Synergistic co-processing/co-cracking of Jatropha oil, petroleum vacuum residue, and high density polyethylene

Abstract

Co-processing behavior of the blended mixture of Jatropha oil (JO), petroleum vacuum residue (VR), and high density polyethylene (HDPE) was studied by using thermogravimetric analysis under nitrogen atmosphere and was compared with those of their individual components. The blended samples studied are VR:JO (1:1), VR:HDPE (1:1), JO:HDPE (1:1), and VR:JO:HDPE (1:1:1). The pyrolysis was carried out from an ambient temperature of 30 °C to 800 °C in an inert atmosphere of nitrogen with a heating rate of 10 K/min. The value of activation energy was found to vary within the three temperature ranges studied <400, 400–500, >500. A reduction in the activation energy of the blended mixture was observed, which clearly indicates the synergism in the co-cracking/co-processing reactions when they are co-cracked/co-processed together. Thermodynamics parameters of the binary and ternary mixture of fuels were derived which further support the feasibility of co-cracking reactions.