Upgrading of Waste Tyre Pyrolysis Oil for Obtaining Valuable Products

Abstract

Pyrolysis (thermal anaerobic decomposition) of waste tyres is a sustainable recycling process. Its result is an unstable liquid product – pyrolysis oil – must be improved for economic usage. A complex microreactor system was developed for upgrading/valorizing waste tyre pyrolysis oil. Following cleaning steps (distillation, resin removal, chemical preparation reactor) pyrolysis oil was hydrogenated/hydrodesulfurized in the main reactor over NiMo/Al₂O₃ catalysts. Cheap self-made low active metal containing catalysts presented comparable activities with an industrial (Haldor Topsoe) catalyst in a 100 mL flow reactor at 300 °C temperature and 25–35 bar pressure. The process was optimized by changing the pressure, the liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) and the hydrogen flow rate. The upgrading of the process for a 1000 mL volume flow system is in progress.