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The effect of cover use on plastic pyrolysis reactor heating process The Effect of
Cover Use on Plastic Pyrolysis Reactor Heating Process

Conference Paper  in  AIP Conference Proceedings · October 2016

DOI: 10.1063/1.4979227

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The effect of cover use on plastic pyrolysis reactor heating process
Benny H. Armadi, Chalilullah Rangkuti, M. D. Fauzi, and R. Permatasari

Citation: AIP Conference Proceedings 1826, 020011 (2017); doi: 10.1063/1.4979227

View online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4979227
View Table of Contents: http://aip.scitation.org/toc/apc/1826/1
Published by the American Institute of Physics
 The Effect of Cover Use on Plastic Pyrolysis Reactor
Heating Process
Benny H. Armadi1, Chalilullah Rangkuti1,a, M. D. Fauzi1 and R. Permatasari1
1
Mechanical Engineering Department, Universitas Trisakti, Jakarta, Indonesia
a)
Corresponding author: chalil@trisakti.ac.id

Abstract. Plastic pyrolysis process to produce liquid fuel is an endothermic process that uses heat from the combustion of
fuel as heat source. The reactor used is usually a vertical cylindrical in shape, with LPG fuel combustion under the flat
bottom of the reactor, and the combustion gases is dispersed into the surrounding environment, so that heat transferred to
the plastic inside the reactor is not effective, causing high LPG consumption. In this study, the reactor is made of stainless
steel plate, with a vertical cylindrical shape, with a basic cylindrical conical truncated by a pit pass hot flue gas in the
middle that serves to deliver flue gas into the chimney. The contact area between the hot combusted LPG gases to the
processed plastic inside the reactor becomes bigger and gets better heat transfer, and required less LPG consumption. For
more effective heat transfer process, an outer cover of this reactor was made and the relatively hot combustion gases are
used to heat the outside of the reactor by directing the flow of the flue gas from the chimney down along the outer wall of
the reactor and out the bottom lid. This construction makes the heating process to be faster and the LPG fuel is used more
efficiently. From the measurements, it was found to raise 1°C of temperature inside the covered reactor, the LPG consumed
is 0.59 gram, and if the reactor cover is removed, the gas demand will rise nearly threefold to 1.43 grams. With this method,
in addition to reducing the rate of heat loss will also help reduce LPG consumption significantly.

INTRODUCTION
A plastic pyrolysis reactor serves as a container for the heat to be used in the process of decomposition of the
plastic by heating (thermal de-polymerization). Heat energy provided by the combustion of LPG by a gas burner will
propagate through the walls of the reactor and then heating the plastic in it. Pyrolysis reactor designed to withstand
exposure to heat, has a storage space sufficient feedstock sealed to prevent the entry of oxygen from outside. The
reactor also has the ability to spread out the heat as much as possible for use in pyrolysis process within the heating
chamber, see Fig. 1.
In order for the incoming summer could be used as best as possible, the reactor material is a good heat conductor.
Usually the material used is a material made of iron, heat supplied by the combustion of LPG in fact not entirely
channeled to heat the plastic inside the heating chamber. The heat that goes on the outside wall of the reactor will
naturally heats the air around the reactor is placed, instead of heating the plastic in it. Potential heat loss is even greater
when the air moves around the reactor in the form of wind, so that adds to the potential heat loss. There are several
ways to reduce the level of heat loss. Ideally enveloped reactor heat insulation, is to suppress the heat released into
the environment. The heat generated from the combustion of LPG (flue gas) can also be used to heat the outer wall of
the reactor. The use of containment sheath, as well as the design of the reactor that has a chimney which connects the
combustion chamber to the top of the reactor, will provide a positive influence on the time required for heating, as
well as the consumption of gas used.
Themed plastic pyrolysis research has been carried out by many parties, be it individuals, research institutions and
commercial institutions. The main focus of studies that have been done before focuses on the analysis of the standard
quality and quantity of fuel oil produced. Various kinds of plastics are also analysed as raw material. The use of a
variety of plastic waste into liquid fuel by means of pyrolysis is still being developed today [1]. Attempts and trials

Renewable Energy Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development

AIP Conf. Proc. 1826, 020011-1–020011-8; doi: 10.1063/1.4979227
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1494-5/$30.00

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conducted to determine the characteristics of the end products (liquid fuels) obtained. Various test-piloted variables,
ranging from variations of the heat source used the different types of plastics as bait to substance use as a catalyst to
accelerate the process of thermal cracking (de-polymerization).

FIGURE 1. Schematic Reactor Design with Cover (Lid)

Reactor as the main tool has the most important function in a plastic pyrolysis process. Various materials and
reactor design were made in previous studies, ranging from mild-steel plate 4 mm thick [2] to Pyrex glass [3]. Of all
the options of the reactor materials, non-rust steel plate (stainless steel) is the most commonly used option. Strength
against corrosion and ability to deliver good heat into the reasons why this ingredient always be an option. Batch
pyrolysis reactor type with stainless steel 5 mm thick without heat insulation can produce fuel with heating value of
43.79 MJ / kg [4]. Stainless steel is not without limitations, besides the price is relatively expensive, it is a good heat
conductor, this material is also very easy to take off the heat. Research on the effects of high temperature heating
pyrolysis temperature reaches 900 °C [5] entrusted the mild-steel plate material as a reactor. Some studies even very
focused on the influence of changes in the types of plastic raw materials LDPE with a heating source of electricity, to
not explain the specifications of the reactors used [6].
This study analyses the changes in the consumption of gas and heating time required in a reactor designed in such
a way, with the help of a cover or lid, to suppress the rate of heat loss, while utilizing the heat of combustion (flue
gas) to heat the outer wall of the reactor. A reactor made of non-rust steel plate fitted with a cylindrical duct channelling
exhaust gases of LPG combustion penetrate into the reactor chamber. Lid used to envelop the reactor container is
made of drums of diesel or oil that is widely available in the market. With such a design, the heating time become
shorter and gas consumption can be in saving, compared with the reactor without containment.

RESEARCH METHOD
In this study, a reactor made of steel plate non-rust with a thickness of 0.8 mm, cylindrical diameter 40 cm, and
height of 60 cm has a basic cylindrical conical truncated towards the reactor, where the pads are stuck connected by a
cylindrical chimney diameter of 6 cm to the top of the reactor is the penetrating space in the reactor. This chimney is
also used to direct the flow of flue gas; since it is located inside the reactor chamber and it will expand the heating
area in the reactor chamber. Oil drum container with a capacity of 200 liters, was chosen to be a lid that will envelop
the reactor, made of plate thickness (mild steel) 1.2 mm easily found in the market. The bottom of the drum is cut to
facilitate the process of cloaking the reactor. As an outlet for flue gases, an opening at the bottom of the drum was

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made. The furnace is made of reinforced concrete moulds that will be the holder of the reactor and the containment
thereon, and was designed in order to facilitate the monitoring and maintaining the gas burner flame not to easily
blown off, but still provides a path for oxygen/air from the surrounding environment for the combustion.
As a heat source a 7.5 cm diameter gas burner is used with a gas fuelled LPG of 3 kg steel container. Distance
from the burner to the base of truncated conical reactor is about 10 cm. LPG fuel was chosen because it is easily found
in the market, and also has a heating value (11,220 kCal/kg) is quite high; exhaust gas is relatively clean, practical
packaging and is easily moved and measured the severity and affordable.
The temperature inside the reactor chamber are monitored by thermocouple type of RTD (Resistance Temperature
Detection) type K (max. 800°C) where temperature changes are converted into a change in electrical resistance, and
then converted into a digital signal that can be read by the temperature monitor display type AUTONICS TC4S-N4N,
see Fig. 2. Because these activities do a lot of burning, to anticipate fire hazard, fire extinguisher ABCD 3 kg type
were placed not far from the furnace, and a pressured water tap were provided along the hose. The furnace is placed
in the open air (outdoor) in addition to security and safety reasons, as well as to provide heat loss due to wind situation
be more realistic. A small hole with a diameter of 2 mm being connected to the reactor chamber to release the air
pressure goes up as the temperature increases in the reactor.
The reactor is heated in an empty state without plastic in it and is done in two batches. The first batch reactor is
heated without the lid and the second batch was heated with the lid is on. Each batch is done by warming it up with
three steps, namely burning rate: Low, Medium and High. Burning rate is measured by comparing the weight of gas
(in gram) which is used in a single session, with time spent in the session (minutes). Setting the rate of burning is done
manually without measuring devices, by positioning the regulator knob mounted on the gas burner. The position of
the button knob on 10.30, 09.00 and 07.30 o’clock respectively represent the position of LOW, MEDIUM and HIGH.
For a total of six sessions experiment with a combination of "with/without lid" and various heating rate of "Low /
Medium / High", see Fig. 3.
Heating reactor has two targets, are: time target (max 1 hour) and the temperature target (max.400°C). Empty
reactor, with or without hoods being heated-up until the temperature reaches the initial referral. As an initial referral
(bench marking) is done without the hatch heating medium burning rate (TS-Med), see table 1. Every three minutes,
the temperature indicated on the display is recorded. After about 50 minutes, reached a temperature of 284°C and
stopped, then go down to 280°C. Temperature of 284°C is used as a reference for heating in the next batch. Newton
digital scales were used for the weighing of gas bottle three times each session, namely: before heating begins, when
the temperature reaches 284°C, and when the temperature reaches 400°C (if it was reached). In the TS-Med session,
only gas cylinders weighed twice, prior to heating and when the temperature reaches 284°C and does not rise again.
The heating time and the temperature outside were also noted at the beginning of each session.
A temperature of 400°C to a target temperature of heating is based on research conducted previously which rises
pyrolysis temperature range between 300°C to 500°C. PE, PP, PET plastic combination that reaches 450°C with a
heat source of electric heating element to produce a liquid fuel with a heating value of 42-45 MJ / kg [7-9]. While it
heats the biomass of wood and foliage until it reaches a temperature of 500°C to produce a liquid fuel with a heating
value of 13-18 MJ / kg. Warming highest ever do reach 900°C using an electric heater with intake of mixed plastic
waste materials [5]. The design of the reactor will take flue gas from the burner to go to the top of the reactor, as well
as heating up the inside walls of the reactor, see Fig. 4 and 5.

TABLE 1. Meaning Some Abbreviations in this Paper

Heating Burning Rate Conditions
TS-Low Without Cover - Low Heating Rate
TS-Med Without Cover - Medium Heating Rate
TS-High Without Cover - High Heating Rate
DS-Low With Cover - Low Heating Rate
DS-Med With Cover - Medium Heating Rate
DS-High With Cover - High Heating Rate

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 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
During the experiments take place there are several external factors that affect the monitoring of reactor’s
temperature. Often this research activity room is open at night and the wind blow speed around the site, the reactor
temperature increase frequently, experienced in inconsistent pattern. Data recorded at intervals of three minutes, and
several experiments were carried out amid the rain. Some results of the study are shown, as follows, see Table 2, 3
and 4.

FIGURE 2. Lid made from oil drums and reactor FIGURE 3. Temperature Monitoring Tools
with chimney inside the Reactor

FIGURE 4. Position of Knob Regulator to Set Desired Heating Rate FIGURE 5. Truncated Cone-Shaped of
Reactor’s Bottom

Capturing data above is done in three different days. Some technical constraints such as repairing reactor, digital
temperature monitoring tool breakage, as well as the constraints of bad weather such as rain, making all monitoring
activities cannot be performed on the same day. Once the data is obtained, and then put into two graphs, namely:
"Temperature vs Time" graph and "Temperature Rise vs Fuel Consumption" graph as shown in Fig. 6 and 7.
It can be seen from those figures:
1. Under condition of Low burn rate, reactor with or without hoods, no one can reach a temperature of 284°C
and 400°C. Reactors without containment, the rate of combustion of any kind, cannot reach a temperature of
400°C.
2. For Medium heating rate, DS-Med recorded the 284oC reference temperature at 18 minutes and reach 400°C
over a period of 48 minutes, while TS-Med reached the 284oC temperature after 48 minutes and temperature
of 400oC at cannot be reached at all.

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3. On high heating rate, the reactor temperature on DS-High, within 6 minutes has exceeded the reference
temperature of 284°C, while the reactor DS-Med needs 9 minutes to exceed this temperature. For the
temperature of 400oC, DS-High is reached within 15 minutes and for TS-High this cannot be reached at all.
4. On the use of fuel (gas consumption) showed that the TS-Medium reactor had the worst performance, in
addition to the highest LPG gas consumption of 700 grams, the reactor temperature reached only in the range
of 280°C. Best performance is on reactor DS-High, with a gas consumption of only 230 grams (the second
most economical), the temperature reached 410°C, the highest among all the conditions of the reactor.
5. Consumption of gas at most (634 grams) needed for the reactor without a containment reaches a temperature
of 284°C at a Medium rate gas combustion. With or without hoods, the greater the rate of gas combustion the
smaller the gas consumption.

FIGURE 6. Effect of Heating Time on Temperature

FIGURE 7. Effect of Heating Time on Fuel Consumption

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 TABLE 2. Experimental Data - Low Heating Rate
DS-Low TS - Low
Time
(minutes) Temp Fuel Consumed Temp Fuel Consumed
(°C) (gram) (°C) (gram)
0 29 0 33 0
3 51 12 46 7
6 69 24 82 14
9 86 36 86 20
12 100 47 81 27
15 112 59 75 34
18 119 71 73 41
21 126 83 71 47
24 130 94 69 54
27 134 106 69 61
30 138 118 68 68
33 142 130 68 74
36 145 141 67 81
39 146 153 67 88
42 148 165 66 95
45 148 177 65 101
48 149 188 65 108
51 150 200 65 115
54 151 212 64 122
57 152 224 64 128
60 152 235 64 135

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 TABLE 3. Experimental Data - Medium Heating Rate
DS-Med TS - Med
Time
(minutes) Temp Fuel Consumed Temp Fuel Consumed
(°C) (gram) (°C) (gram)
0 30 0 38 0
3 84 37 84 35
6 152 74 148 70
9 197 110 187 106
12 240 147 218 141
15 269 183 240 176
18 284 220 253 211
21 272 256 258 247
24 287 293 265 282
27 310 330 271 317
30 320 366 272 352
33 334 403 275 388
36 343 439 277 423
39 351 476 278 458
42 366 512 280 493
45 390 549 281 529
48 401 585 284 564

TABLE 4. Experimental Data - High Heating Rate

DS-High TS - High
Time
(minutes) Temp Fuel Consumed Temp Fuel Consumed
(°C) (gram) (°C) (gram)
0 30 0 33 -
3 164 63 157 49
6 284 126 243 98
9 291 147 284 147
12 372 168 255 163
15 400 209 283 212
18 414 230 321 261
21 340 310
24 362 359
27 374 408
30 379 441
33 375 490

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 CONCLUSIONS
From the data and discussion above it can be concluded as follows:
1. For low heating rate, TS-Low recorded the slowest rise in temperature inside the reactor and so with the DS-
Low. The reference temperature of 284°C and 400°C never been reached.
2. For medium burning gas rate, DS-Med required heating time twice of DS-High to reach the reference
temperature of 284oC.
3. With or without hoods, the greater the rate of gas combustion the smaller the gas consumption per Celsius
degree reactor temperature increase.
4. The lowest (0.59g/°C) gas consumed for every 1°C temperature increase in the reactor were achieved at High
firing rate. If the lid is removed, the gas consumption will increase very significantly to nearly threefold
(1.43g/°C).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Auhtors would like to thanks Trisakti University, especially to the Faculty of Industrial Technology, which has
provided grants for the implementation of this study.

REFERENCES
1. Sarker, M., Rashid, M. M. 2013 Container Plastic Waste into Fuel Conversion International Journal of
Engineering and Applied Sciences Vol. 3 No. 1
2. Farshi Roopa, Belthur Chirayu et.al. 2013 Catalytic Degradation of Municipal Waste Plastics to Produce Fuel
Range Hydrocarbon using Bentonite International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology ISSN
2277-4106.
3. Low SL, Connor MA, Covey GH. 2001 Turning Mixed Plastic Waste into a Useable Liquid Fuel Department
of Chemical Engineering. University of Melbourne Victoria Australia.
4. Gaurav, Madhukar 2014 Conversion of LDPE Plastic Waste into Liquid Fuel by Thermal Degradation
International Journal of Mechanical and Production Engineering ISSN: 2320-2092 Volume 2 Issue-4 April
2014.
5. Mustafa K., D., et al. 2014 Waste Plastics Pyrolysis Temperature Up to 900°C as an Effort to Produce
Environmentally Friendly Fuels RAPI XIII National Symposium - 2014 FT UMS ISSN: 1412-9612
6. Ramadan Aprian P, Ali Munawar 2013 Become Plastic Waste Processing Using Oil Pyrolysis Process
National Development University "Veteran" East Java.
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Pressurized Cookstoves International Journal of Environmental Science and Development Vol.6 No.5 May
2015.
8. Sarker, M., Rashid, M. M. 2013 Mixture of LDPE, PP and PS Waste into Fuel Plastic by Thermolysis Process
International Journal of Engineering and Technology Research Vol. 1, No. 1.
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