Liquefaction of coal/waste plastic mixtures

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the liquefaction of coal/waste plastic mixtures. The results gathered are preliminary in nature, and it can be appreciated that the use of waste plastics in coal liquefaction processes has great potential. Synergistic conversions of coal/plastic mixtures are observed under many pyrolysis and liquefaction conditions. The strong interactions among the components of the system occur during coprocessing. A free radical hydrogen abstraction mechanism is responsible for much of the observed behavior, and the tetralin retards polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) decomposition through a radical capping or adduction mechanism. Liquefaction conversions are important because they are obtained using no added liquefaction catalyst, relatively low temperatures, low hydrogen pressures, and using a relative poor H-donor solvent (tetralin).