METHODS FOR CONVERTING PLASTIC TO WAX

• US 20150247096A1
• Filed: 02/11/2015
• Published: 09/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Barger, Paul T., Rajaram, Raj V., Banavali, Rajiv M.
• Application Number:
  US14/620,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20150247096A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/10 from rubber or rubber waste

Abstract

Methods for converting plastic to wax are provided. In one embodiment, a method for converting a waste plastic to wax includes introducing the waste plastic into a chamber and adding hydrogen to the chamber. The method includes heating the waste plastic and hydrogen sufficiently to thermally depolymerize the waste plastic to form a wax product comprising paraffin and olefin compounds.

Claims

1. A method for converting a waste plastic to wax, the method comprising the steps of:

introducing the waste plastic into a chamber;

adding hydrogen to the chamber;

heating the waste plastic and hydrogen sufficiently to thermally depolymerize the waste plastic to form a wax product comprising paraffin and olefin compounds.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the chamber with a depolymerization catalyst selected from solid acid catalysts, liquid acid catalysts, radical initiators, hydrogenation catalysts, zeolites, and catalysts on supports.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

melting the waste plastic comprises heating the waste plastic to a temperature of about 100°

C. to about 150°

C.; and

heating the waste plastic and hydrogen comprises heating the waste plastic and hydrogen to a temperature of from about 300°

C. to about 500°

C.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein heating the waste plastic and hydrogen comprises forming a polyethylene wax product comprising paraffin and olefin compounds in a paraffin:

olefin ratio of at least about 1.1;

1 and having a weight average molecular weight of from about 5000 gram per mole (g/mol) to about 15000 g/mol.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the waste plastic into a chamber comprises introducing the waste plastic to a chamber in a batch process.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein hydrogen is added to the chamber after the waste plastic is introduced into the chamber.

7. A method for converting a plastic to wax, the method comprising the steps of:

contacting the plastic with hydrogen; and

heating the plastic and the hydrogen sufficiently to thermally degrade the plastic to form a wax product with a Saybolt color (ASTM D156) of at least about 0.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein heating the plastic and the hydrogen sufficiently to thermally degrade the plastic comprises forming the wax product with a Saybolt color (ASTM D156) of at least about +20.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein heating the plastic and the hydrogen comprises thermally degrading the plastic to form a wax product having an average molecular weight of from about 5000 gram per mole (g/mol) to about 15000 g/mol.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein heating the plastic and the hydrogen comprises thermally degrading the plastic to form a wax product having an average molecular weight of from about 6000 gram per mole (g/mol) to about 9000 g/mol.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein heating the plastic and the hydrogen comprises thermally degrading the plastic to form a wax product comprising paraffin and olefin compounds in a paraffin:

olefin ratio of at least about 1.1;

1.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein heating the plastic and the hydrogen comprises heating the plastic and the hydrogen to a temperature of about 300°

C. to about 500°

C.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising melting the plastic before contacting the plastic with hydrogen.

14. The method of claim 7 further comprising melting the plastic after contacting the plastic with hydrogen.

15. The method of claim 7 further comprising melting the plastic at a temperature of about 100°

C. to about 150°

C.

16. The method of claim 7 further comprising agitating the plastic after contacting the plastic with hydrogen to promote dissolution of the hydrogen into the plastic.

17. The method of claim 7 wherein contacting the plastic with hydrogen comprises locating the plastic in a hydrogen environment, and wherein the method further comprises maintaining a hydrogen partial pressure in the hydrogen environment of at least about 0.5 atmospheres (atm).

18. The method of claim 7 wherein contacting the plastic with hydrogen comprises:

introducing the plastic to a chamber; and

filling the chamber with the hydrogen and an inert gas.

19. The method of claim 7 wherein contacting the plastic with hydrogen comprises locating the plastic in an environment comprising substantially pure hydrogen.

20. A method for converting waste plastic to polyethylene wax, the method comprising the steps of:

melting the waste plastic;

dissolving hydrogen into the waste plastic; and

thermally depolymerizing the waste plastic in the presence of the hydrogen to form a polyethylene wax product comprising paraffin and olefin compounds.