Modeling and Optimization of Hydrogen Production from Gasification of Waste Polyethylene

Due to the energy crisis and environmental concern of fossil fuel usage, hydrogen has emerged as an alternative source of fuel. Hydrogen which is the major component of syngas, can be produced through gasification of waste polyethylene (PE). PE is a very sustainable source with a global production of 67 million tons in 2010. Waste PE catalytic steam gasification with in-situ carbon dioxide capture using CaO provides good prospects for the production of hydrogen rich gas. This work focuses on the process modeling and optimization for hydrogen production from waste PE using MATLAB. The model incorporates the reaction kinetics calculations of the steam gasification of waste PE with in-situ CO2 capture, as well as mass balances calculations. The developed model is used to investigate the effect of temperature, type of catalyst and steam/PE ratio on the hydrogen purity and hydrogen yield. Based on the results, hydrogen purity of 35 mol% can be achieved. The maximum hydrogen yield predicted at the outlet of gasifier is 125gH2/kg PE. It is also found that the increased in temperature and steam/PE ratio will enhance the hydrogen production. In conclusion, this work provided meaningful resources that can be used as a basis for more detail work for gasification of waste PE.