Hydrogen and value-added liquid fuel generation from pyrolysis-catalytic steam reforming conditions of microplastics waste dissolved in phenol over bifunctional Ni-Pt supported on Ti-Al nanocatalysts

Abstract This research looks at the potential of utilizing microplastics waste (MPW) found in oceans and soil as a source of liquid fuel. A significant portion of this pollutant is presently untreated and ends up in landfills, exacerbating the worldwide issue of marine and land pollution. Pyrolysis is a tertiary recycling process that is presented as a solution in the presence of a catalyst. This study aimed to develop bifunctional Ni-Pt nanocatalysts supported on TiO2 and Al2O3 for hydrogen and valued fuels generation from pyrolysis-catalytic steam reforming conditions of microplastics waste dissolved in phenol. The chemical and physical properties of nanocatalysts were characterized by BET, XRD, TEM, FESEM, FTIR, H2-TPR, CO2-TPD, NH3-TPD, TGA, ICP and CHNS. It was found that the introduction of a small portion of Pt (2 wt%) metal to the Ni/Ti-Al nanocatalyst was found to significantly enhance the reducibility, acidity, basicity nanocatalyst performance and stability. C–O(H), C C–C, and C–O were the major functional clusters of the liquid yields surveyed from the FTIR spectrums during pyrolysis. A valuable liquid product such as trimethyl-(2-trimethylsilylphenyl)silane, cyclohexane-1,3-dione, 2-allylaminomethylene-5,5-dimethyl-, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (BEHP), etc. compounds were produced from the pyrolysis-catalytic steam reforming reaction. This sight is a crucial indication of utilizing microplastics pollution for value-added fuel production and decreasing the risk threats of marine life.