The chemical kinetics of steam reforming of polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PP) pyrolysis oil were studied using a ruthenium-based catalyst. The experiments were performed in a tubular flow reactor at temperatures of 530-680°C, Weight Hourly Space Velocities (WHSVs) of 0.453-7.916 h−1, and different steam and pyrolysis oil gas-phase concentrations. The activation energy of steam reforming of polypropylene oil and polystyrene oil is 136 and 142 kJ/mol, respectively. The reaction orders of polypropylene and polystyrene oils were 0.42 and 0.37, respectively. Conversions of polypropylene and polystyrene oils were 2.0-50.3 and 1.9-45.3%, respectively. Indeed, a Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) mechanism requiring the dissociative adsorption of pyrolysis oil and steam at two different sites on plastics appeared to be the most plausible pathway for the steam reforming reaction.

• 박영수(고등기술연구원 플랜트엔지니어링센터) | Yeong Su Park (Plant Engineering Center, Institute for Advanced Engineering) Corresponding author