(2021) Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews_Leveraging carbon dioxide to control the H₂/CO ratio in catalytic pyrolysis of fishing net waste

Choi D., Jung S., Lee S.S., Lin K.-Y.A., Park Y.-K., Kim H., Tsang Y.F., Kwon E.E.

(Elsevier Ltd) Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews ISSN: 13640321 Vol.138 Issue. Article No.110559 DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2020.110559

The global presence of plastic debris has become an indisputable environmental issue. While it is useful to recycle used plastic materials, contaminated plastics require a series of pretreatments prior to the process. Here, we offer a viable thermochemical conversion (pyrolysis) platform to directly valorize fishing net waste (FNW). Prior to the pyrolysis of FNW that was collected at a Korean seaport, its chemical composition (polyethylene) was examined using thermogravimetric analysis, ultimate analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy measurements. Pyrolysis of FNW was conducted to produce value-added syngas and C_1-2 hydrocarbons (HCs) in both CO₂ and N₂ environments with a variety of pyrolysis setups. The pyrolysis temperature significantly contributed to the thermal cracking of long-chain liquid HCs into H₂ and C_1-2 HCs under the N₂ and CO₂ conditions. In the presence of cobalt-based catalysts, an additional improvement of the reaction kinetics for producing H₂ and C_1-2 HCs was shown in the N₂ environment. However, the synergistic effectiveness of Co-based catalysts and CO₂ resulted in CO formation, because CO₂ provided additional C and O sources over the Co-based catalysts. Thus, it allowed control of the H₂/CO ratio in the CO₂ and N₂ atmospheres. The compositional matrix of the liquid HCs after pyrolysis also confirmed that CO₂ controlled their aromaticity. Thus, the CO₂-cofeeding pyrolysis of FNW can be considered a viable platform for the direct treatment of plastic wastes by harvesting energy as a form of syngas. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea ( NRF ) grant funded by the Korea Government ( MSIT ) (NRF- 2019R1A4A1027795 and NRF-2019H1D3A1A01070644 ). This work was supported by Korea Environment Industry & Technology Institute(KEITI) through Intelligent Management Program for Urban Water Resources Project, funded by Korea Ministry of Environment(MOE) ( 2019002950001 ).