Coking-Resistant Polyethylene Upcycling Modulated by Zeolite Micropore Diffusion

Although the mass production of synthetic plastics has transformed human lives, it has resulted in waste accumulation on the earth. Here, we report a low-temperature conversion of polyethylene into olefins. By mixing the polyethylene feed with rationally designed ZSM-5 zeolite nanosheets at 280 °C in flowing hydrogen as a carrier gas, light hydrocarbons (C1-C7) were produced with a yield of up to 74.6%, where 83.9% of these products were C3-C6 olefins with almost undetectable coke formation. The reaction proceeds in multiple steps, including polyethylene melting, flowing to access the zeolite surface, cracking on the zeolite surface, formation of intermediates to diffuse into the zeolite micropores, and…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 22125304, 21932006, 22032005, U21B20101
• MO
  Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China

  Award: 2021YFA1500404