The pyrolysis of high density polyethylene(HDPE) and low density polyethylene(LDPE) was carried out at temperature between 425 and 500℃ from 35 to 80 minutes. The liquid products formed during pyrolysis were classified into gasoline, kerosene, gas oil and wax according to the petroleum product quality standard of Korea Petroleum Quality Inspection Institute. The conversion and yield of liquid products for HDPE pyrolysis increased continuously according to pyrolysis temperature and pyrolysis time. The influence of pyrolysis temperature was more severe than pyrolysis time for the conversion of HDPE. For example, the liquid products of HDPE pyrolysis at 450℃ for 65 minutes were ca. 30wt.% gas oil, 15wt.% wax, 14wt.% kerosene and 11wt.% gasoline. The increase of pyrolysis temperature up to 500℃ showed the increase of wax product and the decrease of kerosene. The conversion and yield of liquid products for LDPE pyrolysis continuously increased according to pyrolysis temperature and pyrolysis time, similar to HDPE pyrolysis. The liquid products of LDPE pyrolysis at 450℃ for 65 minutes were ca. 27wt.% gas oil, 18wt.% wax, 16wt.% kerosene and 13wt.% gasoline.
Isothermal pyrolysis of high density polyethylene(HDPE), polypropylene(PP) and polystyrene(PS) was performed at 450℃, respectively. The effect of pyrolysis time on yield and product composition was investigated. Conversion and liquid yield obtained during HDPE pyrolysis continuously increased with time up to 80minutes, but those of PP and PS did not largely change after 35minutes. Each liquid product formed during the pyrolysis was classified into gasoline, kerosene, light oil and wax according to the distillation temperature based on the petroleum product quality standard of Korea Petroleum Quality Inspection Institute. The major liquid product of HDPE pyrolysis was light oiH34 wt.% based on the amount of HDPE treated) and the amounts of the other liquid ingredients(gasoline, kerosene and wax) were almost the same. On the other hand, the pyrolysis of PP produced 27 wt.% gasoline, 22 wt.% kerosene, 24 wt.% light oil and 13wt.% wax, and the pyrolysis of PS produced 56 wt.% gasoline, 12 wt.% kerosene, 9 wt.% light oil and 13 wt.% wax.