Catalytic pyrolysis of refuse derived fuels with biomass-based and mineral catalysts

Catalytic pyrolysis offers prospects for converting plastic waste into sustainable fuels and chemicals. The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of various catalysts on product yield and to characterize the products for various applications. The study investigated catalytic pyrolysis of RDF using eight (8) different catalysts, including agricultural residue chars and mineral clays at 400°C with a fixed residence time of 60 min and a 1:5 catalyst to feedstock ratio using a batch reactor. Bamboo leaves char produced the highest bio-oil yield of 38.47 wt % and showed the best catalyst effectiveness of 24.06 % for oil production. Rice husk char demonstrated superior performance in char production (66.67 wt %) with the highest effectiveness (133.33 %), while cocopeat char excelled in gas production (50 % effectiveness). The analysis of products revealed that mineral catalysts (kaolin and laterite) generally produced better quality bio-oil with lower viscosity (16–20 cP) and higher heating values (32–34 MJ/kg). FTIR analysis showed mineral catalysts achieved better deoxygenation compared to biomass chars. In gas composition, kaolin produced the highest quality gas (85 % CH₄, 33 MJ/Nm³ calorific value), while the char analysis showed cocopeat char had the highest heating value (9.78 MJ/kg). The results demonstrate that catalyst selection significantly impacts product yield and quality, with different catalysts excelling in specific applications.