plastic to fuel processes 1

[jlarocque]

I am looking at plastic to fuel processes. Any ideas to share, concerns or warnings?

JL

 

[patprimmer]

Some plastics have poisonous or corrosive by products of pyrolysis.

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm

for site rules

 

[Pud]

poisonous or corrosive by products of pyrolysis

Ahhh.. I love the smell of fomaldehyde with a hint of HCl and a twist of styrene monomer..

(Acetal, PVC, stryrenics respectively)

It's possible but tricky in the extreme.

http://www.tynevalleyplastics.co.uk

 

[Demon3]

Polyethylene is fuel without modification. Burns cleaner than a candle with high energy content.

Polymer --> Fuel just add a match

Chris DeArmitt PhD FRSC CChem

http://www.phantomplastics.com

Consultant to the plastics industry

 

[Compositepro]

Many fuels have stringent specifications. It seems to me that the process to burn plastic for making energy is much simpler than any process to turn plastic into a liquid fuel that can be used in engines. Both ways you accomplish the same result.

 

[Demon3]

Some polymers depolymerise cleanly to gaseous monomer which could be a nice fuel but would make no economic sense.

PMMA, other acrylates and polyalphamethylstyrene are examples.

Search for terms like depolymerisation, ceiling temperature and unzipping.

Chris DeArmitt PhD FRSC CChem

http://www.phantomplastics.com

Consultant to the plastics industry

 

[patprimmer]

My main concerns where acetal, PVC, polyurethane and many flame retardant grades of anything.

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm

for site rules

 

[jlarocque]

I am mostly going ot have HIPS available (95+%) but it may contain some PE and PP.

JL

 

[Demon3]

HIPS should burn just fine although with a lot of black smoke.

Chris DeArmitt PhD FRSC CChem

http://www.phantomplastics.com

Consultant to the plastics industry

 

[jlarocque]

I do not want to burn unless I have to, as there will be need to look after emissions and would need stack treatment! What I see most claims for making fuel out of plastics is bogus as the energy requirements are never told! They also never seem to be willing to answer technical questions..I wonder why??? ;p

JL

 

[HDS]

Most process that don't just burn it use pyrolysis. The problem is getting more heat out than you put in. This is most at the academic research stage at places like Georgia Tech.

Burnign can work better if you supply it with additional oxygen. Either way you still have to worry about the emissions.