World Bank assisted National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) - University of Port Harcourt
Abstract
Evaluation of fuel gases produced from pyrolysis of waste polyethylene
was carried out. Waste polyethylene (pure water sachets) was pyrolysed
at low and high temperatures. Pyrolysis of the waste for 300secs at
temperatures of 25\ub0C -140\ub0C produced 2.53% ethane, 21.67%
propane and 75.82 % propylene. The volume of the gaseous products at
this low temperature is far less than the initial volume of the waste
resulting into over 80% reduction in the volume of waste generated by
discarding the polyethylene waste. Fresh samples of the waste were
pyrolysed at higher temperature range from 50\ub0C \u2013 250\ub0C
and cooled in a condenser. The non-condensable gas produced were
collected and analyzed with Shimadzu gas chromatography. The analysis
shows that C1 \u2013 C6, and other alkenes and isoparaffins (18
ethylene monomers) were produced. The gaseous products being 75.82%
propylene at low temperatures and 48.6% (normal and Iso) butane at
higher temperatures. The flame test carried out shows that the gaseous
products burns with a blue flame at lower temperature range. Above
300\ub0C the flame becomes more luminous and production of fuel gases
stops at 550\ub0C. Production of fuel oil from waste polyethylene led
to production of large volume of gaseous products, some of which are
non-condensable at room temperature. The gaseous products can serve as
feedstock and as fuel gas