Pilot-Scale Catalytic Conversion of Non-Recyclable Plastic Waste into Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69968/ijisem.2026v5i4219-228Keywords:
Plastic Waste-to-Fuel Conversion, Catalytic Pyrolysis, Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), Waste-to-Energy Technology, Circular Economy and Sustainable Waste ManagementAbstract
The growing accumulation of non-recyclable plastic waste presents a dual challenge of environmental pollution and resource inefficiency. This study presents NeevEnerjet™, a patent-protected catalytic waste-to-fuel technology developed for the conversion of mixed plastic waste into ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD)-range fuel. , with successful operation demonstrated at both laboratory and pilot scales. The process integrates feed stock preparation, oxygen-free thermal cracking, catalytic upgrading, staged condensation, fraction separation, and post-treatment using a proprietary system and process configuration to produce a diesel-range synthetic fuel suitable for industrial and transportation-relevant applications. A laboratory-scale reactor setup was first used to establish process feasibility and optimize liquid fuel recovery. Following successful bench-scale validation, the process was translated into a 200 liters/day pilot plant, demonstrating engineering scalability under practical operating conditions. The pilot unit includes a thermal conversion reactor, vapor transfer system, multi-stage condensation train, liquid receivers, gas handling, and process control instrumentation. The fuel was clear, light green, and diesel-like. Independent third-party fuel test results were matching diesel properties, thereby placing the fuel within the ultra-low sulfur category and consistent with key EN 590 low-sulfur diesel performance indicators. Diesel fraction recovery of approximately 80 wt% under optimized feed and operating conditions. The results demonstrate that the NeevEnerjet™ catalyst and process technology serve as a viable waste-to-fuel technology with circular-economy relevance, combining plastic diversion with the production of a clean diesel-range liquid hydrocarbon. The work establishes a basis for future scale-up, process intensification, emissions validation, and techno-economic deployment.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Swapnil Gavkar, Shruti Gavkar, Akar Chaudhari
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