Characterization of Oils Obtained through Pyrolysis of Waste LDPE, HDPE and Mixed Plastic Streams.

Abstract

Plastic use is growing rapidly around the world, but much of it ends up in the environment, causing serious problems especially plastics that don’t break down, like LDPE, HDPE, Polypropylene, and Polystyrene. One promising way to tackle this issue is pyrolysis, a process that heats plastic in the absence of oxygen to turn it into useful liquid oils. These oils could potentially be used as fuels or raw materials for chemicals. In this study, we looked at the oils produced from LDPE, HDPE, and a mix of LDPE, HDPE, PP and PS. We examined their appearance, smell, thickness, density and how they burn, among other properties. Our findings show that all these plastics can be turned into hydrocarbon-rich oils but the details vary depending on the type of plastic and the conditions of the process. This research shows that waste plastics don’t have to be useless trash they can become valuable fuels, helping recover energy and supporting a more circular, sustainable economy.