Process simulation and life cycle assessment of waste plastics: a comparison of pyrolysis and hydrocracking

Pyrolysis and hydrocracking of plastic waste can produce valuable products with manageable effects on the environment as compared to landfilling and incineration. This research focused on the process simulation and life cycle assessment of the pyrolysis and hydrocracking of high-density polyethylene. Aspen Plus was used as the simulator and Peng-Robinson thermodynamic model was employed as a fluid package. Also, the sensitivity analysis was done to optimize product distribution. Based on the simulation, the hydrocracking process produced values added fuels i.e., gasoline and natural gas. In contrast, pyrolysis generated a significant quantity of pyrolysis oil with a high amount of cyclo-compounds and char which are the least important to be utilized as fuels. Moreover, in the later part of the study, life cycle assessment (LCA) was adopted to investigate and quantify their impact on the environment using simulation inventory data, which facilitates finding a sustainable process. Simapro was used as a tool for LCA of the processes and materials used. The results demonstrate that hydrocracking is a better process in terms of environmental impact in 10 out of the 11 impact categories. Overall, the present study proposed a promising comparison based on the energy demands, product distribution and potential environmental impacts which will help to improve plastic waste management.