Effect of Natural Diatomaceous Earth Catalyst on the Catalytic Conversion of Polypropylene into Fuel

Abstract:

Plastic waste is an environmental problem that is widely discussed in the era of globalization. Catalytic reforming can be applied to improve the quality of plastic waste oil. This study aims to improve the properties of liquid fuel from pyrolysis oil using natural diatomaceous earth (NDE) with independent variables, namely catalytic reforming temperature and catalyst mass. The NDE (100 mesh) catalyst was washed with distilled water and then dried in the oven for 24 hours. The characteristics of liquid fuels were investigated using gas chromatography (GC-MS), while the catalyst was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to better understand the particle size and surface topography. The catalytic pyrolysis process is carried out in a fixed-bed reactor at 300-500 °C with a catalyst mass of 4-6%. The surface morphology of NDE appears to have a microporous structure with a honeycomb shape and 5 μm average size. Liquid products consist of hydrocarbons in the gasoline range, based on GC-MS analysis. This process shows that increasing the temperature and catalyst mass results in higher product yields of 52.12% at 300 °C and 4% catalyst mass. NDE could be applied to the conversion of pyrolysis PP into gasoline. According to the findings, NDE will eventually be one of the options for completing the conversion of PP plastic.

• Periodical: Defect and Diffusion Forum (Volume 438)
• Pages: 41-50
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-YO1A8m
• Online since: February 2025
• Authors: Mirna Zulrika, Husni Husin*, Hesti Meilina, Masri Ali, Fahrizal Nasution, Ahmadi Ahmadi, Leni Maulinda, Nurhazanah Nurhazanah, Zikrullah Zikrullah
• Keywords: Catalytic Conversion, Gasoline, Natural Diatomaceous Earth, Plastic, Polypropylene

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