title: Pyrolysis-catalysis of waste plastic using a nickel-stainless-steel mesh catalyst for high-value carbon products.
abstract: A stainless-steel mesh loaded with nickel catalyst was produced and used for the pyrolysis-catalysis of waste high-density polyethylene with the aim of producing high-value carbon products, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The catalysis temperature and plastic-to-catalyst ratio were investigated to determine the influence on the formation of different types of carbon deposited on the nickel-stainless-steel mesh catalyst. Increasing temperature from 700 to 900°C resulted in an increase in the carbon deposited on the nickel-loaded stainless-steel mesh catalyst from 32.5 to 38.0 wt%. The increase in sample-to-catalyst ratio reduced the amount of carbon deposited on the mesh catalyst in terms of g carbon g-1plastic. The carbons were found to be largely composed of filamentous carbons, with negligible disordered (amorphous) carbons. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of the filamentous carbons revealed them to be composed of a large proportion (estimated at ∼40%) multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The optimum process conditions for CNT production, in terms of yield and graphitic nature, determined by Raman spectroscopy, was catalysis temperature of 800°C and plastic-to-catalyst ratio of 1:2, where a mass of 334 mg of filamentous/MWCNTs g-1plastic was produced.
authors.affiliation: a School of Chemical & Process Engineering , University of Leeds , Leeds , UK.
authors.forename: Yeshui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: a School of Chemical & Process Engineering , University of Leeds , Leeds , UK.
authors.forename: Mohamad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nahil
authors.affiliation: b Department of Chemical Engineering , University of Hull , Hull , UK.
authors.forename: Chunfei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: a School of Chemical & Process Engineering , University of Leeds , Leeds , UK.
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D017745:Incineration; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000737:chemistry*; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D013193:Stainless Steel; D009532:Nickel; D020959:Polyethylene
keywords: Polyethylene; carbon nanotubes; catalysis; pyrolysis; waste