Chapter 6
Waste Plastics Management
and Conversion into Liquid Fuels
and Carbon Materials
Abstract This chapter overviews the generation and conventional disposal of waste
plastics and conversion technologies for production of high-value products (liquid
fuels and carbon materials) from waste plastics along with advantages and disadvantages of each conversion method. Waste plastics are mostly disposed of in landfills,
incinerated or openly burned, which results in GHG production, contamination of
the environment and creation of various health, economic, and social impacts. Recycling of plastics is an economically and environmentally viable alternative to the
traditional disposal methods, however, due to the recycling challenges such as laborintensive need for sorting and the fact that a large portion of plastics have poor quality
and are unable to be reused, conversion technologies are more promising. Plastics
and resins can be converted into different types of high-value products such as liquid
fuels through thermal and catalytic cracking, hydrocracking/treatment. They can also
be converted into syngas, naphtha and gas oil using gasification and hydrogenation.
Since the carbon content of the plastics is high, producing carbon materials from
waste plastics is another valuable option for plastics and resins conversion. Activated carbons with high surface areas could be produced from waste plastics or other
polymers (cellulose and biomass) first by carbonization to form charcoals with or
without catalysts, followed by physical or chemical activation. A proper waste plastics management (recycling and conversion to liquid fuels or carbon materials) can
divert the waste plastics disposed of by landfilling and incineration, hence reducing
the amount of harmful chemicals and emissions going to the air, water and soil. It
can also preserve the life of aquatic animals that are suffocated by ingesting waste
plastics and reduce the need for extraction of virgin materials and consumption of
fossil fuels for plastics production, leading to the conservation of natural resources.
Keywords Waste plastics · Resins · Characterization · Conversion technologies ·
Pyrolysis · Carbonization · High-value products · Liquid fuels · Carbon materials ·
Activated carbon · Economics · Environmental benefits
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
L. Nazari et al., Advanced and Emerging Technologies for Resource Recovery
from Wastes, Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9267-6_6
157
Waste Plastics Management
and Conversion into Liquid Fuels
and Carbon Materials
Abstract This chapter overviews the generation and conventional disposal of waste
plastics and conversion technologies for production of high-value products (liquid
fuels and carbon materials) from waste plastics along with advantages and disadvantages of each conversion method. Waste plastics are mostly disposed of in landfills,
incinerated or openly burned, which results in GHG production, contamination of
the environment and creation of various health, economic, and social impacts. Recycling of plastics is an economically and environmentally viable alternative to the
traditional disposal methods, however, due to the recycling challenges such as laborintensive need for sorting and the fact that a large portion of plastics have poor quality
and are unable to be reused, conversion technologies are more promising. Plastics
and resins can be converted into different types of high-value products such as liquid
fuels through thermal and catalytic cracking, hydrocracking/treatment. They can also
be converted into syngas, naphtha and gas oil using gasification and hydrogenation.
Since the carbon content of the plastics is high, producing carbon materials from
waste plastics is another valuable option for plastics and resins conversion. Activated carbons with high surface areas could be produced from waste plastics or other
polymers (cellulose and biomass) first by carbonization to form charcoals with or
without catalysts, followed by physical or chemical activation. A proper waste plastics management (recycling and conversion to liquid fuels or carbon materials) can
divert the waste plastics disposed of by landfilling and incineration, hence reducing
the amount of harmful chemicals and emissions going to the air, water and soil. It
can also preserve the life of aquatic animals that are suffocated by ingesting waste
plastics and reduce the need for extraction of virgin materials and consumption of
fossil fuels for plastics production, leading to the conservation of natural resources.
Keywords Waste plastics · Resins · Characterization · Conversion technologies ·
Pyrolysis · Carbonization · High-value products · Liquid fuels · Carbon materials ·
Activated carbon · Economics · Environmental benefits
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
L. Nazari et al., Advanced and Emerging Technologies for Resource Recovery
from Wastes, Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9267-6_6
157