Method for treating organic waste
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of treating an organic waste containing hydrogen and carbon in molten metal contained in a vessel to sequentially form enriched hydrogen and carbon oxide gas streams comprising the steps of:
- a) introducing the organic waste into molten metal, without the addition of a separate oxidizing agent and under conditions sufficient to decompose the organic waste and to form an enriched hydrogen gas stream and carbonize the molten metal;
b) removing substantially all of the formed enriched hydrogen gas stream from the vessel;
c) thereafter adding a separate oxidizing agent into the carbonized molten metal to oxidize carbon contained in the carbonized molten metal to form an enriched carbon oxide gas stream and to decarbonize the molten metal; and
d) removing substantially all of the formed enriched carbon oxide gas stream from the vessel.
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Abstract
Organic waste is treated in a molten metal bath to sequentially form enriched hydrogen gas and carbon oxide gas streams. The method includes introducing organic waste to a molten metal bath in the absence of a separate oxidizing agent and under conditions that will decompose the organic waste. As a consequence of this decomposition, an enriched hydrogen gas stream is generated and the molten metal bath becomes carbonized. Thereafter, an oxidizing agent is added to the carbonized molten metal bath to oxidize the carbon contained in the carbonized molten metal bath. Reaction of the oxidizing agent with the carbon causes formation of a carbon oxide that escapes from the bath as an enriched carbon oxide gas stream, thereby decarbonizing the molten metal bath.
123 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of treating an organic waste containing hydrogen and carbon in molten metal contained in a vessel to sequentially form enriched hydrogen and carbon oxide gas streams comprising the steps of:
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a) introducing the organic waste into molten metal, without the addition of a separate oxidizing agent and under conditions sufficient to decompose the organic waste and to form an enriched hydrogen gas stream and carbonize the molten metal; b) removing substantially all of the formed enriched hydrogen gas stream from the vessel; c) thereafter adding a separate oxidizing agent into the carbonized molten metal to oxidize carbon contained in the carbonized molten metal to form an enriched carbon oxide gas stream and to decarbonize the molten metal; and d) removing substantially all of the formed enriched carbon oxide gas stream from the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of treating an organic waste containing hydrogen and carbon in molten metal contained in a vessel to sequentially form enriched hydrogen and carbon oxide gas streams, said carbon oxide gas having a significantly increased molar ratio of carbon dioxide/carbon oxide compared to that produced in molten iron under the same conditions, comprising the steps of:
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a) introducing the organic waste into molten metal which comprises two immiscible metals wherein, at the operating conditions, the first immiscible metal has a free energy of oxidation greater than that for oxidation of carbon to carbon monoxide and the second immiscible metal having a free energy of oxidation greater than that for oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, without the addition of a separate oxidizing agent and under conditions sufficient to decompose the organic waste and to generate an enriched hydrogen gas stream and carbonize the molten metal; b) removing substantially all of the formed enriched hydrogen gas stream from the vessel; c) thereafter adding a separate oxidizing agent into the carbonized molten metal to oxidize carbon contained in the carbonized molten metal to generate an enriched carbon oxide gas stream having a significantly increased ratio of carbon dioxide/carbon monoxide compared to that produced in molten iron under the same conditions; and d) removing substantially all of the formed enriched carbon oxide gas stream from the vessel.
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11. A method of treating an organic waste containing hydrogen and carbon to sequentially form enriched hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas streams, comprising the steps of:
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a) introducing the organic waste into molten iron contained within a vessel, without the addition of a separate oxidizing agent and under conditions sufficient to decompose the organic waste and to generate an enriched hydrogen gas stream and to carbonize the molten metal; b) removing substantially all of the formed enriched hydrogen gas stream from the vessel; c) thereafter adding a separate stream of oxygen gas into the carbonized molten iron to oxidize the carbon contained in the carbonized molten iron to thereby form an enriched carbon monoxide gas stream and to decarbonize the molten metal iron; and d) removing substantially all of the formed enriched carbon monoxide gas stream from the vessel.
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12. In a method for treating an organic waste containing hydrogen and carbon by introducing the organic waste into molten metal contained in a vessel under conditions sufficient to decompose the organic waste and including the addition of an oxidizing agent to the molten metal to form hydrogen and carbon oxide gases:
the improvement of generating enriched hydrogen and carbon oxide gas streams by introducing the organic waste into molten metal without the addition of said oxidizing agent thereby carbonizing the molten metal and forming a separate enriched hydrogen gas stream and after substantially removing the enriched hydrogen gas stream, separately introducing said oxidizing agent into the carbonized molten metal to decarbonize said molten metal, thereby generating a separate enriched carbon oxide gas stream. - View Dependent Claims (13)
Specification