WASTE PLASTIC DISPOSAL AND PROCESS OF WASTE PLASTIC TO THERMOFUEL BY PYROLYSIS PROCESS TO MINIMISE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS IN THE WORLD

Waste plastic disposal and excessive use of fossil fuels have caused environment concerns in the world. Both plastics and petroleum derived fuels are hydrocarbons that contain the elements of carbon and hydrogen. The difference between them is that plastic molecules have longer carbon chains than those in LPG, petrol, and diesel fuels. Therefore, it is possible to convert waste plastic into fuels. All around the globe companies and individuals are starting to produce fuel from waste plastic. The reuse of plastic could potentially keep enormous amounts of plastic out of landfills and out of the oceans. Over 500 billion pounds of new plastic is manufactured each year and roughly 33% of that is single use and thrown away. As so little plastic is recycled, we need to reframe plastic waste as an underused resource vs. landfill destined. If all plastic waste made it into the landfill, it would surely be mined in the future, but currently all plastic waste does not make it into our landfills. We need to stop polluting our oceans with plastic before it is too late, and start collecting all plastics suitable for this new fairly simple technology, a technology that is available now. The main objectives of this study were to understand and optimize the processes of plastic pyrolysis for maximizing the diesel range products. The technology is not overly complicated, plastics are shredded and then heated in an oxygen free chamber (known as pyrolysis) to about 400 degrees Celsius. As the plastics boil, gas is separated out and often reused to fuel the machine itself. The fuel is then distilled and filtered. Because the entire process takes place inside a vacuum and the plastic is melted – not burned, minimal to no resultant toxins are released into the air, as all the gases and or sludge are reused to fuel the machine. For this technology, the type of plastic you convert to fuel is important. If you burn pure hydrocarbons, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), you will produce a fuel that burns fairly clean. But burn PVC (Polyvinyl chloride), and large amounts of chlorine will corrode the reactor and pollute the environment.