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Plasma pyrolysis feasibility study of spent petrochemical catalyst wastes to hydrogen production

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Abstract

Spent petrochemical catalysts are hazardous toxic wastes and dangerous to the environment and human health, due to heavy metals, coke, and other poisonous elements. Researchers over the years focus to utilize and handle the spent catalysts waste to produce other valuable products as an attractive option from environmental and economic points of view. This article generally discusses feasible methods to convert spent petrochemical waste catalysts to value-added products using a thermal plasma torch for the first time. The arc temperature which increases with power increase was measured by optical emission spectroscopy (OES). The result reveals that no spent catalyst waste remains after plasma pyrolysis process and conversion is completely feasible. Furthermore, the major product H2 for fuel cell was produced, that is environmentally and economically beneficial. Methane, ethane, ethylene, and isobutane were the main products. The best plasma effect on the spent petrochemical catalyst waste in terms of the maximum hydrogen production rate was obtained at 140 A, 30 V, and 3 cc feed injection which causes to produce 53.2% H2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., Evin, 19839-63113, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

    Hanieh Karimi, Mohammad Reza Khani, Hamed Mahdikia & Babak Shokri

  2. Petrochemical Research and Technology Company, National Petrochemical Company, No. 27, Sarv Alley, Shirazi-c, P.O. Box 14358-84711, Mollasadra, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

    Mahtab Gharibi

  3. Department of Physics, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., Evin, 19839-63113, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

    Hanieh Karimi, Mohammad Reza Khani & Babak Shokri

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  1. Hanieh Karimi
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  2. Mohammad Reza Khani
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  3. Mahtab Gharibi
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  4. Hamed Mahdikia
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  5. Babak Shokri
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Correspondence to Babak Shokri.

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Karimi, H., Khani, M.R., Gharibi, M. et al. Plasma pyrolysis feasibility study of spent petrochemical catalyst wastes to hydrogen production. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 22, 2059–2070 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-020-01089-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-020-01089-0

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