Catalytic coprocessing of LDPE with coal and petroleum resid using different catalysts

Catalytic coprocessing of low density polyethylene (LDPE) with coal and heavy petroleum resid was investigated using four different catalysts that included both hydrotreating and hydrocracking catalysts. Reaction systems that were evaluated included LDPE alone; LDPE with coal; and LDPE, coal, and resid. The catalysts used were NiMo/Al2O3, a hydrotreating catalyst with some hydrocracking activity, and the hydrocracking catalysts Zeolyst 753, NiMo/zeolite, and HZSM-5. These catalysts were reacted individually or in combinations of 10 wt.% of each hydrocracking catalyst in NiMo/Al2O3. The catalytic reactions were performed at two temperatures, 400 and 430 degrees C, using 1 wt.% of each catalyst or a combination of catalysts on a total feed basis. The effects of the different catalysts on the reaction products were measured in terms of solvent fractionation and total boiling point distribution. Reactions at the higher reaction temperature of 430 degrees C resulted in substantially higher conversion and production of lighter products than the reactions at 400 degrees C. The LDPE reaction system was sensitive to the catalyst type, and yielded increased conversion and lighter products when Zeolyst 753 and NiMo/zeolite were used. By contrast, the conversion and product slate obtained from the LDPE and coal systems were low and showed no effect due to the different types of catalyst. Introduction of resid to the LDPE/coal system increased the reactivity of the system and allowed the catalysts to have a larger effect. The hydrocracking catalysts were the most active in producing more conversion and hexane soluble material. Comparison of the effect of increasing the reaction time up to 5 h with 1 wt.% catalyst loading to the effect of increasing the catalyst loading from 1 wt.% to 10 wt.% for a reaction time of 1 h showed that increased reaction time was much more effective than catalyst loading in converting the solid LDPE to liquid reaction products. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.