Waste plastics as fuel in the boiler furnace.

 Waste plastic as fuel in the boiler 


Waste plastics can be used as a fuel in a boiler furnace to generate heat and steam. The process of converting waste plastics into fuel for a boiler is called waste plastic pyrolysis.

In this process, waste plastics are heated in the absence of oxygen to high temperatures, typically between 400 and 500 degrees Celsius. This causes the plastic to break down into smaller molecules, such as liquid fuel and gases. The liquid fuel, also known as pyrolysis oil, can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels in a boiler furnace to generate heat and steam.

The use of waste plastics as fuel in a boiler furnace has several potential benefits:

  • It can help to reduce the amount of waste plastic in the environment by repurposing it as a fuel source
  • It can decrease the need for fossil fuels, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions
  • It can generate energy in an efficient and cost-effective way.

However, there are also some challenges to using waste plastics as fuel in a boiler furnace:

  • The quality and composition of waste plastics can vary, which can affect the efficiency and emissions of the pyrolysis process
  • The process requires special equipment and expertise to handle the high temperatures and potential safety hazards
  • The process produces some solid waste and emissions, such as ash and pollutants, which need to be properly managed

In summary, waste plastics can be used as a fuel in a boiler furnace through the process of waste plastic pyrolysis, which converts waste plastics into liquid fuel, known as pyrolysis oil. It has potential benefits for reducing waste plastic and decrease the need for fossil fuels, but also has some challenges such as varying quality of waste plastics and environmental concerns.


Using waste plastics as a source of secondary fuel in a boiler furnace has been of recent interest. The success of this process, however, will be critically dependent upon the optimization of operating systems. For instance, the supply of waste plastics must be reliable as well as economically attractive compared with conventional secondary fuels such as heavy oil, natural gas and pulverized coal. In this work, we put special importance on the improvement of the combustibility of waste plastics as a way to enhance energy efficiency in the boiler furnace. 

Hazardous smoke when burning plastic is a serious factor should be considered in the furnace chamber.The burning of plastics releases toxic gases like dioxins, furans, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (better known as BCPs) into the atmosphere, and poses a threat to vegetation, and human and animal health.The harmful gases released from burning plastic depend on the type of plastic. Some plastics like acrylic release generally harmless gases. Burning of acrylic releases a small amount of methyl methacrylate which does not become harmful until concentrations reach very high levels. The most harmful gases released from burning plastic include:

  • Acrolein
  • Acetone
  • Butadiene
  • Butane
  • Formaldehyde
  • Aldehydes
  • Hydrogen Chloride
  • Hydrogen Cyanide
  • Phenol
  • Styrene

  • Hazardous plastic fume filter

  • HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Arresting) 

  • HEPA filters are pleated mechanical air filters that have a considerable thickness in order to capture the particulates. The pleats create a mat of fibers that are randomly arranged. The random, dense arrangement of fibers in the HEPA filter help to catch a range of particle sizes.

  • A high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter can remove 99.97% - 99.99% of airborne particles that are equal to, smaller or larger than 0.3 microns in size. The efficiency is rated based on the worst level possible, so think about it as 99.97% or BETTER.

  • HEPA filters are tested using air particles that are 0.3 micron size as those are the most difficult size for a HEPA filter to catch. HEPA filters are actually more efficient at capturing smaller-sized particles, like those the size of viruses (which on average are 0.1 microns)

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