With increasing global population and urbanization, waste valorization is becoming ever more important. Waste-to-fuel processes are not only a potential valorization strategy, they also contribute towards a more circular economy. Amongst the waste-to-fuel processes, the catalytic pressure-less depolymerization (CPD) is a novel method to convert waste to high-energy-density liquid fuels. In this work, the organic fractions recovered from demolition waste and those recovered from municipal solid waste are studied as two potential feedstocks for the CPD process. A 150 lh<sup>-1</sup> fuel production capacity pilot plant is used to produce liquid fuels for both feedstocks. The obtained hydrocarbon mixtures are rigorously analyzed via elemental analysis, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and the automotive diesel ISO tests established by the EN590:2009 standard. This allows them to be compared to different petroleum-based diesels. Both synthetic fuels failed to comply with the ISO automotive diesel requirements for flash-point, sulfur content and cetane number. Low cloud- and cold filter plugging points indicate potential high performance in cold conditions. A major contributor to the observed properties is the high fraction of low-boiling hydrocarbons in the diesel product. Further refining of the output stream into a kerosene and diesel fraction could result in properties that fulfill the ISO requirements and hence result in higher value products. Such a step would greatly increase the economic potential of the process, though significant up-scaling is required to reach an acceptable return on investment.

Conversion of solid waste to diesel via catalytic pressure-less depolymerization: Pilot scale production and detailed compositional characterization

256th National Meeting (2018)

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