Paper Contents
Abstract
ABSTRACTThe global increase in polymer consumption and ineffective waste management have made the accumulation of plastic waste a serious environmental and energy concern. This paper provides a thorough examination of developments in the combined pyrolysis and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) methods for turning mixed waste plastics into marine fuel. It investigates the physicochemical characteristics of pyrolytic oils, the thermochemical processes of plastic pyrolysis, and the HDN upgrading that follows to satisfy marine fuel regulations. In addition, frameworks for life-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic assessment (TEA) are examined in order to assess how sustainable such processes are. The assessment highlights important research gaps in areas such as hydrogen sourcing, catalyst deactivation, and the absence of integrated process simulation for the generation of marine diesel. There are suggestions for using green hydrogen technologies, creating inexpensive catalysts, and fine-tuning parameters. The results show that pyrolysisHDN integration can be a good way to meet the goals of the circular economy and decarbonize marine transportation fuels. 1. INTRODUCTIONThe rapid rise in plastic consumption has caused growing alarm around the world because of its long-lasting effects on the environment. Less than 10% of the 400 million tons of plastic produced annually in 2023 were successfully recycled 1. Plastic pollution and energy insecurity are made worse in Nigeria and other developing nations by a lack of proper waste management infrastructure. One possible path toward resource recovery and pollution reduction is the thermochemical conversion of waste plastics into fuels, such as pyrolysis 2, 3.However, the high content of heteroatoms, such as nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen compounds, which cause instability and corrosivity, limits the direct use of pyrolysis oil 4. Catalytic hydrotreatment, especially hydrodenitrogenation (HDN), is necessary to upgrade the oil quality to meet International Maritime Organization (IMO) specifications for marine diesel 5, 6. This paper explores the latest developments in pyrolysis and HDN processes, concentrating on their integration for sustainable marine diesel production, and assesses the techno-economic and environmental viability of such approaches.
Copyright
Copyright © 2025 RAPHAEL ENOCH OMOKHOGBO. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
