Co-Pyrolysis of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch and Polypropylene: Synergistic Effects on Blending Ratios and Product Quality

Abstract

Pursuing sustainable energy solutions has motivated research into turning biomass and plastic waste into valuable fuels.  However, improving the conversion process to produce high-quality bio-oil with high yields remains a considerable problem. This study examines the synergistic effect of the co-pyrolysis of empty fruit bunch (EFB) and polypropylene (PP) on the production and content of bio-oil. The co-pyrolysis process was carried out in a fixed-bed reactor at temperatures ranging from 400 to 600°C. Different mixing ratios of empty fruit bunches (EFB) to polypropylene (PP) were used: 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100. The bio-oils were examined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify their chemical composition. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to investigate the thermal degradation behavior and mixing of the feedstocks. The results revealed notable synergistic effects between empty fruit bunches (EFB) and polypropylene (PP) during co-pyrolysis, resulting in an increased bio-oil yield compared to the pyrolysis of EFB alone. The co-pyrolysis bio-oils contained a greater proportion of aromatic and aliphatic compounds and a lower number of oxygenated compounds, according to the GC-MS analysis, which suggested that the bio-oil quality improved. This study emphasises EFB-PP synergy, which improves biofuel and waste management.