Abstract
With the growing concern around polymer waste sent to landfill and its environmental release, one effective route for polymer recycling is hydrocracking over bifunctional zeolites. Zeolite Beta impregnated with 1% Pt has demonstrated high conversion of single and mixed streams of virgin and post-consumer polymers, LDPE, HDPE, PP and PS under mild reaction conditions of 330 degrees C, 20 bar H-2 and a 30 min reaction time. The PE and PP streams giving a similar mix of low molecular weight hydrocarbons with higher selectivity toward gases (typically, C-3-C-4) and also, obtaining high iso-to normal paraffin ratio. PS was readily converted into an aromatic-rich product under these mild conditions and demonstrated the ability to be a source of benzene and ethylbenzene for use as raw materials in further polymer production. Dealuminated zeolite USY with 1% Pt increased the selectivity toward liquid products and resulting in more naphtha (C-5-C-12) and heavier liquids (C-13-C-20).