"Splainex" - industrial
environmental friendly technologies: waste-to-energy, bio fuel and
electricity generation, pyrolysis and gasification, biomass
treatment,
asbestos recycling,
soil remediation, motor oil and coolant
recovery; sales and marketing, technology adaptation, equipment
fabrication and commissioning
Pyrolysis as Recovering Value from Waste
Incineration fully converts the input waste into energy and ash. Under controlled conditions conversion could be deliberately limited so that combustion does not take place directly. Waste is converted into valuable intermediates that can be further processed for materials recycling or energy recovery
During gasification thermal decomposition of organic materials takes place in the presence of such a controlled limited supply of oxygen is performed that it does not lead to combustion of the treated compounds. Main target for gasification is to convert organic compounds into a syngas can be used in conjunction with gas engines/turbines. Conventional incineration used in conjunction with steam- boilers and turbine generators, achieves lower efficiency.
Pyrolysis is the decomposition of organic materials during heating in oxygen-free atmosphere to produce gas, liquid and solid residuals. Decomposition products of the pyrolysis depend upon the heat, pressure and time the material is held within the vessel.
The pyrolysis technology does offer the scope for increasing recycling rates reach higher profitability, to address environmental concerns, and to achieve government targets.
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Increased possibility for recycling: a) Incineration: the only practical product is energy; b) Pyrolysis: gases, oil and carbonized materials. Gas and liquid phases can further be used as a combustion fuel while carbon black can used in different industries.
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Emissions from pyrolysis are considerably lower: most of the materials are recovered. Very little escapes into the environment. By displacing fossil-fuels, waste pyrolysis can help meet renewable energy targets, address concerns about global warming and contribute to achieving Kyoto Protocol commitments
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Pyrolysis systems could be developed for a wide range of capacities and a very wide range of wastes, recovering materials and energy from residues left from materials recycling, e.g. electrical and electronic scrap, tyres, mixed plastic waste and packaging residues;
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Pyrolysis is the process that is relatively insensitive to its input material: It can accept unsorted MSW (Municipal Solid Waste), dioxins and contaminated soils.
Pyrolysis technology is simultaneously old and new one. Main drivers for the pyrolysis technology always were to avoid incineration and landfilling. High oil and energy prices should further trigger pyrolysis technology implementation on a broad industrial scale.
Efficient Direct Pyrolysis Oil Recovery Process
Pyrolysis waste processing is a non combustion heat treatment that
chemically decomposes wastes by applying heat (directly or indirectly)
to the wastes in an oxygen free environment.
The developed efficient pyrolysis system can be flexibly utilized for
processing high polymer waste, old tyres, organic and medical waste and
direct oil producing. Approximately 42-44% of oil can be recovered when
processed wasted scrap tyres through the pyrolysis; this amount is
almost doubled in the case of waste plastics pyrolysis. Single pyrolysis
unit combines optimal construction with the safety of equipment.
Direct contact with deoxidized hot thermal gas (carrier gas) is employed
to derive oil content gas, to cool it in a condenser, and to collect the
condensate as oil. Non-condensable hydrocarbon gas is to be used as a
thermal source gas for pyrolyser
The industrial implementation of this pyrolysis
technology has begun in 1988, when first
facility for disposal of waste tyres and
plastics was put into operation. The pyrolysis
system is designed and manufactured for batch
and continuous operations.
Comparing with the conventional pyrolysis systems the construction costs
of the pyrolysis system under consideration could be decreased up to
30-50%, costs of running and installation area up to 20%. Just 2
operators per shift are required to run this pyrolysis facility. The quality
recovered oil is used as fuel for burners and diesel generators, heating
oil, additive for biodiesel.
Batch pyrolysis systems have volume from just 1 m3 and up to 50 m3.
Batch pyrolysis units with
the capacities up to 6-8 t/d can be easily operated by factories,
communities and farmers themselves
Single continuous pyrolysis units (1 t/d -50 t/d) can be combined to
increase the total capacity of a processing facility.
Continuous pyrolysis system combines power and flexibility. Enhanced
system functionality enables users to select the usage either for oil
producing or carbonization or dry processing as users choice.
Mobile pyrolysis installation design is possible as well.
Some areas of the practical implementation of the pyrolysis technology:
|
Application |
Raw materials |
Products of the pyrolysis |
| Oil-producing system |
Waste plastics Waste tyres Waste food and MSW Medical waste |
Oil Carbonized materials |
| Carbonization system |
Wooden chips Organic sludge |
Carbonized materials |
| Drying system |
Organic sludge Waste food |
Dried materials |
| Soil remediation system | Contaminated soil (dioxin, oil, etc) |
Clean soil Recovered materials |
| Rear metals recovery | Computer motherboards | Rear/ noble metals |
Summary: efficient patented pyrolysis system; simple, economical and safe in operation
Products of Pyrolysis
Incineration fully converts the input waste into energy and ash. Under controlled conditions conversion could be deliberately limited so that combustion does not take place directly. Waste is converted into valuable intermediates that can be further processed for materials recycling or energy recovery
Pyrolysis unit
Indoor pyrolysis installation
Mixed waste
Medical waste on the conveyor
Carbon black discharge
Carbon black unload from pyrolysis reactor
Pyrolysis oil sampling
Pyrolysis oil direct from the process
Oil and carbon black
Products of pyrolysis: non-filtered oil and carbon black
Pyrolysis oil test
Pyrolysis oil: neutral reaction (ph=7)
Pyrolysis oil filtration
Filtering of the pyrolysis oil sample
Carbon black from the pyrolysis
Carbon black from the pyrolysis process
Pyrolysis oil after filtration
Samples of quality pyrolysis oil and carbon black
Carbon black is a valuable product from the pyrolysis process; this product is required in large amounts to be used as essential ingredient in tyres and other mechanical rubber goods, as a pigment in printing inks, paints and plastics, etc.
Tyres | Plastics | Medical waste | MSW | Biomass | E-waste | Soil remedation
Scrap tyres
Every year only in the United Kingdom between 25 and 30 million scrap tyres are generated. Approximately 20% of these tyres are reused: the old tread is ground off the tyre and replaced with a new tread. About half of all used tyres were dumped in landfill sites throughout the country (from July 16, 2006 a ban on the landfilling of shredded tyres comes into force under the Landfill Directive) Other tyres are incinerated. Burning 1 ton of waste tyres produces about 450 kg toxic gases. The damage to the environment is obvious.
Performing pyrolysis of scrap tyres saves the environment and gives yield to valuable materials. Products of scrap tyres pyrolysis:
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Recovered oil: 40-44 % (weight)
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Carbon black: 28-30 % (weight)
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Steel wire: 3-5% (weight)
Waste plastics
Direct recycling of waste
plastics not always
possible, e.g. waste
plastics can be
contaminated; moreover, they
often mixed with different
sorts of materials such as
paper, glass, metal,
biowaste, etc. Food
and beverage packaging is a
typical example when plastic
attached to other materials
(aluminum/polymer laminate).
It is impossible to separate
this laminate from paper at
the recycling facility.
Pyrolysis of some broadly used plastics gives the following yield of oil:
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Polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene: 70 -75% (weight)
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Polyurethanes: ~ 50-52 %;
Oil
recovery from mixed plastics depends on the
composition of the particular mixture.
Medical waste
Medical waste is a multicomponent hazardous waste. Main constituents of medical waste are plastics, textile and polyvinyl chlorides (PVC). Medical waste also includes needles, pathological wastes from surgery and autopsy, and pharmaceutical waste.
Traditionally, hospitals burn medical waste in incinerators and then deposit it into waste landfill sites. When burned, PVC produces inter alia carbon monoxide, dioxins, and chlorinated furans. The California Environmental Protection Agency has banned the permitting of any new medical waste incinerators since 2001.
Pyrolysis is the efficient method of hazardous waste disposal and recovery of valuable materials. Output from medical waste pyrolysis depends on initial waste content:
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Recovered oil: 60-75 % (weight)
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Carbon black : 5-15 % (weight)
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
MSW is a
complex multicomponent waste. Traditional
methods of MSW disposal:
- landfilling; problems are waste of land, possible soil and/or water contamination
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incineration; problems are fuel consumption, large gas emissions, dioxin emerging
MSW
pyrolysis: MSW is thermally degraded in the
absence of free oxygen. The volatile portion of
the waste is thermally decomposed: oil is
condensed, producing gas can further be used in
waste heat boiler, producing steam for power
generation. Amount of the recovered oil depend
on the initial waste composition.
MSW gasification: converts lean MSW in the presence of a limited supply of oxygen to a syngas. This is a chemical process, not combustion. Gas cleaned of contaminants is used in a reciprocating gas /diesel engine or micro turbine, producing electricity. As indication: 1.1 MWh of electricity can be generated by 1200 kg/h dry MSW
Biomass treatment
Biomass (wood
waste, grass, straw) represents renewable source of green energy.
Biomass is
gasified, and after the appropriate cleaning gas is used for direct
electricity production in gas/diesel engine or micro turbine. As
indication: 25 t/d wood waste generates ~ 1.1 MWh electricity
More sophisticated process consist of two stages: syngas after the anaerobic gasification is converted to a commercial grade diesel. Off-gas from the advanced FT process is used for direct electricity generation. As indication: 20 t/d wood gives yield to 4000 l/d of green diesel, 500 kWh electricity, 400 kg/d activated carbon. Biomass can be mixed with different wastes: MSW, tyres, plastics, paper, animal/fishery waste, etc.
E-waste
E-waste is not biodegradable and represents a global problem of modern time. Electronic appliances bodies are made of different plastics and could be used as a raw material for the pyrolysis. Disposal of Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) is a separate issue.
Electronic
boards represent a mixture of organic resins,
fibreglass, and ceramics. Boards also contain
valuable noble metals.
During
pyrolysis the volatile portion of the board
materials will be thermally decomposed, solids
(including noble metals and fiberglass) will be
recycled. Oil (and some other chemicals as
depend on initial board composition) will be
collected as a liquid phase.
Soil remediation
The
contaminated soil (oil,
dioxin, organics, etc) is
loaded into a rotary kiln
and heated; the contaminants
are removed by pyrolysis.
Process parameters are
determined by the properties
of th
e
contaminants (temperature of
vaporization).
Portable design is possible for the small capacity units.
More "green" processes
Asbestos Recycling
The industrial equipment recycles asbestos to the harmless materials, which can be easily utilized in different ways, e.g. in building industry, as additives to asphalt, etc.
Standard capacities of the installations: 10-20 t/d. Other capacities are also possible.
Biodiesel from Waste Oil
Fully automatic batch biodiesel production facility: no human intervention is required during the process. The final product corresponds to EU requirements. Waste cooking oil is used as the raw material.
Compact size: max dimensions ~ 2.5 m x 1.5 m x2m. Load: 50-500 liters; power consumption 6 -25 kWh
Waste Motor Oil and Coolant Recycling
Recycling of used motor oil
collected from engines and
containing particles, soot,
dirt, water, etc. Th
e
same units can be used to
recover the coolants.
Process temperature does not exceed engine working temperature: all additives remain their properties.
Compact batch units (50 -300
l), max dimensions ~ 2m x3m
x2m, batch time 8 hours,
power consumption 0.4-0.8
kWh
Continuous units, capacities 10-20 t/d,
max layout of the installation 4.5 m x 8.5 m x 5m
Parameters of the discharged water do not exceed daily requirement on maximum biochemical oxygen demand: BOD < 60 mg/L (state of California requirements on Industrial Waste Treatment Plants)
Activated Carbon Production
Solid product of the pyrolysis process can also be converted to high grade activated carbon. The reactivating process performance is depending on the steam usage and temperature, therefore no detrimental materials are included in the activated carbon product
Heavy metals such as zinc contained in the material are completely removed. The material is processed in the reactivation furnace. Process atmosphere and high temperature (ca 1100 C) lead to sublimation, therefore the zinc material is totally removed.
Since the production cost for activated carbon is mostly determined by fuel costs, the system was designed for efficient heat recovery to minimize the fuel costs
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