Catalytic Gasification of Polyethylene As an in-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Alternative

Dealing with solid waste is a major issue. In space exploration, solid waste requires waste management alternatives lead to in-situ resource utilization strategies. Ground-based waste management alternatives, on the other hand, include alternatives such as landfill. Gasification is a process that can be used to convert waste into a valuable fuel, rather than resorting to landfills for waste management. Similarly, gasification integrated as in-situ resource utilization alternatives, can generate fuel while preserving living environments in space exploration. In this research, mid-density polyethylene was used as the model substrate to study gasification as a waste management alternative. The gasification proceeds through a complex reaction mechanism consisting of four reactions that are a combination of in series and parallel. Experiments were run in a 100 mL pressurized batch reactor. The use of 5 wt.% Ruthenium on Alumina catalyst allowed for the reaction to take place at temperatures below 350 ^oC . After the reaction ended, solid residuals and gas products were analyzed via gas chromatography (GC) and thermal characterization. Gas products showed a linear trend of increasing percent gasification with longer reaction times and higher temperatures. Kinetic characterization of mid-density polyethylene gasification experiments is presented. The potential of catalytic waste gasification as in-situ resource utilization alternative is examined.