Fe2O3, Al2O3, or sludge ash-catalyzed pyrolysis of typical 3D printing waste toward tackling plastic pollution

Abstract

Catalytic pyrolysis offers a potential solution to tackling plastic pollution by transforming plastic waste into valuable chemicals. This study explored the catalytic pyrolysis of 3D printing waste (3DPW), specifically focusing on photosensitive resin waste (PRW) and polycaprolactone waste (PCLW), with Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, or sludge ash (SA) containing Fe/Al. The study revealed a synergistic effect between the catalyst and 3DPW, influencing the pyrolysis properties and kinetic models. The addition of Fe₂O₃ significantly accelerated the main degradation stages, promoting the releases of 2-Ethylacrolein (64.78% from PRW) and 2-Oxepanone (16.45% from PCLW), as well as decreasing the acidic products. The catalytic pyrolysis changed the valence state of Fe, with some Fe(III) shifting to Fe(II), accompanied by the release of CO₂. The addition of Al₂O₃ or SA generated new gaseous products (e.g., 2.93% 1,3-Pentadiene, 2-methyl-, (E)-) through volatile reforming. The joint optimization of the multi-response artificial neural network revealed PCLW/Fe₂O₃ between 325–399 ^oC (D = 0.669) as the optimal operation for achieving both minimal remaining mass and maximum decomposition rate. These findings offer actionable insights into the catalytic pyrolysis of 3DPW, promoting its efficient treatment and clean reutilization.