| Title |
Unlocking naphtha from polyolefins using Ni-based hydrocracking catalysts |
| ID_Doc |
24875 |
| Authors |
Vance, BC; Yuliu, Z; Najmi, S; Selvam, E; Granite, JE; Yu, KW; Ierapetritou, MG; Vlachos, DG |
| Title |
Unlocking naphtha from polyolefins using Ni-based hydrocracking catalysts |
| Year |
2024 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1016/j.cej.2024.150468 |
| Abstract |
Naphtha (C 5 -C 12 alkanes) is a platform feedstock in the petroleum industry and an ideal target for reutilizing plastic waste at scale. Hydrocracking has emerged as a promising technology for deconstructing polyolefins to naphtha. However, contemporary catalysts rely on Pt to achieve high rates, while earth-abundant metals (EAM) perform poorly. Herein, we develop high -performance Ni/BEA catalysts for polyolefin hydrocracking, achieving complete low-density polyethylene (LDPE) deconstruction with 80 % maximum naphtha yield within 12 h at 250 degrees C, 60 bar H 2 , and a catalyst-to-polymer ratio of 1:100. These catalysts are versatile, accommodating virgin resins and commercial polymer products, and are directly reusable and regenerable. Comparative analysis ( g Naphtha ) highlights that 5Ni/BEA(25) exhibits the highest naphtha productivity of 11.4 , surpassing previously g cat center dot h reported Pt- and EAM-based catalysts by 2.5 - 6.2x. Technoeconomic and life-cycle analyses reveal naphtha from LDPE hydrocracking is economically and environmentally competitive to fossil-fuel-derived naphtha. These advancements pave the way for the industrial implementation of earth-abundant Ni-based catalysts in polyolefin hydrocracking, followed by retrofitting steam crackers to address plastics waste at scale. |
| Author Keywords |
Plastics Waste; Hydrocracking; Nickel; Earth-abundant Metals; Zeolites; Circular Economy |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) |
| EID |
WOS:001219299000001 |
| WoS Category |
Engineering, Environmental; Engineering, Chemical |
| Research Area |
Engineering |
| PDF |
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