Preliminary evaluation of fuel oil produced from pyrolysis of low density polyethylene water- sachet wastes

Abstract

Potentials of waste water sachets for the production of fuel oil were evaluated. In this work, waste polyethylene (pure water sachets) was pyrolysed at different temperatures: 130 - 190oC, 200 -300oC, and 300 - 450oC using a batch reactor. Below 200oC, 78% of the waste was converted to wax, 18% to fuel oil and 3% to noncondensable
gases. The wax content decreases as temperature increases .The highest quantity of fuel oil was produced between 300oC - 450oC. The pyrolysis was found to increase with temperature. 86.5% of fuel oil was
recovered from waste polyethylene at a reaction time of 135 minutes by pyrolysing up to 450oC. The chromatographic analysis shows that the fuel oil produced (up to 450oC) contains paraffins, isoparaffins, olefins,
naphthalenes, aromatics and polyaromatics ranging from C3 – C38. .. It could be refined further to produce domestic kerosene and gasoline. The physical and structural properties of the fuel oil produced compared favorably with that of Aviation fuel JP-4 (a wide-cut US Air force fuel). Presently African countries are importing aviation fuels. The
fuel oil produced from the pyrolysis of waste water sachets can therefore be used in place of JP–4, providing the aviation industry with a cheaper fuel oil from a cheaper source (waste water sachets) than crude oil. The pyrolysis of these waste water sachets will also enhance proper waste management of the menace created by the usage of these
waste polyethylene sachets in our society.