Catalytic and thermal cracking of selected polyolefins

Feedstock recycling is a promising alternative for the management of plastic wastes, as it may allow these residues to be transformed into valuable products for refinery and/or petrochemical industry. Catalytic degradation of polyolefin was carried out in a pilot scale reactor Blowdec® operating in the temperature range of 340–470°C. The catalysts used in this study were natural zeolite Clinoptilolite, ZSM-5, HZSM-5 and their mixture in various volume ratios. Both thermal and catalytic cracking of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP) and their mixture have been investigated. Liquid products were checked in selected refinery and petrochemical processes as feedstocks on the model pyrolysis equipment and with the help of MAT test (microactivity test).