Pyrolysis Oil Produced from Landfill Waste Plastic with Calcined Fly Ash Catalyst

This research investigated catalytic pyrolysis fuel oil production from waste plastic sourced from a 10-year-old landfill in Nonthaburi Province. The aim is to study the effect of catalysts on producing pyrolysis fuel oil resembling commercial diesel. A bench-scale fixed bed reactor with an 18.85-liter volume was operated at 450°C, using fly ash waste and calcined fly ash at 600°C and 700°C. The chemical composition of the produced pyrolysis oil was analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Heating values were determined with a bomb calorimeter. The FT-IR spectrum revealed that aliphatic hydrocarbons, especially alkenes, and alkanes, were the main components of the pyrolysis oil. The highest yields were 53.8% from calcined fly ash at 600°C and 37.3% from fly ash at 700°C. The maximum heating value from raw fly ash was 45.77 MJ/kg. The resulting pyrolysis oil can serve as an alternative liquid fuel in industry.