At the 2024 AIChE Annual Meeting in San Diego, KBC’s Ghoncheh Rasouli, Ph.D., and Wajid Shaik presented, “Closed-Loop Plastic Waste to Olefins.” They discussed an innovative approach to olefin production that transforms plastic waste into valuable feedstock. This approach tackles two global challenges—plastic pollution and high carbon emissions from traditional olefin manufacturing. This breakthrough demonstrates the potential for sustainable solutions in the petrochemical industry. Held annually, the AIChE Meeting is one of the industry’s leading events for chemical engineers to explore the latest advancements and network with industry leaders.
Olefins are fundamental to producing everyday products. The rising demand for petrochemicals and polymers is driving global market growth for olefins. However, olefin production presents challenges due to its significant energy use, generating up to 1.8 metric tons of CO₂ emissions per ton of ethylene. Meanwhile, plastic waste management has become a critical issue, with 70% of plastics ending up in landfills or being discarded. This not only pollutes the environment but also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
While recycling plastic waste offers a solution to plastic management, it presents several challenges, as shown in Figure 1. These include uncertainties in new technology development, the complexity with plastic pyrolysis reaction networks, understanding product characterization, and reactor performance optimization.
Integrating a circular economy approach into sustainable olefin solutions can mitigate both plastic waste and emissions challenges.
Plastic pyrolysis, which converts plastic waste into liquid oils, presents a unique yet promising feedstock for olefin plants. To assess its impact accurately, Petro-SIM® software provides a robust simulation environment that supports decision-making by enabling a detailed analysis across the following key areas:
By leveraging the capabilities of Petro-SIM software, operators gain a deeper understanding of how plastic pyrolysis oil can be used as a sustainable feedstock in olefin plants to move the industry toward a circular and environmentally conscious economy.
Ghoncheh and Wajid’s presentation emphasized the potential of leveraging advanced technology solutions to reshape the olefins sector. By turning plastic waste into olefins, KBC is Bringing Decarbonization to LifeTM and setting a powerful example for driving sustainability across the chemical industry.