Catalyst for recycling a plastic

Abstract

A catalyst for recycling a plastic chosen from polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and combinations thereof includes a porous support having an exterior surface and at least one pore therein, a depolymerization catalyst component comprising a metallocene catalyst disposed on the exterior surface of the porous support, and a reducing catalyst component disposed in the at least one pore. The exterior surface of the porous support comprises less than 10 parts by weight of the reducing catalyst component based on 100 parts by weight of the depolymerization catalyst component as determined using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS). Moreover, the reducing catalyst component comprises a transition metal selected from the group of iron, nickel, palladium, platinum, and combinations thereof. The at least one pore in the porous support has an average pore size of 10 Angstroms.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A catalyst for recycling a plastic chosen from polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and combinations thereof, said catalyst comprising:
 a porous support having an exterior surface and at least one pore therein;   a depolymerization catalyst component comprising a metallocene catalyst disposed on said exterior surface of said porous support; and   a reducing catalyst component disposed in said at least one pore;   wherein said exterior surface of said porous support comprises less than 10 parts by weight of said reducing catalyst component based on 100 parts by weight of said depolymerization catalyst component as determined using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS),   wherein said reducing catalyst component comprises a transition metal selected from the group of iron, nickel, palladium, platinum, and combinations thereof, and   wherein said at least one pore in the porous support has an average pore size of 10 Angstroms.   
     
     
         26 . The catalyst of  claim 25  wherein said metallocene catalyst comprises zirconium. 
     
     
         27 . The catalyst of  claim 26  wherein said metallocene catalyst is bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium(IV). 
     
     
         28 . The catalyst of  claim 25  wherein said porous support is a molecular sieve. 
     
     
         29 . The catalyst of  claim 25  wherein said porous support is a 13X molecular sieve. 
     
     
         30 . The catalyst of  claim 25  wherein the plastic is decomposed to form a hydrocarbon having 4 to 40 carbons. 
     
     
         31 . The catalyst of  claim 25  wherein the plastic is decomposed to form a hydrocarbon having 5 to 25 carbons. 
     
     
         33 . The catalyst of  claim 31  wherein the hydrocarbon having 5 to 25 carbons is gasoline, diesel fuel, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The catalyst of  claim 25  wherein the polyethylene is selected from the group of low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         35 . The catalyst of  claim 25  wherein the plastic consists essentially of polyethylene, polypropylene, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         36 . The catalyst of  claim 35  wherein the polyethylene is selected from the group of low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The catalyst of  claim 25  wherein said reducing catalyst component comprises nickel. 
     
     
         38 . The catalyst of  claim 25  wherein said reducing catalyst component comprises iron. 
     
     
         39 . The catalyst of  claim 25  wherein said exterior surface of said porous support comprises less than 5 parts by weight of said reducing catalyst component based on 100 parts by weight of said depolymerization catalyst component as determined using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS). 
     
     
         40 . A catalyst for recycling a plastic to form diesel fuel, wherein the plastic is chosen from polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and combinations thereof and wherein said catalyst consists essentially of:
 a porous support having an exterior surface and at least one pore therein;   a depolymerization catalyst component that is bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium(IV) and is disposed on said exterior surface of said porous support; and   a reducing catalyst component disposed in said at least one pore;   wherein said exterior surface of said porous support comprises less than 10 parts by weight of said reducing catalyst component based on 100 parts by weight of said depolymerization catalyst component as determined using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS),   wherein said reducing catalyst component comprises a transition metal selected from the group of iron, nickel, palladium, platinum, and combinations thereof, and   wherein said at least one pore in the porous support has an average pore size of 10 Angstroms.   
     
     
         41 . The catalyst of  claim 40  that consists of said porous support, said depolymerization catalyst, and said reducing catalyst. 
     
     
         42 . The catalyst of  claim 40  wherein said exterior surface of said porous support comprises less than 5 parts by weight of said reducing catalyst component based on 100 parts by weight of said depolymerization catalyst component as determined using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS). 
     
     
         43 . A catalyst for recycling a plastic to form diesel fuel having 5 to 25 carbons, wherein the plastic is chosen from polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and combinations thereof and wherein said catalyst consists essentially of:
 a porous support having an exterior surface and at least one pore therein;   a depolymerization catalyst component that is bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium(IV) and is disposed on said exterior surface of said porous support; and   a reducing catalyst component that is nickel nitrate and that is disposed in said at least one pore;   wherein said exterior surface of said porous support comprises less than 5 parts by weight of said reducing catalyst component based on 100 parts by weight of said depolymerization catalyst component as determined using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and   wherein said at least one pore in the porous support has an average pore size of 10 Angstroms and is a 13X molecular sieve.