Liquefaction of Low Density Polyethylene to Useful Products

Abstract

The degradation of waste LDPE sample was carried out in the temperature range of 475-600⁰C by both thermal degradation and by catalytic degradation using SILICA-ALUMINA as catalyst. It was found that liquid product yield increases with increasing temperature in both thermal as well as catalytic degradation till 550⁰C; the time taken for the pyrolysis also decreases when we use catalyst, afterwards liquid product yield starts decreasing with increasing temperature. In the second phase the LDPE was pyrolysed with catalyst in varying proportions such as 4:1 and 8:1 the product yield increased in the first case while decreasing in the latter detailed FT-IR spectroscopy of the liquid products was done showing the presence of different functional groups. The results obtained from the FT-IR spectroscopic analysis were found in almost complete agreement with the standard GC-MS analysis of the liquid product obtained from the pyrolysis of LDPE. The yield of product was max at 550⁰c with catalyst in ratio 4:1.