Pyrolysis can make jet fuel components from plastic waste.
Thermal conversion of plastic waste into fuel can replace fossil fuels while simultaneously mitigating environmental pollution. When using pyrolysis for polyolefins, catalysts can significantly reduce the energy required for thermal cracking. Zeolites are particularly beneficial for the production of hydrocarbons in the jet fuel range.
You can also read: Zeolites: A Mineral’s Role in Upcycling Plastic Waste.
This method uses Fe/Beta catalysts, synthesized by impregnating Beta zeolites with a SiO2:Al2O3 ratio of 30. Decalin, a solvent and direct fuel blend component, reacts with Fe-zeolite catalysts during HDPE cracking. This produces oil with a high heating value (HHV) with significant potential as a jet fuel component.
Researchers developed a methodology to obtain 84.0 wt% oil from HDPE. Figure courtesy of Efficient polyolefin plastic upcycling into jet fuel components over a Fe/Beta catalyst in decalin.
During development of this methodology, researchers evaluated a variety of catalysts with different Fe loadings. A Fe-loaded catalyst with a nominal 10 wt% Fe (10Fe/Beta) delivered optimal performance. Using this catalyst, researchers obtained an oil yield of 84.0 wt% under 300 °C for 90 minutes. This outperformed a commercial Beta zeolite catalyst alone, with an oil yield of 74.2 wt% primarily composed of gasoline-range hydrocarbons. Using the 10Fe/Beta catalyst, the resultant oil’s carbon number distribution was mainly concentrated in C8-C16. These carbon numbers indicate that the resulting product is suitable for jet fuel.
Three stages comprise the thermal liquefication of polymers in solvent:
During solvent thermal liquefaction (STL), HDPE melts and undergoes protonation and β-scission. Through electron transfer, Lewis acid sites activate C-H bonds to promote radical generation. As a hydrogen-donor solvent, decalin undergoes dehydrogenation and forms tetralin, releasing hydrogen from the catalyst surface. The STL process overcomes shortcomings in pyrolysis, such as secondary reactions like deep dehydrogenation and condensation. Dehydrogenative aromatization forms excessive aromatics, reducing coke formation. By incorporating decalin, STL becomes a feasible method for producing jet fuel.
Decalin solvent increases the reaction pathways to transform HFPE to liquid fuels. Figure courtesy of Efficient polyolefin plastic upcycling into jet fuel components over a Fe/Beta catalyst in decalin.
As a hydrogen donor solvent, decalin plays a critical role in this method, while researchers prepared the Fe/Beta catalyst using a simple impregnation approach. As a result, the catalytic reaction achieved an 84.0 wt% yield of liquid fuel, primarily composed of cycloalkanes and alkanes. In particular, the C8–C16 hydrocarbon fraction reached up to 96.9 area%, while delivering a high heating value of 44.5 MJ/kg. This performance is attributed to the uniformly dispersed Fe nanoparticles and the catalyst’s optimized acidity profile, which together enhance catalytic activity. Consequently, the process effectively suppresses the formation of aromatics and unsaturated hydrocarbons. Overall, this method improves both the yield and quality of liquid fuels suitable for jet fuel applications.
Coatings derived from renewable resources meet performance requirements while addressing environmental concerns.
IKV Kolloquium 2026 shows how circularity, AI, and process excellence converge to accelerate a profitable,…
A novel method recycles linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) with car bumper waste into nanocomposite films.
Polyolefins are increasingly replacing conventional materials as encapsulant films in photovoltaic solar panels.
Engineers optimize conductive polymer composites for fuel cell bipolar plates, achieving low weight and high…
Morphing technology is key to green aviation, enabling real-time adaptation that significantly improves aerodynamic efficiency.