Ni–Pt/Al nano-sized catalyst supported on TNPs for hydrogen and valuable fuel production from the steam reforming of plastic waste dissolved in phenol

Abstract

In this research, titanium nanoparticles (TNPs) for Ni–Pt/Al nano-sized catalysts were prepared via the hydrothermal technique, and their catalytic performance for the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as plastic waste and phenol steam reforming reaction was examined. Complementary characterization methods, such as BET, ICP, TEM, XRD, FTIR, NH3-TPD, H2-TPR, CO2-TPD, TGA, and CHNS, were conducted to relate surface functionality and structure to the activity of catalysts. The catalytic activity and stability with ten days on stream at 700 °C were investigated. It was found that the catalyst properties such as surface area and the number of acid sites play a crucial role in catalyst activity. The feed conversion and hydrogen yield for the optimum catalyst that is Ni–Pt/Ti–Al were found to be 92% and 75%, respectively. This research has also emphasized the opportunities of this method to resolve the threat of PET plastic waste to the environment concerning the creation of valuable fuels such as benzene, toluene, styrene, methylindene, etc.