Ga-modified zeolites to convert mixed waste plastics to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX)-enriched oil through a dielectric barrier discharge plasma-modified reactor

Non-thermal plasma (NTP)-assisted catalytic pyrolysis is a promising technology for producing benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) from mixed waste plastics. A primary challenge in this approach is the need to achieve a high selectivity for the target products. To address this challenge, this study focused on the preparation of Ga-modified zeolites. The results showed that Ga loading was effective in increasing BTEX yields for the zeolites of USY, β, and HZSM-5 by 7.49%, 4.72%, and 8.63%, respectively. Among these zeolites, HZSM-5-Ga-N 2 was the most suitable for catalyzing the NTP-assisted pyrolysis reaction to produce BTEX hydrocarbons, with a maximum selectivity of 63.19% and a maximum yield of 31.84%. This was because the pore of HZSM-5 matched the ring size of BTEX, and NTP improved the distribution of Ga 2 O 3 active sites, allowing more acidic active sites to participate in the catalytic reaction. This work provides an applicable solution to increase the selectivity and yield of BTEX from NTP-assisted pyrolysis of mixed waste plastics with Ga-loading catalysts.