Thermal Conversion of Waste Plastics into Fuel Oil

In the last few decades, there has been a dramatic increase in industrial and urban activities, culminating in the need for people to adopt improved living conditions. This has led to an increase in the use of packaging materials, mainly in the form of plastic. Plastics have become an indispensable part of today’s world. Due to their lightweight, durability, energy efficiency, coupled with ease of production and design flexibility. These polymers are employed in entire gamut of industrial and domestic areas. Plastics are produced from petroleum derivatives and are composed primarily of hydrocarbons, but also contain additives such as antioxidants, colorants and other stabilizers [1]. Today about 129 million tons of plastics are produced annually all over the world, out of which 77 million tons produced from petroleum [1]. Plastics are nonbiodegradable polymers, mostly containing carbon, hydrogen, and a few other elements like nitrogen, chlorine. However, some plastics can also be made from renewable materials such as polylactic acid, obtainable from cellulosic materials. Plastic products are ubiquitous in modern society because they represent a convenient means to transport purchased goods from the markets, factories, supermarket to the home. Plastic products are plentiful, inexpensive to produce, sturdy yet low weight, and easy to store and transport [2]. Due to its less-biodegradable nature, plastic wastes contribute significantly to the problem of waste management. Disposal of plastic wastes pose a great hazard to the environment and effective method has not been implemented [3].