What is the thermal depolymerization?
Thermal depolymerization is an industrial process for distributing various waste materials into oil products. This includes subjection of materials at high temperatures and pressure in the presence of water, launching a process known as hydrolysis. The result is a depolymerization of long -chain -chain -chain -chain -chain monomers, in this case, oil hydrocarbons. It is a very accelerated artificial drawing of the process that created fossil fuels in nature. A wide range of waste products known as raw materials can be used in the processes of thermal depoils, including plastic and biomass materials.
The thermal depolymerization process (TDP) has existed for about 70 years, but was not considered viable until the end of the 90's. This lack of viability was the result of unacceptable energy returned to the invested energy (Eroei) evaluation, ie measurement of the amount of energy acquired to produce energy. The time methods required much more energy to produce than energy performance but paved the wayFor modern systems that have Eroei 6.67, or approximately 85 energy units produced for every 15 issued. Conventional agricultural production of biodiesel and ethanol represents an evaluation of about 4.2, making the process of thermal depolymerization attractive options. In addition to its efficiency, the system has several other advantages, including interruption of heavy metal contamination to harmless oxides and destruction of organic poisons and prions responsible for mad cow and Creutzfeldt-Job disease.
In practice, the hydrolysis process of hydrosnies in the heart of thermal depolymerization is relatively simple. The materials of the raw material are first ground into small pieces and mixed with water. The mixture is then heated to 482 ° F (250 ° C) for approximately 15 minutes in Vessel pressure. The generated steam increases the pressure in the container to approximately £ 600 per square inch (dogs), which is quickly released at the end of the heating process. This causes water to flash noBO quickly evaporates, leaving residual solids and raw hydrocarbons.
These components are separated and hydrocarbons collected for further improvement. This includes additional heat treatment at 930 ° F (500 ° C) and fractional sorting of distillation. The results are the fractions of light and heavy nasthas, kerosene and gas oil, which are suitable for the production of several levels of heating oil. Residual solids remaining after initial heat treatment can be used as fertilizers, filters, soil fuels and activated carbon for waste water treatment.
The list of suitable TDP raw materials is extensive and includes waste plastic, tires, wooden pulp, medical waste and rather disgusting by -products such as small and sewerage. The efficiency of thermal depolymerization is further strengthened by the fact that procedural by -products such as methane, which cannot be decomposed, are collected and used to power generators to produce electricity for equipment or other sales.Methane also has potential like biogas, green alternative to conventional gasoline.