output yeild
This table shows the percentage yield and daily/annual output quantities for the four products of a plastic pyrolysis plant — liquid oil, carbon char, syngas, and moisture/loss — modelled at 30 tonnes per day input capacity.
| Output Product | Percentage Yield | Daily Output (at 30 TPD) | Annual Output (10,000 TPA) |
| Liquid Oil (Total) | 65% – 80% | 19.5 – 24.0 Tons | 6,500 – 8,000 Tons |
| Carbon Char | 10% – 20% | 3.0 – 6.0 Tons | 1,000 – 2,000 Tons |
| Syngas | 5% – 12% | 1.5 – 3.6 Tons | 500 – 1,200 Tons |
| Moisture/Loss | 2% – 5% | 0.6 – 1.5 Tons | 200 – 500 Tons |
Beyond definitions
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How to read this table
- All percentage yields are weight-based: a 65% liquid oil yield means 65 kg of oil from 100 kg of input plastic
- Daily output figures assume 30 TPD input — scale proportionally for other capacities (e.g. a 10 TPD plant produces roughly one-third of the volumes shown)
- Annual output assumes continuous operation at full capacity — actual annual production will be lower due to planned maintenance, cleaning cycles, and downtime
- Yield ranges reflect the variability in feedstock composition — pure PE/PP feed achieves the upper end; mixed post-consumer feed falls toward the lower end
About this table
A plastic pyrolysis plant converts waste plastic into three useful outputs and a small loss fraction. Understanding the output yield profile is essential for calculating revenue potential, sizing storage, and planning byproduct disposal or sale. This table models yields at a 30 Tonnes Per Day (TPD) input capacity, which is a common benchmark scale for mid-size Indian operators.
Liquid oil is the primary product, accounting for 65–80% of input weight. At 30 TPD, this translates to 19.5–24 tonnes of oil per day, or 6,500–8,000 tonnes per year at full-year operation (approximately 10,000 TPA input). The oil is a blend of naphtha, diesel-range, and heavier fractions — its composition depends on feedstock type (see the Feedstock Yield by Polymer Type table). This is the main revenue-generating output sold to industrial fuel buyers or, after distillation, to refineries and petrochemical processors.
Carbon char accounts for 10–20% of input weight. At 30 TPD, this is 3–6 tonnes per day — a significant volume that must be managed. Char from clean PE/PP feed has a reasonable calorific value and can be sold as a substitute fuel to brick kilns or cement plants. Char from mixed or contaminated feed has high ash content and limited market value, making it a cost centre rather than a revenue stream. Syngas represents 5–12% of input. Most Indian plants route the syngas internally to heat the reactor furnace, reducing diesel consumption rather than generating a separate revenue stream.
The moisture and process loss fraction (2–5%) accounts for water in the feedstock, non-condensable light gases vented after scrubbing, and other mass losses. Pre-drying the feedstock below 5% moisture content reduces this fraction and improves oil yield. At 30 TPD scale, even a 5% improvement in oil yield adds 1.5 tonnes of additional oil per day.
Key insights
- Liquid oil is the dominant product at 65–80% yield — at 30 TPD this is 19.5 to 24 tonnes of oil per day
- Carbon char at 10–20% yield is a significant volume requiring active disposal or sale planning — it is a cost centre for mixed-feedstock plants
- Syngas (5–12%) is typically consumed internally as reactor furnace fuel, reducing the plant's diesel operating cost
- Moisture pre-treatment of feedstock directly improves oil yield — every 5% improvement in yield adds 1.5 tonnes of additional oil per day at 30 TPD scale
Methodology & sources
Yield ranges derived from industry benchmarks for batch and semi-continuous plastic pyrolysis plants operating in India at 5–50 TPD scale as of 2023–2024. The 30 TPD reference capacity is illustrative. Actual yields depend on feedstock composition, reactor temperature, residence time, and moisture content. Annual output figures assume continuous full-capacity operation — apply an 80–85% capacity utilisation factor for realistic planning.
Related data tables
Feedstock table 1
This table shows the liquid oil yield, syngas yield, and solid char percentage for four plastic types — pure HDPE/LDPE, pure PP, pure PS, and mixed post-consumer plastic — and describes the primary oil characteristic from each.
Indigenous vs. Global: Technical Comparison
This table compares Indian-manufactured (indigenous) plastic pyrolysis technology with global technology from EU, US, and China across five technical dimensions: design focus, material handling, capital cost, automation, and compliance standard.
Plastic polymer landscape - technical summary
This table covers six plastic polymer types (PE, PP, PS, MLP, PET, PVC) with their resin identification codes, pyrolysis suitability rating, the type of output each produces, and the reactor handling action required for each.