Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering (IJChE)
Scientific Journal

Techno-Economic Assessment of Hydrogen Production from Plastic Waste using Aspen HYSYS

Document Type : Regular Article

Authors

Ayda Dastneshan 1
Jamshid Behin 1
Amarjeet Bassi 2

1 Faculty of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

2 Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Western University, London, N6G 0N1, ON, Canada

https://doi.org/10.22034/ijche.2025.560814.1578
Abstract
The rapid growth in global demand for clean and sustainable energy has intensified the need for efficient hydrogen (H2) production technologies. Thermochemical recycling of plastic waste has emerged as a promising approach, offering both environmental benefits and the generation of high-purity, low-carbon H2. This study evaluates the technical and economic feasibility of H2 production from diverse plastic waste streams using Aspen HYSYS and the Aspen Economic Analyzer. The process integrates polymer pyrolysis, chlorine removal, and steam reforming. Feedstocks (200×10³ t/y) include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and mixed industrial and municipal waste from packaging (PKG), medical (MED), automotive (AUT), municipal solid waste (MSW), construction (CON), and textile (TEX) sectors. H2 production yield strongly depends on the feedstock composition, ranging from 0.14 to 0.31 t H₂/t feed. PET with the lowest H/C ratio, exhibits the lowest yield, whereas PE and PP achieve the highest yields, albeit with incomplete carbon-to-CO conversion. Oxygenated polymers, such as PET, generate the highest CO2 emissions (~1.4 t/t feed). Economic analysis indicates that PE and MED are the most cost-effective feedstocks, with gross margins of 62 and 66% and annual net profits of 232×10⁶ and 223×10⁶ USD, respectively.

Keywords

Aspen economic
Aspen HYSYS
Hydrogen production
Plastic waste valorization
Thermochemical recycling
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Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering (IJChE)
Volume 22, Issue 4
Autumn 2025
Pages 3-17

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