Catalytic transformation of plastic waste: Harnessing zeolite for enhanced energy product yield in pyrolysis

Addressing the significant environmental challenge posed by plastic waste demands innovative approaches to its management and conversion into sustainable resources. Catalytic pyrolysis emerges as a promising solution, offering a method to transform plastic waste into high-energy products and contributing to environmental remediation efforts. The study aims to synthesize and characterize the P-zeolite catalyst and assess its influence on the pyrolysis process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to investigate catalyst structure and properties. Catalytic pyrolysis experiments are conducted using TGA to simulate the process of plastic decomposition and pyrolysis. Additionally, a range of parameters including temperature, catalyst amount, and reaction activation energy have been investigated through both experimental and theoretical analyses. The results demonstrated the pivotal role of the 10 % of synthesized zeolite catalyst in reducing temperature requirements and activation energy by 100 degrees C and 118 kJ/mol, respectively, compared to thermal pyrolysis conducted without the use of a catalyst.