Design of a Pyrolysis Device for Converting Pet Plastic Bottle Waste into Conductive Carbon as a Raw Material for Non-Metal Components

Abstract

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle waste is a significant environmental problem, including in Merauke City, necessitating innovative processing solutions to convert it into value-added products. This study aims to design a simple pyrolysis apparatus and test the electrical conductivity of conductive carbon produced from PET bottle waste. The method used is two-stage pyrolysis: initial carbonization at a temperature of ±400°C for 1 hour, followed by advanced pyrolysis at ±1000°C for 2 hours in a closed system with medium carbon steel pieces as mediation. The results showed that the initial carbonization produced amorphous carbon with high resistance (800–1200 Ω), while the advanced process with the addition of metal and high temperature significantly increased electrical conductivity, reducing the resistance to 30–50 Ω. This proves that the addition of metal and increased temperature are effective in facilitating the formation of conductive graphitic structures (sp² bonding). The resulting conductive carbon has broad potential as a raw material for non-metallic components such as battery electrodes, supercapacitors, or electronic sensors