Lalitpur, Nepal — Anish Pandey, a graduate student of the Environmental Engineering Program of the Pulchowk Campus at the Institute of Engineering (IOE), Tribhuvan University, has achieved a major milestone in plastic-to-fuel research. His study, “Catalytic Pyrolysis of Mixed Plastic Wastes from Public Places to Liquid Oil: A Case Study of Kathmandu Valley,” has been published in the international journal Results in Engineering (Q1, I.F. 7.9).

Pandey’s research tested the conversion of common plastic waste—LDPE, HDPE, and PET—into liquid fuel using catalytic pyrolysis. With a custom-built small reactor and bentonite powder as a catalyst, the process delivered higher oil yields and cut processing time from 1.5 hours to 30 minutes.

At 450°C, the system produced 358 ml of liquid oil per kg of mixed plastic waste. Engine tests showed that a 20% blend of pyrolysis oil performed similarly to regular gasoline, highlighting strong potential for practical use.

The study was supervised by Assoc. Prof. Shukra Raj Paudel and Assoc. Prof. Shree Raj Shakya, and examined by Dr. Narayan Prasad Adhikari from AEPC as an external examiner.

Although limited by a low cetane number and the lack of advanced chemical analysis, the research demonstrates promising prospects for pyrolysis oil as a sustainable fuel option in Nepal.

Full article can be accessed: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2025.107408