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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Sustainable Biofuels and Co-products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #415482
Research Project: Chemical Conversion of Biomass into High Value Products

Location: Sustainable Biofuels and Co-products Research

Title: Development of aviation fuel from plastic waste

Author
item LU, HONG - University Of Illinois
item ZABOROWSKI, ELIAH - University Of Illinois
item PRAJAPATI, RAVINDRA - University Of Illinois
item PARK, JUNGHYUN - University Of Illinois
item KIM, JAEMIN - University Of Illinois
item Moser, Bryan
item Sharma, Brajendra - Bk
item RAJAGOPALAN, NANDAKISHORE - University Of Illinois

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge aims to produce three billion gallons per year of domestic sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. In 2021, approximately five million gallons of SAF were produced domestically. Hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids-synthetic paraffinic kerosene (HEFA-SPK) is expected to be the primary fuel pathway leading up to 2030. However, SPK is primarily composed of iso-paraffins and paraffins. The lack of aromatics limits the amount of SPK that can be blended with petroleum-derived Jet A. Blending SPK with an aromatic stream will increase the amount of SPK that can be blended with petroleum-derived Jet A, significantly advancing goals for “drop-in” jet fuel produced from renewable or waste resources compatible with existing aircraft and engines. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the United States generated 35.7 million tons of plastic waste in 2018, out of which only 3.1 million tons (8.7%) were recycled. Polystyrene is the fourth largest thermoplastic produced in the NAFTA region, amounting to about 2 million metric tons in 2021. We sourced an aromatic stream through depolymerizing a waste polystyrene which was sorted from municipal solid waste. The yields of the crude oil from waste polystyrene were >82 wt. %. The aromatics composition was adjusted through catalyst choice, fractionation, and hydrogenation. High conversion of hydrogenating styrene in the crude oil to ethylbenzene was achieved through both thermal methods at mild conditions and electrochemical approach. The resulting product was evaluated for use as an aromatic additive to a HEFA-SPK fuel produced from tallow/vegetable oil. The properties of the SPK-additive blends were greatly improved, including moisture, density, viscosity, lubricity, and O-ring seal swelling etc. Major fuel properties of the blends achieved the specifications of Jet A-1 (D7566) or Aviation Turbine Fuels (D1655).