type of plastics also effect the rate of conversion of into fuel and the
results of this process are found to be better than other alternate methods which are used for
the disposal of waste plastic.
Key words: waste plastics, thermal degradation, pyrolysis, catalyst degradation.
41.1

Introduction
Plastics play an important role in day- today life. It is unique material because of their

toughness, light weight, resistance to water and chemicals, resistant to heat and cold, low
electrical and thermal conductivity, ease of fabrication, remarkable color range, more design
flexibility, durability and energy efficiency. Due to above properties it is used in packaging

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materials, agriculture, construction, insulation, automobile sector, electronic devices, textiles
and sports equipment and toys.
Plastics constitutes in two main categories. It is thermoplastics and thermoset plastics.
Thermoplastics make up 80% of the plastics and thermoset plastics make up of remaining 20
% of plastics produced today (Birley et al, 1988), etc. Thermo plastics can re-melt or remould and therefore it recyclable easily but thermoset plastics cannot re-melt or reshape and
therefore it is difficult to recycling. Use of different type of some thermo plastics is given in
table1 below. Plastics are relatively cheap, easy available, easy to manufacture and their
versatility replace to conventional materials.
Plastic waste management is biggest problem now due to their non- biodegradability
nature. Now plastics manage by plastics recycling technologies.
Table 1:Uses of different types of plastics.
Type of Plastics

Uses

Polyester

Textile fiber

PET

Carbonated drink bottles, plastics film

PE

Supermarket bags, plastics bottle

HDPE

Milk jugs, detergent bottles, thicker

Plastics film, pipes

LDPE

Floor tiles, shower curtains, cling film

PVC

Agriculture (fountain) pipe, guttering

Pipe, window frame, sheets for
building material

PS

foam use for insulation of roofs and

walls, disposal cups, plates, food
Container, CD and cassette box.

PP

Bottle caps, drinking straws,

Bumper, house ware, fiber carpeting and rope.

41.1.1 Plastics in environment

The quantum of solid waste is ever increasing due to increase in population,
developmental activities, changes in life style, and socio-economic conditions, Plastics waste
is a significant portion of the total municipal solid waste (MSW). In India generation of

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plastics are increased from about 2.6 MT in 2003 to about 3.6 MT in 2007(MOEF, 2007).
Also it is estimated that approximately 10 thousand tons per day (TPD) of plastics waste is
generated i.e. 9% of 1.20 lacks TPD of MSW in the India(CPCB, 2003). 32 million of plastics
were generated in 2011 in America, representing 12.7 percent of total MSW (EPA, 2011). It is
estimated that 100 million tones of plastics are produced each year with PE, PS, PVC and PP
amounting to more than 65% of total produced. The average European throws away 36kg of
plastics each year. Discarded plastic products and packaging materials make up a growing
portion of municipal solid waste. Plastics packaging totals 42% of total consumption and very
little of this is recycled (Vogler et al, 1984), etc. Only 8 percent of the total plastic waste
generated in 2011 was recovered for recycling (EPA, 2011).
Plastics waste may grow in India in future because more and other countries like as
U.S, China and U.K will comes in Indian market. There is a much wider scope for recycling
in developing countries mainly in India due to low labor cost, plastics consumption increase
and therefore raw materials increase.
41.1.2 Environmental hazards due to mismanagement of plastics waste
Plastics are no biodegradable material. It takes time to biodegrade is 300-500 years
and therefore environmental hazards due to improper manage include following aspect:
1. Littered plastics spoils beauty of the city and choke drains and make important public
places dirty.
2. Garbage containing plastics, when burnt may cause air pollution by emitting polluting
gases.
3. Garbage mix with plastics gives problem in landfill operation.
4. Lack of recycling plant to posing unhygienic problem to environment
41.1.3 Side Effect of plastics in nature
1. Durability and chemical structure greatly influences the biodegradability of some
organic compounds therefore an increased number of functional groups (groups of
atoms) attached to the benzene ring in an organic molecule usually hinders microbial
attack.
2. Instead of biodegradation, plastics waste goes through photo-degradation and turns
into plastic dusts which can enter in the food chain and can cause complex health
issues to earth habitants.

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3. Plastics are produced from petroleum derivatives and are composed primarily of
hydrocarbons but also contain additives such as antioxidants, colorants, and other
stabilizers.
4. However, when plastic products are used and discarded, these additives are
undesirable from an environmental point of view.
5. Burning of plastics give NOX, COX, SOX, particulate, dioxins, furans and fumes to
increase air pollution with result acid rain and increase global warming.
6. Plastics in land fill area leaching of toxins into ground water.
41.2. Target of waste plastics into liquid fuel
41.2.1 Recycling Technologies
1. Mechanical Recycling of waste plastics into reusable product is difficult and
unfeasible due to contamination of plastics, difficulty to identifying and separating
different type of plastics.
2. Uncontrolled incineration of plastics at higher temp above 850 deg Celsius to
produces polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, a carcinogen (cancer causing chemical).
Open-air burning of plastic occurs at lower temperatures, and normally releases such
toxic fumes and many oxide gases. So flue gases treatment use for protect
environment and health problems in incineration plant.
3. Chemical recycling could lead to useful raw materials via by degradation and
monomerization of plastics waste, but no method of this primary recycling currently
available. The degradation of some plastics into chemicals has been reported in
research level.
Gasification and blast furnace of plastics waste to produce gases that are carbon
dioxide, nitrogen, carbon mono oxide, hydrogen and methane at higher temp above 800 deg.
Celsius.
41.2.2 Biodegradability
Plastics are non biodegradable material that resists microbial attack. Though work has
been done to make futuristic biodegradable plastics, there have not been many conclusive
steps towards cleaning up the existing problem because prices of biodegradable plastics is
more than petrochemicals based plastics. It may be due to high cost of production and low
availability or high cost of raw materials. Some degradable plastics have been developed, but

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none has proved compatible with the conditions required for most waste landfills. Thus, there
is an environmental problem associated with the disposal of plastics.
41.2.3 Energy Demand
Fossil fuel i.e. coal, petroleum and natural gas age is expected to span only 1000 years
of human civilization (1700 AD to 2700 AD). It is limited sources which are likely to be
exhausted in a few more decades or centuries. Increasing population and fuel consumption
rates increase in petroleum prices and due to this the energy starvation is felt by every
developing and less developed country. The Growing energy demand in table 1.2 is below.
Some developing countries like as India have to import petroleum for transportation
and chemical industry sector. The prices of petroleum are increasing due to increase prices in
international market. Conversion of waste plastics into fuel is complete the some part of
objectives in National Energy Strategy is:
1. To reduce petroleum Imports
2. To reduce the annual growth of total energy demand to 2 percent From 4 to 6% by
conservation of energy.
3. To develop alternative sources of energy.
Table 2: Growing Energy Demand.
Year

World Primary Energy Demand (exajoules/year)

1972

270

1985

390

2000

590

2020

840
(S. Rao and Dr B.B. Parulekar, 2012)

41.3

Plastics Recycling Technologies

Recycling of plastics should be carried in a manner to minimize pollution during the

process and enhance efficiency and conserve the energy. There is different type of technology
include following aspect:
1. Mechanical Recycling- Recycling of plastics waste into reusable product.
2. Chemical Recycling Gasification, blast furnace
3. Incineration- Burning of waste plastics to obtain energy.
4. Pyrolysis Conversion of waste plastics into liquid fuels.
41.4

Process technology
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41.4.1 Raw materials
Type of Plastics as raw materials and its contents in table 3 is below.
Table 3: Type of plastics and its content.
Type of plastics

contents

PE (HDPE, LDPE), PP, PS

hydro carbons

PET, PVA, PF

hydro carbons with oxygen

PVC, PVCD

hydrocarbons with chlorine

Nylon (polyamide), PU

hydrocarbons with nitrogen

Polyphenylene sulfide

hydrocarbons with sulfur

41.4.2 Effect of raw material as plastics in production

If PE, PS, PP with other plastics gives flue gas pollution and contaminated to reactor
by making other unexpected compound. In contamination to reactor resulting liquid may
contain alcohol, waxy hydrocarbons and inorganic substance. Type of plastics and their
product in table 4 is below.
Table 4: Effect of plastics in production.
Type of plastics

Product

PET

terephthalic acid and benzoic acid

PVA

water and alcohol

PVC, PVDC

HCL gas and carbonous compound

PU, PF, NYLON

carbonous product

PE, PS, PP

liquid fuels
(UNEP, 2009)

41.4.3 Pyrolysis
It is thermal degradation process in the absence of oxygen. It prevent of formation of
C0X, NOX, SOX due to absence of oxygen. It breaks large hydrocarbon chain into smaller
ones, but this type of pyrolysis requires higher temperature and high reaction time. Also
resulting fluid have low octane value, higher pour point of diesel and high residue content.
41.4.4 Catalytic Pryolysis
Pyrolysis of waste plastics in presence of catalyst lower the pyrolysis temp and
reaction time, increase conversion rate of waste plastics into fuel, increase the yield of fuel
and satisfying diesel, petrol quality of fuel by increase octane value of petrol and decrease
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pour point of diesel. Catalyst use for this purpose is solid acids such as silica, alumina,
zeolite, zeoliteY, mordenite, HZSM-5, MCM-41. Acidic catalysts (HZSM-5, Zeolitey,
mordenite and so on) have greater efficiency than less acidic ones, for example amorphous
alumina silicate. The pore size and structure of catalyst determine their performance on
cracking reaction as well as production, for example mordenite size( about 7x8) larger give
large product molecules while HZSM-5 have smaller pore size(5x5) give small product
molecules.(P.A. Parikh and Y.C. Rotliwala, 2008)
41.4.5 Process of formation
Collect waste plastics and separate that clean and recyclable. Store the waste plastics
that cant separate. Shredding of waste plastics to reduce volume of its. Shredded plastics is
treated in a cylindrical reactor at temperature of 300C 350C(Pawar harshal and Lawankar
Shailendra, 2013).Plastics waste further cracked with catalyst and resulting hydrocarbons are
condensed from water cool condenser and collected in receiver. Then liquid fuel fractionates
to get diesel, kerosene, petrol etc.
Gases produced are toxic, corrosive with non toxic gases. For example hydrogen
chloride, hydrogen sulfide etc is toxic and non toxic is butanes, methane, ethane and
propylene. So all the gases are treated from this process before it discharge into atmosphere.
Therefore flue gas treated through scrubbers and water/ chemical treatment for neutralization
i.e. Solution of methanol amine is use in hydrogen sulfide absorption. Treated flue gas can
incinerate use in dual Fuel diesel-generator set for generation of electricity. After process
remove the formed carbonous substance or residue in reactor to work as insulator for
maintaining the efficiency of process. The block diagram of process is given in figure1.
41.4.6 Yield
The average percentage yield of various fuel fractions by fraction distillation
depending on composition of waste plastics are Gasoline (60% ) and Diesel (30%). The
percentage of liquid distillate is mentioned in terms of weight by volume (Antony Raja and
Advaith Murali 2011).
41.5. Advantages of process of fuel production
41.5.1 Eco-friendly
The fuel satisfies quality of liquid fuel with low sulfur content and low carbon residue.
The properties of waste plastic pyrolysis oil and diesel in table 5.

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collection and segregation of plastic waste

storing of plastic waste

shredding of plastic waste

feeding into hopper

Flow of waste into heating vessel in absence of oxygen and presence of catalyst

movement of liquid-vapor into condenser

vessel tarry waste

Tapping of liquid fuel

Fractionation of liquid fuel to obtain diesel, petrol, kerosene etc.

Figure 1- Conversion waste plastics into liquid fuel (Pawar Harshal and lawankar, 2013)
Table 5: Properties of Waste Plastic Pyrolysis Oil and Diesel.
Sr. No.

Properties

WPPo

1.

Density(kg/m2)

2.

Ash content (%)

3.

Calorific value(kJ/kg)

41,800

42,000

4.

Kinematic viscosity @

2.149

3.05

793
<1.01%wt

Diesel
850
0.045

40C(cst)
5.

Cetane number

51

55

6.

Flash point oC

40

50

7.

Fire point oC

45

56

8.

Carbon residue (%)

0.01%wt

0.20%

9.

Sulphur content (%)

<0.002

10.

Pour point oC

-4

<0.035
3-15

(Pawar Harshal and Lawankar, 2013)

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41.5.2 Feasibility
Process of conversion of waste plastics into liquid fuels is feasible. Also the rate of
fuel does not vary widely along the period. The cost for per kg of input and related output in
table 1.6 is below.
Table 6: cost for 1 kg of input and the yield, cost of output.
Input

Qty Kg

Rate per Kg

Amount (Rs)

Output

Qty (l)

Rate per liter

Amount (Rs)
Plastic
Labour

1.00

12.00

12.00
5.00

Petrol
Diesel

0.600
0.300

37.50
25.50

22.50
7.65

Lube oil

0.100

15.00

1.50

Service
Charge
Total

2.50
1.00

19.50

1.00

31.65

(Antony Raja and Advaith Murali, 2011)

40.5.3 Good performance
Liquid fuels from petroleum is diesel, petrol, kerosene require to mix various additives
for improving burner and engine performance but fuel from waste plastics does not require to
add these additives for work on burner and engines. Tarry waste or residue in reactor can use
as solid fuel.
40.6

Conclusion and recommendation

Based on review papers, waste plastics liquid fuel is good alternative method for

obtaining new energy resource and eliminate greater problem of plastics waste management.
In India 3.6 million ton of plastics waste generated in 2007. Improper management of plastics
gives hazardous problem to human and environment. Mechanical recycling is not effective to
reduce to problem of plastics waste. Incineration, gasification , blast furnace is other method
does not effectively eliminate to this problem due to air pollution, economical unfeasibility
compare to waste plastics fuel method. Biodegradable plastics are not meet at same rate as
petroleum based plastics.
Growth of energy demand due to urbanization, population, industrialization and also
increased price of fuel need to reduce to this demand and increased rate of fuel. Waste plastics
fuel is eco friendly due to low content of pollutants, good performance characteristics on
engine, burner with no added any additives like as lubricants and good feasibility with earning
profit.

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Abbreviation
PET- polyethylene terephthalate
HDPE- high density polyethylene
LDPE- low density polyethylene
PS- polystyrene
PVC- polyvinyl chloride
PP- polypropylene
PF- phenol formaldehyde
PU- poly urethane
PVA- poly vinyl alcohol
PVDC- polyvinylidene chloride

References
1. Antony Raja and Advaith Murali, 2011 Conversion of Plastic Wastes into Fuels
Journal of Materials Science and Engineering B 1 (2011) 86-89
2. Birley, A. W., Heath, R. J., and Scott, M. J. (1988) Plastics Materials. Blackie, 2nd ed.
Introductory scientific textbook.
3. Central Pollution Control Board. Study on solid waste management CPCB Delhi.
(2003).
4. Environment Protection Agency, U.S.A. Study on solid waste management (2011).
5. Ministry Of Environment and Forest. News letter on solid waste management, New
Delhi, (2007)
6. Pawar Harshal R. and Lawankar Shailendra M.(2013) Waste plastic Pyrolysis oil
Alternative Fuel for CI Engine A Review Research Journal of Engineering Sciences
ISSN 2278 9472 Vol. 2(2), 26-30, February (2013)
7. P.K

Parikh

PhD,

Y.C

Rotliwala

(2008)

DOI: 10.1680/warm.2008.161.2.85

ISSN : 1747-6526
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RENEWABLE & CONVENTIONAL), Khanna Publishers, ISBN NO. 81-7409-040-1
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into fuel range hydrocarbons International Journal of Chemical Research, ISSN: 09753699, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2009, pp-31-36
10. UNEP, Converting Waste Plastics into Resource, (2009).

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11. Vogler, Jon, Small-scale recycling of plastics. Intermediate Technology Publications
1984. A book aimed at small-scale plastics recycling in developing countries

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