Preliminary test on utilization of waste plastic to produce the higher hydrocarbons as industrial fuel substitution

Pyrolysis setup

Waste plastic disposal and excessive use of fossil fuels has caused great environment concerns in the world. Both plastic and petroleum derived fuels are hydrocarbons that contain the elements of carbon and hydrogen. The difference between them is that the plastic molecules have longer carbon chains than those in LPG, petrol, and diesel fuels. Therefore, it is possible to convert plastic waste into fuels. The main objective of this study is to understand and optimize the process of plastic pyrolysis for maximizing the diesel range output products, and to design a continuous pyrolysis reactor as a semi-scale pilot plant. Pyrolysis of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) will be investigated both theoretically and experimentally in a lab-scale pyrolysis reactor. 

Principal Investigator: Dr. Praveen Kumar Ghodke, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Power and Energy (COES), UPES.

Total Budget: 5 Lakhs

M.Tech students working under this project: Arnab Sarkar.