Transformation of Plastic Waste into Pyrolytic Carbon Via Pyrolysis: Structural Examination by X-Ray Diffraction Analysis for Sustainable Environmental Applications

Abstract

The ongoing rise in plastic trash production has emerged as a significant environmental issue owing to the non-biodegradable characteristics and prolonged persistence of synthetic polymers. Traditional disposal methods, including landfilling and incineration, lead to soil pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Pyrolysis has emerged as an efficient thermochemical conversion method that transforms waste plastics into useful products, including liquid fuels, combustible gases and carbon-rich solid wastes. This study involved the conversion of waste plastic packaging sheets into activated carbon via an oxygen-limited pyrolysis process. The acquired carbon sample was analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to examine its structural characteristics. The XRD pattern exhibited a large diffraction band within the range of 2θ = 20°–30°, corresponding to the (002) plane of disordered carbon structures. The lack of distinct diffraction peaks validated the dominance of amorphous carbon with minimal graphitic organization. The acquired material demonstrated a significantly deficient turbostratic carbon structure, which is advantageous for adsorption and environmental remediation purposes. This research illustrates an economical and sustainable approach for transforming plastic trash into useable carbon materials, advancing the circular economy and waste valorisation. The pyrolysis experiment was performed via a laboratory-scale cylindrical reactor constructed from a sealed metallic chamber. Plastic packaging trash was fed into the reactor and externally heated under conditions of limited oxygen. Following thermal degradation, a carbonaceous solid residue was acquired, which was then converted into activated carbon through crushing, purification, and drying before XRD characterisation.