Catalytic degradation of polypropylene into liquid hydrocarbons using silica-alumina catalyst

The degradation of polypropylene (PP) was carried out at 380 °C by batch operation using silica-alumina catalyst in 1) liquid phase contact and 2) vapor phase contact. For liquid phase contact, the liquid hydrocarbon products with a yield of 69 wt% had a boiling points (BP) range of 36 to 270 °C, equivalent to the BP of normal paraffins n-C₆, to n-C₁₅. For vapor phase contact, the yield of liquid products was much lower (54 wt%) and the rate of liquid recovery was much slower.