Integrated low-temperature PVC and polyolefin upgrading

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Zhang, Wei; Yang, Boda; Jackson, Benjamin A.; Zhao, Junbo; Shi, Honghong; Camaioni, Donald M.; Kim, Sungmin; Wang, Huamin; Szanyi, Janos; Lee, Mal-Soon; Chen, Jingguang G.; Lercher, Johannes A.
• 署名单位: East China Normal University; United States Department of Energy (DOE); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Technical University of Munich; Technical University of Munich; Columbia University
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adx5285
• 发表日期: 2025-10-02
• 页码: 88-94
• 关键词: HEAT-CAPACITY ENTROPY; thermodynamic properties; ADDITION POLYMERIZATION; LINEAR MACROMOLECULES; polyethylene; waste; Enthalpy; alkanes; CHLORIDE); pyrolysis

摘要

Polyolefins and their chlorinated derivatives such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are among the most prevalent plastics in global production and waste streams. Traditional waste-to-energy methods such as incineration and pyrolysis, as well as most chemical upcycling methods for PVC utilization, require thorough, high-temperature dechlorination to prevent the release of toxic chlorinated compounds. We present here a strategy for upgrading discarded PVC into chlorine-free fuel range hydrocarbons and hydrogen chloride in a single-stage process catalyzed by chloroaluminate ionic liquids. This approach offsets endothermic dechlorination and carbon-carbon bond cleavage with exothermic alkylation and hydrogen transfer by isobutane or isopentane in a low-temperature tandem process. The light isoalkanes are available from refinery processes and partly from recycling of the product stream. This process is suitable for handling real-world mixed and contaminated PVC and polyolefin waste streams.