Effective utilization of waste plastic materials is one of key technologies for environmental protection. In this work, we conducted fundamental researches on production techniques of reduced iron and H₂ and CO gases from waste plastic materials (polyethylene and Refuse Derived Fuel) and iron oxide mixtures. The mixtures were heated up at the temperatures of 1000–1300°C in Ar gas stream. Concentrations of generated gases from samples were continuously measured by a quad-pole mass spectrometer.
Conversion ratios into H₂ from waste plastic materials reached 60–70% at 1300°C both in thermal decomposition of the waste plastic materials and reduction of the mixture samples. In the reduction of the mixture samples, conversion ratios into CO reached 70–80% at 1300°C. Final fractional reductions of samples containing RDF at 1200°C and 1300°C were 100%. When waste plastic materials are used as a reducing agent, plastics which contain large amount of fixed carbon are suitable to obtain a high fractional reduction.