Methods of depolymerizing polyolefin-based material into useful petrochemical products using styrene oligomers or polymers, and heat are described. The styrene oligomers or polymers improve the depolymerization reaction by decreasing the halftime for the depolymerization, which results in a higher depolymerization rate and a shorter residence time in the depolymerization unit, allowing for a predictable depolymerization reaction, and decreasing the branching or aromatic formations in the product.

The present invention provides a process of catalytic depolymerization of polystyrene involving a spherical catalyst, an apparatus for carrying out the depolymerization, recovering the aromatic rich liquid product and recycling the catalyst without any decrease in the catalytic performance. Further, the present invention provides that the aromatic rich liquid product includes styrene, xylene, benzene, ethyl benzene, with styrene content greater than 65%. Additionally, the catalyst involved in the depolymerization process is a spherical catalyst that is easily recovered from coke/char formed during the process and is recycled and reused without any decrease in the catalytic performance.

The present invention provides a process of catalytic depolymerization of polystyrene involving a spherical catalyst, an apparatus for carrying out the depolymerization, recovering the aromatic rich liquid product and recycling the catalyst without any decrease in the catalytic performance. Further, the present invention provides that the aromatic rich liquid product includes styrene, xylene, benzene, ethyl benzene, with styrene content greater than 65%. Additionally, the catalyst involved in the depolymerization process is a spherical catalyst that is easily recovered from coke/char formed during the process and is recycled and reused without any decrease in the catalytic performance.

The present invention provides a process of catalytic depolymerization of polystyrene involving a spherical catalyst, an apparatus for carrying out the depolymerization, recovering the aromatic rich liquid product and recycling the catalyst without any decrease in the catalytic performance. Further, the present invention provides that the aromatic rich liquid product includes styrene, xylene, benzene, ethyl benzene, with styrene content greater than 65%. Additionally, the catalyst involved in the depolymerization process is a spherical catalyst that is easily recovered from coke/char formed during the process and is recycled and reused without any decrease in the catalytic performance.

The invention relates to a method for economically using styrene-containing plastic waste as raw material for new high-quality plastic products as part of a raw material recycling process, optionally having the steps of pre-treating a styrene-containing starting material, decomposing the styrene-containing starting material in a suitable reactor, discharging and collecting the resulting gases and condensing the low-molecular products in a suitable separator, separating the collected low-molecular components of the previous step by means of a fractioning distillation process, and optionally additionally decomposing the styrene oligomers in a steam cracker.

The invention relates to a method for economically using styrene-containing plastic waste as raw material for new high-quality plastic products as part of a raw material recycling process, optionally having the steps of pre-treating a styrene-containing starting material, decomposing the styrene-containing starting material in a suitable reactor, discharging and collecting the resulting gases and condensing the low-molecular products in a suitable separator, separating the collected low-molecular components of the previous step by means of a fractioning distillation process, and optionally additionally decomposing the styrene oligomers in a steam cracker.

The invention relates to a method for economically using styrene-containing plastic waste as raw material for new high-quality plastic products as part of a raw material recycling process, optionally having the steps of pre-treating a styrene-containing starting material, decomposing the styrene-containing starting material in a suitable reactor, discharging and collecting the resulting gases and condensing the low-molecular products in a suitable separator, separating the collected low-molecular components of the previous step by means of a fractioning distillation process, and optionally additionally decomposing the styrene oligomers in a steam cracker.

Systems and methods for recycling waste plastics are provided, including a system for recovering styrene monomer from waste polystyrene. The system includes a mixing, heating and compacting apparatus to receive a supply of waste polystyrene and to output a densified polystyrene containing melt; a pyrolysis reactor configured to receive the densified polystyrene containing melt and a supply of recycled oligomers, pyrolyze the densified polystyrene containing melt and the recycled oligomers, and output a hydrocarbon gas stream and a solids residue stream; a quenching apparatus configured to receive the hydrocarbon gas stream output from the pyrolysis reactor and condense out oligomers for routing upstream to the pyrolysis reactor to be combined as the supply of recycled oligomers with the densified polystyrene containing melt, and to discharge an altered hydrocarbon gas stream for further processing; and a condenser configured to receive the altered hydrocarbon gas stream from the quenching apparatus and condense out styrene to form a styrene monomer oil product.

Systems and methods for recycling waste plastics are provided, including a system for recovering styrene monomer from waste polystyrene. The system includes a mixing, heating and compacting apparatus to receive a supply of waste polystyrene and to output a densified polystyrene containing melt; a pyrolysis reactor configured to receive the densified polystyrene containing melt and a supply of recycled oligomers, pyrolyze the densified polystyrene containing melt and the recycled oligomers, and output a hydrocarbon gas stream and a solids residue stream; a quenching apparatus configured to receive the hydrocarbon gas stream output from the pyrolysis reactor and condense out oligomers for routing upstream to the pyrolysis reactor to be combined as the supply of recycled oligomers with the densified polystyrene containing melt, and to discharge an altered hydrocarbon gas stream for further processing; and a condenser configured to receive the altered hydrocarbon gas stream from the quenching apparatus and condense out styrene to form a styrene monomer oil product.

Systems and methods for recycling waste plastics are provided, including a system for recovering styrene monomer from waste polystyrene. The system includes a mixing, heating and compacting apparatus to receive a supply of waste polystyrene and to output a densified polystyrene containing melt; a pyrolysis reactor configured to receive the densified polystyrene containing melt and a supply of recycled oligomers, pyrolyze the densified polystyrene containing melt and the recycled oligomers, and output a hydrocarbon gas stream and a solids residue stream; a quenching apparatus configured to receive the hydrocarbon gas stream output from the pyrolysis reactor and condense out oligomers for routing upstream to the pyrolysis reactor to be combined as the supply of recycled oligomers with the densified polystyrene containing melt, and to discharge an altered hydrocarbon gas stream for further processing; and a condenser configured to receive the altered hydrocarbon gas stream from the quenching apparatus and condense out styrene to form a styrene monomer oil product.