Plastics are pervasive in modern life as reflected in the rapid and continual growth of global polymer production. This has resulted in immense quantities of plastic waste, much of which ends up in the environment. One of the most important materials is polypropylene, a widely produced thermoplastic material at almost 20% of global plastic production. Within a circular plastic economy, end-of-life plastics are viewed as a feedstock, rather than a waste product, and are recycled in a closed loop recreating the recycled polymer with complete fidelity. Pyrolysis is a leading technology to enable a circular plastic economy, whereby polymers are thermally cracked back to their constituent monomers. However, understanding the cracking mechanisms and quantifying the kinetics of pyrolysis remains a challenge. The ‘pulse-heated analysis of solid reactions’ (PHASR) reactor uniquely enables the measurement of the intrinsic kinetics of polypropylene pyrolysis at the millisecond scale at temperatures as high as 700 deg C. Additionally, a Visual PHASR experimental system has been developed which allows for direct observation of polypropylene pyrolysis during reaction via high speed photography. This work validates the use of PHASR for studying polypropylene pyrolysis, presenting intrinsic lumped kinetics and observed reaction phenomena. These insights will enable the development of more efficient pyrolysis reactors to provide recycling solutions for circular economy.

Intrinsic kinetics of polypropylene recycling via pulse-heated analysis of solid reactions (PHASR)

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.