Pyrolysis of plastic wastes as a way of obtaining valuable chemical raw materials

This article presents a mini-review of the literature on the laboratory scale pyrolysis of selected plastic waste. Among the various types of polymer materials polyolefins (PE and PP), as well as polystyrene (PS), polyoxymethylene (POM), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), were selected. The paper highlights valuable compounds and chemical raw materials that can be obtained by pyrolyzing the waste polymers. Pyrolysis of polyolefins can lead to the formation of liquid paraffins and olefins. By pyrolyzing aromatic polymers such as polystyrene, a valuable BTEX fraction can be obtained, the efficiency of which depends on the conditions of the process. Polyoxymethylene pyrolysis can be an alternative way to produce valuable formaldehyde. A short discussion based on the cited articles has been presented