Selective catalytic transformation of polystyrene into ethylbenzene over Fe-Cu-Co/Alumina

FeCuCo over aluminum oxide catalyst was prepared to catalytically degrade polystyrene (PS) into ethylbenzene (EB) under mild conditions. This catalyst was characterized by XRD, SEM, STEM-EELS, STEM-EDS, XPS, and physical properties. A significant selectivity toward EB formation at 250 °C was achieved in the absence of hydrogen with 82% liquid yield. End-chain session and cross-linking reactions are proposed to be the dominant pathways in the degradation of PS over FeCuCo to form EB. Keywords: Polystyrene, Catalytic-degradation, Ethylbenzene, Selective-conversion