Thermal Loss
Inevitable mass dissipation occurring during the high-temperature thermal decomposition of post-consumer plastic waste inside oxygen-depleted reactor vessels reduces usable liquid hydrocarbon output. Standard mass balance accounting defines pyrolysis yield loss as the mass fraction of feedstock converted into non-condensable syngas, solid carbonaceous char, and high-boiling residues that cannot be cracked into polymer precursors. This mass deficit directly decreases the volume of certified circular attribution credits available to downstream resin producers and barrier coating converters.
The mass balance ledger stops allocating sustainability credits to the unrecovered gas and char fractions.
Conversion Efficiency
Advanced thermochemical recycling reactors achieve liquid pyrolysis oil yields ranging between fifty and seventy-five percent of input plastic mass depending on contamination, moisture, and polymer composition. Syngas generated during thermal cracking is redirected to power reactor heating burners, while char residues are removed as solid waste. Heavy contamination from biomass, paper labels, aluminum foils, and halogenated polymers accelerates yield loss and degrades oil purity.
Allocation Impact
Audited mass balance certification systems require chemical companies to deduct process losses before distributing circular credits to downstream packaging polymers. A paperboard converter purchasing mass-balanced barrier coatings receives credits reflecting only the net usable chemical output of the pyrolysis plant. Transparent yield tracking prevents the over-allocation of recycled material claims on retail food packaging.
