Thermal and catalytic degradation of waste high-density polyethylene (HDPE) using spent FCC catalyst

Thermal and catalytic degradation using spent fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst of waste high-density polyethylene (HDPE) at 430 °C into fuel oil were carried out with a stirred semi-batch operation. The product yield and the recovery amount, molecular weight distribution and paraffin, olefin, naphthene and aromatic (PONA) distribution of liquid product by catalytic degradation using spent FCC catalyst were compared with those by thermal degradation. The catalytic degradation had lower degradation temperature, faster liquid product rate and more olefin products as well as shorter molecular weight distributions of gasoline range in the liquid product than thermal degradation. These results confirmed that the catalytic degradation using spent FCC catalyst could be a better alternative method to solve a major environmental problem of waste plastics. This paper is dedicated to Dr. Youn Yong Lee on the occasion of his retirement from Korea Institute of Science and Technology.