Investigation and characterization of polypropylene plastic waste pyrolysis oil: Effect of temperature and fractional condensation

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Zahrul Mufrodi, Mochamad Syamsiro, Muhammad Kunta Biddinika, Dhias Cahya Hakika, Pandji Prawisudha, Kun Sri Budiasih, Chandra Wahyu Purnomo

2025 Journal of Ecological Engineering Vol. 26 Issue 1 Article Cited by 3

Abstract

The escalating accumulation of polypropylene (PP) plastic waste poses significant environmental challenges, requiring innovative waste management strategies. Pyrolysis of plastic waste presents a promising approach for sustainable production of alternative fuels. However, pyrolysis oil possesses undesirable properties for direct fuel applications, requiring additional upgrading steps before being utilized for specific purposes. Fractionation offers an effective method for the separation of pyrolysis oil. This study investigates the pyrolysis of PP plastic waste with three-stage condensers system, focusing on the effect of temperature and fractional condensation on the yield and characteristics of pyrolysis oil. Experiments were conducted within temperature range of 400, 410, 425, 430, 440, to 450 °C, with the aim of optimizing the generation of liquid products. The pyrolysis vapors were sequentially passed through three condensers. Results indicate that the maximum bio-oil was obtained at 450 °C as optimum temperature, which consists of 2.32% gases (C1–C5), 41.94% gasoline (C6–C11), 44.15% kerosene (C12–C20), and 11.59% residue (> C20). The distribution of compounds was influenced by fractional condensers, with the highest relative contents of compounds obtained from condenser 1, 2, and 3 were gasoline (79.28%), kerosene (51.97%), and gasoline (55.21%), respectively. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to characterize the chemical and physical properties of bio-oils. The characterization results reveal that the pyrolysis oil obtained from PP plastic waste are dominated with 1-heptene-5-methyl (C8H16). The composition of pyrolysis oil demonstrated favourable and suitable properties for potential applications as renewable fuels and chemical feedstocks. © (2025), (Polskie Towarzystwo Inzynierii Ekologicznej (PTIE)). All rights reserved.

Affiliations

Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Jl. Jend. Ahmad Yani Banguntapan, Bantul, Yogyakarta, 55191, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Janabadra University, Jalan TR Mataram 55-57, Yogyakarta, 55231, Indonesia; Faculty of Industrial Technology, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Jl. Jend. Ahmad Yani Banguntapan, Bantul, Yogyakarta, 55191, Indonesia; Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung, 40132, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Karangmalang, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia; Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Grafika No. 2, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia