Development and Performance Evaluation of a Fixed Batch-type Pyrolysis Reactor for Bio-oil Production from Plastic Wastes

Abstract

A fixed bed batch-type bioreactor for pyrolyzing used or discarded plastic wastes was developed and its performance was evaluated. This research explored the option of converting the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) category of plastic wastes into useful bio-oil in the developed pyrolysis fixed-bed batch reactor. The developed 5 kg batch-type pyrolysis system powered by liquified petroleum gas (LPG) was designed and simulated with SolidWorks computer software to confirm its functionality, fabricated with locally sourced materials, and evaluated with HDPE plastic wastes sorted from dumpsites within the Akure metropolis. The developed reactor evaluation result justified that the pyrolysis reactor has the potential to produce 1.4575 kg of bio-oil per kilogram of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumed. The pyrolytic oil obtained at pyrolysis temperature between 280oC-520oC in this work was thereafter assayed for its composition and fuel properties analyses. The results of the characterization indicated that the pyrolysis of plastic HDPE wastes is a good source of alternative fuel as it shows proximity to the physiochemical characteristics of conventional diesel.