From scrap tyres to jet fuel: Hydrogen integration and economic feasibility within a circular economy framework

Abstract

This study presents an innovative approach to producing sustainable aviation fuel from scrap tyres within the framework of the circular economy. The pyrolysis process decomposes scrap tyres into char, oil, and gas products. The pyrolysis oil is then refined into jet fuel through catalytic cracking, alkylation, and hydrotreating processes. Meanwhile, the pyrolysis syngas is used as feedstock for hydrogen production via the steam reforming process. As a result, it was calculated that approximately 93,074.4 tonnes/year of sustainable aviation fuel could be produced from 202,200 tonnes of scrap tyres per year. Additionally, 3796.26 tonnes of hydrogen could be produced annually from pyrolysis syngas. Finally, the estimated minimum selling prices of jet fuel and hydrogen were $0.86/L and $2.79/kg, respectively. Previous research has shown that the hydrogen used to refine pyrolysis oil comes from external sources. However, this study shows that all the hydrogen needed for the refining processes can be obtained from the pyrolysis syngas itself. To the best of our knowledge, this approach has not been adopted before in the literature. The proposed model not only enables low-cost production of sustainable aviation fuel but also contributes to sustainable waste management practices.