Analytical Evidence for Assessing Plastic Pyrolysis Oils as Steam Cracker Feedstocks

Qualification of plastic pyrolysis oils for steam cracking requires measurements that connect product recovery, composition, and operating performance. This critical narrative review examines 96 selected full-text publications through reconstructed comparisons of analytical coverage, calibration, uncertainty, and material inventories. In individual studies, GC-assigned species represented approximately 11% of total silicon, and olefin estimates differed by 7.4 percentage points despite a pooled coefficient of determination above 0.99. A cracking comparison showed approximately 2.4 times the coke formation rate for an untreated-oil/naphtha blend alongside a small ethylene-yield gain. A claim–evidence framework connects these findings to purification, usableproduct recovery, and feed qualification. Priorities are paired bulk and species measurements, independently measured phase recoveries, matrix-relevant validation, and matched upgrading and cracking tests. The synthesis provides guidance for process assessment while distinguishing results for tested streams and conditions from industrial operating reliability.