Processing of polyethylene terephtalate waste into aromatic compounds – components of automotive gasoline

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Proposes a chemical recycling route for PET to aromatics with detailed integration points for refineries, relevant for catalysis and waste valorization research.

🏢実務担当者:Offers a potential method to convert PET waste into gasoline components, reducing fossil fuel use and waste, applicable for refinery and waste management sectors.

🏛政策担当者:Highlights the potential of chemical recycling to address plastic waste and reduce carbon footprint in fuel production, relevant for circular economy policy.

PROCESSING OF POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTALATE WASTE INTO AROMATIC COMPOUNDS – COMPONENTS OF AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINES © K.V. Shevchenko1 , A.B. Grigorov2 National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute”, 61002, Kharkiv, 2 Kirpichova St., Ukraine 1 Shevchenko Kyrylo Volodymyrovych, Ph.D. in Technical Sciences, Doctoral Student of the Department of Oil, Gas and Solid Fuel Processing Technologies (TPNG and TP), ORCID: 0000-0002-4819-4663, Scopus ID: 57221911422, еmail: [email protected] 2 Andriy Borisovich Grigorov, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Professor of the Department of TPNG and TP, ORCID: 0000-0001-5370-7016, Scopus ID: 55894206900, e-mail: [email protected] The study is devoted to solving the problem of expanding production of aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylenes, etc.), which are of strategic importance for the domestic economy. This is of particular importance given that the main Ukrainian producers of these substances – the petrochemical and coke industries – suffered significant losses as a result of armed aggression. The article examines the prospects for processing PET waste into components of automotive gasoline – namely aromatic hydrocarbons. At present, PET waste is among the most abundant polymer wastes. PET waste is generated at all stages of the product life cycle, from production to consumption and disposal. Such waste is characterized by high resistance to biodegradation and therefore can cause significant negative environmental impacts. At the same time, PET waste serves as a source of valuable feedstock for chemical recycling processes, which, in turn, makes it possible to obtain products of economic importance while simultaneously addressing the problem of hazardous waste accumulation. The PET waste processing approach proposed in the article involves hydrolysis to obtain terephthalic acid as the target intermediate product, which can subsequently be converted – via catalytic decarboxylation and hydrogenolysis – into either benzene or toluene and xylenes. For the practical implementation of this technology, process flow schemes are proposed that integrate feedstock preparation, direct processing, catalyst regeneration, and product separation. The key factors for increasing the practical yield of target products and the effectiveness of their application under the conditions of operating oil refineries are analyzed. Key integration points for the production of aromatic hydrocarbons from terephthalic acid into automotive gasoline production at refineries are identified. These integration points make it possible to increase refinery operational flexibility (by balancing petroleum and secondary sources of aromatics), reduce costs associated with crude oil procurement (through partial substitution with secondary feedstocks), generate additional revenue from PET waste utilization, improve the quality of commercial gasoline due to high knock resistance, and reduce the carbon footprint of gasoline production by decreasing the share of fossil feedstocks used in producing marketable products. Keywords: automotive gasoline; PET waste; processing; aromatic hydrocarbons; gasoline components; additives; anti-knock properties; integration points. Corresponding author: A.B. Hryhorov, e-mail: [email protected] Manuscript received 2026/02/18 Accepted for publication 2026/03/30 Published 2026/04/17 How to Cite: 1. Shevchenko K.V. Otrymannia aromatychnykh vuhlevodniv – komponentiv avtomobilnykh benzyniv – iz vidkhodiv polietylentereftalatu yak alternatyvy naftovii ta koksokhimichnii syrovyni / K.V. Shevchenko, A.B. Hryhorov // Vuhlekhimichnyi zhurnal. – 2026. – № 1. – S. 32-44. https://doi.org/10.31081/1681-309X-2026-0-1-32-44 2. Shevchenko, K. V., & Hryhorov, A. B. (2026). Otrymannia aromatychnykh vuhlevodniv – komponentiv avtomobilnykh benzyniv – iz vidkhodiv polietylentereftalatu yak alternatyvy naftovii ta koksokhimichnii syrovyni. Vuhlekhimichnyi Zhurnal, (1), 32–44. https://doi.org/10.31081/1681-309X-2026-0-1-32-44 How to obtain the full text of the article: - within 2 years from the date of publication – upon request by e-mail: [email protected] - after 2 years from the date of publication – free access in the database ―Scientific Periodicals of Ukraine‖ of the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine by the link: http://www.irbis-nbuv.gov.ua/cgibin/irbis_nbuv/cgiirbis_64.exe?Z21ID=&I21DBN=UJRN&P21DBN=UJRN&S21STN=1&S21REF=10&S21FMT=juu_all&C21COM=S&S21CNR=20&S21P01=0&S21P02=0&S21P03=PREF=&S21COLORTERMS=0&S21STR=ukhj This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ References 1. Elehinafe, F. B. (2021). Waste polyethylene terephthalate packaging materials in developing countries – Sources, adverse effects, and management. Journal of Ecological Engineering, 22(1), 135–142. https://doi.org/10.12912/27197050/132222 2. 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