PRODUCTION OF PETROLEUM-BASED FUEL FROM MIXED PLASTIC WASTES WITHIN LAFIA METROPOLIS

Abstract

Mixed plastic waste was pyrolyzed to produce liquid fuel, and the resulting oil was characterized by FTIR, GC-MS, and physicochemical analyses. From 1000 g of feedstock, only 54.55 g of liquid oil was recovered (0.0606 liters), corresponding to a 5.5% yield, which is considerably lower than typical reported values. FTIR spectra indicated strong bands for aliphatic C-H, confirming a mixture of hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds. GC-MS analysis showed the oil consists mainly of C₉-C₁₆ hydrocarbons, including alkanes, alkenes, and cycloalkanes, with minor oxygenated products such as cyclohexanone, benzoic acid, and palmitic acid, Which Account for the measured acidity and stability. Physicochemical properties included a density of 0.911g/cm³, a viscosity of 1.3 cSt, a flash point of 187 °C, an acid value of 1.98 mg KOH/g, and a pH of 5.1, along with cold-flow properties (cloud point 2 °C, pour point 3 °C) comparable to diesel. The results suggest that the pyrolysis oil possesses diesel-like flow and energy characteristics. Its low yield, oxygenated content, and acidity necessitate further upgrading or blending before application as a fuel.