Post-consumer paper cups to hydrogen and functional catalytic material

A novel catalytic hydrothermal technique for the conversion of post-consumer paper cups (PCPC) containing polyethylene (PE) linings into hydrogen-rich fuel gas and synthesizing value-added nickel-decorated carbon composites (NDCC). The impact of operating gasification parameters such as temperature, residence time, and nickel concentration on the degradation of PCPC was investigated. A maximum H₂ yield (9.71 ± 0.19 mmol/g), total gas yield (TGY) (23.79 ± 0.47 mmol/g), carbon gasification efficiency (CGE) of 38.27%, and lower heating value (LHV) of 2994 KJ/Nm³ was attained at 600 °C, 40 min, and a Ni concentration of 0.3 wt%. The incorporation of nickel enhances the degradation of PCPC by catalyzing the water-gas shift and cracking reactions. Compared with deionized water, the in-situ doping of nickel elevates the H₂ yield by 1.8 times, and TGY, CGE, and LHV by ∼ 1.7 times. The NDCC obtained at 600 °C has a cubical structure with an average particle size of 40 nm, as examined by FESEM and TEM analysis. Additionally, the synthesized NDCC was employed as an external catalyst for the degradation of glucose to hydrogen-rich fuel gas. It retained catalytic activity for up to 7 consecutive cycles, producing a maximum H₂ yield of 20.34 mmol/g of glucose.