A group of researchers from State Polytechnic University, California, has turned plastic bags into a diesel-like fuel through catalytic pyrolysis. The process consists of preparing a “dewaxing catalyst by dissolving nickel oxide and tungsten powders in an aqueous medium, followed by impregnation of a Socony Mobil-5 zeolite substrate and calcination at 500 ° C”.

The authors of the research point out that the “synthesized catalyst” was used in conjunction with a “pyrolytic reactor” that allowed “decomposing a mixture of plastic bags for groceries”, finding that “the catalyst was selective for the C9-C22 isomers typical of the diesel.“

The whole process allowed to obtain a fuel quite similar to diesel, managing to transform the “primary organic waste into a sustainable fuel or other valuable chemical.

The process with plastic waste can be used for recycling and to process other types of waste such as used engine oil or manure. “This pyrolysis process serves as a definitive step in reducing dependence on fossil fuels.”

M. Rodríguez

Source: 20minutes.es

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