Browsing by Author "Hebuka, Erasto"

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Study on Improving Properties of Bio-Oil Recovered from Plastics Waste for Industrial uses in Tanzania Case Study: Dar Es Salaam City
(Mbeya University of Science and Technology, 2025-12-10) Hebuka, Erasto
The rise of energy demand in the globe has prompted the consideration of utilizing plastic waste for bio-oil production. Bio-oil production from biomass material is a practice that has existed for many decades; however, the challenge has remained on the improvement of the oil properties to fit for commercial application. This study investigated the potential of producing and upgrading bio-oil from plastic waste through a catalytic pyrolysis process. Plastic waste samples composed of Polystyrene (PS), Polyethylene (HDPE), and Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), shredded to 1.5 to 2.5 mm sizes and blended in a ratio of 50/25/25, respectively, were pyrolyzed in a fluidized bed reactor at optimal conditions of 560oC to 650oC, a heating rate of 15 ◦C/min and N2 gas flow rate of 100 mL/min in the presence of Zeolite catalysts (ZMS-5). Produced bio-oil was treated with fossil diesel, calcium hydroxide, and sodium sulphate to enhance its properties. Results show bio-oil production increased to 65 wt.%, while char was reduced to 3.5 wt.%. Treatment with 20 wt. % diesel reduced bio-oil kinematic viscosity by 58% and improved stability from 20% to 50%. The addition of 16 g calcium hydroxide reduced the bio-oil acidity by 51% from a pH of 3.2 to 4.85. Furthermore, the bio-oil moisture content was reduced from 10wt. % to 5.2%wt through the addition of 10 g of sodium sulphate, while the lower heating value was improved to 39.0 MJ/kg. The catalytic pyrolysis of plastic waste in a fluidized bed reactor, and the various treatments performed on the generated bio-oil proved to be an effective technique to enhance the economic value of plastic waste and its environmental management at large.