Enhanced Catalytic Pyrolysis for Sustainable Transformation of Waste Plastics into Energy Resources

Polymers, such as plastics, are composed of polymeric compounds that may be formed into solid objects of different shapes formed by applying pressure and heat. Plastics are utilized in a range of sectors, including the medical area, automotive, electrical, and packaging. Most modern plastics are made of substances derived from fossil fuels, like natural gas or petroleum. Plastics used in containers and packaging include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polycarbonate (PC). Plastic wastes are thermally pyrolyzed to yield a wide range of hydrocarbons, from waxy compounds to methane. High temperatures are involved in this procedure. Although it is possible to burn the gaseous compounds produced to provide the process heat requirements, the pyrolysis process is rarely used as a feedstock recycling method for the plastic waste stream because of the low overall output of useful gasoline range hydrocarbons. This study presents FT-IR and GC–MS investigations of a zeolite-catalyzed pyrolysis method for fuel extraction through plastic recycling.