Synergistic bifuctional catalysis on Ni/Beta for precise catalytic cracking of polyolefins

Objective  Highly active, low-cost, and resource-abundant non-precious metal catalysts have been developed for the efficient recovery of low-density polyethylene (LDPE).

Method  The study examined the effects of nickel species loading, types of zeolites and their silicon-to-aluminum ratios, reaction temperature, initial hydrogen pressure, and reaction time on the hydrocracking performance of LDPE.

Result  When Ni/Beta was used as the catalyst for the LDPE hydrocracking under the conditions of 250 °C, initial hydrogen pressure of 3 MPa, and reaction time of 1 hour, the conversion rate of LDPE reached up to 96.8 wt%, and the liquid alkanes yield achieved 72.0 wt%.

Conclusion  The Ni/Beta catalyst has demonstrated efficient degradation of polyolefins under mild conditions, confirming that the use of low-cost nickel species in conjunction with acidic zeolites can effectively facilitate the recycling of polyolefin waste. This approach shows promising industrial prospects.