Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Waste plastic pyrolysis”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Performance Testing of a Moving-Bed Gasifier Using Coal, Biomass, and Waste Plastic Blends with Washed and Unwashed Legacy Coals and Other Waste Fuels to Generate White Hydrogen

The objective of this effort, primarily funded by the United States Department of Energy (DOE), and led by the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI), with support by Hamilton Maurer International (HMI) and Sotacarbo S.p.A. (Sotacarbo), has been to qualify coal, biomass, and plastic waste blends based on performance testing of selected fuel pellet compositions in a pilot-scale updraft moving-bed (UDMB) gasifier. The testing provided relevant data to advance the commercial-scale design of the moving-bed gasifier to be able to successfully use these feedstocks to produce hydrogen. In particular, the effects of waste plastics on feedstock development (i.e., blending and pelletizing) and the resulting products (i.e., syngas compositions, organic condensate production, and ash characteristics) are the focus. The gasifier used for testing is HMI’s moving-bed gasifier, which has been proven capable of gasifying nearly all coal ranks. It has also shown the ability in prior testing work to gasify wood chips (biomass). However, mixtures of these fuels with plastic wastes have not been prepared and gasified together. The three feedstocks were densified and pelletized by California Pellet Mill (CPM) to meet the feedstock size required by Sotacarbo’s 30mm ID UDMB gasifier, under contract to HMI. The technical tasks and results from this two-year research project included: (1) Feed Procurement and Preparation: Nine different tri-fuel pellets were prepared from varying compositions of fresh mined PRB coal, corn stover biomass, and car fluff waste plastics. Tri-fuel pellets were produced by CPM and shipped to Sotacarbo’s test facility in Carbonia, Sardinia, Italy. (2) Test Plan Development: A test plan was created to define the test runs to be performed. The test plan detailed the different UDMB gasification tests to be performed in Sotacarbo’s 12-inch ID pilot scale gasifier, the process monitoring instrumentation used, and the extractive samples recovered for analysis of the total gasification process mass and energy balance. (3) Gasifier Testing: Nine different gasification runs were performed in the pilot-scale gasifier at Sotacarbo using nine different fuel feedstock compositions generated from varying mixtures of PRB coal, biomass, and plastic wastes. The testing generated performance data on gasification reaction efficiency and performance, yielding relevant data for models used to scale up the gasifier design. This task also included work to refurbish and reassemble the pilot gasifier at Sotacarbo and perform a baseline 100% PRB coal run. (4) Data Analysis and Reporting: Review of the data, determination of figures of merit, and interpretation of the results are reported in the project’s final report, published in March 2024. The results show that all tri-fuel pellets gasified well and maintained structural integrity throughout the gasification process. The syngas generated can be shifted to hydrogen by using commercial syngas shifting technologies. (5) High Fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) Simulation: The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) team performed CFD simulations of the UDMB gasifier for two of the tri-fuel pellets gasified in Sotacarbo’s pilot scale gasifier. The kinetic mechanisms for the pyrolysis of each constituent, PRB coal, corn stover biomass, and waste plastics are based on thermogravimetric analysis performed by Sotacarbo. The gasification model was validated by comparing the predicted syngas composition at the exit of the gasifier with the measured syngas composition. In addition, the reactor’s measured internal temperature profile agreed well with the predicted internal reactor temperature profile. These results validate that the model can be used to predict the performance of the updraft moving bed gasifier for different feedstocks and operating conditions. This paper summarizes the results of the completed work in which the pelletizing procedure was validated to ensure the viability of the tri-fuel pellets for the gasification runs performed at Sotacarbo’s 30 mm UDMB gasifier. The gasification performance data from this series of nine runs will enable modeling of a full-scale HMI industrial scale gasifier supporting both combined heat and power, and Hydrogen production from coal (both fresh mined and legacy) combined with various biomass and waste plastics. Additionally, plans and progress on a follow-up project, being executed by the same project team, will be presented. In this project, a total of twenty (20) different feedstocks are being prepared from varying compositions of biomass (both woody biomass and corn stover) with a mixture of legacy coal waste, plastic waste, and refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The testing will provide information on gasification reaction efficiency/performance, yielding relevant data for models used to scale up the gasifier design to 50 megawatt electric (MWe) (equivalent hydrogen production). Tests will also be performed on a bench-scale fluidized-bed gasifier for comparison purposes. The results of this testing will be used to specify the range of feedstock blends that can be successfully gasified as well as quantify gasifier outputs based on specific blends.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Embodied Energy in Pyrolysis and Solvolysis Approaches to Recycling for Carbon Fiber-Epoxy Reinforced Composite Waste Streams

Carbon fiber composites are increasingly used in aerospace, motorcycles, sporting, and high-performance vehicles, and their end of life recycling is of growing interest. This study deals with the life cycle assessment (LCA) of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) waste streams. The embodied energy (EE) of recycling CFRP via two viable methods—i.e., pyrolysis and solvolysis—is studied. Both pyrolysis and solvolysis were studied for EE with different variants. Alongside fiber recovery from CFRP, the pyrolysis process calculations consider energy recovery from syngas and oil produced within the system. For pyrolysis, electric furnace and natural gas were primarily considered. For solvolysis, different solvent scenarios were considered, including (a) deionized water, (b) water and potassium hydroxide, (c) acetone and water, and (d) water with acetic acid and potassium hydroxide. Energy reduction from one generation to the next has also been highlighted. The EE for recycling CFRP is quantified and discussed for these scenarios in this paper.

composites↗
DOE OSTI2024

Plastic Parallel Pathways Platform- 4P Model

The U.S. generates 42 million metric tons of plastic waste each year - the most of any country - of which less than 9% is recycled. This represents an estimated loss of $2.3 billion and 3.4 EJ embodied energy per year. Plastic use reduction, reuse and recycling are thus increasingly important, but making informed policy and research decisions within this space can be challenging given the diverse range of available solutions. Various recycling and waste management options are available for plastics, such as conversion into energy (incineration, pyrolysis, gasification), conversion to lower- or higher-grade plastics (mechanical recycling, chemical or enzymatic depolymerization processes, dissolution) or up-cycling to feedstock chemicals (photo/electro/catalytic methods, pyrolysis, gasification). While many previous publications have investigated a subset of these options, there is currently no modelling platform that can quantitatively assess and compare the economic and environmental impacts of all these different plastic management pathways and their respective products simultaneously. To directly compare the benefits and disadvantages of plastic-to-x technologies, we propose a novel analysis framework: the Plastic Parallel Pathways Platform (4P). 4P will model a systems analysis framework for capturing plastic material flows processed via different waste management scenarios. The total economic cost and greenhouse gas emissions (as well as additional economic, energetic, and environmental metrics indicators) of a given scenario will be calculated enabling comparison to other scenarios, thereby informing decisions on plastic recycling pathways.

circular economy↗
DOE OSTI2022

Understanding Biomass and Polymer Feedstock Variability Through Analytical Pyrolysis and Two Dimensional Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry

Moving toward a circular carbon economy requires enabling reuse of carbon-based macromolecules like those in biomass and polymers. Meeting this goal requires increased upcycling of waste products into higher value products. For biomass waste such as corn stover, pine needles, or bark, one approach is using pyrolysis to convert these feedstocks into bio-oil that can be used for liquid fuel or transformed into other hydrocarbon based products, like bio-polymers. Waste plastics can be upcycled or recycled into new products, or alternatively converted into bio-oil by pyrolysis. Macromolecules from biomass and polymers are challenging to convert into liquid fuel or chemical feedstocks, due to large and sometimes heterogeneous networks of polymeric bonds. We work with the Idaho National Laboratory’s Biomass Feedstock National User Facility and Department of Energy’s Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium to develop a molecular understanding of biomass variability that occurs naturally and as a result of storage or preprocessing techniques applied to feedstocks, to understand chemical reactions occurring during pyrolysis and other biomass or polymer conversion techniques. Using two dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry coupled to analytical pyrolysis provides insight into the molecular changes that occur during the pyrolysis event, and these insights can extend to bench or pilot scale pyrolysis conversions. Understanding pyrolysis of biomass and polymers at a molecular level contributes to development of new tools to predict and manipulate the optimum conditions and identify the best storage, preprocessing, and conversion techniques to maximize output of specific high-value chemical species in the conversion to fuels, or to characterize feedstocks for blending before pyrolysis. Identification and understanding of the molecular level changes resulting from novel preprocessing techniques that can be used to control and manipulate the chemical output of bench or pilot scale pyrolysis is another focus of investigation, including the use of gamma irradiation, acid, or enzyme pre-treatments. We also focus on the impacts of storage conditions and techniques, which can affect moisture levels, degradation, and impacts from naturally occurring microbes in the environment.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Effect of metal-free mesoporous silica incorporated ZSM-5 composite on thermo-catalytic pyrolysis of polypropylene

Although different zeolites impregnated with transition metals have been used in catalytic deconstruction of waste plastics to other products, the influence of hierarchical structures on conversion and product selectivity in plastic upcycling has not been thoroughly investigated. This research explores a transition metal free zeolite-based hierarchical composite, synthesized by incorporating SBA-15 in ZSM-5 framework, for efficient thermos-catalytic upcycling of polypropylene (PP). Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that ZSM-5@SBA-15 can break down PP at a significantly lower temperature, 240 °C, compared to that of pristine PP using ZSM-5 or SBA-15. In addition, pyrolysis of PP at 400 °C using ZSM-5@SBA-15 composite outperforms ZSM-5 or SBA-15 used separately and yields 90 % conversion with 70 % selectivity to propene. The presence of mesopores in the catalyst appears to reduce the diffusion resistance of intermediate products for successive scission, thereby reducing the activation energy of reaction and improving catalytic activity. In conclusion, the hierarchical composite ZSM-5@SBA-15 has significant potential for upcycling of PP into valuable monomers and lighter olefins, with lower energy demands, enhancing the economic feasibility of the process.

ZSM-5@SBA-15↗
DOE OSTI2024

Plastic Parallel Pathways Platform - 4P Model

Global momentum is building towards a circular economy capable of keeping plastics in use and out of waste streams. Given that 79% of all plastic produced since 1950 has accumulated in landfills or the natural environment,rapid implementation of various end-of-life (EoL) management technologies will be needed to reach this target. However, it can be challenging to develop an effective plastic EoL strategy when the available options - chemical or molecular recycling, energy recovery, upcycling, downcycling, closed-loop (plastic-to-plastic) or open-loop (plastic-to-x) recycling, among others - can generate products ranging from low-grade to virgin-quality plastic and from fuels to value-added chemicals. We present a flexible material flow model capable of analyzing the effects of both plastic-to-plastic and plastic-to-x EoL management strategies on the U.S. PET economy. This Plastic Parallel Pathways Platform (4P) assesses the environmental impacts, costs, and circularity of a PET system in which waste is managed through six potential EoL pathways: landfill, incineration with energy recovery, pyrolysis to fuel oil, upcycling to glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), mechanical recycling to low-grade PET, and chemical recycling (glycolysis) to bottle-grade PET. We compare the pathways across multiple metrics using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and then use a brute force algorithm to predict an optimal combination of EoL pathways to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and costs and maximize circularity. This work highlights the need to implement a diverse portfolio of EoL strategies in parallel to enable a PET economy that meets environmental, economic, and circularity requirements simultaneously.

downcycling↗
DOE OSTI2024

Increasing pyrolysis oil yields and decreasing energy consumption via thermal oxo-degradation of polyolefins

Commercialization of pyrolysis of plastics in an inert atmosphere is challenging due to large thermal requirements. This study employs thermal oxo-degradation and demonstrates how oxygen supplied at modest equivalence ratios can both accelerate depolymerization and provide the enthalpy for pyrolysis without dramatically impacting desired product yields. The enthalpies for pyrolysis of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) are measured to be 2,300 ± 90 J g – -1 and 2,800 ± 60 J g –1 , respectively. Using air as an oxygen source in a fluidized bed reactor, HDPE and PP are rapidly deconstructed while using up to 84% less energy through the energy released by partial oxidation. Characterization of the thermal oxo-degradation product oil shows comparable composition to conventional pyrolysis oil. Thermal oxo-degradation proves to be a promising technology for upcycling of plastics by improving thermal depolymerization of waste plastics and reducing energy requirements while maintaining desirable yields.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Integrated low-temperature PVC and polyolefin upgrading

Polyolefins and their chlorinated derivatives such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are among the most prevalent plastics in global production and waste streams. Traditional waste-to-energy methods such as incineration and pyrolysis, as well as most chemical upcycling methods for PVC utilization, require thorough, high-temperature dechlorination to prevent the release of toxic chlorinated compounds. Here, we present here a strategy for upgrading discarded PVC into chlorine-free fuel range hydrocarbons and hydrogen chloride in a single-stage process catalyzed by chloroaluminate ionic liquids. This approach offsets endothermic dechlorination and carbon-carbon bond cleavage with exothermic alkylation and hydrogen transfer by isobutane or isopentane in a low-temperature tandem process. The light isoalkanes are available from refinery processes and partly from recycling of the product stream. This process is suitable for handling real-world mixed and contaminated PVC and polyolefin waste streams.

Zhang, Wei [East China Normal Univ. (ECNU), Shangh↗
DOE OSTI2021

Promoting Diels-Alder reactions to produce bio-BTX: Co-aromatization of textile waste and plastic waste over USY zeolite

Producing commodity aromatic hydrocarbons from textile waste is a promising approach to promote carbon neutrality and circular economy. Catalytic degradation of flax waste (FW) to generate furans and its subsequent Diels-Alder transformation to monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons over USY zeolite were conducted. Experimental results indicated that USY catalyzed FW resulted in a 5.5-fold increase in furans production compared with the non-catalytic trial. The Si/Al molar ratio in USY played a determining role in furans formation, and a 5-fold increase was observed over USY with a Si/Al ratio of 5.3 as opposed to that with a Si/Al ratio of 11. Plastic waste, polyethylene (PE), co-fed with FW yielded 1.6 times higher aromatic hydrocarbons than polypropylene (PP). The selectivity to aromatic hydrocarbons reached 81.6% under 20% PE co-fed with 80% FW, in which benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) were predominant products with the maximum selectivity of 68%. Furthermore, this study presents a cleaner approach for value-added resource recovery and sustainable management of textile and plastic waste.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1975

Production of gaseous fuel by pyrolysis of municipal solid waste

Pilot plant tests were conducted on a simulated solid waste which was a mixture of shredded newspaper, wood waste, polyethylene plastics, crushed glass, steel turnings, and water. Tests were conducted at 1400 F in a lead-bath pyrolyser. Cold feed was deaerated by compression and was dropped onto a moving hearth of molten lead before being transported to a sealed storage container. About 80 percent of the feed's organic content was converted to gaseous products which contain over 90 percent of the potential waste energy; 12 percent was converted to water; and 8 percent remained as partially pyrolyzed char and tars. Nearly half of the carbon in the feed is converted to benzene, toluene and medium-quality fuel gas, a potential credit of over $25 per ton of solid waste. The system was shown to require minimal preprocessing and less sorting then other methods.

Crane, T. H.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Upcycling of Waste Plastics into Carboxylic Acids for Biodegradable Surfactants

This work outlines a process for producing high‐purity (>95%) carboxylate surfactants from post‐consumer recycled high‐density polyethylene (PCR‐HDPE). The approach involves the thermal depolymerization of PCR‐HDPE via pyrolysis, followed by fractional distillation to isolate C9–C14 olefins. These olefins undergo hydroformylation using cobalt carbonyl catalysts to generate aldehydes, which are subsequently oxidized to carboxylic acids using Pinnick oxidation under mild aqueous‐phase conditions. Neutralization of the resulting carboxylic acids with sodium hydroxide produces plastic‐derived carboxylate surfactants (PDCs) in the form of sodium carboxylates. Subsequent purification steps ensure surfactant‐grade purity and enable accurate assessment of physicochemical properties. The resulting PDCs are evaluated for critical micelle concentration (CMC), foamability, surface tension reduction, and calcium ion tolerance, demonstrating competitive behavior with conventional anionic carboxylate surfactants. This route provides a sustainable alternative for surfactant production, reducing reliance on fossil‐derived feedstocks and valorizing plastic waste streams through chemical upcycling.

Biodegradable surfactants↗
DOE OSTI2024

Liquid Fed Pyrolysis of Polyethylene Films: Environmental and Economic Assessments of Co-located and Remotely-Located U.S. Facilities

Polyethylene (PE) films are one of the highest production volume plastic products, but they have very low recycling rates. A novel liquid fed pyrolysis process (LFP) is an advanced recycling technology that can be applied to waste PE films. In this work, two environmental and six economic metrics were evaluated for the LFP process under different scenarios with a baseline production capacity of 8,400 Metric Tons (MT) of pyrolysis products/year. The studied scenarios considered process improvement such as heat integration, changing the final product yields, and location of the LFP process facility (i.e., co-located at a petrochemical facility or located remotely). Results show that producing refined pyrolysis wax in remote areas is the most environmentally favorable and profitable scenario. The LFP process co-located at a petrochemical facility and selling only liquid and gaseous pyrolysis products to the facility would require a capacity of >18,000 MT/year to be economically feasible. Heat integration led to greenhouse gas emission savings of at least 14%, 19%, and 32% for the pyrolysis oil, gas, and wax products, respectively. Fianlly, the LFP process in remote and less populated locations producing a high yield of refined wax may be a feasible solution for increasing recycling rates of PE films.

Advanced recycling↗
DOE OSTI2021

CONVERSION OF COAL WASTES AND MUNICIPAL SOLIDS MIXTURES BY PYROLYSIS TORREFACTION AND ENTRAINED FLOW GASIFICATION

Hundreds of millions of tons of underutilized high-ash, low-energy-density bituminous and anthracite waste coal can be found in the U.S. These stockpiles contribute to water pollution from leaching that is harmful to waterways downstream of the piles. Conventional circulating fluidized combustion power plants use this coal to generate energy but emit toxic trace metals into groundwater (e.g., lead, mercury, arsenic). In addition, refuse-derived fuel (RDF) including municipal solid waste (MSW), biomass, waste plastics, and industrial waste are an enormous and untapped resource that is currently filling landfills or incinerated for low-quality energy with poor emissions. Mainstream Engineering has developed a combined pyrolysis torrefaction entrained flow gasification (PT-EFG) process that utilizes combined waste coal and RDF to create an alternative energy source, increasing energy independence and security and reducing the environmental burden from coal mines and processing facilities. Mainstream’s self-sustaining PT process converts RDF into feedstocks that can be pulverized and handled like conventional coal, enabling combined RDF-waste coal co-feeding into an EFG. The EFG operates at temperatures high enough to slag the ash completely, destroying any residual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), converting ash into nonporous vitrified slag or non-leachable ash, and generating high-hydrogen syngas for power generation or liquid fuels. During Phase II, Mainstream successfully demonstrated PT of biomass and MSW into a coal-like feedstock, which was co-gasified with waste coal in an EFG in a combined PT EFG process

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1993

Investigating pyrolysis/incineration as a method of resource recovery from solid waste

Pyrolysis/incineration (P/I) is a physicochemical method for the generation of recoverable resources from solid waste materials such as inedible plant biomass (IPB), paper, plastics, cardboard, etc. P/I permits the collection of numerous gases with a minimal amount of solid residue. Pyrolysis, also known as starved air incineration, is usually conducted at relatively high temperatures (greater than 500 deg C) in the absence of oxygen. Incineration is conducted at lower temperatures in the presence of oxygen. The primary purpose of this study was to design, construct, and test a model P/I. The system design includes safety requirements for temperature and pressure. The objectives of this study were: (1) to design and construct a P/I system for incorporation with the Hybrid Regenerative Water Recovery System; (2) to initiate testing of the P/I system; (3) to collect and analyze P/I system data; (4) to consider test variables; and (5) to determine the feasibility of P/I as an effective method of resource recovery. A P/I system for the recovery of reuseable resources from solid waste materials was designed, constructed, and tested. Since a large amount of inedible plant biomass (IPB) will be generated in a space-based habitat on the lunar surface and Mars, IPB was the primary waste material tested in the system. Analysis of the effluent gases was performed to determine which gases could be used in a life support system.

Robertson, Bobby J.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Flash Cracking Reactor for Waste Plastic Processing

Conversion of waste plastic to energy is a growing problem that is especially acute in space exploration applications. Moreover, utilization of heavy hydrocarbon resources (wastes, waxes, etc.) as fuels and chemicals will be a growing need in the future. Existing technologies require a trade-off between product selectivity and feedstock conversion. The objective of this work was to maintain high plastic-to-fuel conversion without sacrificing the liquid yield. The developed technology accomplishes this goal with a combined understanding of thermodynamics, reaction rates, and mass transport to achieve high feed conversion without sacrificing product selectivity. The innovation requires a reaction vessel, hydrocarbon feed, gas feed, and pressure and temperature control equipment. Depending on the feedstock and desired product distribution, catalyst can be added. The reactor is heated to the desired tempera ture, pressurized to the desired pressure, and subject to a sweep flow at the optimized superficial velocity. Software developed under this project can be used to determine optimal values for these parameters. Product is vaporized, transferred to a receiver, and cooled to a liquid - a form suitable for long-term storage as a fuel or chemical. An important NASA application is the use of solar energy to convert waste plastic into a form that can be utilized during periods of low solar energy flux. Unlike previous work in this field, this innovation uses thermodynamic, mass transport, and reaction parameters to tune product distribution of pyrolysis cracking. Previous work in this field has used some of these variables, but never all in conjunction for process optimization. This method is useful for municipal waste incinerator operators and gas-to-liquids companies.

Timko, Michael T.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mechanical and biochemical recovery of landfill waste in an underserved community

Historically in the United States, waste collected for recycling has been sold and shipped to processors in China. In 2013 and 2018, China introduced the Green Fence and National Sword policies which restricts the import of contaminated materials and banned the import of many recyclables. The cost of recycling in the United States has increased following these policy changes, which has led to many communities reducing their recycling programs or halting them altogether. Rural and underserved communities that don’t have resources to afford sophisticated recycling programs have been heavily impacted. Previous work at INL demonstrated that MSW is a potentially viable feedstock for both biochemical and thermochemical conversion. The goal of this project is to assess preprocessing tools that can produce consistent feedstocks that meet conversion specifications, remove problematic contaminants, and reduce the amount of waste that is landfilled. Municipal solid waste was collected from an underserved community in southeast Idaho, contaminants were characterized, and mechanically separated into two discrete fractions. The unit operations identified during mechanical separation trials will be mobilized to on-site with a goal of 50% recovery of paper and plastic waste.

09 - BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Recycling of Post-Consumer Waste Polystyrene Using Commercial Plastic Additives

Photothermal conversion can promote plastic depolymerization (chemical recycling to a monomer) through light-to-heat conversion. The highly localized temperature gradient near the photothermal agent surface allows selective heating with spatial control not observed with bulk pyrolysis. However, identifying and incorporating practical photothermal agents into plastics for end-of-life depolymerization have not been realized. Interestingly, plastics containing carbon black as a pigment present an ideal opportunity for photothermal conversion recycling. Herein, we use visible light to depolymerize polystyrene plastics into styrene monomers by using the dye in commercial black plastics. A model system is evaluated by synthesizing polystyrene–carbon black composites and depolymerizing under white LED light irradiation, producing styrene monomer in up to 60% yield. Excitingly, unmodified postconsumer black polystyrene samples are successfully depolymerized to a styrene monomer without adding catalysts or solvents. Using focused solar irradiation, yields up to 80% are observed in just 5 min. Furthermore, combining multiple types of polystyrene plastics with a small percentage of black polystyrene plastic enables full depolymerization of the mixture. This simple method leverages existing plastic additives to actualize a closed-loop economy of all-colored plastics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Calculating the Effects of Solids Input and Removal as a Temperature Control in the Advanced Scale Up Reactor Experiment (ASURE) Facility at NETL Using Aspen

The Advanced Scale Up Reactor Experiment (ASURE) facility at NETL is being designed to be a fuel-flexible multi-purpose reactor that can be used for pyrolysis/gasification or evaluation of other high pressure “circulating fluidized bed” (CFB) chemical processes. The initial system design calculations for pyrolysis/gasification are presented in this work showing the expected performance of the ASURE facility when used as a biomass conversion reactor. Several other areas of application include gasification of any carbonaceous fuel including biomass, coal, plastics, and other waste materials. The reactor can therefore be used to produce SYNGAS of various compositions and hydrogen as well as other high value chemicals resulting from a typical tuned gasification process. This paper discusses an ASPEN model of the facility, focusing on the riser of the CFB reactor and the solids recirculation loop. The ASPEN model divides the riser into two sections. A bottom section which receives ash, char and sand which have been recirculated from a return loop. In this section an inert fluidization gas, (N2 or CO2), is introduced which acts as the primary mover of the solids through the system. The bottom section is equipped with a restricted air feed so that the recirculated char can be partially oxidized. This oxidation process along with the inventory of recirculating sand are used to effectively control the temperature in the following two chemical conversion sections of the reactor which are the pyrolysis zone followed by a tar cracking zone. Fresh fuel is added to the pyrolysis zone and undergoes drying and devolatilization. The products ash, char, volatile matter, and water vapor exit the pyrolysis zone and enter the reaction block for tar cracking. Steam and CO2 gasification reactions will be incorporated into the tar cracking zone, however at the design operating temperature, conversion from these reactions is expected to be essentially zero. The unit when completed in 2026 will test mixtures of biomass, plastics, and waste coal. This presentation discusses the basic ASPEN engineering design model for this project and provides preliminary sensitivity studies to determine how the various parts of the reactor will perform.

ASSURE↗