Energy Production From Municipal Waste Plastics Using Thermal Degradation

Abstract

 

Municipal waste plastics are creating environmental problem all over the world. One of the major factors is the amount of green house gas (GHG's) emission released from waste plastic recycling process. 5-600 kg of CO₂ is produced from 1 ton waste plastic recycling period based on treatment plants. Waste plastics are not biodegradable; it can remain for long time into environment producing methane gas. Every day plastic use is increasing in all sectors. To avoid environmental problems of waste plastics some country and big cities ban or restricted the use of plastic products. Doing so will give rise to many economical and commercial problems. Thermal degradation of waste plastics converts into useful energy is one well known solution to this problem. The thermal degradation process developed is a very simple yet sophisticated process where the waste plastics are heated up to 370 ºC to produce hydrocarbon liquid fuel. Analysis of the produced fuel using instrument Gas chromatography (GC/MS) showed hydrocarbon range between C₃ – C₂₇. This translates that the fuel contains wide range of hydrocarbons that can provide high energy or it can be further processed (broken down into shorter separate groups) to produce various categories of fuels. This fuel is low in emission and can be operated with existing motors and generators. The developed technology will minimize the environment pollution problems simultaneously boost up energy sector by utilizing the waste plastics into high energy content fuel.