Plastic Wastes to Fuels and Chemicals

Plastic production and use are currently widespread. However, plastic wastes are non-biodegradable and leave a high carbon footprint, posing challenges to ecosystems and the environment. Therefore, innovative recycling technologies should be geared towards waste-to-energy conversion solutions. Chemical recycling technologies that convert plastic wastes into feedstocks for liquid hydrocarbon fuels and chemical production are highly desirable. This chapter provides a detailed discussion of the possible plastic reuses such as for (a) hydrogen production, (b) production of gasoline and diesel fuel, (c) production of chemicals or chemical building materials, and (d) co-processing with other feedstocks. Because of the high carbon and energy content of plastics, environmentally friendly and cost-effective production of carbon nanomaterials can also be achieved by using plastic waste conversion technologies. The technical challenges and future potential of plastic waste recycling are also discussed.