A Study on Development of Hydrocarbon Oils from Waste Plastic Feedstock for CI Engine Applications

Abstract

The increasing demand for energy, coupled with the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, has spurred researchers to seek out cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives. In this context, secondary fuels derived from used products originally sourced from fossil fuels have garnered global attention. Utilizing these secondary fuels, whether on their own or blended with primary sources, not only reduces reliance on fossil fuels but also significantly mitigates environmental pollution. One such secondary fuel is oil derived from waste plastics. The effective production of fuel oil from plastics has therefore become a crucial research area, addressing both environmental challenges and the need for supplementary fuel sources across various applications. Plastics are some of the most widely used and versatile materials in daily life, found in nearly every sector due to their durability and adaptability. The current trend suggests that plastic consumption will double in the next 20 years. This rising demand has led to the continuous accumulation of plastic waste, causing severe environmental issues that require urgent attention. Given their non- biodegradable nature, most plastic waste ends up in landfills, oceans, or is incinerated, despite efforts to recycle and recover polymers for new products and energy recovery. Chemical or tertiary recycling techniques have emerged as promising methods to convert plastic waste into useful energy sources. Among these, pyrolysis stands out as a technology that enables the thermochemical conversion of waste plastics, composed of long-chain hydrocarbons, into stable, short-chain molecular products like liquid and gaseous fractions under high temperatures (250-800°C) in an inert environment. This process allows for the conversion of waste plastics into fuel-grade hydrocarbon oils.