Automotive Experiences

The global plastic waste crisis and the volatility of fossil fuel supplies necessitate sustainable alternative energy solutions. This study investigates the enhancement of mixed plastic waste pyrolysis oil through directed fractionation to produce a high-quality fuel for spark-ignition engines. A plastic waste mixture (25% PE, 25% PP, 25% PET, and 25% PS) was pyrolyzed at 350°C to produce Crude oil (CR), which was further refined into a Gasoline Fraction (GF) via distillation (50–200°C). Fuel samples were tested in their pure form and as blends with RON 90 petrol (10%, 30%, and 50% by volume). FTIR analysis confirmed that fractionation effectively eliminated long-chain hydrocarbons (the "wax band" at 720 cm⁻¹) which typically hinder atomization and combustion. Results showed that GF density (0.767 g/ml) aligns with ASTM D4806 standards (0.715–0.780 g/ml), unlike the CR blend which exceeded these limits at higher concentrations. Engine performance tests indicated that while GF10 closely matched the torque and power of RON 90 petrol, the CR50 blend suffered a drastic performance drop due to low calorific value and a high risk of knocking (RON 67.5). This study concludes that directed fractionation is a vital, low-cost method for converting heterogeneous plastic waste into a viable automotive fuel.