Catalytic co-pyrolysis of rice straw and waste plastic for hydrocarbon rich bio-crude production

Background The increasing generation of agricultural residues and electronic waste has led to significant environmental challenges. Co-pyrolysis of these two diverse feedstocks offers a promising pathway to produce high-quality bio-crude that can serve as a renewable source of chemicals and fuels, reducing environmental impacts and dependency on fossil resources. Methods The catalytic co-pyrolysis of rice straw biomass (RS) and keyboard e-waste plastic (KBP) using Ni, Co, and Fe supported ZSM-5 catalysts. Various reaction parameters, including different RS-to-KBP ratios, reaction temperature, holding time, and catalyst loading, were examined to optimize hydrocarbon-rich bio-crude production. Significant findings Non-catalytic co-pyrolysis was produced height bio-crude yield (55.3 wt.%) with a 1:1 RS-to-KBP feedstock mixture at 500°C for a reaction time of 120 minutes. While catalyst Ni/ZSM-5 yielded the maximum bio-crude (51.7 wt.%) compare to the other catalysts. The highest hydrocarbon content (62.3%) was achieved with Ni/ZSM-5, while Fe/ZSM-5 produced the highest amounts of hydrogen (H₂) and methane (CH₄) at 14.2% and 17.7%, respectively. The catalytic bio-oil possess higher carbon content (81.6 wt.%) and highest HHV value of 40.7 MJ/kg. The catalyst recyclability test demonstrated excellent performance. This study demonstrates the potential of catalytic co-pyrolysis for converting RS biomass and KBP into quality bio-crude production.