Catalytic production of diesel-like oils from plastic wastes

A dewaxing catalyst was prepared through the dissolution of nickel oxide and tungsten powders in an aqueous medium, followed by impregnation of a Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 substrate and calcination at 500 degrees C. The synthesized catalyst was used in conjunction with a lab-designed, single-stage pyrolytic reactor running at a set point of 360 degrees C to break down a mixture of plastic grocery bags. The catalyst was found to be selective to the C9-C22 isomers typical of diesel No. 2. Gas chromatographic analysis indicated that the fraction of C24 and heavier components in the pyrolysis product was only 1.0%. Implications for process scale-up and economics are discussed.