Resource recovery through catalytic cracking of waste plastics

Various technological methods are being developed to overcome the drawback of plastics, namely, their non-biodegradability. Conversion of waste plastics into fuels is one of the best means of conserving valuable petroleum resources in addition to protecting the environment by limiting the volume of non-degradable waste. Catalytic—rather than thermal—decomposition of plastics allows higher selectivity of products in the boiling point range of liquid fuels, for example, diesel and gasoline. In this context, an attempt has been made to review the relevant literature dealing with catalytic decomposition of waste plastics into liquid fuels. The paper also addresses the effects of different properties of catalysts, for example pore system, pore size, crystal size, Si/Al ratio of zeolites, and acidities, on product distribution.