Combustion characteristics of pyrolysis oil droplets from pyrolysis of polyethylene (PE) plastic waste
Article Sidebar
Published
Mar 9, 2025
Main Article Content
Abstract
Plastic waste is suspected to be a major contributor to environmental pollution, thus encouraging the need for innovative and effective management strategies to overcome it. Pyrolysis is considered an affordable way to process plastic waste, and even produce useful products in liquid form, which has the potential to be an alternative fuel in combustion engines. This study evaluated the combustion characteristics of pyrolysis oil derived from polyethylene (PE) plastic waste. The pyrolysis process was carried out under controlled conditions, at a furnace temperature of 250°C, a reactor temperature of 400°C, and a condenser temperature of 300°C, processing 1 kg of PE plastic waste. Temperature data was monitored every 10 minutes by installing several thermocouples. The pyrolysis process was able to produce 671 ml of liquid, which was later identified as plastic pyrolysis oil (PPO PE-11) and the rest in the form of residue reached 45 g. The results indicated that PPO PE-11 has a viscosity of 5.93 mm²/s, which is higher than diesel 3.8173 mm²/s. Meanwhile, its density is 0.779 kg/m³, which is slightly lower than diesel. The calorific value of PPO PE-11 is slightly higher than diesel, reaching 11,046.4 cal/g. The droplet scale combustion tests give a shorter ignition delay of 0.6 seconds at 41.28°C for PPO PE-11, compared to 1 second at 52.525°C for diesel, indicating its flammability.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Article Details
Issue
Section
Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
References
[1] Y. Tang, Q. Huang, K. Sun, Y. Chi, and J. Yan, “Co-pyrolysis characteristics and kinetic analysis of organic food waste and plastic,” Bioresource Technology, vol. 249, pp. 16–23, Feb. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.09.210.
[2] S. Sunaryo, S. Sutoyo, S. Suyitno, Z. Arifin, T. Kivevele, and A. I. Petrov, “Characteristics of briquettes from plastic pyrolysis by-products,” Mechanical Engineering for Society and Industry, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 57–65, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.31603/mesi.9114.
[3] A. Bodor et al., “Soils in distress: The impacts and ecological risks of (micro)plastic pollution in the terrestrial environment,” Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, vol. 269, p. 115807, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115807.
[4] R. Geyer, J. R. Jambeck, and K. L. Law, “Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made,” Science Advances, vol. 3, no. 7, p. e1700782, Jul. 2017, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1700782.
[5] E. Cook, M. Derks, and C. A. Velis, “Plastic waste reprocessing for circular economy: A systematic scoping review of risks to occupational and public health from legacy substances and extrusion,” Science of The Total Environment, vol. 859, p. 160385, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160385.
[6] E. Daryanto et al., “Potential of Grocery Bags Plastic Waste as a Fuel Substitute for Fossil-Based Fuels: A Characterization Study on the Non-Catalytic Low-Temperature Pyrolysis Process,” Automotive Experiences, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 450–459, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.31603/ae.12099.
[7] E. Marlina, A. F. Alhikami, S. A. Mardani, T. Trismawati, and C. Yazirin, “Catalytic Pyrolysis of Plastic Waste using Red Mud and Limestone: Pyrolytic Oil Production and Ignition characteristics,” Automotive Experiences, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 579–591, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.31603/ae.12830.
[8] B. H. Tambunan, H. Ambarita, T. B. Sitorus, A. H. Sebayang, and A. Masudie, “An Overview of Physicochemical Properties and Engine Performance Using Rubber Seed Biodiesel–Plastic Pyrolysis Oil Blends in Diesel Engines,” Automotive Experiences, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 551–583, 2023, doi: 10.31603/ae.10136.
[9] M. Abu-Saleem, Y. Zhuge, R. Hassanli, M. Ellis, M. Rahman, and P. Levett, “Evaluation of concrete performance with different types of recycled plastic waste for kerb application,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 293, p. 123477, Jul. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.123477.
[10] S. H. Pangestika, K. Saptaji, A. A. N. P. Redi, A. B. D. Nandiyanto, S. D. Liman, and F. Triawan, “Utilization of plastic waste to improve properties of road material: A review,” Mechanical Engineering for Society and Industry, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 119–135, 2023, doi: 10.31603/mesi.10133.
[11] T. Maqsood, J. Dai, Y. Zhang, M. Guang, and B. Li, “Pyrolysis of plastic species: A review of resources and products,” Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, vol. 159, p. 105295, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jaap.2021.105295.
[12] R. Verma, K. S. Vinoda, M. Papireddy, and A. N. S. Gowda, “Toxic Pollutants from Plastic Waste- A Review,” Procedia Environmental Sciences, vol. 35, pp. 701–708, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.proenv.2016.07.069.
[13] G. Pathak et al., “Plastic pollution and the open burning of plastic wastes,” Global Environmental Change, vol. 80, p. 102648, May 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102648.
[14] A. Feil and T. Pretz, “Mechanical recycling of packaging waste,” in Plastic Waste and Recycling, Elsevier, 2020, pp. 283–319. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-817880-5.00011-6.
[15] A. E. Schwarz, T. N. Ligthart, D. Godoi Bizarro, P. De Wild, B. Vreugdenhil, and T. van Harmelen, “Plastic recycling in a circular economy; determining environmental performance through an LCA matrix model approach,” Waste Management, vol. 121, pp. 331–342, Feb. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2020.12.020.
[16] A. Rafiee and K. R. Khalilpour, “Renewable Hybridization of Oil and Gas Supply Chains,” in Polygeneration with Polystorage for Chemical and Energy Hubs, Elsevier, 2019, pp. 331–372. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-813306-4.00011-2.
[17] S. Khan et al., “Biodiesel Production From Algae to Overcome the Energy Crisis,” HAYATI Journal of Biosciences, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 163–167, Oct. 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.hjb.2017.10.003.
[18] K. Kumar Jha and T. T. M. Kannan, “Recycling of plastic waste into fuel by pyrolysis - a review,” Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 37, pp. 3718–3720, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.10.181.
[19] S.-L. Wu, J.-H. Kuo, and M.-Y. Wey, “Thermal degradation of waste plastics in a two-stage pyrolysis-catalysis reactor over core-shell type catalyst,” Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, vol. 142, p. 104641, Sep. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.jaap.2019.104641.
[20] B. S. S. Phanisankar, N. Vasudeva Rao, and J. E. Manikanta, “Conversion of waste plastic to fuel products,” Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 33, pp. 5190–5195, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.02.880.
[21] S. Xie, S. Kumagai, T. Kameda, Y. Saito, and T. Yoshioka, “Prediction of pyrolyzate yields by response surface methodology: A case study of cellulose and polyethylene co-pyrolysis,” Bioresource Technology, vol. 337, p. 125435, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125435.
[22] T. S. Singh, U. Rajak, A. Dasore, M. Muthukumar, and T. N. Verma, “Performance and ecological parameters of a diesel engine fueled with diesel and plastic pyrolyzed oil (PPO) at variable working parameters,” Environmental Technology & Innovation, vol. 22, p. 101491, May 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.eti.2021.101491.
[23] S. Zhou, B. Pecha, M. van Kuppevelt, A. G. McDonald, and M. Garcia-Perez, “Slow and fast pyrolysis of Douglas-fir lignin: Importance of liquid-intermediate formation on the distribution of products,” Biomass and Bioenergy, vol. 66, pp. 398–409, Jul. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.03.064.
[24] P. Palmay, C. Haro, I. Huacho, D. Barzallo, and J. C. Bruno, “Production and Analysis of the Physicochemical Properties of the Pyrolytic Oil Obtained from Pyrolysis of Different Thermoplastics and Plastic Mixtures,” Molecules, vol. 27, no. 10, p. 3287, May 2022, doi: 10.3390/molecules27103287.
[25] S. M. Al-Salem, A. Antelava, A. Constantinou, G. Manos, and A. Dutta, “A review on thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of plastic solid waste (PSW),” Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 197, pp. 177–198, Jul. 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.03.084.
[26] F. Faisal, M. G. Rasul, M. I. Jahirul, and A. A. Chowdhury, “Waste plastics pyrolytic oil is a source of diesel fuel: A recent review on diesel engine performance, emissions, and combustion characteristics,” Science of The Total Environment, vol. 886, p. 163756, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163756.
[27] B Mohan, S. Manoj, M. Melwin, and V. Velukumar, “Pyrolysis of Polyethylene Waste Material-Analysis and Comparison of Pyrolysis Oil with Diesel,” International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 719–724, 2020.
[28] N. P. Sapkal, “Experimental Investigations on the Ignition Delay Time of Freely Falling Liquid Fuel Droplets,” International Journal of Heat and Technology, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 987–991, Jun. 2021, doi: 10.18280/ijht.390336.
[29] A. K. Panda, R. K. Singh, and D. K. Mishra, “Thermolysis of waste plastics to liquid fuelA suitable method for plastic waste management and manufacture of value added products—A world prospective,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 233–248, Jan. 2010, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2009.07.005.
[30] D. Saha, A. Sinha, and B. Roy, “Critical insights into the effects of plastic pyrolysis oil on emission and performance characteristics of CI engine,” Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol. 28, no. 33, pp. 44598–44621, Sep. 2021, doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-14919-x.
[31] A. Pawar, N. L. Panwar, and B. L. Salvi, “Comprehensive review on pyrolytic oil production, upgrading and its utilization,” Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 1712–1722, Nov. 2020, doi: 10.1007/s10163-020-01063-w.
[32] L. Fulgencio-Medrano, S. García-Fernández, A. Asueta, A. Lopez-Urionabarrenechea, B. Perez-Martinez, and J. Arandes, “Oil Production by Pyrolysis of Real Plastic Waste,” Polymers, vol. 14, no. 3, p. 553, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.3390/polym14030553.
[33] C. Banerji, S. S. S. Roji, S. V, and Y. D, “RETRACTED ARTICLE: Detailed analysis on exploiting the low viscous waste orange peel oil and improving its usability by adding renewable additive: waste to energy initiative,” Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, vol. 14, no. 16, pp. 18445–18457, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s13399-022-02870-x.
[34] W. Wijayanti, M. Musyaroh, and M. N. Sasongko, “Low-Density Polyethylene Plastic Waste to Liquid Fuel Using Pyrolysis Method: An Effect of Temperatures on the Oil Yields Physicochemical Properties,” Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 1–18, Sep. 2022, doi: 10.13044/j.sdewes.d9.0402.
[2] S. Sunaryo, S. Sutoyo, S. Suyitno, Z. Arifin, T. Kivevele, and A. I. Petrov, “Characteristics of briquettes from plastic pyrolysis by-products,” Mechanical Engineering for Society and Industry, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 57–65, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.31603/mesi.9114.
[3] A. Bodor et al., “Soils in distress: The impacts and ecological risks of (micro)plastic pollution in the terrestrial environment,” Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, vol. 269, p. 115807, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115807.
[4] R. Geyer, J. R. Jambeck, and K. L. Law, “Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made,” Science Advances, vol. 3, no. 7, p. e1700782, Jul. 2017, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1700782.
[5] E. Cook, M. Derks, and C. A. Velis, “Plastic waste reprocessing for circular economy: A systematic scoping review of risks to occupational and public health from legacy substances and extrusion,” Science of The Total Environment, vol. 859, p. 160385, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160385.
[6] E. Daryanto et al., “Potential of Grocery Bags Plastic Waste as a Fuel Substitute for Fossil-Based Fuels: A Characterization Study on the Non-Catalytic Low-Temperature Pyrolysis Process,” Automotive Experiences, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 450–459, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.31603/ae.12099.
[7] E. Marlina, A. F. Alhikami, S. A. Mardani, T. Trismawati, and C. Yazirin, “Catalytic Pyrolysis of Plastic Waste using Red Mud and Limestone: Pyrolytic Oil Production and Ignition characteristics,” Automotive Experiences, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 579–591, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.31603/ae.12830.
[8] B. H. Tambunan, H. Ambarita, T. B. Sitorus, A. H. Sebayang, and A. Masudie, “An Overview of Physicochemical Properties and Engine Performance Using Rubber Seed Biodiesel–Plastic Pyrolysis Oil Blends in Diesel Engines,” Automotive Experiences, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 551–583, 2023, doi: 10.31603/ae.10136.
[9] M. Abu-Saleem, Y. Zhuge, R. Hassanli, M. Ellis, M. Rahman, and P. Levett, “Evaluation of concrete performance with different types of recycled plastic waste for kerb application,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 293, p. 123477, Jul. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.123477.
[10] S. H. Pangestika, K. Saptaji, A. A. N. P. Redi, A. B. D. Nandiyanto, S. D. Liman, and F. Triawan, “Utilization of plastic waste to improve properties of road material: A review,” Mechanical Engineering for Society and Industry, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 119–135, 2023, doi: 10.31603/mesi.10133.
[11] T. Maqsood, J. Dai, Y. Zhang, M. Guang, and B. Li, “Pyrolysis of plastic species: A review of resources and products,” Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, vol. 159, p. 105295, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jaap.2021.105295.
[12] R. Verma, K. S. Vinoda, M. Papireddy, and A. N. S. Gowda, “Toxic Pollutants from Plastic Waste- A Review,” Procedia Environmental Sciences, vol. 35, pp. 701–708, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.proenv.2016.07.069.
[13] G. Pathak et al., “Plastic pollution and the open burning of plastic wastes,” Global Environmental Change, vol. 80, p. 102648, May 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102648.
[14] A. Feil and T. Pretz, “Mechanical recycling of packaging waste,” in Plastic Waste and Recycling, Elsevier, 2020, pp. 283–319. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-817880-5.00011-6.
[15] A. E. Schwarz, T. N. Ligthart, D. Godoi Bizarro, P. De Wild, B. Vreugdenhil, and T. van Harmelen, “Plastic recycling in a circular economy; determining environmental performance through an LCA matrix model approach,” Waste Management, vol. 121, pp. 331–342, Feb. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2020.12.020.
[16] A. Rafiee and K. R. Khalilpour, “Renewable Hybridization of Oil and Gas Supply Chains,” in Polygeneration with Polystorage for Chemical and Energy Hubs, Elsevier, 2019, pp. 331–372. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-813306-4.00011-2.
[17] S. Khan et al., “Biodiesel Production From Algae to Overcome the Energy Crisis,” HAYATI Journal of Biosciences, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 163–167, Oct. 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.hjb.2017.10.003.
[18] K. Kumar Jha and T. T. M. Kannan, “Recycling of plastic waste into fuel by pyrolysis - a review,” Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 37, pp. 3718–3720, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.10.181.
[19] S.-L. Wu, J.-H. Kuo, and M.-Y. Wey, “Thermal degradation of waste plastics in a two-stage pyrolysis-catalysis reactor over core-shell type catalyst,” Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, vol. 142, p. 104641, Sep. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.jaap.2019.104641.
[20] B. S. S. Phanisankar, N. Vasudeva Rao, and J. E. Manikanta, “Conversion of waste plastic to fuel products,” Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 33, pp. 5190–5195, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.02.880.
[21] S. Xie, S. Kumagai, T. Kameda, Y. Saito, and T. Yoshioka, “Prediction of pyrolyzate yields by response surface methodology: A case study of cellulose and polyethylene co-pyrolysis,” Bioresource Technology, vol. 337, p. 125435, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125435.
[22] T. S. Singh, U. Rajak, A. Dasore, M. Muthukumar, and T. N. Verma, “Performance and ecological parameters of a diesel engine fueled with diesel and plastic pyrolyzed oil (PPO) at variable working parameters,” Environmental Technology & Innovation, vol. 22, p. 101491, May 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.eti.2021.101491.
[23] S. Zhou, B. Pecha, M. van Kuppevelt, A. G. McDonald, and M. Garcia-Perez, “Slow and fast pyrolysis of Douglas-fir lignin: Importance of liquid-intermediate formation on the distribution of products,” Biomass and Bioenergy, vol. 66, pp. 398–409, Jul. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.03.064.
[24] P. Palmay, C. Haro, I. Huacho, D. Barzallo, and J. C. Bruno, “Production and Analysis of the Physicochemical Properties of the Pyrolytic Oil Obtained from Pyrolysis of Different Thermoplastics and Plastic Mixtures,” Molecules, vol. 27, no. 10, p. 3287, May 2022, doi: 10.3390/molecules27103287.
[25] S. M. Al-Salem, A. Antelava, A. Constantinou, G. Manos, and A. Dutta, “A review on thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of plastic solid waste (PSW),” Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 197, pp. 177–198, Jul. 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.03.084.
[26] F. Faisal, M. G. Rasul, M. I. Jahirul, and A. A. Chowdhury, “Waste plastics pyrolytic oil is a source of diesel fuel: A recent review on diesel engine performance, emissions, and combustion characteristics,” Science of The Total Environment, vol. 886, p. 163756, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163756.
[27] B Mohan, S. Manoj, M. Melwin, and V. Velukumar, “Pyrolysis of Polyethylene Waste Material-Analysis and Comparison of Pyrolysis Oil with Diesel,” International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 719–724, 2020.
[28] N. P. Sapkal, “Experimental Investigations on the Ignition Delay Time of Freely Falling Liquid Fuel Droplets,” International Journal of Heat and Technology, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 987–991, Jun. 2021, doi: 10.18280/ijht.390336.
[29] A. K. Panda, R. K. Singh, and D. K. Mishra, “Thermolysis of waste plastics to liquid fuelA suitable method for plastic waste management and manufacture of value added products—A world prospective,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 233–248, Jan. 2010, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2009.07.005.
[30] D. Saha, A. Sinha, and B. Roy, “Critical insights into the effects of plastic pyrolysis oil on emission and performance characteristics of CI engine,” Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol. 28, no. 33, pp. 44598–44621, Sep. 2021, doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-14919-x.
[31] A. Pawar, N. L. Panwar, and B. L. Salvi, “Comprehensive review on pyrolytic oil production, upgrading and its utilization,” Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 1712–1722, Nov. 2020, doi: 10.1007/s10163-020-01063-w.
[32] L. Fulgencio-Medrano, S. García-Fernández, A. Asueta, A. Lopez-Urionabarrenechea, B. Perez-Martinez, and J. Arandes, “Oil Production by Pyrolysis of Real Plastic Waste,” Polymers, vol. 14, no. 3, p. 553, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.3390/polym14030553.
[33] C. Banerji, S. S. S. Roji, S. V, and Y. D, “RETRACTED ARTICLE: Detailed analysis on exploiting the low viscous waste orange peel oil and improving its usability by adding renewable additive: waste to energy initiative,” Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, vol. 14, no. 16, pp. 18445–18457, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s13399-022-02870-x.
[34] W. Wijayanti, M. Musyaroh, and M. N. Sasongko, “Low-Density Polyethylene Plastic Waste to Liquid Fuel Using Pyrolysis Method: An Effect of Temperatures on the Oil Yields Physicochemical Properties,” Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 1–18, Sep. 2022, doi: 10.13044/j.sdewes.d9.0402.