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Xu S, Tang J, Fu L. Catalytic Strategies for the Upcycling of Polyolefin Plastic Waste. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:3984-4000. [PMID: 38364857 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Chemical upgrading of waste plastics is currently one of the most important methods for addressing plastic pollution. In comparison to the current methods of incineration or landfill, chemical upgrading enables the utilization of carbon and hydrogen elements in waste plastics as resources. This process strongly relies on efficient catalysts and reaction systems. Through catalyst design, waste plastics can be converted into fuels or chemicals under the optimized reaction conditions, extending their life cycles. In this review, we systematically discuss various chemical conversion methods for polyolefin waste plastics, which account for a large proportion of waste plastics. We further explore the remaining challenges and future development trends in this field, including improving product value through product engineering and shifting research perspectives to exploring the tolerance of catalysts toward impurities in practical waste plastic waste rather than using pure plastic feedstock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaodan Xu
- College of Materials & Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Junhong Tang
- College of Materials & Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Fu
- College of Materials & Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, People's Republic of China
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2
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Zichittella G, Ebrahim AM, Zhu J, Brenner AE, Drake G, Beckham GT, Bare SR, Rorrer JE, Román-Leshkov Y. Hydrogenolysis of Polyethylene and Polypropylene into Propane over Cobalt-Based Catalysts. JACS AU 2022; 2:2259-2268. [PMID: 36311830 PMCID: PMC9597591 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The development of technologies to recycle polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), globally the two most produced polymers, is critical to increase plastic circularity. Here, we show that 5 wt % cobalt supported on ZSM-5 zeolite catalyzes the solvent-free hydrogenolysis of PE and PP into propane with weight-based selectivity in the gas phase over 80 wt % after 20 h at 523 K and 40 bar H2. This catalyst significantly reduces the formation of undesired CH4 (≤5 wt %), a product which is favored when using bulk cobalt oxide or cobalt nanoparticles supported on other carriers (selectivity ≤95 wt %). The superior performance of Co/ZSM-5 is attributed to the stabilization of dispersed oxidic cobalt nanoparticles by the zeolite support, preventing further reduction to metallic species that appear to catalyze CH4 generation. While ZSM-5 is also active for propane formation at 523 K, the presence of Co promotes stability and selectivity. After optimizing the metal loading, it was demonstrated that 10 wt % Co/ZSM-5 can selectively catalyze the hydrogenolysis of low-density PE (LDPE), mixtures of LDPE and PP, as well as postconsumer PE, showcasing the effectiveness of this technology to upcycle realistic plastic waste. Cobalt supported on zeolites FAU, MOR, and BEA were also effective catalysts for C2-C4 hydrocarbon formation and revealed that the framework topology provides a handle to tune gas-phase selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Zichittella
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Amani M. Ebrahim
- SLAC
National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Anna E. Brenner
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Griffin Drake
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Gregg T. Beckham
- Renewable
Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
- BOTTLE
Consortium, Golden, Colorado 80401, United
States
| | - Simon R. Bare
- SLAC
National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Julie E. Rorrer
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Yuriy Román-Leshkov
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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3
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Conk RJ, Hanna S, Shi JX, Yang J, Ciccia NR, Qi L, Bloomer BJ, Heuvel S, Wills T, Su J, Bell AT, Hartwig JF. Catalytic deconstruction of waste polyethylene with ethylene to form propylene. Science 2022; 377:1561-1566. [PMID: 36173865 DOI: 10.1126/science.add1088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The conversion of polyolefins to monomers would create a valuable carbon feedstock from the largest fraction of waste plastic. However, breakdown of the main chains in these polymers requires the cleavage of carbon-carbon bonds that tend to resist selective chemical transformations. Here, we report the production of propylene by partial dehydrogenation of polyethylene and tandem isomerizing ethenolysis of the desaturated chain. Dehydrogenation of high-density polyethylene with either an iridium-pincer complex or platinum/zinc supported on silica as catalysts yielded dehydrogenated material containing up to 3.2% internal olefins; the combination of a second-generation Hoveyda-Grubbs metathesis catalyst and [PdP(tBu)3(μ-Br)]2 as an isomerization catalyst selectively degraded this unsaturated polymer to propylene in yields exceeding 80%. These results show promise for the application of mild catalysis to deconstruct otherwise stable polyolefins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Conk
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Division of Chemical Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Steven Hanna
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Division of Chemical Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jake X Shi
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Division of Chemical Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ji Yang
- Division of Chemical Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Nicodemo R Ciccia
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Division of Chemical Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Liang Qi
- Division of Chemical Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Brandon J Bloomer
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Division of Chemical Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Steffen Heuvel
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Tyler Wills
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ji Su
- Division of Chemical Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Alexis T Bell
- Division of Chemical Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - John F Hartwig
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Division of Chemical Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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4
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Sustainably Recycling and Upcycling of Single-Use Plastic Wastes through Heterogeneous Catalysis. Catalysts 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/catal12080818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The huge amount of plastic waste has caused a series of environmental and economic problems. Depolymerization of these wastes and their conversion into desired chemicals have been regarded as a promising route for dealing with these issues, which strongly relies on catalysis for C-C and C-O bond cleavage and selective transformation. Here, we reviewed recent developments in catalysis systems for dealing with single-use plastics, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene glycol terephthalate. The recycling processes of depolymerization into original monomers and conversion into other economic-incentive chemicals were systemically discussed. Rational designs of catalysts for efficient conversion were particularly highlighted. Overall, improving the tolerance of catalysts to impurities in practical plastics, reducing the economic cost during the catalytic depolymerization process, and trying to obtain gaseous hydrogen from plastic wastes are suggested as the developing trends in this field.
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Luo Z, Xie J, Kaylor N, Dickie DA, Ketcham HE, Davis RJ, Gunnoe TB. Catalytic Hydrogenolysis of the Pt−OPh Bond of a Molecular Pt(II) Complex using Silica Supported Pd, Rh and Pt Nanoparticles. ChemCatChem 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202200582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongwen Luo
- Department of Chemistry University of Virginia Charlottesville VA-22904 USA
| | - Jiahan Xie
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Virginia Charlottesville VA-22904 USA
| | - Nicholas Kaylor
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Virginia Charlottesville VA-22904 USA
| | - Diane A. Dickie
- Department of Chemistry University of Virginia Charlottesville VA-22904 USA
| | - Hannah E. Ketcham
- Department of Chemistry University of Virginia Charlottesville VA-22904 USA
| | - Robert J. Davis
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Virginia Charlottesville VA-22904 USA
| | - T. Brent Gunnoe
- Department of Chemistry University of Virginia Charlottesville VA-22904 USA
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6
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Non-thermal plasma-assisted rapid hydrogenolysis of polystyrene to high yield ethylene. Nat Commun 2022; 13:885. [PMID: 35173177 PMCID: PMC8850602 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28563-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The evergrowing plastic production and the caused concerns of plastic waste accumulation have stimulated the need for waste plastic chemical recycling/valorization. Current methods suffer from harsh reaction conditions and long reaction time. Herein we demonstrate a non-thermal plasma-assisted method for rapid hydrogenolysis of polystyrene (PS) at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, generating high yield (>40 wt%) of C1–C3 hydrocarbons and ethylene being the dominant gas product (Selectivity of ethylene, SC2H4 > 70%) within ~10 min. The fast reaction kinetics is attributed to highly active hydrogen plasma, which can effectively break bonds in polymer and initiate hydrogenolysis under mild condition. Efficient hydrogenolysis of post-consumer PS materials using this method is also demonstrated, suggesting a promising approach for fast retrieval of small molecular hydrocarbon modules from plastic materials as well as a good capability to process waste plastics in complicated conditions. Current recycling methods suffer from harsh reaction conditions and long reaction times. Here the authors show a non-thermal plasma-assisted method for rapid hydrogenolysis of polystyrene at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, generating high yield (>40 wt%) of C1–C3 hydrocarbons.
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Peczak IL, Kennedy RM, Hackler RA, Wang R, Shin Y, Delferro M, Poeppelmeier KR. Scalable Synthesis of Pt/SrTiO 3 Hydrogenolysis Catalysts in Pursuit of Manufacturing-Relevant Waste Plastic Solutions. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:58691-58700. [PMID: 34855362 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c18687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An improved hydrothermal synthesis of shape-controlled, size-controlled 60 nm SrTiO3 nanocuboid (STO NC) supports, which facilitates the scalable creation of platinum nanoparticle catalysts supported on STO (Pt/STO) for the chemical conversion of waste polyolefins, is reported herein. This synthetic method (1) establishes that STO nucleation prior to the hydrothermal treatment favors nanocuboid formation, (2) produces STO NC supports with average sizes ranging from 25 to 80 nm with narrow size distributions, and (3) demonstrates how SrCO3 formation and variation in solution pH prevent the formation of STO NCs. The STO synthesis was scaled-up and conducted in a 4 L batch reactor, resulting in STO NCs of comparable size and morphology (m = 22.5 g, davg = 58.6 ± 16.2 nm) to those synthesized under standard hydrothermal conditions in a lab-scale 125 mL autoclave reactor. Size-controlled STO NCs, ranging in roughly 10 nm increments from 25 to 80 nm, were used to support Pt deposited through strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA), a practical and scalable solution-based method. Using SEA techniques and an STO support with an average size of 39.3 ± 6.3 nm, a Pt/STO catalyst with 3.6 wt % Pt was produced and used for high-density polyethylene hydrogenolysis under previously reported conditions (170 psi H2, 300 °C, 96 h; final product: Mw = 2400, Đ = 1.03). As a well-established model system for studying the behavior of heterogeneous catalysts and their supports, the Pt/STO system detailed in this work presents a unique opportunity to simultaneously convert waste plastic into commercially viable products while gaining insight into how scalable inorganic synthesis can support transformative manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian L Peczak
- Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Robert M Kennedy
- Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Ryan A Hackler
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Rongyue Wang
- Applied Materials Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Youngho Shin
- Applied Materials Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Massimiliano Delferro
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Kenneth R Poeppelmeier
- Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
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8
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Hydrocarbon Fractions from Thermolysis of Waste Plastics as Components of Engine Fuels. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14217245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Plastics are one of the basic construction materials with a wide range of various applications. One of their disadvantages is the problem of managing the waste they generate. Chemical recycling offers the possibility of liquefying polymeric waste and using it as fuel components. Existing technologies giving good quality products are expensive. The HT technology developed and described by the authors is cheaper and enables a high quality product to be obtained. The authors have shown that the quality of the received fuel components is influenced not only by the polymer waste processing technology, but also by the feedstock composition. The presented thermolysis technology not only enables more advanced recycling, but also gives the possibility of partial improvement of the product quality. A product with the best physico-chemical properties was obtained from a blend of PE:PP:PS used in the ratio 60:30:10. It was proved that diesel and petrol blends composed of a 5% v/v share of petrol and diesel fractions, obtained from thermolysis of plastics, meet the normative requirements of fuel quality standards.
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Wang C, Xie T, Kots PA, Vance BC, Yu K, Kumar P, Fu J, Liu S, Tsilomelekis G, Stach EA, Zheng W, Vlachos DG. Polyethylene Hydrogenolysis at Mild Conditions over Ruthenium on Tungstated Zirconia. JACS AU 2021; 1:1422-1434. [PMID: 34604852 PMCID: PMC8479762 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Plastics waste has become a major environmental threat, with polyethylene being one of the most produced and hardest to recycle plastics. Hydrogenolysis is potentially the most viable catalytic technology for recycling. Ruthenium (Ru) is one of the most active hydrogenolysis catalysts but yields too much methane. Here we introduce ruthenium supported on tungstated zirconia (Ru-WZr) for hydrogenolysis of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). We show that the Ru-WZr catalysts suppress methane formation and produce a product distribution in the diesel and wax/lubricant base-oil range unattainable by Ru-Zr and other Ru-supported catalysts. Importantly, the enhanced performance is showcased for real-world, single-use LDPE consumables. Reactivity studies combined with characterization and density functional theory calculations reveal that highly dispersed (WO x )n clusters store H as surface hydroxyls by spillover. We correlate this hydrogen storage mechanism with hydrogenation and desorption of long alkyl intermediates that would otherwise undergo further C-C scission to produce methane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Wang
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Tianjun Xie
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Pavel A. Kots
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Brandon C. Vance
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United
States
| | - Kewei Yu
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United
States
| | - Pawan Kumar
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jiayi Fu
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United
States
| | - Sibao Liu
- Key
Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education,
School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - George Tsilomelekis
- Department
of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Eric A. Stach
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Weiqing Zheng
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Dionisios G. Vlachos
- Center
for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United
States
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