Conversion of municipal waste to useful oils

• US 5,158,982 A
• Filed: 10/04/1991
• Issued: 10/27/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IIT Research Institute (Alion Science & Technology Corp.)
• Original Assignee: IIT Research Institute (Alion Science & Technology Corp.)
• Inventors: Stapp, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michl, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asinovsky, Olga
• Application Number:
  US07/771,732
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 521/48, 521/41, 208/15, 208/16, 208/17, 208/18, 585/241
• US Class Current: 521/41
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/06 by destructive hydrogenation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/08 with moving catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for converting municipal waste containing plastics to a high quality synthetic crude oil which can be separated by fractionation into gasoline, diesel fuel and gas oils suitable as a feedstock to a catalytic cracker. The presence of cellulosic and proteinaceous waste materials in the municipal waste does not inhibit the process of the invention for converting the municipal waste into a synthetic crude oil. The process generally includes the steps of heating the municipal waste in a reaction gas, of a mixture of hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen or hydrogen at moderate temperatures and pressures.

Claims

1. A method for converting municipal waste containing plastic materials to an oil feedstock comprising

(a) charging municipal waste into a reaction vessel,

(b) contacting said municipal waste in said reaction vessel with a gas atmosphere selected from hydrogen and mixtures of hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide, and

(c) heating said reaction mixture to a temperature in the range of from about 350°

C. to about 450°

C. for a time sufficient to convert organic materials in said municipal waste to liquid hydrocarbon materials having a boiling point below about 1000°

F.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said municipal waste is fed to said reaction vessel in the form of particles.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said municipal waste is fed to said reaction vessel in the form of melted polymer.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the said polymeric waste in said municipal waste is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polypropylene, medium density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polyisoprene, styrene-butadiene copolymer, styrene-ethylene-butylene copolymer, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride and polyamides.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said gas atmosphere is maintained at a pressure of from about 500 psig to about 5,000 psig during said contacting step.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said gas atmosphere is maintained at a pressure of from about 750 psig to about 3,000 psig during said contacting step.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said contacting is for a period of from about 15 minutes to about 8 hours.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said contacting is for a period of from about 30 minutes to about 4 hours.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein a catalyst is present during said contacting step.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said catalyst is selected from molybdenum octoate, molybdenum acetyl acetonate, molybdenum hexacarbonyl and molybdenum napthanate.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said gas atmosphere has a hydrogen sulfide to hydrogen ratio of from 0:

1 to about 1;

1, based on pressure.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said contacting step takes place on a batch basis.

13. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said contacting step takes place on a continuous basis.

14. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said charge to said reaction vessel also comprises crude oil.