Valorization of plastics in the presence of Ru-Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalysts to produce syngas

Abstract

The catalytic dry reforming of polypropylene was performed in a two-stage fixed bed reactor. The plastic pyrolysis took place in the first stage, and the catalytic-dry reforming (presence of catalyst and carbon dioxide) of the produced pyrolyzed gases took place in the second stage reactor. The catalysts used (yRuxNiAl2O3) were synthesized via wet impregnation, calcined, and then reduced at 800°C, prior to the pyrolysis-reforming reaction. The results showed that the increase in nickel loading increased the syngas yield. The addition of small amounts of ruthenium as a metal promoter significantly improved the conversion of polypropylene into syngas. Thus, the catalytic dry reforming of plastics is proven to be a promising solution to tackle the non-recycled plastic waste problem while valorizing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and producing synthesis gas (H2 + CO).