Processing PP, PET and PE Plastic Waste into Oil Fuel and Its Characteristics

1. Introduction
The use of plastics and plastic-based goods is increasing with the development of
technology, industry and also the population. In Indonesia, the need for plastic continues to
increase to an average of 200 tons per year. As a result of the increased use of plastic, plastic
waste also increases. Based on the consideration of the Ministry of Environment (KLH), every
day the Indonesian population produces 0.8 kg of waste per person or a total of 189 thousand
tons of garbage / day. Of this amount 15% is plastic waste or amounts to 28.4 thousand tons of
plastic waste / day (Fahlevi, 2012).
Plastic has advantages over materials that are strong, lightweight, flexible, rust
resistant, not easily broken, easily colored, easily shaped, and good heat and electricity
insulators. However, plastic that has become garbage will have a negative impact on the
environment because it cannot decompose quickly and can reduce soil fertility. Littering of
plastic waste can also clog drainage channels, gutters and rivers so that it can cause flooding.
Burnt plastic waste can remove substances that are harmful to human health. The most popular
handling of plastic waste is 3R (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle). Reuse is used repeatedly items made
of plastic. Reducing is reducing the purchase or use of items made of plastic, special items that
are used once. Recycling is recycled goods made from plastic. Recycling is done by reprocessing
goods that are deemed to have no added value through physical or chemical processes or both
produce products that can be used or traded again.
Each waste management mentioned above has weaknesses. The disadvantage of reuse is
that certain items made of plastic, such as plastic bags, if used many times over time will not be
suitable for use. In addition, some types of plastic are not good for health if used repeatedly. The
disadvantage of reduce is the availability of cheaper and more practical plastic replacement
goods. While the disadvantage of recycle is that the plastic that has been recycled for plastic
goods again will decrease in quality.

Recycling of plastic waste can be divided into four ways, namely primary recycling,
secondary recycling, tertiary recycling and quarter recycling. Primary recycling is recycling
plastic waste into a product that has a quality that is almost equivalent to the original product.
Recycling can be done on clean plastic waste, not contaminated with other materials and consists
of only one type of plastic. Secondary recycling is recycling that produces a product similar to
the original product but with a quality below it. Tertiary recycling is recycling plastic waste into
chemicals or into fuel. Quarter recycling is a process to get the energy contained in plastic waste
(Kumar, et al., 2011).

Handling of plastic waste which is currently being researched and developed is to convert
plastic waste into fuel oil. In this way two important problems can be overcome, namely the
danger of accumulation of plastic waste and the recovery of fuel oil which is one of the plastic
raw materials. The technology to convert plastic waste into fuel oil is by cracking. One of the
cracking processes (cracking) is thermal cracking. The process of converting plastic waste into
fuel oil with the thermal cracking method is influenced by several parameters including the type
of plastic, pyrolysis temperature, pyrolysis reactor type, heat intake rate, condensation
temperature and others.

Plastics are one type of macromolecules that are made by the polymerization process.
Polymerization is the process of combining several simple molecules (monomers) through a
chemical process into large molecules (macromolecules or polymers). Plastic is a polymer
composition that does not contain carbon and hydrogen. To make plastic, one of the raw
materials that is often used is Naphta, which is a material produced from petroleum or natural
gas. As an illustration, to make 1 kg of plastic, 1.75 kg of petroleum is needed, to meet the fuel
needs, as well as the energy requirements of the process (Kumar et al., 2011).

Plastics can be grouped into two types, namely thermoplastics and thermosetting.
Thermoplastics are plastic materials that can be heated to a certain temperature, will melt and can
be reshaped to the desired shape. While thermosetting is plastic that has been made in solid form,
it cannot be re-melted by heating (UNEP, 2009). Based on the properties of the two plastic
groups above, thermoplastics are types that allow for recycling.

The most commonly treated plastic types are polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP),
polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The type of
plastic that can be recycled contains a code number to make it easier to give. The plastic code
number will be changed on plastic products
 Knowledge of the thermal properties of various types of plastics is very important in the
process of making and recycling plastics. Important thermal properties are melting point (Tm),
transition temperature (Tg) and decomposition temperature. Transition temperature is the
temperature at which plastic can be fixed which is determined by climate change to be more
flexible. Above the melting point, the plastic enlarges the magnifier so the molecules move more
freely which is characterized by increased flexibility. Melting temperature is the temperature at
which plastic begins to soften and turn into liquid. Decomposition temperature is a limitation of
the melting process. If the temperature is raised above the melting temperature, the plastic will
easily flow and the structure will increase. Decomposition occurs because thermal energy
exceeds the energy that binds the molecular chains. In general, the polymer will issue
temperatures 1.5 times the transition temperature (Budiyantoro, 2010). Some researchers have
conducted research on processing plastics into fuel oil. Tamilkolundu and Murugesan, 2012,
conducted a study by changing PVC plastic waste into fuel oil. Fuel oil from PVC plastic has a
density of 7% higher than diesel fuel. Likewise with the viscosity, 300% higher than the sun.
Furthermore, fuel oil derived from plastic waste is collected with diesel fuel. This fuel mixture
will be tried in a single-cylinder diesel engine. Performance that discusses between other fuel
consumption, specific fuel consumption and thermal efficiency. Oil-containing solar plastic
produces lower fuel consumption and higher thermal efficiency.

Research with the type of plastic conducted by Tubnonghee, et al. (2010). Plastics used
for fuel oil are polyethilene (PE) and polyprophelene (PP) types. Making fuel oil from plastics
using the thermal cracking (pyrolysis) process. Pyrolysis was carried out at 450 ° C for 2 hours.
The gas formed is then condensed into oil in a condenser with a temperature of 21 ° C. The
resulting oil is then analyzed by gas chromatography / mass spectrometry to determine the
distribution of the number of carbon atoms. From the analysis results it is known that the
composition of oil from a mixture of PE and PP plastic has a number of carbon atoms which is
equivalent to the sun, namely C12 - C17.

Osueke and Ofundu, 2011, conducted a study on the conversion of low density
polyethilene (LDPE) plastics into oil. The conversion process is done by two methods, namely
with thermal cracking and catalyst cracking. Pyrolysis is carried out in a stainless tube that is
heated with an electric heating element. Condenser with a temperature of 30-35 ° C, is used to
condense the gas formed after the plastic is heated into oil. The catalyst used in this study was
silica alumina. From this research it is known that the pyrolysis temperature is 550 ° C and 1: 4
plastic catalyst / waste is produced with the most amount of oil. 2. Research Methods

This research was conducted by an experimental method. The research was carried out at
the Janabadra University Production Process Laboratory. The heating value test was carried out
at the Gadjah Mada University Food and Nutrition Laboratory. While the GC-MS testing was
carried out at the FMIPA Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Gadjah Mada University. In this study
the materials used include: PE type plastic (plastic bag), PP type plastic (mineral water
packaging glass), PET type plastic (bottled mineral water bottles), and LPG.

In this study, the equipment that will be used between other plastic waste processing
equipment becomes fuel oil. This tool is the main tool in this study. This tool serves to melt and
vaporize plastic waste. The plastic vapor is then condensed in the condenser. The results of the
condensation are accommodated in the oil reservoir while uncondensed gas is flowed into the
burner to be burned. Thermocouples as temperature detectors are placed in the condenser and in
the reactor tube. This tool is used to measure the temperature of the air inside the condenser and
also to measure the temperature of the plastic in the reactor tube. LPG stoves work as a heat
source for heating plastics. Measuring cup. used to calculate the volume of oil produced. Stop
watch is used to measure the time needed for plastic processing. Scales are used to weigh the
plastic to be produced and the oil produced. GC-MS is used to produce compositions from
manufactured fuels.

The equipment needed during the testing process of plastic waste processing equipment,
is prepared and arranged as shown in Figure 2. The testing step starts with each material
consisting of plastic waste that is adapted to their respective types. Weigh the PP plastic waste by
0.5 kg and put it in the heating reactor. Turn on the pump to drain the condenser air conditioner.
Turn on the gas stove to heat the Heating reactor. After all the plastic has evaporated, turn off the
gas stove. Record the amount of fuel collected in the container. Clean the heating reactor from
dirt and plastic debris. Repeat the test steps for other types of plastic (PET and PE).