Last year, we were awarded an Invest NI Proof of Concept grant to work on the valorisation of olefins from plastics pyrolysis (thermal decomposition of polyolefins). Today, we are welcoming Dr Issam Abdalghani, who joins the group to work on this project, and kick-starting the experimental part.
Pyrolysis of plastics yields a mixture of linear 1-olefins and parafins with different chain lenghts. The aim of our project is to convert lighter fraction of these products (<C20) to base oils (the main component of, for example, automotive oils), using our expertise in oligomerisation of olefins using Lewis acidic ionic liquids.
Swadźba-Kwaśny Lab 