PYROLYSIS OF WASTE POLYSTYRENE IN HEAVY OIL

Waste plastics are an environmental problem because of recycling limit ations and their resistance to natural decomposition. This research in vestigates the thermal degradation (pyrolysis) of waste polystyrene in heavy oil as a tertiary recycling method. Kinetic parameters for pyro lysis were obtained, and distillate products from the reaction were ch aracterized by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Four types of hea vy oil were used to find which would be most suitable in this process. Complete pyrolysis of polystyrene occurred at temperatures lower than those reported in the literature.