Co-pyrolysis of Oil Palm Fronds (OPF) and Polypropylene Plastic (PP) Using NiCu/CaO Catalyst for Bio-oil Production

Universitas Riau, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, 28293 Pekanbaru, Indonesia

Abstract

Oil Palm Fronds (OPF), an abundant agricultural residue in Southeast Asia, and polypropylene (PP), one of the most consumed plastics worldwide, represent underutilized feedstocks with high potential for liquid fuel production. When combined with catalytic upgrading, particularly using multifunctional catalysts such as NiCu/CaO, co-pyrolysis can enhance deoxygenation, promote hydrocarbon formation, and improve the physicochemical quality of the resulting bio-oil. Therefore, the present study investigates the influence of sulfuric acid pretreatment on OPF, the impact of different OPF-to-PP blending ratios (0:1, 1:0, 1:1, 1:3, and 3:1), and variations in catalyst loading (2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%) on the yield and properties of the bio-oil produced. The co-pyrolysis process was carried out at 500°C for 60 minutes. The best bio-oil was generated from co-pyrolysis of OPF pretreated with 2% sulfuric acid in a ratio of 3:1 with polypropylene, with the NiCu/CaO addition of 5% with a yield of62.80 %, density of 0.8198 g mL^-1, and calorific value of 38.052 MJ kg^-1, with main components 2,4-dimethyl-1-heptene.