POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS IN POLYSTYRENE DERIVED PYROLYSIS OIL

Polystyrene plastic waste was pyrolysed in a static batch reactor with secondary cracking of the volatile products at 500, 600 and 700-degre es-C. The condensed pyrolysis oil was analysed for its content of poly cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The oils were high in styrene, sty rene oligomers and alkylated derivatives. In addition, the oil contain ed PAH in high concentration, some of which were of known biological a ctivity. The PAH were found to increase with increasing pyrolysis temp erature. Catalytic upgrading of the oils using zeolite ZSM-5 reduced t he concentration of styrene oligomers and increased the concentration of PAH.