Unlocking naphtha from polyolefins using Ni-based hydrocracking catalysts

Naphtha (C₅-C₁₂ alkanes) is a platform feedstock in the petroleum industry and an ideal target for reutilizing plastic waste at scale. Hydrocracking has emerged as a promising technology for deconstructing polyolefins to naphtha. However, contemporary catalysts rely on Pt to achieve high rates, while earth-abundant metals (EAM) perform poorly. Herein, we develop high-performance Ni/BEA catalysts for polyolefin hydrocracking, achieving complete low-density polyethylene (LDPE) deconstruction with 80 % maximum naphtha yield within 12 h at 250 °C, 60 bar H₂, and a catalyst-to-polymer ratio of 1:100. These catalysts are versatile, accommodating virgin resins and commercial polymer products, and are directly reusable and regenerable. Comparative analysis highlights that 5Ni/BEA(25) exhibits the highest naphtha productivity of 11.4 $\huge{(}$$\frac{g_{Naphtha}}{g_{cat}{•h}}$$\huge{)}$, surpassing previously reported Pt- and EAM-based catalysts by 2.5–6.2x. Technoeconomic and life-cycle analyses reveal naphtha from LDPE hydrocracking is economically and environmentally competitive to fossil-fuel-derived naphtha. In conclusion, these advancements pave the way for the industrial implementation of earth-abundant Ni-based catalysts in polyolefin hydrocracking, followed by retrofitting steam crackers to address plastics waste at scale.. Authors: Vance, Brandon C. [Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)] (ORCID:0000000179677847); Yuliu, Zhifei [Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)]; Najmi, Sean [Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)] (ORCID:0000000282439249); Selvam, Esun [Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)]; Granite, Jack E. [Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)]. DOE Contract: SC0012704; SC0021166. Subjects: Circular Economy; Earth-abundant Metals; Engineering; Hydrocracking; Nickel; Plastics Waste; Zeolites