Abstract:
To study the direct co-liquefaction experiment of Maemoh lignite and plastic mixtures containing high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and waste plastic in supercritical toluene-tetralin (v/v). This study was conducted in a 250-ml high pressure and high temperature batch reactor. The two-level factorial experimental designed method was used to optimize the liquefaction process carried out with respect to conversion and liquid yield. The process variables are temperature range of 430-460 ํC, plastic mixtures 40 to 70% (wt./wt.), feed stock: solvent ratio 3:2 and 1:1 (w/w), tetralin 80-100% (v/v) as solvent. The optimum condition was temperature at 430 ํC in tetralin 100%, feed stock: solvent ratio 1:1 obtaining 89.43% of total conversion and 63.42% of liquid yield at plastic mixtures 70% (wt./wt.), respectively. The characterization of liquid product by simulated distillation gas chromatography showed that increasing temperature and lignite portion in feed improved the quality of liquid product but total conversion and liquid yield decreased. The quantity of liquid yield from liquefaction of lignite and waste plastic was similar to that obtained from lignite and plastic mixtures. Finally, using Iron-base catalysts such as Fe[subscript 2]S[subscript 3], Fe[subscript 2]O[subscript 3] and Fe/AC can slightly increase conversion but significantly increase liquid yield