Conversion of waste polyolefins to polyethylene wax via pyrolysis

Waste polyolefins can be converted into value-added products like oils and chemical waxes by a process called pyrolysis. In the present study, conversion of waste polyethylene to polyethylene (PE) wax was carried out via pyrolysis using a ZSM 5 (zeolite based) and Luperox as catalysts. The effect of pyrolysis residence time, catalyst type, loading on the yield, and properties of the PE wax were investigated. Further, a comparison of the properties of PE wax obtained via pyrolysis and the market sample of PE wax was made to optimize the reaction conditions of pyrolysis. It was observed that with an increase in the catalyst loading and residence time, not just the yield of PE wax reduced but it also led to the degradation in the properties of PE wax. The waxes produced via pyrolysis at residence time of 90 min for waste low-density polyethylene and 150 min for waste high-density polyethylene exhibited properties comparable to that of the market sample of PE wax. The PE wax thus obtained has application in textile coatings, plastic processing, and printing inks.