Effects of Water and Air on the Reaction Pathways in the Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Plastics.

ABSTRACT: This study establishes the role of water in the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of plastics. 1-dodecene is employed as a model compound for polyolefin fragments resulting from chain cracking. The presence of a terminal double bond enables potential hydration and oxidation reactions to be assessed. Comparative experiments are conducted under identical conditions of temperature using pyrolysis and HTL in the presence and absence of air. The resulting product distributions provide critical insight into the operative reaction pathways, specifically highlighting the function of water as a reaction medium. Importantly, although hydrogen exchange and hydrogen abstraction are well-established, water does not appear to react oxidatively with the hydrocarbon substrate, as no incorporation of oxygen

SUBMITTER: Steel J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12548949 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature