Chemical recycling plant flake scrap

Abstract

This document provides methods and facilities for using one or more PET-containing materials as feedstocks to chemical recycling facilities—particularly solvent decomposition facilities. The PET-containing materials used as feedstocks may contain a certain amount of PET and PVC-containing waste flakes from recycling plants. These PET and PVC-containing waste flakes can be derived from various plastic recycling plant separation processes, including density separation. Due to their PVC composition, such waste flake materials are generally undesirable or unusable for mechanical PET recycling facilities and are typically sent to landfills and / or incinerators. However, the methods and facilities described herein utilize PET and other plastics present in these otherwise undesirable or unusable waste flake materials.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Waste materials, especially non-biodegradable waste materials, have a negative impact on the environment when disposed of in landfills after a single use. Therefore, from an environmental perspective, it is desirable to recycle as much waste material as possible. However, there remains a stream of low-value waste that is virtually impossible or economically infeasible to recycle using traditional recycling techniques. Furthermore, some traditional recycling methods generate such waste streams that are themselves economically infeasible in terms of recovery or recycling, resulting in additional waste streams that must be disposed of or otherwise treated. For example, plastic recycling facilities generate large quantities of waste plastics that are undesirable or unusable for consumers and mechanical recycling facilities. In particular, plastic recycling facilities can generate large quantities of plastic sheet waste material, which is undesirable or unusable for mechanical recycling facilities due to its PVC composition, but may contain a certain amount of additional desirable or usable PET and / or other plastics. However, this plastic sheet waste material is typically disposed of in landfills and / or incinerators.

[0002] Therefore, there is a need for a large-scale facility capable of chemically recycling various plastic-containing waste materials extracted from such sources in an economically viable manner, particularly flake waste materials from plastic recycling facilities that would otherwise be undesirable or unusable. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one aspect, the present technology relates to a method for recycling plastic waste. Typically, the method comprises: (a) feeding a quantity of recycled device flakes containing PET and PVC separated from plastic waste into a chemical recycling facility; and (b) depolymerizing at least a portion of the recycled device flakes containing PET and PVC in the chemical recycling facility.

[0004] In one aspect, this technology relates to the use of waste sheets from recycling plants containing PET and PVC as raw materials for chemical recycling facilities. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1 This is a block flowchart illustrating the main steps of a method and facility for chemically recycling waste plastics according to embodiments of the present technology;

[0006] Figure 2 This is a block flowchart illustrating a separation process and zones for separating mixed plastic waste according to an embodiment of the present technology;

[0007] Figure 3 This is a block flowchart illustrating the main steps of a method and facility for solvent decomposition of PET according to an embodiment of the present technology;

[0008] Figure 4 This is a block flow diagram illustrating typical rPET products and byproducts derived from PET recycling facilities;

[0009] Figure 5 This is a block flowchart illustrating the main steps of the PET recycling process and the resulting products and byproducts;

[0010] Figure 6 This illustrates an embodiment according to the present technology. Figure 1 A block flowchart illustrating an exemplary liquefaction zone of a chemical recycling facility;

[0011] Figure 7 This is a block flowchart illustrating the main steps of a pyrolysis method and facility for converting waste plastics into a pyrolysis product stream according to an embodiment of the present technology;

[0012] Figure 8A This is a block flowchart illustrating the main steps of an integrated pyrolysis method and facility and a cracking method and facility according to embodiments of the present technology;

[0013] Figure 8B This is a schematic diagram of a cracking furnace according to an embodiment of the present technology;

[0014] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a POx reactor according to an embodiment of the present technology; and

[0015] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating various definitions of the term "separation efficiency" as used herein. Detailed Implementation

[0016] We have discovered novel methods and systems for using one or more PET-containing materials from various sources as feedstocks for chemical recycling facilities, particularly solvent decomposition facilities. More specifically, we have found that PET-containing materials used as feedstocks for chemical recycling or solvent decomposition can include flake waste materials derived from plastic recycling facilities. Although these flake waste materials are generally considered undesirable or unusable for mechanical recycling facilities due to their PVC composition, they may contain a certain amount of recyclable and useful plastics, such as PET plastic. The methods and systems described herein enable the use of such PET and PVC-containing flake waste materials from recycling facilities as feedstock sources in chemical recycling facilities and methods.

[0017] When indicating a sequence of numbers, it should be understood that each number is modified in the same way as the first or last number in the sequence or sentence; for example, each number is "at least," "at most," or "no more than," depending on the context; and each number is in an "or" relationship. For example, "at least 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 75 wt%..." means the same as "at least 10 wt%, or at least 20 wt%, or at least 30 wt%, or at least 40 wt%, or at least 50 wt%, or at least 75 wt%", etc.; "no more than 90 wt%, 85, 70, 60..." means the same as "no more than 90 wt%, or no more than 85 wt%, or no more than 70 wt%..." etc.; "at least 1%, 2%, 3% by weight" "4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9% or 10%..." means the same as "at least 1 wt%, or at least 2 wt%, or at least 3 wt%..."; "at least 5, 10, 15, 20 and / or no more than 99, 95, 90% by weight" means the same as "at least 5 wt%, or at least 10 wt%, or at least 15 wt%, or at least 20 wt%, and / or no more than 99 wt%, or no more than 95 wt%, or no more than 90% by weight...".

[0018] Unless otherwise stated, all concentrations or amounts are by weight.

[0019] Integrated chemical recycling facility

[0020] Turn now Figure 1 This illustrates the main steps of a method for chemically recycling waste plastics in chemical recycling facility 10. It should be understood that... Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of the present technology is depicted. Figure 1 Some features described herein may be omitted and / or additional features described elsewhere in this document may be added. Figure 1 The system described in the text.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, these steps typically include a pretreatment step / facility 20, and at least one (or at least two or more) of the following: a solvent decomposition step / facility 30, a partial oxidation (POX) gasification step / facility 50, a pyrolysis step / facility 60, a cracking step / facility 70, and an energy recovery step / facility 80. Optionally, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, these steps may also include one or more other steps, such as direct sale or use, landfill, separation, and solidification, one or more of which are in Figure 1The section is indicated by box 90. Although shown as including all these steps or facilities, it should be understood that chemical recycling methods and facilities according to one or more embodiments of the present technology may include at least two, three, four, five, or all of these steps / facilities in various combinations for the chemical recycling of plastic waste, particularly mixed plastic waste. The chemical recycling methods and facilities described herein can be used to convert plastic waste into recycled component products or chemical intermediates for the formation of various end-use materials. The waste plastics fed into the chemical recycling facility / method may be mixed plastic waste (MPW), pre-sorted waste plastics, and / or pre-treated waste plastics.

[0022] As used herein, the term "chemical recycling" refers to a waste plastic recycling process that includes steps of chemically converting waste plastic polymers into lower molecular weight polymers, oligomers, monomers, and / or non-polymer molecules (e.g., hydrogen and carbon monoxide), which are useful in themselves and / or can be used as feedstocks for one or more other chemical production processes. A "chemical recycling facility" is a facility that produces recycled component products through the chemical recycling of waste plastics. As used herein, the terms "recycled component" and "r-component" mean: a composition directly and / or indirectly derived from waste plastics, or containing such a composition.

[0023] As used herein, the term “directly derived” means having at least one physical component derived from waste plastics, while “indirectly derived” means having a specified recycled component that i) is attributable to waste plastics, but ii) is not based on having a physical component derived from waste plastics.

[0024] Chemical recycling facilities are not mechanical recycling facilities. As used herein, the terms “mechanical recycling” and “physical recycling” refer to recycling processes that include steps of melting waste plastics and forming the molten plastics into new intermediate products (e.g., pellets or sheets) and / or new final products (e.g., bottles). Typically, mechanical recycling does not substantially alter the chemical structure of the recycled plastics. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemical recycling facility described herein can be configured to receive and process streams of waste from mechanical recycling facilities and / or those that would typically not be handled by mechanical recycling facilities.

[0025] Although described herein as part of a single chemical recovery facility, it should be understood that one or more of the pretreatment facility 20, solvent decomposition facility 30, pyrolysis facility 60, cracking facility 70, partial oxidation (POX) gasification facility 50, and energy recovery facility 80, or any other facility 90 such as solidification or separation, may be located in different geographical locations and / or operated by different commercial entities. Each of the pretreatment facility 20, solvent decomposition facility 30, pyrolysis facility 60, cracking facility 70, partial oxidation (POX) gasification facility 50, energy recovery facility 80, or any other facility 90 may be operated by the same entity, while in other cases, one or more of the pretreatment facility 20, solvent decomposition facility 30, pyrolysis facility 60, cracking facility 70, partial oxidation (POX) gasification facility 50, solidification facility, energy recovery facility 80, and one or more other facilities 90 (e.g., separation or solidification) may be operated by different commercial entities.

[0026] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemical recycling facility 10 may be a commercial-scale facility capable of processing large quantities of mixed plastic waste. As used herein, the term "commercial-scale facility" means a facility with an average annual feed rate of at least 500 lb / h over a year. The average feed rate to the chemical recycling facility (or to any one of the pretreatment facility 20, solvent decomposition facility 30, pyrolysis facility 60, cracking facility 70, POX gasification facility 50, energy recovery facility 80, and any other facility 90) may be: at least 750, at least 1,000, at least 1,500, at least 2,000, at least 2,500, at least 3,000, at least 3,500, at least 4,000, at least 4,500, at least 5,000, at least 5,500, at least 6,000, at least 6,500, at least 7,500, at least 10,000, at least 12,500, at least 15,000, at least 1 7,500, at least 20,000, at least 22,500, at least 25,000, at least 27,500, at least 30,000, or at least 32,500 lbs / hour, and / or, not exceeding 1,000,000, not exceeding 750,000, not exceeding 500,000, not exceeding 450,000, not exceeding 400,000, not exceeding 350,000, not exceeding 300,000, not exceeding 250,000, not exceeding 200,000, not exceeding 150,000, not exceeding 100,000, not exceeding 75,000, not exceeding 50,000, or not exceeding 40,000 lbs / hour. When the facility comprises two or more feed streams, the average annual feed rate is determined based on the total weight of the feed streams.

[0027] Furthermore, it should be understood that each of the pretreatment facility 20, solvent decomposition facility 30, pyrolysis facility 60, cracking facility 70, POX gasification facility 50, energy recovery facility 80, and any other facility 90 may include multiple units operating in series or in parallel. For example, pyrolysis facility 60 may include multiple pyrolysis reactors / units operating in parallel, each receiving a feed containing waste plastics. When a facility consists of multiple individual units, the average annual feed rate of the facility is calculated as the sum of the average annual feed rates of all common types of units within the facility.

[0028] Furthermore, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemical recovery facility 10 (or any one of the pretreatment facility 20, solvent decomposition facility 30, pyrolysis facility 60, cracking facility 70, POX gasification facility 50, energy recovery facility 80, and any other facility 90) may operate continuously. Additionally, or alternatively, at least a portion of the chemical recovery facility 10 (or any one of the pretreatment facility 20, solvent decomposition facility 30, pyrolysis facility 60, cracking facility 70, POX gasification facility 50, energy recovery facility 80, and any other facility 90) may operate intermittently or semi-intermittently. In some cases, the facility may include multiple tanks between sections of a single facility or between two or more different facilities to manage inventory and ensure a consistent flow rate into each facility or its sections.

[0029] in addition, Figure 1 The two or more facilities shown can also collaborate in the same location. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least two, at least three, at least four, at least five, at least six, or all facilities can collaborate in the same location. As used herein, the term "co-located" refers to multiple facilities in which at least a portion of the process flow or support equipment or services are shared between two facilities. Figure 1When two or more facilities as shown collaborate in the same location, these facilities meet at least one of the following criteria (i) to (v): (i) the facilities share at least one non-residential utility; (ii) the facilities share at least one service group; (iii) the facilities are owned and / or operated by parties sharing at least one property boundary; (iv) the facilities are connected by at least one conduit configured to transport at least one process material (e.g., feed into the facility, solid, liquid, and / or gas used by the facility, or generated in the facility) from one facility to another; and (v) the facilities are within 40 miles, 35 miles, 30 miles, 20 miles, 15 miles, 12 miles, 10 miles, 8 miles, 5 miles, 2 miles, or 1 mile of each other, measured from their geographic centers. At least one, at least two, at least three, at least four, or all of the above statements (i) to (v) may be true.

[0030] Regarding (i), examples of suitable public utility services include, but are not limited to: steam systems (combined heat and power and distribution systems), cooling water systems, heat transfer fluid systems, plant or instrument air systems, nitrogen systems, hydrogen systems, non-residential power generation and distribution (including distribution above 8000V), non-residential wastewater / sewage systems, storage facilities, transport pipelines, flare systems, and combinations thereof.

[0031] Regarding (ii), examples of service groups and facilities include, but are not limited to: emergency service personnel (fire and / or medical), third-party providers, state or local government oversight groups, and combinations thereof. Government oversight groups may include, for example, regulatory or environmental agencies at the city, county, and state levels, as well as municipal and tax agencies.

[0032] Regarding (iii), the boundary may be, for example, a fence line, a land boundary line, a gate, or a shared boundary with at least one boundary of land or facilities owned by a third party.

[0033] Regarding (iv), the conduit can be a fluid conduit carrying a gas, liquid, solid / liquid mixture (e.g., slurry), solid / gas mixture (e.g., pneumatic conveying), solid / liquid / gas mixture, or solid (e.g., belt conveying). In some cases, two units may share one or more conduits selected from the above list. Fluid conduits can be used to transport process flows or utilities between two units. For example, the outlet of one facility (e.g., solvent decomposition facility 30) may be fluidly connected to the inlet of another facility (e.g., POX vaporization facility 50) via a conduit. In some cases, a temporary storage system may be provided for materials transported within a conduit between the outlet of one facility and the inlet of another facility. The temporary storage system may include, for example, one or more tanks, vessels (open or closed), buildings, or containers configured to store materials transported by the conduit. In some cases, temporary storage between the exit of one facility and the entrance of another facility may be for no more than 90 days, no more than 75 days, no more than 60 days, no more than 40 days, no more than 30 days, no more than 25 days, no more than 20 days, no more than 15 days, no more than 10 days, no more than 5 days, no more than 2 days, or no more than 1 day.

[0034] waste plastics

[0035] Turn again Figure 1 The waste plastic stream 100 fed into the chemical recycling facility 10 may be mixed plastic waste (MPW). As used herein, the terms “waste plastic” and “plastic waste” refer to used, discarded, and / or discarded plastic materials, such as plastic materials typically sent to landfills. Other examples of waste plastic (or plastic waste) include used, discarded, and / or discarded plastic materials typically sent to incinerators. The waste plastic stream 100 fed into the chemical recycling facility 10 may include untreated or partially treated waste plastic. As used herein, the term “untreated waste plastic” refers to waste plastic that has not undergone any automated or mechanized sorting, washing, or shredding. Examples of untreated waste plastic include waste plastic collected from household curbside plastic recycling bins or shared community plastic recycling containers. As used herein, the term “partially treated waste plastic” refers to waste plastic that has undergone at least one automated or mechanized sorting, washing, or shredding step or process. Partially treated waste plastic may originate from, for example, a municipal recycling facility (MRF) or a recycling unit. When partially treated waste plastics are supplied to the chemical recycling facility 10, one or more pretreatment steps may be skipped. The waste plastics may contain at least one of post-industrial (or pre-consumer) plastics and / or post-consumer plastics.

[0036] As used herein, the terms “mixed plastic waste” and “MPW” refer to a mixture of at least two types of waste plastics, including but not limited to the following plastic types: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one or more polyolefins (PO), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the MPW comprises at least two different types of plastics, each type of plastic being present in an amount of at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, or at least 20 wt% based on the total weight of the plastics in the MPW.

[0037] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the plastic in the MPW, the MPW comprises at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% of PET and / or at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, or at least 20 wt% of PO. In one or more embodiments, the MPW may also comprise small amounts of one or more types of plastic components other than PET and PO (and optionally PVC), the total amount of which is less than 50, less than 45, less than 40, less than 35, less than 30, less than 25, less than 20, less than 15, less than 10, less than 5, less than 2, or less than 1 wt% based on the total weight of the plastic in the MPW.

[0038] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the MPW contains at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% PET, based on the total weight of the stream. Alternatively, or additionally, the MPW contains no more than 99.9, no more than 99, no more than 97, no more than 92, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, or no more than 5 wt% PET, based on the total weight of the stream.

[0039] Based on the total weight of the stream, the MPW stream may contain non-PET components in the following amounts: at least 0.1, at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 7, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, or at least 35, and / or, not exceeding 80, not exceeding 75, not exceeding 70, not exceeding 65, not exceeding 60, not exceeding 55, not exceeding 50, not exceeding 45, not exceeding 40, not exceeding 35, not exceeding 30, not exceeding 25, not exceeding 20, not exceeding 15, not exceeding 10, or not exceeding 7 wt%. Based on the total weight of the stream, the non-PET components may be present in amounts of 0.1 wt%–50 wt%, 1 wt%–20 wt%, or 2 wt%–10 wt%. Examples of such non-PET components may include, but are not limited to: ferrous and nonferrous metals, inert materials (e.g., rock, glass, sand, etc.), plastic inert materials (e.g., titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, etc.), olefins, binders, compatibilizers, biosludge, cellulose materials (e.g., paperboard, paper, etc.), and combinations thereof.

[0040] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, all or part of the MPW may be derived from or contain municipal waste. The municipal waste portion of the MPW may include, for example, PET, in amounts of 45wt%-95wt%, 50wt%-90wt%, or 55wt%-85wt% based on the total weight of the municipal waste stream (or a portion thereof).

[0041] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, all or part of the MPW may be derived from a municipal recycling facility (MRF) and may include, for example, PET, in an amount of 65wt%-99.9wt%, 70wt%-99wt%, or 80wt%-97wt% based on the total weight of the stream. Non-PET components in such a stream may include, for example, other plastics, in an amount of at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 7, or at least 10wt% and / or no more than 25, no more than 22, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 12, or no more than 10wt% based on the total weight of the stream, or may be present in an amount of 1wt%-22wt%, 2wt%-15wt%, or 5wt%-12wt% based on the total weight of the stream. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, non-PET components may include other plastics, in an amount ranging from 2wt%-35wt%, 5wt%-30wt%, or 10wt%-25wt% based on the total weight of the stream, particularly when, for example, the MPW includes colored sorting plastics.

[0042] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, all or part of the MPW may be derived from a recycling facility and may include, for example, PET, in an amount of 85wt%-99.9wt%, 90wt%-99.9wt%, or 95wt%-99wt% based on the total weight of the stream. Non-PET components in such a stream may include, for example, other plastics, in an amount of at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 7, or at least 10wt% and / or no more than 25, no more than 22, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 12, or no more than 10wt% based on the total weight of the stream, or may be present in an amount of 1wt%-22wt%, 2wt%-15wt%, or 5wt%-12wt% based on the total weight of the stream.

[0043] As used herein, the term "plastic" can include any organic synthetic polymer that is solid at 25°C and 1 atmosphere. In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the number average molecular weight (Mn) of the polymer can be at least 75, or at least 100, or at least 125, or at least 150, or at least 300, or at least 500, or at least 1000, or at least 5,000, or at least 10,000, or at least 20,000, or at least 30,000, or at least 50,000, or at least 70,000, or at least 90,000, or at least 100,000, or at least 130,000 Daltons. The weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of the polymer may be at least 300, or at least 500, or at least 1000, or at least 5,000, or at least 10,000, or at least 20,000, or at least 30,000, or at least 50,000, or at least 70,000, or at least 90,000, or at least 100,000, or at least 130,000, or at least 150,000, or at least 300,000 Daltons.

[0044] Suitable examples of plastics may include, but are not limited to: aromatic and aliphatic polyesters, polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene, polytetrafluoroethylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), cellulose products, epoxides, polyamides, phenolic resins, polyacetals, polycarbonates, polyphenylene alloys, poly(methyl methacrylate), styrene-containing polymers, polyurethanes, vinyl polymers, styrene-acrylonitrile, thermoplastic elastomers other than tires, urea-containing polymers, and melamine.

[0045] Examples of polyesters may include those having repeating aromatic or cyclic units, such as those containing repeating terephthalate, isophthalate, or naphthalene ester units, such as PET, modified PET, and PEN, or those containing repeating furanyl ester units. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is also an example of a suitable polyester. As used herein, “PET” or “polyethylene terephthalate” refers to a homopolymer of polyethylene terephthalate, or to polyethylene terephthalate modified with one or more acids and / or glycol modifiers and / or containing residues or portions other than ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid, such residues or portions as isophthalic acid, 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, diethylene glycol, 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol (TMCD), cyclohexanediethanol (CHDM), propylene glycol, isosorbide, 1,4-butanediol, 1,3-propanediol and / or neopentyl glycol (NPG).

[0046] The definitions of the terms "PET" and "polyethylene terephthalate" also include polyesters having repeating terephthalate units (whether or not they contain repeating glycol-based units) and one or more diol residues or portions, including, for example, TMCD, CHDM, propylene glycol or NPG, isosorbide, 1,4-butanediol, 1,3-propanediol and / or diethylene glycol or combinations thereof. Examples of polymers having repeating terephthalate units may include, but are not limited to, polypropylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate and their copolyesters. Examples of aliphatic polyesters may include, but are not limited to, polylactic acid (PLA), polyglycolic acid, polycaprolactone and polyethylene adipate. Polymers may comprise mixed aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters, including, for example, mixed terephthalate / adipate esters.

[0047] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the waste plastic may comprise at least one type of plastic having repeating terephthalate units, wherein, based on the total weight of the stream, such plastic is present in amounts of at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, or at least 30, and / or, not exceeding 45, not exceeding 40, not exceeding 35, not exceeding 30, not exceeding 25, not exceeding 20, not exceeding 15, not exceeding 10, not exceeding 5, or not exceeding 2 wt%, or, based on the total weight of the stream, it may be present in amounts ranging from 1 wt% to 45 wt%, 2 wt% to 40 wt%, or 5 wt% to 40 wt%. A similar amount of copolyester having multiple cyclohexanediol moieties, 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol moieties, or combinations thereof, may also be present.

[0048] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the waste plastic may comprise at least one type of plastic having repeating terephthalate units, wherein, based on the total weight of the stream, such plastic is present in amounts of at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, or at least 90, and / or, not exceeding 99.9, not exceeding 99, not exceeding 97, not exceeding 95, not exceeding 90, or not exceeding 85 wt%, or, based on the total weight of the stream, it may be present in amounts ranging from 30 wt% to 99.9 wt%, 50 wt% to 99.9 wt%, or 75 wt% to 99 wt%.

[0049] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the waste plastic may contain terephthalate repeating units in an amount of at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40 or at least 45 and / or no more than 75, no more than 72, no more than 70, no more than 60 or no more than 65 wt% based on the total weight of the plastic in the waste plastic stream; or it may contain terephthalate repeating units in an amount ranging from 1 wt% to 75 wt%, 5 wt% to 70 wt%, or 25 wt% to 75 wt% based on the total weight of the stream.

[0050] Specific examples of polyolefins may include: low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), atactic polypropylene, isotactic polypropylene, syndiotactic polypropylene, cross-linked polyethylene, amorphous polyolefins, and copolymers of any of the above polyolefins. Waste plastics may include polymers, including: linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polymethylpentene, polybutene-1, and copolymers thereof. Waste plastics may contain flash-spun high-density polyethylene.

[0051] Waste plastics may include thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, or combinations thereof. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the flow, waste plastics may include at least 0.1, at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, or at least 30 and / or no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, or no more than 2 wt% of one or more thermosetting polymers, or based on the total weight of the flow, the thermosetting polymers may be present in amounts of 0.1 wt%-45 wt%, 1 wt%-40 wt%, 2 wt%-35 wt%, or 2 wt%-20 wt%.

[0052] Alternatively, or additionally, based on the total weight of the stream, waste plastics may contain at least 0.1, at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, or at least 30 and / or no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, or no more than 2 wt% of cellulose material, or based on the total weight of the stream, cellulose material may be present in amounts ranging from 0.1 wt% to 45 wt%, 1 wt% to 40 wt%, or 2 wt% to 15 wt%. Examples of cellulose material may include cellulose acetate, cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and cellulose from regenerated devices such as viscose. Additionally, the cellulose material may include cellulose derivatives having an acyl substitution degree of less than 3, not exceeding 2.9, not exceeding 2.8, not exceeding 2.7 or not exceeding 2.6, and / or at least 1.7, at least 1.8 or at least 1.9, or 1.8 to 2.8, or 1.7 to 2.9, or 1.9 to 2.9.

[0053] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the waste plastic may contain STYROFOAM (foamed polystyrene) or expanded polystyrene.

[0054] Waste plastics may originate from one or more of several sources. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, waste plastics may originate from plastic bottles, diapers, eyeglass frames, films, packaging materials, carpets (residential, commercial and / or automotive), textiles (clothing and other fabrics), and combinations thereof.

[0055] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, waste plastics (e.g., MPW) fed to a chemical recycling facility may include one or more plastics having or derived from the following: having resin ID codes 1-7 with a chasing arrow triangle established by SPI. Waste plastics may include one or more plastics that are not typically mechanically recycled. Such plastics may include, but are not limited to, plastics having resin ID codes 3 (polyvinyl chloride), 5 (polypropylene), 6 (polystyrene), and / or 7 (others). In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, plastics having resin ID codes 3-7 or at least 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 of the following combinations may be present in the waste plastics based on the total weight of all plastics: at least 0.1, at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 5, at least 7, at least 10, at least 12, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, or at least 40 and / or no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, or no more than 35 wt%, or based on the total weight of the plastics, the amount may be 0.1 wt%-90 wt%, 1 wt%-75 wt%, 2 wt%-50 wt%, or no more than 50 wt%.

[0056] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the total plastic composition of the waste plastics fed to the chemical recycling facility may include plastics that do not have resin ID codes 3, 5, 6 and / or 7 (e.g., in the case of unclassified plastics): at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30 or at least 35, and / or, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10 or no more than 5 wt%. The total plastic composition of the waste plastics fed into the chemical recycling facility 10 may contain plastics without resin ID codes 4-7 in the following amounts: at least 0.1, at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30 or at least 35, and / or, not more than 60, not more than 55, not more than 50, not more than 45, not more than 40, not more than 35, not more than 30, not more than 25, not more than 20, not more than 15, not more than 10 or not more than 5 wt%, or, based on the total weight of the plastic composition, may be in the range of 0.1 wt%-60 wt%, 1 wt%-55 wt%, or 2 wt%-45 wt%.

[0057] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, waste plastics (e.g., MPW) fed to a chemical recycling facility may contain plastics not classified as resin ID codes 3-7 or ID codes 3, 5, 6, or 7. Based on the total weight of plastics in the waste plastic stream, the total amount of plastics not classified as resin ID codes 3-7 or ID codes 3, 5, 6 or 7 in the waste plastics can be at least 0.1, at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70 or at least 75 and / or not exceeding 95, not exceeding 90, not exceeding 85, not exceeding 80, not exceeding 75, not exceeding 70, not exceeding 65, not exceeding 60, not exceeding 55, not exceeding 50, not exceeding 45, not exceeding 40, not exceeding 35 wt%, or based on the total weight of plastics in the waste plastic stream, it can be in the range of 0.1 wt%-95 wt%, 0.5 wt%-90 wt%, or 1 wt%-80 wt%.

[0058] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the MPW comprises a plastic having or derived from plastics having at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95 or at least 99 wt% of at least one, at least two, at least three or at least four different kinds of resin ID codes.

[0059] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the MPW comprises a multicomponent polymer. As used herein, the term "multicomponent polymer" refers to an article and / or granules comprising at least one synthetic or natural polymer that is combined, attached, or otherwise physically and / or chemically associated with at least one other polymer and / or nonpolymer solid. The polymer may be a synthetic polymer or plastic, such as PET, olefins, and / or nylon. The nonpolymer solid may be a metal, such as aluminum, or other nonplastic solid as described herein. Multicomponent polymers may include metallized plastics.

[0060] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the MPW comprises a multi-component plastic in the form of a multilayer polymer. As used herein, the term "multilayer polymer" refers to a multi-component polymer comprising PET and at least one other polymer and / or non-polymer solid, which are physically and / or chemically bonded together in two or more physically distinct layers. A polymer or plastic is considered a multilayer polymer even if a transition zone may exist between two layers, for example, in the form of an adhesively bonded layer or a co-extruded layer. An adhesive between two layers is not considered a single layer. A multilayer polymer may comprise: a layer comprising PET and one or more additional layers, wherein at least one additional layer is a synthetic or natural polymer other than PET, or a polymer without repeating ethylene terephthalate units, or a polymer without repeating alkylene terephthalate units ("non-PET polymer layer"), or other non-polymer solids.

[0061] Examples of non-PET polymer layers include nylon, polylactic acid, polyolefins, polycarbonate, ethylene-vinyl alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol, and / or other plastics or plastic films associated with PET-containing articles and / or granules, as well as natural polymers such as whey protein. Multilayer polymers may include a metal layer, such as aluminum, provided that at least one additional polymer layer other than the PET layer is present. These layers may be adhered by adhesive bonding or other methods, physically adjacent (i.e., the article is pressed onto the film), tackified (i.e., the plastics are heated and bonded together), co-extruded plastic film, or otherwise attached to PET-containing articles. Multilayer polymers may contain a PET film associated with articles containing other plastics in the same or similar manner. MPWs may comprise multicomponent polymers in the form of PET and at least one other plastic, such as polyolefins (e.g., polypropylene) and / or other synthetic or natural polymers, in a single physical phase. For example, MPWs may comprise heterogeneous mixtures containing a compatibilizer, PET, and at least one other synthetic or natural polymer plastic (e.g., a non-PET plastic) in a single physical phase. As used herein, the term "compensator" refers to an agent that can combine at least two otherwise immiscible polymers in a physical mixture (i.e., a blend).

[0062] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the MPW contains no more than 20, 10, 5, 2, 1, or 0.1 wt% nylon on a dry plastic basis. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the MPW contains 0.01 wt%-20 wt%, 0.05 wt%-10 wt%, 0.1 wt%-5 wt%, or 1 wt%-2 wt% nylon on a dry plastic basis.

[0063] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the MPW comprises, on a dry plastic basis, no more than 40, no more than 20, no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt% of a multi-component plastic. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the MPW comprises, on a dry plastic basis, 0.1 wt%-40 wt%, 1 wt%-20 wt%, or 2 wt%-10 wt% of a multi-component plastic. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, on a dry plastic basis, the MPW comprises, no more than 40, no more than 20, no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt% of a multilayer plastic. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, on a dry plastic basis, the MPW comprises, no more than 0.1 wt%-40 wt%, 1 wt%-20 wt%, or 2 wt%-10 wt% of a multilayer plastic.

[0064] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned, the MPW feedstock entering the chemical recycling facility 10 in stream 100 comprises no more than 20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 wt% of biological waste material, the total weight of the MPW feedstock being taken as 100 wt% on a dry basis. Alternatively, the MPW feedstock may comprise 0.01 wt%-20 wt%, 0.1 wt%-10 wt%, 0.2 wt%-5 wt%, or 0.5 wt%-1 wt% of biological waste material, the total weight of the MPW feedstock being taken as 100 wt% on a dry basis. As used herein, the term "biological waste" refers to material derived from living organisms or organic sources. Exemplary biological waste materials include, but are not limited to, cotton, wood, sawdust, food scraps, animals and animal parts, plants and plant parts, and fertilizers.

[0065] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the MPW feedstock comprises no more than 20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 wt% of manufactured cellulose product, the total weight of the MPW feedstock being taken as 100 wt% on a dry basis. The MPW feedstock may also comprise 0.01 wt%-20 wt%, 0.1 wt%-10 wt%, 0.2 wt%-5 wt%, or 0.5 wt%-1 wt% of manufactured cellulose product, the total weight of the MPW feedstock being taken as 100 wt% on a dry basis. As used herein, the term "manufactured cellulose product" refers to non-natural (i.e., man-made or machine-made) articles and their waste, including cellulose fibers. Exemplary manufactured cellulose products include, but are not limited to, paper and paperboard.

[0066] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, based on the total weight of plastics in the waste plastic feed, the waste plastics (e.g., MPW) fed to the chemical recycling facility may include at least 0.001, at least 0.01, at least 0.05, at least 0.1 or at least 0.25 wt% and / or no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 4, no more than 3, no more than 2, no more than 1, no more than 0.75 or no more than 0.5 wt% of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

[0067] Additionally, or alternatively, waste plastics (e.g., MPW) fed to the chemical recycling facility may include at least 0.1, at least 1, at least 2, at least 4, or at least 6 wt% and / or no more than 25, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, or no more than 2.5 wt% of non-plastic solids. Non-plastic solids may include inert filler materials (e.g., calcium carbonate, hydrated aluminum silicate, alumina trihydrate, calcium sulfate), rocks, glass, and / or additives (e.g., thixotropic adhesives, pigments and colorants, flame retardants, explosion suppressants, UV inhibitors & stabilizers, conductive metals or carbon, mold release agents such as zinc stearate, waxes, and silicones).

[0068] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, based on the total weight of the MPW stream or composition, the MPW may contain at least 0.01, at least 0.1, at least 0.5, or at least 1 and / or no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 25, no more than 10, no more than 5, or no more than 2.5 wt% of liquid. Based on the total weight of the MPW stream 100, the amount of liquid in the MPW may range from 0.01 wt% to 25 wt%, 0.5 wt% to 10 wt%, or 1 wt% to 5 wt%.

[0069] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, based on the total weight of the waste plastics, the MPW may contain at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, or at least 55 and / or no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, or no more than 35 wt% of liquid. Based on the total weight of the waste plastics, the liquid in the waste plastics may be in the range of 35 wt%-65 wt%, 40 wt%-60 wt%, or 45 wt%-55 wt%.

[0070] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, based on the weight of the MPW, the amount of textiles (including textile fibers) in the MPW flow in pipeline 100 may be at least 0.1 wt%, or at least 0.5 wt%, or at least 1 wt%, or at least 2 wt%, or at least 5 wt%, or at least 8 wt%, or at least 10 wt%, or at least 15 wt%, or at least 20 wt% of the following material, which is derived from textiles or textile fibers. Based on the total weight of MPW flow 100, the amount of textiles (including textile fibers) in the MPW in flow 100 may be no more than 50, no more than 40, no more than 30, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 8, no more than 5, no more than 2, no more than 1, no more than 0.5, no more than 0.1, no more than 0.05, no more than 0.01, or no more than 0.001 wt%. Based on the total weight of MPW flow 100, the amount of textiles in MPW flow 100 may be in the range of 0.1 wt%-50 wt%, 5 wt%-40 wt%, or 10 wt%-30 wt%.

[0071] The MPW introducing chemical recycling facility 10 may contain recycled textiles. Textiles may contain natural and / or synthetic fibers, rovings, yarns, nonwoven webs, fabrics, textiles, and products made from or containing any of the aforementioned items. Textiles may be woven, knitted, knotted, sewn, tufted, and may include pressed fibers, such as felted, embroidered, lace, crocheted, or woven, or may include nonwoven webs and materials. Textiles may include: fabrics, and fibers separated from textiles or other fiber-containing products, waste or substandard fibers or yarns or fabrics, or any other source of loose fibers and yarns. Textiles may also include staple fibers, continuous fibers, threads, yarn bundles, twisted yarns and / or spun yarns, greige fabrics made from yarns, finished fabrics produced by wet processing of greige fabrics, and apparel made from finished fabrics or any other fabrics. Textiles include clothing, interior decoration, and industrial textiles. Textiles may include post-industrial textiles (pre-consumer) or post-consumer textiles or both.

[0072] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, textiles may include clothing, which can generally be defined as articles worn by or made for the human body. Such textiles may include: sports jackets, suits, trousers and casual or work pants, shirts, socks, sportswear, dresses, close-fitting garments, outerwear (e.g., raincoats, low-temperature jackets, and coats), sweaters, protective clothing, uniforms, and accessories (e.g., scarves, hats, and gloves). Examples of textiles in the interior furnishing category include: furniture upholstery and covers, rugs and cushions, curtains, bedding (e.g., sheets, pillowcases, comforters, quilts, mattress covers); linen products, tablecloths, towels, washcloths, and blankets. Examples of industrial textiles include: transportation (car, airplane, train, bus) seats, floor mats, trunk liners and roof liners; outdoor furniture and mats, tents, backpacks, luggage, ropes, conveyor belts, calendering roller felt, polishing cloths, rags, soil erosion fabrics and geotextiles, agricultural mats and screens, personal protective equipment, bulletproof vests, medical bandages, stitching, tape, etc.

[0073] The category of nonwoven webs classified as textiles does not include wet-laid nonwoven webs and articles made from them. While various articles with the same function can be made by either dry-laid or wet-laid methods, articles made from dry-laid nonwoven webs are classified as textiles. Examples of suitable articles that can be formed from the dry-laid nonwoven webs described herein can include those for personal, consumer, industrial, food service, medical, and other end uses. Specific examples may include, but are not limited to: baby wipes, flushable wipes, disposable diapers, training pants, feminine hygiene products such as sanitary napkins and tampons, adult incontinence pads, underwear, and pet training pads. Other examples include a variety of different dry or wet wipes, including those for consumer (e.g., personal care or household) and industrial (e.g., food service, healthcare, or professional) uses. Nonwoven webs can also be used as stuffing for pillows, mattresses, and upholstery, as well as wadding for quilts and comforters. In the medical and industrial fields, the nonwoven mesh of the present invention can be used for consumer face shields, medical face shields and industrial face shields, protective clothing, hats and shoe covers, disposable sheets, surgical gowns, curtains, bandages and medical dressings.

[0074] Additionally, the nonwoven nets described herein can be used in environmental fabrics such as geotextiles and tarpaulins, oil-absorbing mats and chemical-absorbing mats, as well as building materials such as sound or heat insulation, tents, timber and soil coverings, and sheets. Nonwoven nets can also be used for other consumer end-uses, such as for carpet backing, packaging of consumer, industrial, and agricultural products, heat or sound insulation, and various types of clothing.

[0075] Dry-laid nonwoven webs as described herein can also be used in a variety of filtration applications, including transportation (e.g., automotive or aerospace), commercial, residential, industrial, or other specialized applications. Examples may include filter elements for consumer or industrial air or liquid filters (e.g., gasoline, oil, water), including nanofiber webs for microfiltration, and end-use applications such as tea bags, coffee filters, and drying paper. Furthermore, nonwoven webs as described herein can be used to form various components for automotive applications, including but not limited to brake pads, trunk liners, carpet tufting, and floor mats.

[0076] Textiles may include one or more types of natural fibers and / or one or more types of synthetic fibers. Examples of textile fiber combinations include: all-natural, all-synthetic, two or more types of natural fibers, two or more types of synthetic fibers, one type of natural fiber and one type of synthetic fiber, one type of natural fiber and two or more types of synthetic fibers, two or more types of natural fibers and one type of synthetic fiber, and two or more types of natural fibers and two or more types of synthetic fibers.

[0077] Natural fibers include those of plant or animal origin. Natural fibers can be cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Examples of plant-derived natural fibers include: hardwood pulp, softwood pulp, and wood flour; and other plant fibers, including those found in wheat straw, rice straw, Manila hemp, coconut fiber, cotton, flax, hemp, jute, bagasse, kapok, papyrus, ramie, rattan, grapevine, kenaf, Manila hemp, hena lamina, sisal, soybean, cereal straw, bamboo, reeds, fine-stemmed needlegrass, bagasse, Indian grass, milkweed fiber, pineapple leaf fiber, switchgrass, and lignin-containing plants. Examples of animal-derived fibers include wool, silk, mohair, cashmere, goat hair, horsehair, poultry fiber, camel hair, Angora wool, and alpaca wool.

[0078] Synthetic fibers are those fibers that are at least partially synthesized or derived, or regenerated, through chemical reactions, including but not limited to: rayon, viscose, mercerized fiber, or other types of regenerated cellulose (natural cellulose converted into soluble cellulose derivatives and subsequently regenerated), such as lyocell (also known as tencel). TM Cuprammonium filament (CuPro), Modal, acetates such as polyvinyl acetate, polyamides including nylon, polyesters such as PET, olefin polymers such as polypropylene and polyethylene, polycarbonate, polysulfate, polysulfone, polyethers such as polyether-urea called spandex or elastic fiber, polyacrylate, acrylonitrile copolymer, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, sulfonated polyester fibers and combinations thereof.

[0079] Before entering a chemical recycling facility, textiles can be reduced in size by shredding, tearing, rakeing, grinding, crushing, or cutting to produce smaller textiles. Textiles can also be densified (e.g., granulation) before entering the chemical recycling facility. Examples of densification methods include extrusion (e.g., extruding into granules), molding (e.g., molding into briquettes), and coalescence (e.g., by externally applied heat, heat generated by friction, or by adding one or more binders, which may themselves be non-native polymers). Alternatively, or additionally, textiles can be any form mentioned herein and can be... Figure 1 One or more of the aforementioned steps are performed in the pretreatment facility 20 before being processed in the remaining facilities of the chemical recovery facility 10 shown.

[0080] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the combination of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and one or more polyolefins (PO) accounts for a proportion of Figure 1 The waste plastics (e.g., MPW) fed into the chemical recycling facility from the flow 100 shall account for at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt%. Based on the total weight of the plastics in the waste plastics introduced into the chemical recycling facility 10, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) may account for at least 0.001, at least 0.01, at least 0.05, at least 0.1, at least 0.25, or at least 0.5 wt% and / or no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 4, no more than 3, no more than 2, no more than 1, no more than 0.75, or no more than 0.5 wt% of the waste plastics.

[0081] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the plastic in the waste plastic introduced into the chemical recycling facility 10, the waste plastic may contain at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% PET.

[0082] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the waste plastic may contain at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40 and / or no more than 95, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40 or no more than 35 wt% of PO, or based on the total weight of the waste plastic introduced into the chemical recycling facility 10, PO may be present in amounts ranging from 5 wt% to 75 wt%, 10 wt% to 60 wt%, or 20 wt% to 35 wt%.

[0083] Sources of waste plastics

[0084] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, waste plastics (e.g., MPW) introduced into a chemical recycling facility can be supplied from a variety of sources, including but not limited to: municipal recycling facilities (MRFs) or recycling facilities, other mechanical or chemical sorting or separation facilities, manufacturers or plants or commercial production facilities, or retailers or distributors or wholesalers with post-industrial and pre-consumer recyclables, directly from households / businesses (i.e., untreated recyclables), landfills, collection centers, convenience centers, or on docks or ships or warehouses thereon. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the source of waste plastics (e.g., MPW) does not include a deposit state return facility, by which consumers can deposit specific recyclable items (e.g., plastic containers, bottles, etc.) to receive a monetary refund from that state. However, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the source of waste plastics (e.g., MPW) may include a deposit state return facility, by which consumers can deposit specific recyclable items (e.g., plastic containers, bottles, etc.) to receive a monetary refund from that state. For example, such return facilities are typically found in grocery stores.

[0085] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, waste plastics may be provided as a waste stream from another processing facility (such as a municipal recycling facility (MRF) or a recycling facility) or as a plastic-containing mixture comprising waste plastics that have been sorted by consumers and left on the curb or at central convenience stations for collection. In one or more such embodiments, the waste plastic comprises one or more MRF products or byproducts, recycling plant byproducts, sorted plastic-containing mixtures, and / or PET-containing waste plastic from a plastics manufacturing facility, wherein, on a dry plastic basis, the one or more MRF products or byproducts, recycling plant byproducts, sorted plastic-containing mixtures, and / or PET-containing waste plastic comprises: at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, at least 80, or at least 90 wt% PET, and / or not more than 99.9, not more than 99, not more than 98, not more than 97, not more than 96, or not more than 95 wt% PET; or it may be in the range of 10 wt%-99.9 wt%, 20 wt%-99 wt%, 30 wt%-95 wt%, or 40 wt%-90 wt% PET. In one or more such embodiments, the waste plastic comprises a certain amount of PET-containing recycling plant by-products or plastic-containing mixtures, which, on a dry plastic basis, contain at least 1, at least 10, at least 30, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, at least 80 or at least 90 wt% and / or no more than 99.9, no more than 99 or no more than 90 wt% of PET, or, on a dry plastic basis, may be in the range of 1 wt%-99.9 wt%, 1 wt%-99 wt%, or 10 wt%-90 wt% of PET.

[0086] As described above, exemplary sources of plastic waste introduced into a chemical recycling facility may include: PET-containing byproducts from recycling facilities (e.g., from PET recycling facilities), PET-containing municipal recycling facility (MRF) products or byproducts, sorted plastic-containing mixtures, and / or PET-containing waste plastics from plastic product manufacturing facilities. Therefore, in one embodiment or in combination with any embodiments mentioned herein, this technology relates to a method of recycling plastic waste, comprising feeding at least a portion of one or more PET-containing materials into a chemical recycling facility, the PET-containing materials including recycling facility byproducts, PET-containing MRF products or byproducts, sorted plastic-containing mixtures, and / or PET-containing waste plastics from plastic product manufacturing facilities, wherein at least a portion of the byproducts can be used as feedstock for a chemical recycling process (e.g., depolymerization), as described in more detail below. The chemical recycling facility may include solvent decomposition facilities, including but not limited to alcoholysis facilities, methanol decomposition facilities, glycol decomposition facilities, and / or hydrolysis facilities.

[0087] One or more PET-containing materials can be fed directly into the solvent decomposition facility within the chemical recovery facility, or can undergo one or more pretreatment steps before being fed into the solvent decomposition facility. For example, such as... Figure 1 As shown, a plastic waste stream 100 from one or more plastic waste sources can be introduced into a pretreatment facility 20 within a chemical recycling facility 10. This pretreatment facility 20 can be configured to produce a PET enriched stream 112 and a PET depleted stream 114. The PET enriched stream 112 from the pretreatment facility 20 can be introduced into a solvent decomposition facility 30. Additionally, or alternatively, a plastic waste stream 100a from one or more plastic waste sources can be directly introduced into the solvent decomposition facility 30 (i.e., not introduced into the pretreatment facility 20). Whether pretreated or directly fed, a certain amount of PET-containing material from one or more waste plastic sources is ultimately fed into the solvent decomposition facility 30.

[0088] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of one or more PET-containing materials is fed directly into a solvent decomposition facility 30, wherein one or more PET-containing materials are mixed with solvent 212 and at least partially liquefied (see [link]). Figure 3 In one or more such embodiments, and particularly when fed directly to the solventr, at least a portion of one or more PET-containing materials may comprise less than 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 2, or 1 wt% of the following materials: nylon, polycarbonate, crosslinking agents (e.g., TMA), carpet adhesives, high-filler-content materials, acetates, spandex, latex, styrene-butadiene rubber, non-reactive materials (i.e., materials that do not react in the solvent decomposition reactor or do not react to the extent necessary to form substantial reaction products), including non-reactive metal oxides (e.g., titanium dioxide, silica, and alumina), calcium carbonate, talc, silica, glass, glass beads, reactive metal oxides (which may be methylated or ethanolized in the reactor), and / or materials that form azeotropes with water, methanol, and / or ethylene glycol. Caustic base components, such as hydroxide solutions or other caustic base solutions as defined herein, may be added to the solvent decomposition facility, for example, to the solvent decomposition reactor and / or the solvent decomposition reactor outlet.

[0089] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of one or more PET-containing materials may be liquefied, for example by melting and / or one or more other liquefaction methods described herein, and subsequently fed into reaction 210 within solvent decomposition facility 30 (see [link to documentation]). Figure 3 In this embodiment, at least a portion of one or more PET-containing materials may be fed into a melt extruder, which serves as a feed system for a reactor in a solvent decomposition facility.

[0090] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the one or more PET-containing materials described above may be the sole plastic-containing feedstock of the solvent decomposition facility 30 (i.e., no PET enrichment stream 112 from the pretreatment facility 20 described herein is fed into the solvent decomposition facility 30 along with the one or more PET-containing materials). However, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the one or more PET-containing materials may be fed into the solvent decomposition facility 30 along with one or more other plastic-containing feedstocks (e.g., PET enrichment stream 112 from the pretreatment facility 20 described herein). The one or more PET-containing materials may comprise at least 5, at least 10, at least 20, at least 40, at least 60, at least 80, or at least 90 wt% of the plastic-containing feedstock fed into the solvent decomposition facility 30.

[0091] As described above, one or more PET-containing materials may undergo one or more pretreatment steps before being fed into the solvent decomposition facility 30. Pretreatment steps may include feeding one or more PET-containing materials into the pretreatment facility 20 described herein, and / or may include performing one or more processes described in the pretreatment section herein. In one or more embodiments, pretreatment includes any one or more of the following: (i) separating at least a portion of PET from the PET-containing material using one or more density separation processes (e.g., flotation or centrifugation); and / or (ii) drying the PET-containing material; and / or (iii) densifying (e.g., granulation) at least a portion of the PET-containing material.

[0092] One or more PET-containing materials can be supplied to the chemical recycling facility 10 using various transport methods and in various forms. For example, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, PET-containing materials can be transported to the chemical recycling facility by truck, rail and / or conveyor in the form of whole articles, pellets, bundles, unbundled articles, containers and / or stockpiles. For example, PET-containing materials can be supplied directly from recycling facilities and / or MRF facilities to the chemical recycling facility 10 using a conveyor system that interconnects the chemical recycling facility 10 with recycling facilities and / or municipal recycling facilities.

[0093] The composition of one or more PET-containing materials will vary depending on the specific source of the material, as described in more detail below. However, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a portion of the PET-containing material may contain at least 10, at least 20, at least 40, at least 60, at least 80, or at least 90 wt% PET on a dry basis. A portion of the PET-containing material may contain no more than 10, no more than 8, no more than 6, no more than 4, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt% halogen on a dry basis. A portion of the PET-containing material may contain no more than 90, no more than 80, no more than 70, no more than 60, no more than 50, no more than 40, no more than 30, no more than 20, no more than 10, no more than 5, or no more than 1 wt% polyolefin on a dry basis.

[0094] Sorting of plastic-containing mixtures

[0095] As more municipalities encourage or require the recycling of various materials, including plastics, the supply of sorted plastic-containing mixtures containing PET is increasing. As used herein, the term "sorted plastic-containing mixture" refers to a quantity of mixed plastic waste sorted by consumers and left on the curb or at central collection points for collection, and may include transparent and / or colored plastic articles, or sorted by garbage collectors or municipalities. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the sorted plastic-containing mixture does not include waste plastic from a stored-state return facility, as described above. However, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the sorted plastic-containing mixture may include waste plastic from a stored-state return facility. Sorted plastic-containing mixtures typically require further processing and / or purification before the plastic material can be used in a mechanical recycling process, although this is not always the case.

[0096] MRF products and / or byproducts containing PET

[0097] The plastic-containing mixtures can be collected by sanitation providers and sent to municipal recycling facilities (also known as material recycling facilities or MRFs), where at least some attempts are made to sort the mixtures into large quantities of similar materials. Typically, at least some of these initial aspects of sorting are performed manually. In other aspects, machines—including optical sorters, magnetic sorters, and eddy current sorters—are used to perform a more refined selection of the various materials present in the plastic-containing mixtures. For example, colored plastics can be separated from transparent plastics. Generally, "transparent plastics" are considered to be plastics that appear colorless to the average human observer and are generally transparent to light in the visible spectrum. "Colored plastics" are generally considered to be any non-transparent plastic. Glass, paper, and metals can also be separated from plastics.

[0098] PET-containing plastics can be separated from other types of plastics to form a PET-enriched plastic material. The other separated materials and / or any other materials from MRF (i.e., other than the PET-enriched product) can be extracted as MRF byproducts. However, one or more MRF byproducts will typically contain a certain amount of PET. MRF products and / or byproducts can be in the following forms: whole articles, granules (e.g., crushed, granulated, fibrous plastic granules), bundles (e.g., compressed and bundled whole articles), unbundled articles (i.e., not bundled or unpackaged), containers (e.g., boxes, sacks, trailers, railcars, loader buckets), stockpiles (e.g., on concrete slabs of buildings), and / or physically conveyed loose materials (e.g., granules on a conveyor belt) or pneumatically conveyed loose materials (e.g., granules mixed with air in a conveyor pipe).

[0099] Byproducts from PET recycling facilities

[0100] Recycling facilities, particularly PET recycling facilities, typically operate by receiving plastic waste (e.g., from MRF) and producing r-PET containing at least 99 wt% or at least 99.9 wt% PET, which is then used by mechanical recycling facilities to produce r-PET products. Recycling facilities produce r-PET by subjecting plastic waste to various processes that separate PET from non-plastic components and plastic materials other than PET. However, these separation processes are typically less than 100% efficient and usually result in a certain amount of PET present in the byproducts. Recycling facilities may also include processes for producing high-purity PET (at least 99 wt% or at least 99.9 wt%) recycling unit byproducts, but in a form undesirable to mechanical recycling facilities. As used herein, the term "recycling unit byproduct" refers to any material separated or extracted by the recycling facility that is not extracted as a transparent rPET product, including colored rPET. The recycling unit byproducts described above and below are generally considered waste products and are typically sent to landfills and / or incinerators. PET-containing waste plastics from plastic product manufacturing facilities.

[0101] Another source of PET-containing waste plastics includes plastic product manufacturing facilities. These facilities produce, for example, plastic bottles, plastic containers, plastic caps, plastic lids, plastic straws, plastic bags, plastic films, and a variety of standard and custom plastic articles. A variety of manufacturing methods can be used, including but not limited to casting, rotational molding, injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming (vacuum forming), extrusion, and 3D printing. These processes may generate waste plastics due to errors in the process or as an inherent result of the process. For example, waste plastics may contain portions of defective plastic articles with deformed, surface-defective, and / or fragile parts. Waste plastics may also include other products from molding processes, such as intermediate-molded products, such as bottle preforms or sheets. Waste plastics can also be waste plastics removed from plastic articles during the manufacturing process, such as edge trimming from films or sheets of plastic. These waste plastics may typically contain a certain amount (or even the majority) of PET. Waste plastics may also be removed or discharged from manufacturing equipment used to produce plastic articles as part of the manufacturing start-up or finish-up process.

[0102] PET recycling facilities

[0103] As described above, one or more PET-containing materials used as feedstock in chemical recycling facilities—particularly solvent decomposition facilities—may include one or more byproducts from recycling facilities—particularly PET recycling facilities. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the portion of the PET-containing material may include at least two PET-containing recycling facility byproducts.

[0104] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an exemplary recycling facility 800 is shown, illustrating typical rPET products and byproducts derived from the recycling facility 800. As shown, plastic feed 802 (e.g., from MRF) can be fed into recycling unit area 810. Recycling unit area 810 typically includes various separation processes (described below) that produce a substantially pure r-PET plastic stream 812 containing at least 99 wt% or at least 99.9 wt% PET on a dry plastic basis. Recycling unit area 810 may also produce one or more recycling unit byproducts, including wet scrap 803, colored plastic 804, vortex waste 805, sheet sorting waste 806, and / or dry scrap 807.

[0105] r-PET plastic stream 812 may contain a quantity of rPET plastic flakes, which can be extracted as rPET flake stream 814. Additionally, or alternatively, at least a portion of r-PET plastic stream 812 may be fed to densification (e.g., granulation) zone 820. Densification zone 820 typically includes various processes (described below) for converting the rPET flakes from stream 812 into desired rPET pellets 818. Densification zone 820 may also generate one or more recycling device byproducts, including PET cleaned material 815, wet pellets 816, and / or dry pellets 817.

[0106] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an exemplary recycling facility 800 is shown, illustrating some specific processing steps performed within the recycling facility 800 and the resulting products and byproducts. Although the processing steps are shown and described below in a specific order, it should be understood that other recycling facilities may perform one or more of the processing steps in a different order than that shown in the figures and described herein, and / or omit the processing steps shown and described, and / or include additional processing steps not shown or described.

[0107] like Figure 5 As shown, a certain amount of packaged plastic 801 can be supplied from the MRF facility to the recycling facility 800 and fed to a de-seal device 830 and / or a de-packing machine 832 to produce a certain amount of loose plastic waste material. The de-seal device 830 can be used to avoid the risk of injury associated with manual de-sealing. The de-packing machine 832 typically includes one or more wide blades that contact the de-sealled packages and break them down into loose plastic waste material. The loose plastic waste can then be conveyed, for example, by a belt or pneumatic conveyor 834 to a heavy removal process 836. Heavy removal 836 can utilize gravity and / or pneumatic conveyors to remove “heavier” components (e.g., those with a density greater than 2 g / cc) from the conveyor stream. These heavier components may include metals, rocks, sand, etc. However, a certain amount of PET and / or other plastic material may also be intentionally or unintentionally removed along with the heavier components, and thus the metals, plastics, and other components removed at this stage can be extracted as a byproduct 837 of the recycling facility containing heavy materials (e.g., containing metals).

[0108] The heavier plastic waste can then be conveyed to a friction washer 838, where a stream of water washes away food or other substances adhering to the plastic waste and / or removes food or material from the plastic by contacting it with a buffer. In this and other steps, including a washing or rinsing step, the resulting water stream 839 can be filtered 840, either alone or together with water streams from other steps described herein. The filter 840 will be cleaned occasionally, and the removed solids may include PET. Additionally, or alternatively, the filtrate may contain a quantity of PET and / or other plastic materials. One or both of the solids from the filtration process and / or the PET-containing filtrate may be in the form of wet fines 841, which can be extracted as a byproduct of the regeneration unit. As used herein, the term "filtration (filtration / filtering / filter(ed))" refers to methods and / or equipment for solid / liquid separation, including but not limited to the use of media, centrifugation, and / or sedimentation.

[0109] Following the friction scrubber 838, the plastic waste may undergo one or more near-infrared (NIR), optical, and / or manual sorting steps to remove colored plastics and / or other plastic and non-plastic materials not identified as PET-containing materials by the (manual or mechanical) sorters. As shown, the process includes two NIR sorters 842, 844 and manual sorting steps 846, 848, resulting in four streams of colored plastic mixtures 843, 845, 847, 849 as byproducts of the recycling unit. NIR and optical sorters will generally reject anything that the sensors do not fully identify as transparent PET material. Such rejected waste may include PET bottles with labels and / or colored caps. However, some NIR and / or optical sorters may not have the ability to "see" and reject black plastics, such as clamshell containers with carbon black portions. Therefore, black plastics are generally not rejected by these sorters. Additionally, with the blower located downstream of the sensors, a certain amount of transparent PET material may also be rejected along with colored PET material. Manual sorting machines typically "pull out" or reject any material that is not clearly transparent PET bottles or materials, as well as PET bottles with linings or other known problematic parts, for use in downstream recycling processes. Therefore, the colored plastic mixtures obtained from these processes often contain a certain amount of PET and / or other plastic materials in the form of colored plastic mixtures, which can be extracted as byproducts of the recycling unit.

[0110] Following NIR, optical, and / or manual sorting steps, the plastic waste can then be conveyed to an optional eddy current separator 850 to remove any metals remaining in the waste plastic and protect downstream processes from damage. The eddy current separator uses an electric field at the end of the conveyor belt to repel conductive nonferrous metals (e.g., aluminum) without affecting non-conductive materials (e.g., plastics). As the plastic waste stream approaches the end of the conveyor belt, the eddies alter the natural, gravity-induced trajectory of the nonferrous metals, discharging them from the stream along a different trajectory than the non-conductive materials. A separator is positioned between the paths defined by the two tracks, allowing the discharged and undischarged components to separate. During separation, some plastic articles and / or plastic sheets may come into contact with the nonferrous metal components and be unintentionally discharged along incorrect trajectories. Therefore, the separated nonferrous metals may contain a quantity of PET and / or other plastic materials, which can be extracted as a metal-containing recycling byproduct 851. Additionally, the eddy separator can be connected to the grinder 852 (upstream or downstream of the eddy separator 850), which can produce plastic fines that can also be extracted as a byproduct of the recycling device.

[0111] Following an optional eddy current separator 850 and / or mill 852, the plastic waste can then be conveyed to a density separation stage 854 and a mechanical dewatering process 856, wherein the density separation stage 854, for example a flotation-sinking separation stage, typically separates components with a density lower than PET (e.g., polyolefins) from the plastic waste material. As described above, wastewater from these processes is filtered 840, 860, and solids and / or filtrate can be extracted as wet fines 841, 861 or other byproducts of recycling units (e.g., polyolefin stream 859).

[0112] The plastic waste can then be transferred to another NIR 862 and / or optical sorter, which typically rejects again anything that the sensor has not fully identified as transparent PET. The plastic waste material at this stage has usually undergone a size reduction process, such as grinding, so the rejected material is often in the form of plastic flakes (defined below). This process aims to remove PVC, such as PVC from the label, as well as other plastic materials with a similar density to PET that were not removed during the density separation process. However, similar to the previous NIR and optical sorters, the rejected flakes may include a certain amount of PET and can be extracted as a byproduct 863 of the flake waste recycling unit.

[0113] At this point, the plastic waste typically has a high PET content (e.g., at least 99 wt% or at least 99.9 wt%) and can be dried 864 and prepared as rPET flake product 814 for packaging 870. When using dryer 864, a certain amount of dried fine particles (defined below) can be separated from the flake product in dryer 864 or in downstream conveyor 866 and / or dust collector 868. Although the dried fine particles also typically have a high PET content, they are undesirable as rPET feedstock for mechanical recycling facilities. However, the dried fine particles can be extracted as byproducts 865, 869 of the dried fine particle recycling unit. It should be understood that dryers and dust collectors can be used in other locations upstream or downstream of the recycling facility, and dried fine particles extracted from these locations can also be extracted as byproducts of the recycling unit.

[0114] Some recycling facilities also include densification processes to convert rPET flakes into the desired rPET pellets. As used herein, “densification” refers to a process that agglomerates and granulates, coalesces, or partially melts a quantity of plastic granules—plastic granules with a D90 size less than 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch)—to form solid pellets (e.g., pellets) with a D90 size ranging from 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch) to 2.54 cm (1 inch). Densification processes typically involve an extruder 880, in which rPET flakes are melted and conveyed through the extruder barrel. A pelletizer 882 is then operated to form the extruded rPET into pellets (D90 typically not exceeding 2.54 cm (1 inch)). The pellets are then washed (which yields retrievable PET-containing wet pellets), dried (which yields retrievable PET-containing dry pellets), and packaged 890 for transport as rPET pellet product 892 to a mechanical recycling facility. However, when the extruder is shut down, a certain amount of molten rPET is purified and solidified, for example, into PET material blocks, rather than being converted into granules. This purified material can be extracted as a byproduct 881 of the PET purified material recycling unit. Additionally, granulation is typically carried out in water, and the filtrate and / or solids from the filtered water stream can be extracted as a byproduct of the recycling unit (e.g., wet fines 883). Finally, the dryers 884 and conveyors 886, 888 used in the granule packaging process are typically equipped with dust collectors, and dry fines can also be extracted as byproducts 885, 887, 889 of the dry fines recycling unit.

[0115] The composition and treatment steps of byproducts from the regeneration unit in a chemical recycling facility are described in more detail below. However, it should be understood that the following description can also describe the composition and treatment of other PET-containing materials (i.e., PET-containing MRF products or byproducts, sorted plastic mixtures, and / or PET-containing waste plastics from plastics manufacturing facilities) within the scope of this technology.

[0116] wet fine materials

[0117] As described above, recycled wet granules can be separated and extracted from plastic waste, for example, as filtrate and / or solids from a filtration process. As used herein, “recycled wet granules” refers to a stream or batch of PET-containing plastic pellets separated from waste plastics within a recycling facility, and which, when first separated from waste plastics within the recycling facility, have a water content of at least 2 wt% based on the total weight of the recycled wet granules, and whose plastic pellets have a D90 of less than 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch). In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a quantity of recycled wet granules is fed into a chemical recycling facility, where at least a portion of the recycled wet granules is depolymerized.

[0118] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a quantity of PET-containing recycled wet feedstock comprises at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, or at least 50 wt% water content. The quantity of PET-containing recycled wet feedstock may comprise at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, or at least 50 wt% plastic pellets with a D90 less than 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch). The quantity of PET-containing recycled wet feedstock may comprise at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% PET on a dry basis (i.e., excluding moisture content).

[0119] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, prior to depolymerization, at least 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 95, or 99 wt% water content can be removed from the quantity of PET-containing recycled wet feedstock. The water content can be removed by passive drying (e.g., placement for storage) or by using a dryer or other active drying methods. In one or more embodiments, prior to depolymerization, at least a portion of the plastic particles from the PET-containing recycled wet feedstock can be densified (e.g., agglomerated or granulated) to form a quantity of densified PET-containing particles with a D90 of 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch) to 2.54 (1 inch). Prior to depolymerization, a quantity of the densified PET-containing particles can be liquefied (e.g., dissolved or melted) to form a liquefied plastic material. One or more of dehydration, densification, and / or liquefaction can be performed within the chemical recycling facility or before the quantity of wet feedstock is fed to the chemical recycling facility.

[0120] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a quantity of PET-containing recycled wet feedstock (comprising a quantity of densified PET-containing particles and / or liquefied plastic material) may be fed into a solvent decomposition facility within a chemical recycling facility, where depolymerization occurs. On a dry basis, the quantity of PET-containing recycled wet feedstock (comprising a quantity of densified PET-containing particles and / or liquefied plastic material) may contain at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% PET. On a dry basis, the quantity of PET-containing recycled wet feedstock (comprising a quantity of densified PET-containing particles and / or liquefied plastic material) may contain no more than 10, no more than 8, no more than 6, no more than 4, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt% halogens. On a dry basis, the quantity of PET-containing recycled wet feedstock (comprising a quantity of densified PET-containing particles and / or liquefied plastic material) may contain no more than 50, no more than 40, no more than 30, no more than 20, no more than 10, no more than 5, or no more than 1 wt% polyolefins.

[0121] Mixtures containing colored plastics

[0122] As described above, mixtures containing colored plastics can be separated from and extracted from plastic waste in a PET recycling unit. Additionally, or alternatively, mixtures containing colored plastics can be separated and similarly extracted in an MRF facility. As used herein, the term "mixture containing colored plastics" means: (a) plastic-containing material identified by the recycling unit or MRF as colored plastic or as opaque rPET by the recycling unit or MRF; or (b) any plastic-containing material separated by the recycling unit or MRF, except for dry fines, wet fines, transparent rPET products from the recycling unit, rocks, biomass, metals, or fibers. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a quantity of a mixture of PET-containing recycled unit colored plastics and / or a mixture of MRF colored plastics is fed into a chemical recycling facility, and at least a portion of such quantity of the mixture of PET-containing recycled unit colored plastics and / or the mixture of MRF colored plastics is depolymerized therein.

[0123] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a certain amount of the colored plastic mixture, on a dry basis, comprises at least 1, at least 10, at least 20, at least 40, at least 60, at least 80, or at least 90 and / or no more than 99.9 or 99 wt% PET. The certain amount of the colored plastic mixture may comprise 1 wt% to 99.9 wt% or 50 wt% to 99 wt% PET on a dry basis. The certain amount of the colored plastic mixture may comprise at least 1, at least 10, at least 20, at least 40, at least 60, at least 80, at least 90, at least 95, at least 99, or at least 99.9 wt% opaque PET (e.g., green PET) on a dry basis. The certain amount of the colored plastic mixture may comprise no more than 10, no more than 8, no more than 6, no more than 4, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt% halogen on a dry basis. On a dry basis, a certain amount of a mixture containing colored plastics may contain at least 1, at least 2, at least 4, at least 6, or at least 8 wt% and / or no more than 90, no more than 80, no more than 70, no more than 60, no more than 50, no more than 40, no more than 30, no more than 20, or no more than 10 wt% of polyolefins. On a dry plastic basis, a certain amount of a mixture containing colored plastics may contain at least 0.1, at least 1, at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, at least 80, or at least 90 wt% of opaque PET and / or other colored plastic materials. On a dry basis, a certain amount of the mixture containing colored plastics may contain at least 0.1, at least 1, at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, at least 80 or at least 90 wt% of PVC, nylon and / or copolyester.

[0124] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a quantity of the colored plastic mixture can be fed directly to the solvent decomposition facility within the chemical recovery facility without: feeding to a pretreatment and / or separation facility, or undergoing a pretreatment and / or separation process within or separate from the chemical recovery facility. However, prior to depolymerization, at least a portion of the quantity of the colored plastic mixture can be fed to at least one density separation stage to generate a PET enriched stream, which is then fed to the solvent decomposition facility within the chemical recovery facility. The at least one density separation stage may comprise at least two density separation stages.

[0125] Byproducts from recycling facilities containing PET and metals

[0126] As described above, metal components can be separated from plastic waste in recycling facilities (e.g., in heavy removal processes and / or eddy current separators), and these metal components may include a quantity of PET material and be extracted as a byproduct of the recycling facility containing PET and metal. As used herein, the term "byproduct of recycling facility containing PET and metal" refers to material from a magnetic separator, eddy current separator, or other metal separator in a PET recycling facility that is not extracted as rPET product. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a quantity of the recycling facility containing PET and metal may be fed into a chemical recycling facility, where at least a portion of the quantity of the recycling facility containing PET and metal may be depolymerized.

[0127] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a certain amount of PET-containing and metal-containing recycling plant byproducts contains at least 0.1, at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, or at least 15 wt% metal on a dry basis. However, the metal content fed to the solvent decomposition facility for depolymerization may be limited. Therefore, at least a portion, at least 90 wt%, at least 95 wt%, at least 99 wt%, or at least 99.9 wt% of metal can be separated and removed from the plastic prior to depolymerization, as described below. Separation or removal can be carried out as a continuous separation process (e.g., a solid / liquid separator) and / or as a batch separation process (e.g., a purification process), and can be carried out in a pretreatment facility and / or a solvent decomposition facility (e.g., a front end of a solvent decomposition facility). Regardless of whether a separation step is used, the feedstock to the solvent decomposition facility and / or depolymerization process may contain no more than 10, no more than 8, no more than 6, no more than 4, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt% metal on a dry basis. The metal may comprise one or more types of metal and may comprise ferrous and / or nonferrous metals. The metal may include one or more non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum, copper, lead, nickel, tin, titanium, zinc, and / or alloys thereof. The metal may also include one or more ferrous metals, such as iron, steel, stainless steel, carbon steel, austenitic, martensitic, duplex stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, and / or alloys thereof. On a dry basis, a given amount of recycling plant byproducts containing PET and metals may contain at least 0.1, at least 1, at least 10, at least 20, at least 40, at least 60, or at least 80 wt% PET.

[0128] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, a quantity of recycling plant byproduct containing PET and metal comprises plastic flakes and at least 0.1, 1, 5, 10, or 15 wt% metal on a dry basis. As used herein, the term "plastic flakes" refers to plastic particles with a D90 particle size of 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch) to 2.54 cm (1 inch). At least a portion of the plastic flakes can be separated from the metal prior to depolymerization. This separation can be carried out within a chemical recovery facility (e.g., in a pretreatment facility and / or a solvent decomposition facility) or prior to feeding the recycling plant byproduct containing PET and metal to the chemical recovery facility. The separation may comprise feeding at least a portion of a quantity of the recycling plant byproduct to at least one density separation stage to separate at least a portion of the plastic flakes from the metal. The separated portion of the plastic flakes can be fed to a solvent decomposition facility within the chemical recovery facility. The metal from which a portion of the plastic flakes has been separated can be fed into a partial oxidation (POX) vaporizer.

[0129] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the quantity of recycling plant byproducts containing PET and metals does not undergo separation before being fed into the chemical recovery facility. For example, both the metal and plastic sheets can be fed into a solvent decomposition unit within the chemical recovery facility, and the metal can be removed by a solid / liquid separator (e.g., a filter) and / or by purification in the solvent decomposition unit. Alternatively, the metal can be fed into a POX vaporizer without separating some of the plastic sheets therefrom.

[0130] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, a quantity of recycling facility byproducts containing PET and metal comprises plastic articles and at least 0.1, 1, 5, 10, or 15 wt% of metal on a dry basis. As used herein, the term “plastic article” refers to packaged or unpackaged plastic material with a D90 particle size greater than 2.54 cm (1 inch). Plastic articles may be in the form of compressed packages. Plastic articles may be processed, for example, by unpacking, grinding, chopping, shredding, and / or pulverizing, to produce unpacked quantities of plastic articles and metal and / or reduce the size of the plastic articles to form plastic granular solids with a D90 particle size less than 2.54 cm (1 inch).

[0131] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the plastic articles and / or plastic particulate solids can be separated from the metal prior to depolymerization. This separation can be carried out within a chemical recovery facility (e.g., in a pretreatment facility and / or solvent decomposition facility) or prior to feeding byproducts from a recycling unit containing PET and metal into the chemical recovery facility. The separation may comprise feeding at least a portion of the plastic articles and / or plastic particulate solids to at least one density separation stage to separate at least a portion of the plastic articles and / or plastic particulate solids from the metal. The separated portion of the plastic articles and / or plastic particulate solids can be fed into a solvent decomposition facility within the chemical recovery facility. The metal from which a portion of the plastic articles and / or plastic particulate solids has been separated can be fed into a partial oxidation (POX) vaporizer.

[0132] Similar to plastic sheets, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, metals and plastic articles and / or plastic particulate solids can be fed into the solvent decomposition facility within the chemical recovery facility, and the metals can be removed by filtration and / or purification in the solvent decomposition hydrolysis facility. Alternatively, the metals can be fed into a POX vaporizer without separating a portion of the plastic articles and / or plastic particulate solids therefrom.

[0133] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, a quantity of PET- and metal-containing recycling plant byproduct comprises plastic fines and at least 0.1, 1, 5, 10, or 15 wt% metal on a dry basis. As used herein, the term "plastic fines" refers to plastic particles with a D90 particle size of less than 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch). Prior to depolymerization, at least a portion of the plastic fines may be densified (e.g., agglomerated or granulated) to produce densified PET-containing particles. Densification may be performed within a chemical recycling facility or before the PET- and metal-containing recycling plant byproduct is fed to the chemical recycling facility. The D90 particle size of the densified PET-containing particles may be 1 to 10 mm, 2 to 8 mm, or 3 to 5 mm. Densification may occur without separating all or part of the metals from the recycling plant product, and therefore the densified PET-containing particles may contain at least a portion of the metals. Dense PET-containing particles can be directly fed into the solvent decomposition facility within the chemical recovery facility (i.e., without undergoing pretreatment or separation processes within or separate from the chemical recovery facility).

[0134] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, metals separated from plastic materials containing PET and metals as byproducts of a recycling facility (i.e., metals separated from plastic flakes, plastic articles, and / or plastic pellets using any one or more pretreatment or separation methods described in this section or elsewhere in this application) can be extracted in a metal-containing stream, for example, along with a portion of the plastic flakes, plastic articles, and / or plastic pellets or other plastic materials, and fed to a pyrolysis facility, and in one or more embodiments to a pyrolysis reactor within the pyrolysis facility.

[0135] Recycling equipment for thin sheet waste

[0136] As described above, PET and PVC-containing recycled sheet waste can be separated from and extracted from plastic waste in a PET recycling facility. As used herein, “recycled sheet waste” refers to a mixture of plastic waste from a recycling facility containing at least PET and at least 0.1 wt% PVC on a dry basis, with a D90 particle size of 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch) to 2.54 cm (1 inch). In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a quantity of PET and PVC-containing sheet waste is fed into a chemical recycling facility, where at least a portion of the quantity of PET and PVC-containing sheet waste is depolymerized.

[0137] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a certain amount of recycled equipment sheet waste is rich in PVC and depleted in polyolefins relative to plastic waste. On a dry basis, a certain amount of recycled equipment sheet waste may contain at least 0.1, at least 1, at least 10, at least 20, at least 40, at least 60, or at least 80 wt% PET. On a dry basis, a certain amount of recycled equipment sheet waste may contain at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, or at least 15 wt% PVC. On a dry basis, a certain amount of recycled equipment sheet waste may contain at least 0.1, at least 1, or at least 5 wt% and / or no more than 20, no more than 15, or no more than 10 wt% polyolefins. On a dry basis, a certain amount of recycled equipment sheet waste may contain 0.1 wt%–20 wt%, 1 wt%–15 wt%, or 5 wt%–10 wt% polyolefins.

[0138] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of a certain amount of waste flakes from the recycling facility may be fed to at least one density separation stage prior to depolymerization, wherein a PET enriched stream and a polyolefin enriched stream may be generated from the waste plastic stream containing the waste flakes. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a portion of a certain amount of waste flakes from the recycling facility may be the only plastic material in the waste plastic stream fed to at least one density separation stage. However, in other embodiments, a portion of a certain amount of waste flakes from the recycling facility may be mixed with one or more other plastic materials in the waste plastic stream fed to at least one density separation stage. The PET enriched stream may be fed to a solvent decomposition facility. The polyolefin enriched stream may be fed to a partial oxidation (POX) gasifier. The polyolefin enriched stream may be fed to a pyrolysis facility and may be fed to a pyrolysis reactor within the pyrolysis facility. Additionally, or alternatively, the polyolefin enriched stream may be fed to an energy recovery facility.

[0139] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of a certain amount of recycled PET and PVC-containing waste flakes may be fed into a mechanical dewatering unit prior to depolymerization. Then, a portion of the recycled PET and PVC waste flakes may be fed into a thermal dryer after the mechanical dewatering unit.

[0140] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of a certain amount of waste sheet material from a recycling facility containing PET and PVC can be directly fed into the solvent decomposition facility within the chemical recycling facility (i.e., without undergoing any pretreatment or separation process within or separate from the chemical recycling facility).

[0141] solidified purification materials

[0142] As described above, solidified remedial material can originate from unavailable or undesirable liquefied plastic materials, such as those from PET (rPET) recycling facilities, PET product manufacturers (molding machines), and / or polymer manufacturing facilities, which are permitted to solidify and can be extracted. As used herein, the term "solidified remedial material" refers to plastic waste or a portion thereof removed from any melt polymer processing equipment that does not produce the intended product (e.g., pellets, bottles, and other plastic articles), including but not limited to extruders, filters, granulators, reactors, conduits, etc., where the plastic waste is melted within the melt polymer processing equipment but permitted to solidify outside. Solidified material can typically be unformed and / or non-granulated and can be in the form of solid plastic blocks (e.g., plastic blocks removed from the extruder barrel that have not passed through the extruder die). Solidified plastic material may also include intermediate molded products. Solidified plastic material may include transparent and / or colored plastics. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a quantity of PET-containing solidified remedial material is fed into a chemical recycling facility, where at least a portion of the PET-containing solidified remedial material is depolymerized.

[0143] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, a certain amount of the PET-containing cured purification material comprises, on a dry basis, at least 90, at least 95, at least 99, or at least 99.9 wt% PET. A certain amount of the PET-containing cured purification material comprises, on a dry basis, at least 0.1, at least 1, at least 10, at least 20, at least 40, at least 60, or at least 80 wt% copolyester. A certain amount of the PET-containing cured purification material may comprise at least 95, at least 98, at least 99, or at least 99.9 wt% of the following materials, which are solid at the processing temperature of the melt polymer processing equipment (e.g., glass, metal, and other fillers). A certain amount of the PET-containing cured purification material comprises, on a dry basis, no more than 50, no more than 40, no more than 30, no more than 20, no more than 10, or no more than 1 wt% polyolefin. A certain amount of the PET-containing cured purification material comprises, on a dry basis, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, or no more than 1 wt% PVC.

[0144] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of a quantity of PET-containing cured remedial material may be fed directly into a solvent decomposition facility within a chemical recovery facility (i.e., without undergoing a pretreatment or separation process within or separate from the chemical recovery facility). At least a portion of the quantity of PET-containing cured remedial material may be reduced in size, for example, through a mechanical size reduction process. The mechanical size reduction process may include shredding (e.g., using a plastic shredder), chopping, grinding, chaff cutting, dripping, and / or crushing the partially cured remedial material to form a quantity of plastic particulate solids prior to depolymerization.

[0145] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment described herein, the resulting plastic granular solids may have a D90 particle size of less than 15.24 cm (6 inches), not more than 12.7 cm (5 inches), not more than 10.16 cm (4 inches), not more than 7.62 cm (3 inches), not more than 5.08 cm (2 inches), or not more than 2.54 cm (1 inch). When a shredder is used, the solidified clean material can produce plastic granular solids with a D90 particle size of less than 5.08 cm (2 inches) or less than 2.54 cm (1 inch). During the size reduction process described above, or during the collection of clean material, a certain amount of dry fines, ropes, threads, and / or fibrous materials can be generated and extracted from the solidified clean material. For example, when a shredder is used, this process can produce a certain amount of plastic fines. However, the use of a grinder can be avoided, and therefore the process can produce less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 2%, or less than 1% of plastic fines. Before depolymerization, a certain amount of these extracted materials can be densified into plastic pellets with a D90 size of 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch) to 2.54 cm (1 inch). For example, a screen can be used to extract large pellets (greater than 2.54 cm (1 inch)) and fine pellets (less than 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch)). The large pellets can be recycled back to the shredder. The fine pellets can be densified as described above.

[0146] Dry fine materials

[0147] As described above, dry granules can be generated from the processing (e.g., conveying, drying, densification, extrusion, packaging, centrifugation, and / or grinding) and / or transport of plastic materials, and can be collected in a dryer or dust collector and extracted. As used herein, the term "dry granules" refers to waste plastic particles from PET recycling facilities and / or PET product manufacturers, having an average particle size of less than 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch) and a moisture content of less than 2 wt%. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a quantity of PET-containing dry granules is fed into a chemical recycling facility, and at least a portion of the quantity of PET-containing dry granules is depolymerized therein.

[0148] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a certain amount of PET-containing dry fines comprises at least 90, at least 95, at least 99, or at least 99.9 wt% PET on a dry basis. A certain amount of PET-containing dry fines may comprise at least 0.1, at least 1, at least 10, at least 20, at least 40, at least 60, or at least 80 wt% copolyester on a dry basis. A certain amount of PET-containing dry fines may comprise no more than 50, no more than 40, no more than 30, no more than 20, no more than 10, or no more than 1 wt% polyolefin on a dry basis. A certain amount of PET-containing dry fines may comprise no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, or no more than 1 wt% PVC on a dry basis.

[0149] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of a certain amount of PET-containing dry fines is fed directly to a chemical recycling facility (i.e., without undergoing any pretreatment or separation process within or separate from the chemical recycling facility). This can be achieved using a conveying system that interconnects the chemical recycling facility with PET recycling facilities, manufacturers of PET products, and / or polymer manufacturing facilities. The dry fines may also be delivered in sacks or bags.

[0150] Dry fines can pose some explosion hazards. While dry fines do not typically reach an explosive state, transporting them can cause separation and air exposure, making them potentially explosive. Explosive concentrations may also be present in storage stockpiles. Therefore, dry fines can be screened to remove and extract particles smaller than 1000 μm, 800 μm, 600 μm, or 420 μm. Prior to depolymerization, at least a portion of the PET-containing dry fines extracted during the aforementioned screening or other processes can be densified (e.g., agglomerated or granulated) to prepare densified PET-containing granules, thereby reducing or eliminating the explosion risk. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments described herein, the densified plastic granules have a D90 particle size of 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch) to 2.54 cm (1 inch). In one or more embodiments, the densified plastic granules can be fed into a solvent decomposition facility within a chemical recycling facility.

[0151] Delivery of waste plastics

[0152] Chemical recycling facility 10 may also include infrastructure for receiving waste plastics as described herein (e.g., byproducts from PET-containing recycling facilities, products or byproducts from PET-containing municipal recycling facilities (MRFs), sorted plastic mixtures, PET-containing waste plastics from plastics manufacturing facilities, and / or other MPWs) to facilitate the delivery of waste plastics via any suitable type of transport, including, for example, trains, trucks, and / or ships. This infrastructure may include facilities to assist in unloading waste plastics from transport vehicles, storage facilities, and one or more conveying systems for transporting waste plastics from the unloading area to downstream processing areas. Such conveying systems may include, for example, pneumatic conveyors, belt conveyors, bucket conveyors, vibrating conveyors, screw conveyors, cart-on-track conveyors, trailer conveyors, overhead conveyors, front-end loaders, trucks, and chain conveyors.

[0153] Waste introduced into the chemical recycling facility 10 (e.g., byproducts from PET-containing recycling units, products or byproducts from PET-containing municipal recycling facilities (MRFs), sorted plastic mixtures, PET-containing waste plastics from plastic product manufacturing facilities, and / or other MPWs) can take several forms, including but not limited to: whole articles, pellets (e.g., crushed, granulated, fibrous plastic pellets), bundles (e.g., compressed and bundled whole articles), unbundled items (i.e., not bundled or unpackaged), containers (e.g., boxes, sacks, trailers, railcars, loader buckets), stockpiles (e.g., on concrete slabs of buildings), solid / liquid slurries (e.g., pumped slurries of plastics in water), and / or loosely transported materials (e.g., pellets on a conveyor belt) or loosely transported materials (e.g., pellets mixed with air and / or inert gases in a conveyor pipe).

[0154] As used herein, the term "waste plastic pellets" refers to waste plastic with a D90 of less than 1 inch. In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, waste plastic pellets may be MPW pellets. Waste plastic or MPW pellets may include, for example, shredded or minced plastic pellets, or plastic granules. When all or substantially all of the articles are introduced into the chemical recycling facility 10 (or pretreatment facility 20), one or more shredding or granulation steps may be used therein to form waste plastic pellets (e.g., MPW pellets). Alternatively, or additionally, at least a portion of the waste plastic introduced into the chemical recycling facility 10 (or pretreatment facility 20) may already be in pellet form.

[0155] The existence of [something] will now be described in further detail below. Figure 1 The general configuration and operation of each facility in the chemical recovery facility shown, starting with the pretreatment facility. Optionally, although... Figure 1As not shown, at least one stream from the chemical recycling facility may be sent to an industrial waste landfill or other similar treatment or disposal facility.

[0156] Preprocessing

[0157] like Figure 1 As shown, untreated and / or partially treated waste plastics, such as mixed plastic waste (MPW), may first be introduced into pretreatment facility 20 via stream 100. In pretreatment facility 20, the stream may undergo one or more treatment steps to prepare it for chemical recycling. As used herein, the term "pretreatment" refers to the preparation of waste plastics for chemical recycling using one or more of the following steps: (i) crushing, (ii) granulation, (iii) washing, (iv) drying, and / or (v) separation. As used herein, the term "pretreatment facility" refers to a facility that includes all the equipment, piping, and control devices required to perform waste plastic pretreatment. Pretreatment facilities as described herein can employ any suitable method to prepare waste plastics for chemical recycling using one or more of these steps, which will be described in further detail below.

[0158] Crushing and granulation

[0159] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, waste plastics (e.g., MPW) may be provided in unsorted or pre-sorted plastic bales or in other large aggregate forms. The bales or aggregates of plastic undergo an initial process in which they are broken up. The plastic bales may be fed to a bale opener, which includes, for example, one or more rotating shafts equipped with teeth or blades configured to separate the bales and, in some cases, shred the plastic constituting the bales. In one or more other embodiments, the bales or aggregates of plastic may be fed to a chaff cutter, where they are cut into smaller plastic sheets. The unbales and / or chaff-cut plastic solids may then undergo a sorting process in which various non-plastic heavy materials, such as glass, metal, and rock, are removed. This sorting process may be performed manually or by machine. The sorting machine may rely on optical sensors, magnets, eddy currents, pneumatic lifts or conveyors based on drag coefficient separation, or sieves to identify and remove heavy materials.

[0160] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the waste plastic feedstock comprises plastic solids having a D90 greater than one inch, 0.75 inches, or 0.5 inches, such as used containers. Alternatively, or additionally, the waste plastic feedstock may also comprise multiple plastic solids that at some point had a size greater than one inch, but these solids may have been compacted, compressed, or otherwise aggregated into larger units, such as bales. In embodiments where at least some or all of the plastic solids have a size greater than one inch, 0.75 inches, or 0.5 inches, the feedstock may undergo mechanical size reduction operations, such as grinding / granulation, shredding, chopping, cutting, or other pulverizing processes, to provide MPW pellets with reduced dimensions. Such mechanical size reduction operations may include size reduction steps rather than crushing, compacting, or forming bales of the plastic.

[0161] In one or more other embodiments, the waste plastics may have already undergone some initial separation and / or size reduction processes. Specifically, the waste plastics may be in the form of granules or flakes and provided in some kind of container, such as sacks or boxes. Depending on the composition of these plastic solids and what pretreatment they may have undergone, the plastic raw material may bypass unpacking machines, chaff cutters, and / or heavy removal stations and proceed directly to granulation equipment for further size reduction.

[0162] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, unpacked or crushed plastic solids may be fed to a crushing or granulating apparatus, in which the plastic solids are ground, shredded, or otherwise reduced in size. The plastic material may be formed into granules having a D90 particle size of less than 1 inch, less than 3 / 4 inch, or less than 1 / 2 inch. In one or more other embodiments, the D90 particle size of the plastic material leaving the granulating apparatus is 1 / 16 inch to 1 inch, 1 / 8 inch to 3 / 4 inch, 1 / 4 inch to 5 / 8 inch, or 3 / 8 inch to 1 / 2 inch.

[0163] Washing and drying

[0164] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, untreated or partially treated waste plastics provided to a chemical recycling facility may contain a variety of organic contaminants or residues that may be associated with the previous use of the waste plastics. For example, waste plastics may contain food or beverage contaminants, particularly if the plastic material was used for food or beverage packaging. Therefore, waste plastics may also contain microbial contaminants and / or compounds produced by microorganisms. Exemplary microorganisms that may be present on the surface of the plastic solids constituting the waste plastics include: Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Clostridium difficile, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Pseudomonas fluorescens.

[0165] Various microorganisms can produce compounds that cause foul odors. Exemplary odor-causing compounds include hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, methanethiol, putrescine, cadaverine, trimethylamine, ammonia, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, propionic acid, and / or butyric acid. Therefore, it is understood that waste plastics may pose an odor nuisance problem. Consequently, waste plastics can be stored in enclosed spaces, such as shipping containers, enclosed railcars, or enclosed trailers, until they can be further processed. In some embodiments, untreated or partially treated waste plastics, once they arrive at the location where they are to be processed (e.g., shredding, washing, and sorting), can be stored in enclosed spaces for no more than one week, no more than five days, no more than three days, no more than two days, or no more than one day.

[0166] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, pretreatment facility 20 may also include equipment or steps for treating waste plastics with a chemical composition having antimicrobial properties, thereby forming treated granular plastic solids. In some embodiments, this may include treating the waste plastics with sodium hydroxide, a high-pH saline solution (e.g., potassium carbonate), or other antimicrobial compositions.

[0167] Additionally, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, waste plastics (e.g., MPW) may optionally be washed to remove inorganic non-plastic solids, such as soil, glass, fillers, and other non-plastic solid materials, and / or to remove biological components such as bacteria and / or food. Based on the total weight of the waste plastics, the resulting washed waste plastics may also be dried to a moisture content not exceeding 5, 3, 2, 1, 0.5, or 0.25 wt% water (or liquid). Drying may be carried out in any suitable manner, including by heating and / or airflow, mechanical drying (e.g., centrifugation), or by allowing the liquid to evaporate within a specified time.

[0168] Separation

[0169] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pretreatment facility 20 or the steps of the chemical recycling process or the chemical recycling facility 10 may include at least one separation step or separation zone. The separation step or separation zone may be configured to separate the waste plastic stream into two or more streams enriched with certain types of plastics. This separation is particularly advantageous when the waste plastic fed to the pretreatment facility 20 is MPW (multi-component plastic).

[0170] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the separation zone 22 of the pretreatment facility 20 (see Figure 2 This can separate waste plastics (such as MPW) into components such as... Figure 2The PET enrichment stream 112 and PET depletion stream 114 are shown. As used herein, the term "enrichment" means having a concentration (on undiluted dry weight) of a specific component that is greater than the concentration of that component in the reference material or stream. As used herein, the term "depletion" means having a concentration (on undiluted dry weight) of a specific component that is less than the concentration of that component in the reference material or stream. Unless otherwise stated, all weight percentages used herein are on undiluted dry weight.

[0171] When the enriched or depleted component is a solid, the concentration is expressed as undiluted solid dry weight; when the enriched or depleted component is a liquid, the concentration is expressed as undiluted liquid dry weight; and when the enriched or depleted component is a gas, the concentration is expressed as undiluted gas dry weight. Furthermore, enrichment and depletion can be expressed in mass balance terms rather than concentration. Therefore, the component mass of a stream rich in a particular component can be greater than the component mass in a reference stream (e.g., feed stream or other product stream), while the component mass of a stream depleted in relation to a particular component can be less than the component mass in a reference stream (e.g., feed stream or other product stream).

[0172] Refer again Figure 2 The PET concentration or mass of the PET-enriched stream 112 of waste plastics removed from pretreatment facility 20 (or separation zone 22) can be higher than that of the waste plastic feed stream 100 introduced into pretreatment facility 20 (or separation zone 22). Similarly, the PET-depleted stream 114 removed from pretreatment facility 20 (or separation zone 22) can be PET-depleted and have a lower PET concentration or mass than that of the waste plastics introduced into pretreatment facility 20 (or separation zone 22). The PET-depleted stream 114 can also be PO-enriched and have a higher PO concentration or mass than that of the waste plastic (e.g., MPW) stream introduced into pretreatment facility 20 (or separation zone 22).

[0173] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, when the MPW stream 100 is fed to the pretreatment facility 20 (or separation zone 22), the PET enriched stream may be rich in PET concentration or mass relative to the MPW stream or the PET-poor stream, or both, on an undiluted solids dry weight basis. For example, if the PET enriched stream is diluted with a liquid or other solid after separation, the enrichment will be based on the concentration in the undiluted PET enriched stream, on a dry basis. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the PET enrichment percentage of the PET enrichment stream 112, relative to the MPW feed stream (PET enrichment percentage based on feed), the PET depleted product stream 114 (PET enrichment percentage based on product), or both, is determined by the following formula:

[0174]

[0175] and

[0176]

[0177] Where PETe is the concentration of PET in PET enriched product stream 112, based on undiluted dry weight;

[0178] PETm is the concentration of PET in the MPW feed stream 100, on a dry basis; and

[0179] PETd is the concentration of PET in PET-depleted product stream 114, on a dry basis.

[0180] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, when the MPW-containing stream 100 is fed to the pretreatment facility 20 (or separation zone 22), the PET enriched stream is also rich in halogens, such as fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), and astatine (At), and / or halogen-containing compounds, such as PVC, relative to the concentration or mass of halogens in the MPW feed stream 100 or the PET depleted product stream 114 or both. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the PVC enrichment percentage of the PET enrichment stream 112, relative to the MPW feed stream (based on the PVC enrichment percentage of the feed), the PET depleted product stream (based on the PVC enrichment percentage of the product), or both, is determined by the following formula:

[0181]

[0182] and

[0183]

[0184] Where PVCe is the concentration of PVC in PET enriched product stream 112, based on undiluted dry weight;

[0185] PVCm is the concentration of PVC in the MPW feed stream 100, based on undiluted dry weight; and

[0186] Wherein PVCd is the concentration of PVC in PET depleted product stream 114, based on undiluted dry weight.

[0187] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, when MPW stream 100 is fed to pretreatment facility 20 (or separation zone 22), PET depleted stream 114 is rich in polyolefins on an undiluted solids dry weight basis, relative to the concentration or mass of polyolefins in MPW feed stream 100, PET enriched product stream 112, or both. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the percentage of polyolefin enrichment in the PET lean stream 114 relative to the MPW feed stream 100 (based on the PO enrichment percentage of the feed) or relative to the PET enriched product stream 112 (based on the PO enrichment percentage of the product) or both, is determined by the following formula:

[0188]

[0189] and

[0190]

[0191] Where POd is the concentration of polyolefin in PET lean product stream 114, based on undiluted dry weight;

[0192] POm is the concentration of PO in the MPW feed stream 100, on a dry basis; and

[0193] POe is the concentration of PO in PET enriched product stream 112, on a dry basis.

[0194] In one embodiment or in combination with any other embodiment, when the MPW stream 100 is fed to the pretreatment facility 20 (or separation zone 22), the PET depleted stream 114 is also depleted in terms of halogens, such as fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I) and astatine (At), and / or halogen-containing compounds, such as PVC, relative to the concentration or mass of halogens in the MPW stream 100, the PET enriched stream 112, or both. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the PVC depletion percentage of the PET depletion stream 114, relative to the MPW feed stream 100 (PVC depletion percentage based on feed) or the PET enriched product stream 112 (PVC depletion percentage based on product), is determined by the following formula:

[0195]

[0196] and

[0197]

[0198] Where PVCm is the concentration of PVC in the MPW feed stream 100, based on undiluted dry weight;

[0199] PVCd is the concentration of PVC in PET lean product stream 114, on an undiluted dry weight basis; and

[0200] PVCe is the concentration of PVC in PET enriched product stream 112, on an undiluted dry weight basis.

[0201] The PET depletion stream 114 is PET-depleted relative to the concentration or mass of PET in the MPW feed stream 100, the PET enrichment stream 112, or both. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the PET depletion percentage of the PET depletion stream 114 relative to the MPW feed stream 100 (PET depletion % based on feed) or the PET enrichment product stream 112 (PET depletion % based on product) is determined by the following formula:

[0202]

[0203] and

[0204]

[0205] Where PETm is the concentration of PET in the MPW feed stream 100, on an undiluted dry basis;

[0206] PETd is the concentration of PET in PET-depleted product stream 114, on an undiluted dry basis; and

[0207] PETe is the concentration of PET in PET enriched product stream 112, based on undiluted dry weight.

[0208] In any of the above embodiments, the percentage of enrichment or depletion can be an average over one week, three days, or one day, and taking into account the residence time of the MPW from the inlet to the outlet, measurements can be taken to reasonably correlate the sample taken at the process outlet with the MPW as a whole containing that MPW sample. For example, if the average residence time of the MPW is 2 minutes, the outlet sample is taken two minutes after the inlet sample, thus correlating the samples with each other.

[0209] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the PET enrichment stream exiting the separation zone 22 or pretreatment facility 20 may contain at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, at least 97, at least 99, at least 99.5, or at least 99.9 wt% PET, based on the total weight of plastic in the PET enrichment stream. The PET enrichment stream 112 may also be rich in PVC and may include, for example, at least 0.1, at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 5, and / or no more than 10, no more than 8, no more than 6, no more than 5, or no more than 3 wt% halogens (including PVC), based on the total weight of plastic in the PET enrichment stream, or it may be in the range of 0.1 wt%-10 wt%, 0.5 wt%-8 wt%, or 1 wt%-5 wt%. The PET enrichment stream may include at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, at least 99, or at least 99.5 wt% of the total amount of PET introduced into the pretreatment facility 20 (or separation zone 22).

[0210] PET enrichment stream 112 can also be depleted in terms of PO and / or heavier plastics, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyamides (PA12, PA46, PA66), polyacrylamide (PARA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polycarbonate-polybutylene terephthalate blends (PC / PBT), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyimide (PI), polycarbonate (PC), polyethersulfone (PESU), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyamide-imide (PAI), polyethyleneimine (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyoxymethylene (POM), and polyglycolic acid (polyglycolic acid, PGA). The following are examples of materials: polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), thermoplastic styrene elastomer (TPS), amorphous thermoplastic polyimide (TPI), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), glass fiber reinforced PET, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyphthalamide (PPA), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), and perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), any of which may include carbon, glass, and / or mineral fillers and have a higher density than PET and PVC.

[0211] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the plastic in the PET enrichment stream 112, the PET enrichment stream 112 may contain no more than 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2, 1, or 0.5 wt% PO. The PET enrichment stream 112 may contain no more than 10, 8, 5, 3, 2, or 1 wt% of the total PO introduced into the pretreatment facility 20 (or separation zone 22). Based on the total weight of the PET enrichment stream 112, the PET enrichment stream 112 may contain no more than 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2, or 1 wt% of components other than PET.

[0212] Additionally, or alternatively, on a dry basis, the PET enrichment stream 112 may contain no more than 2, 1, 0.5, or 0.1 wt% of a binder. Typical binders include carpet adhesives, latex, styrene-butadiene rubber, etc. Furthermore, on a dry basis, the PET enrichment stream 112 may include no more than 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.5, or 0.1 wt% of plastic fillers and solid additives. Exemplary fillers and additives include silicon dioxide, calcium carbonate, talc, silica, glass, glass beads, alumina, and other solid inert substances that do not chemically react with the plastic or other components in the methods described herein.

[0213] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the PET depleted (or PO enriched) stream 114 leaving the separation zone 22 or pretreatment facility 20 may contain at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, at least 97, at least 99, or at least 99.5 wt% PO, based on the total weight of plastic in the PET depleted (or PO enriched) stream. The PET depleted (or PO enriched) stream may be depleted in terms of PVC and may include, for example, no more than 5, no more than 2, no more than 1, no more than 0.5, no more than 0.1, no more than 0.05, or no more than 0.01 wt% halogens, including chlorine in the PVC, based on the total weight of plastic in the PET depleted (or PO enriched) stream. The PET depletion or PO enrichment stream may include at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, at least 99, or at least 99.9 wt% of the total amount of PO introduced into the pretreatment facility 20 or separation facility 22.

[0214] The PO enrichment stream 114 may also be depleted in terms of PET and / or other plastics (including PVC). In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, based on the total weight of plastics in the PET depletion or PO enrichment stream, the PET depletion (or PO enrichment stream) may contain no more than 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2, 1, or 0.5 wt% PET. The PO enrichment (or PET depletion) stream 114 may contain no more than 10, 8, 5, 3, 2, or 1 wt% of the total amount of PET introduced into the pretreatment facility.

[0215] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the PET-deficient or PO-enriched stream 114, the PET-deficient or PO-enriched stream 114 may contain no more than 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2, or 1 wt% of components other than PO. Based on the total weight of the stream, the PET-deficient or PO-enriched stream 114 contains no more than 4, 2, 1, 0.5, or 0.1 wt% of binder.

[0216] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the melt viscosity of the PET depletion or PO enrichment stream 114 can be at least 1, at least 5, at least 50, at least 100, at least 200, at least 300, at least 400, at least 500, at least 600, at least 700, at least 800, at least 900, at least 1000, at least 1500, at least 2000, at least 2500, at least 3000, at least 3500, at least 4000. At least 4,500, at least 5,000, at least 5,500, at least 6,000, at least 6,500, at least 7,000, at least 7,500, at least 8,000, at least 8,500, at least 9,000, at least 9,500, or at least 10,000 poises, measured using a Brookfield R / S rheometer with a V80-40 paddle rotor, operating at a shear rate of 10 rad / s and a temperature of 350°C. Alternatively, or additionally, the melt viscosity of the PET-depleted or PO-enriched flow may be no more than 25,000, no more than 24,000, no more than 23,000, no more than 22,000, no more than 21,000, no more than 20,000, no more than 19,000, no more than 18,000, or no more than 17,000 poises (measured at 10 rad / s and 350°C). Alternatively, the melt viscosity of the flow can be in the range of 1 to 25,000 poise, 500 to 22,000 poise, or 1,000 to 17,000 poise (measured at 10 rad / s and 350 °C).

[0217] Waste plastics can be separated into two or more streams rich in certain types of plastics using any suitable type of separation apparatus, system, or facility, such as PET enrichment stream 112 and PO enrichment stream 114. Examples of suitable types of separation include mechanical separation and density separation, which may include flotation-sinking separation and / or centrifugal density separation. As used herein, the term “flotation-sinking separation” refers to a density separation process in which the separation of materials is primarily caused by floating or sinking in a selected liquid medium, while the term “centrifugal density separation” refers to a density separation process in which the separation of materials is primarily caused by centrifugal force. Generally, the term “density separation process” refers to a process that separates materials into at least a higher density output and a lower density output based at least in part on their respective densities, and includes both flotation-sinking separation and centrifugal density separation.

[0218] When using flotation-sinking separation, the liquid medium may include water. Salts, sugars, and / or other additives may be added to the liquid medium, for example, to increase the density of the liquid medium and adjust the target separation density for the flotation-sinking stage. The liquid medium may include a concentrated salt solution. In one or more such embodiments, the salt is sodium chloride. However, in one or more other embodiments, the salt is a non-halogenated salt, such as acetate, carbonate, citrate, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, and / or sulfate. The liquid medium may contain a concentrated salt solution comprising sodium bromide, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium hydroxide, sodium iodide, sodium nitrate, sodium thiosulfate, potassium acetate, potassium bromide, potassium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, potassium iodide, calcium chloride, cesium chloride, ferric chloride, strontium chloride, zinc chloride, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, and / or silver nitrate. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the salt is a caustic alkali component. The salt may include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and / or potassium carbonate. The pH of the concentrated salt solution may be greater than 7, greater than 8, greater than 9, or greater than 10.

[0219] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the liquid medium may comprise sugars, such as sucrose. The liquid medium may include carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, dichlorobenzene, dimethyl sulfate, and / or trichloroethylene. The specific components and concentration of the liquid medium may be selected based on the desired target separation density for the separation stage. Centrifugal density separation processes may also utilize the liquid medium as described above to improve separation efficiency at the target separation density.

[0220] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the waste plastic separation method includes at least two density separation stages. In some such embodiments, the method typically includes introducing waste plastic particles into a first density separation stage and feeding the output from the first density separation stage into a second density separation stage. The density separation stage can be any system or unit operation performing a density separation process as defined herein. At least one of the density separation stages includes a centrifugal separation stage or a flotation-sinking separation stage. Each of the first and second density separation stages includes a centrifugal separation stage and / or a flotation-sinking separation stage.

[0221] To produce a PET enriched material stream, one of the density separation stages may include a low-density separation stage, while the other typically includes a high-density separation stage. As defined herein, the target separation density of the low-density separation stage is less than the target separation density of the high-density separation stage. The target separation density of the low-density separation stage is less than the density of PET, and the target separation density of the high-density separation stage is greater than the density of PET.

[0222] As used herein, the term "target separation density" refers to a density at which materials undergoing density separation preferentially separate into a higher density output, and at a density below which materials separate into a lower density output. The target separation density specifies a density value above which all plastics and other solid materials separate into a higher density output, and below which all plastics and other solid materials separate into a lower density output. However, during density separation, the actual separation efficiency of materials can depend on various factors, including residence time and the relative proximity of the density of a particular material to the target density separation value, as well as factors related to particle form, such as area-to-mass ratio, sphericity, and porosity.

[0223] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the target separation density of the low-density separation stage is less than 1.35, less than 1.34, less than 1.33, less than 1.32, less than 1.31, or less than 1.30 g / cc and / or at least 1.25, at least 1.26, at least 1.27, at least 1.28, or at least 1.29 g / cc. The target separation density of the high-density separation stage is at least 0.01, at least 0.025, at least 0.05, at least 0.075, at least 0.1, at least 0.15, or at least 0.2 g / cc greater than the target separation density of the low-density separation stage. The target separation density for the high-density separation stage is at least 1.31, at least 1.32, at least 1.33, at least 1.34, at least 1.35, at least 1.36, at least 1.37, at least 1.38, at least 1.39, or at least 1.40 g / cc and / or not exceeding 1.45, not exceeding 1.44, not exceeding 1.43, not exceeding 1.42, or not exceeding 1.41 g / cc. The target separation density for the low-density separation stage is in the range of 1.25 to 1.35 g / cc, and the target separation density for the high-density separation stage is in the range of 1.35 to 1.45 g / cc.

[0224] Refer again Figure 1 The PET enriched stream 112 and PO enriched stream 114 can be introduced into one or more downstream treatment facilities (or undergo one or more downstream treatment steps) within the chemical recovery facility 10. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the PET enriched stream 112 can be introduced into the solvent decomposition facility 30, while at least a portion of the PO enriched stream 114 can be introduced directly or indirectly into one or more of the pyrolysis facility 60, cracking facility 70, partial oxidation (POX) gasification facility 50, energy recovery facility 80, or other facilities 90 (such as solidification or separation facilities). Additional details of each step and facility type according to one or more embodiments of the present technology, as well as the general integration of each of these steps and facilities with one or more of the other steps and facilities, will be discussed in further detail below.

[0225] Solvent decomposition

[0226] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the PET enriched stream 112 from pretreatment facility 20 may be introduced into solvent decomposition facility 30. As used herein, the terms “solvent decomposition” or “ester solvent decomposition” refer to a reaction in which an ester-containing feed is chemically decomposed in the presence of a solvent to form a major carboxyl product and a major diol product. A “solvent decomposition facility” is a facility that includes all the equipment, piping, and control devices required for the solvent decomposition of waste plastics and the raw materials derived therefrom.

[0227] When the ester undergoing solvent decomposition contains PET, the solvent decomposition performed in the solvent decomposition facility can be PET solvent decomposition. As used herein, the term "PET solvent decomposition" refers to the chemical decomposition of a feed containing polyterephthalate in the presence of a solvent to form a major terephthaloyl product and a major diol product. As used herein, the term "major terephthaloyl" refers to the major or critical terephthaloyl product extracted from the solvent decomposition facility. As used herein, the term "major diol" refers to the major diol product extracted from the solvent decomposition facility. As used herein, the term "diol" refers to a component containing two or more -OH functional groups per molecule. As used herein, the term "terephthaloyl" refers to a molecule comprising the following groups:

[0228]

[0229] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the predominant terephthaloyl product comprises a terephthaloyl group, such as terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate (or an oligomer thereof), while the predominant diol comprises a diol, such as ethylene glycol and / or diethylene glycol. The main steps of the PET solvent decomposition facility 30 according to one or more embodiments of the present technology are generally shown in… Figure 3 middle.

[0230] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the primary solvent used in the solvent decomposition comprises a compound having at least one -OH group. Examples of suitable solvents may include, but are not limited to: (i) water (in which case the solvent decomposition may be referred to as “hydrolysis”), (ii) alcohols (in which case the solvent decomposition may be referred to as “alcohololysis”) such as methanol (in which case the solvent decomposition may be referred to as “methanol decomposition”) or ethanol (in which case the solvent decomposition may be referred to as “ethanol decomposition”), (iii) diols such as ethylene glycol or diethylene glycol (in which case the solvent decomposition may be referred to as “diol decomposition”), or (iv) ammonia (in which case the solvent decomposition may be referred to as “ammonolysis”).

[0231] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the solvent stream, the solvent decomposition solvent may include at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, at least or at least 99 wt% of the main solvent. In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the solvent stream, the solvent may contain no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt% of other solvents or components.

[0232] When solvent decomposition facility 30 uses a glycol (e.g., ethylene glycol) as the primary solvent, the facility may be referred to as a glycol decomposition facility. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, Figure 1 Chemical recycling facilities may include glycol decomposition facilities. In a glycol decomposition facility, PET can be chemically decomposed to form ethylene glycol (EG) as the main glycol and dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) as the main terephthaloyl group. When the PET contains waste plastics, both the EG and DMT formed in the solvent decomposition facility can contain recycled ethylene glycol (r-EG) and recycled dimethyl terephthalate (r-DMT). When formed via glycol decomposition, EG and DMT can exist in a single product stream.

[0233] When a solvent decomposition facility uses methanol as the primary solvent, it can be called a methanol decomposition facility. Figure 1 Chemical recovery facilities may include methanol decomposition facilities. One example of a methanol decomposition facility is... Figure 3 The diagram schematically depicts that PET can be chemically decomposed to form ethylene glycol (EG) as the main diol and dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) as the main terephthaloyl group. When PET contains waste plastics, both EG and DMT formed in the solvent decomposition facility can contain recycled components of ethylene glycol (r-EG) and dimethyl terephthalate (r-DMT).

[0234] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the stream 154 of recovered component diol (r-diol) removed from solvent decomposition facility 30 may contain at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of the primary diol formed in the solvent decomposition facility. Based on the total weight of the stream, it may also include no more than 99.9%, no more than 99%, no more than 95%, no more than 90%, no more than 85%, no more than 80%, or no more than 75 wt% of a major diol (e.g., r-EG), and / or may include at least 0.5%, at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 5%, at least 7%, at least 10%, at least 12%, at least 15%, at least 20%, or at least 25 wt% and / or no more than 45%, at least 40%, at least 35%, at least 30%, at least 25%, at least 20%, or no more than 15 wt% of components other than the major diol, or, based on the total weight of the stream, these may be present in amounts ranging from 0.5 wt% to 45 wt%, 1 wt% to 40 wt%, or 2 wt% to 15 wt%. Based on the total weight of stream 154, r-diol may be present in stream 154 in amounts ranging from 45 wt% to 99.9 wt%, 55 wt% to 99.9 wt%, or 80 wt% to 99.9 wt%.

[0235] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the recovered component predominantly terephthaloyl (r-terephthaloyl) stream 158 removed from the solvent decomposition facility may contain at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of predominantly terephthaloyl (e.g., DMT) formed in the solvent decomposition facility 30. Based on the total weight of the stream, it may also include no more than 99, no more than 95, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, or no more than 75 wt% of predominantly terephthaloyl, or predominantly terephthaloyl may be present in amounts of 45 wt%–99 wt%, 50 wt%–95 wt%, or 55 wt%–90 wt%. Additionally, or alternatively, based on the total weight of the stream, the stream may include at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 7, at least 10, at least 12, at least 15, at least 20, or at least 25 wt% and / or no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, or no more than 15 wt% of components other than the main terephthaloyl group. Based on the total weight of stream 154, the γ-terephthaloyl group (or terephthaloyl group) may be present in stream 154 in an amount ranging from 45 wt% to 99.9 wt%, 55 wt% to 99.9 wt%, or 80 wt% to 99.9 wt%.

[0236] In addition to providing the main diol stream and the main terephthaloyl stream for recovery, the solvent decomposition facility can also provide one or more solvent decomposition byproduct streams, such as... Figure 1 As shown in stream 110, these streams can also be withdrawn from one or more locations within the solvent decomposition facility. As used herein, the term "byproduct" or "solvent decomposition byproduct" refers to any compound from the solvent decomposition facility that is not a major carboxyl (or terephthaloyl) product of the solvent decomposition facility, a major diol product of the solvent decomposition facility, or a major solvent fed into the solvent decomposition facility. Based on the total weight of the streams, the solvent decomposition byproduct streams may contain at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% of one or more solvent decomposition byproducts.

[0237] Solvent decomposition byproducts may comprise either heavy organic solvent decomposition byproduct streams or light organic solvent decomposition byproduct streams. As used herein, the term "heavy organic solvent decomposition byproduct" refers to a solvent decomposition byproduct with a boiling point higher than that of the major terephthaloyl product of the solvent decomposition facility, while the term "light organic solvent decomposition byproduct" refers to a solvent decomposition byproduct with a boiling point lower than that of the major terephthaloyl product of the solvent decomposition facility.

[0238] When the solvent decomposition facility is a methanol decomposition facility, one or more methanol decomposition byproducts may be extracted from the facility. As used herein, the term "methanol decomposition byproduct" refers to any compound from the methanol decomposition facility that is not DMT, EG, or methanol. Based on the total weight of the stream, the methanol decomposition byproduct stream may contain at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% of one or more solvent decomposition byproducts. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the methanol decomposition byproduct stream may contain heavy organic methanol decomposition byproducts or light organic methanol decomposition byproducts. As used herein, the term "heavy organic methanol decomposition byproduct" refers to a methanol decomposition byproduct with a boiling point higher than DMT, while the term "light methanol decomposition byproduct" refers to a methanol decomposition byproduct with a boiling point lower than DMT.

[0239] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the solvent decomposition facility may produce at least one heavy organic solvent decomposition byproduct stream. Based on the total weight of organic matter in the stream, the heavy organic solvent decomposition byproduct stream may include at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of the following organic compounds, the boiling point of which is higher than the boiling point of the predominant terephthaloyl group (e.g., DMT) produced by the solvent decomposition facility 30.

[0240] Additionally, or alternatively, the solvent decomposition facility may generate at least one light organic solvent decomposition byproduct stream. Based on the total weight of the organic matter in the stream, the light organic solvent decomposition byproduct stream may include at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of the following organic compounds, the boiling point of which is lower than the boiling point of the predominant terephthaloyl group (e.g., DMT) generated by the solvent decomposition facility 30.

[0241] Turn again Figure 3In operation, the mixed plastic waste stream and solvent introduced (alone or together) into the solvent decomposition facility can first be conveyed through an optional non-PET separation zone 208, in which at least 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, or 95 wt% of the total weight of components other than PET are separated. The boiling point of the non-PET components may be lower than that of PET and they can be removed as vapor from zone 208. Alternatively, or additionally, at least a portion of the non-PET components may have a density slightly higher or lower than that of PET and can be separated by forming a two-phase liquid stream and then removing one or both non-PET phases. Finally, in some embodiments, the non-PET components may be separated as solids from the PET-containing liquid phase.

[0242] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, or at least 95% of the non-PET component separated from the PET-containing stream comprises a polyolefin, such as polyethylene and / or polypropylene. Figure 3 As generally indicated by the dashed lines, all or part of the non-PET separation zone 208 may be located upstream of the reaction zone 210, and all or part of the non-PET separation zone 208 may also be located downstream of the reaction zone 210. Separation techniques such as extraction, solid / liquid separation, decantation, hydrocyclone or centrifugation, manual removal, magnetic removal, eddy current removal, chemical degradation, evaporation and degassing, distillation, and combinations thereof may be used to separate non-PET components from the PET-containing stream in the non-PET separation zone 208.

[0243] like Figure 3 As shown, based on the total weight of the PET-containing stream, the PET-containing stream 138 exiting the non-PET separation zone 208 may contain no more than 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2, 1, or 0.5 wt% of components other than PET (or its oligomer and monomer degradation products) and solvents. The PET-containing stream 138 exiting the non-PET separation zone 208 may contain no more than 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2, or 1 wt% of other types of plastics (e.g., polyolefins). The PET-containing stream 138 exiting the non-PET separation zone 208 may include no more than 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 10, 5, or 2 wt% of the total amount of non-PET components introduced into the non-PET separation zone 208.

[0244] Non-PET components can be removed from the solvent decomposition (or methanol decomposition) facility 30 as a byproduct stream 140 containing polyolefins, such as... Figure 3 As generally shown. Based on the total weight of the by-product stream 140, the polyolefin-containing by-product stream (or decanter olefin by-product stream) 140 may contain at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 92, at least 95, at least 97, at least 99, or at least 99.5 wt% of polyolefin.

[0245] The polyolefins present in the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140 may comprise primarily polyethylene, primarily polypropylene, or a combination of polyethylene and polypropylene. Based on the total weight of the polyolefins in the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140, the polyolefins in the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream contain at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 92, at least 94, at least 95, at least 97, at least 98, or at least 99 wt% polyethylene. Alternatively, based on the total weight of the polyolefins in the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140, the polyolefins in the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream contain at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 92, at least 94, at least 95, at least 97, at least 98, or at least 99 wt% polypropylene.

[0246] Based on the total weight of the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140, the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream contains no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 2, no more than 1, no more than 0.75, no more than 0.50, no more than 0.25, no more than 0.10, or no more than 0.05 wt% of PET. Additionally, based on the total weight of the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140, the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream contains at least 0.01, at least 0.05, at least 0.10, at least 0.50, at least 1, or at least 1.5 and / or no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, or no more than 2 wt% of components other than polyolefins.

[0247] In general, based on the total weight of the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140, the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140 contains at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% of organic compounds. Based on the total weight of the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140, the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140 may include at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 5, at least 10, or at least 15 and / or no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt% of inorganic components.

[0248] Based on the total weight of the polyolefin-containing by-product stream 140, the polyolefin-containing by-product stream may contain at least 0.1, at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 1.5, at least 2, at least 2.5, at least 3, at least 3.5, at least 4, at least 4.5, at least 5, at least 8, at least 10, at least 12, at least 15, at least 18, at least 20, at least 22, or at least 25 wt% and / or no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, or no more than 2 wt% of one or more non-reactive solids. Non-reactive solids refer to solid components that do not chemically react with PET. Examples of non-reactive solids include, but are not limited to, sand, soil, glass, plastic fillers, and combinations thereof.

[0249] Based on the total weight of the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140, the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140 contains one or more of the following fillers in amounts of: at least 100, at least 250, at least 500, at least 750, at least 1000, at least 1500, at least 2000, at least 2500, at least 5000, at least 7500 ppm by weight, or at least 1, at least 1.5, at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, or at least 25 wt%, and / or no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt%. The polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140 may include fillers in amounts of 100 ppm to 50 wt%, 500 ppm to 10 wt%, or 1000 ppm to 5 wt%.

[0250] Examples of fillers may include, but are not limited to: thixotropic agents such as silica micropowder and clay (kaolin), pigments, colorants, flame retardants such as alumina trihydrate, bromine-based, chlorine-based, borate and phosphorus-based, inhibitors such as wax-based materials, UV inhibitors or stabilizers, conductive additives such as metal particles, carbon particles or conductive fibers, release agents such as zinc stearate, wax and organosilicon, calcium carbonate, and calcium sulfate.

[0251] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the density of the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140 may be at least 0.75, at least 0.80, at least 0.85, at least 0.90, at least 0.95, at least 0.99 and / or not exceeding 1.5, not exceeding 1.4, not exceeding 1.3, not exceeding 1.2, not exceeding 1.1, not exceeding 1.05, or not exceeding 1.01 g / cm³. 3 The density was measured at 25°C. It can range from 0.80 to 1.4, 0.90 to 1.2, or 0.95 to 1.1 g / cm³. 3When removed from the non-PET separation zone 208, the temperature of the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140 can be at least 200, at least 205, at least 210, at least 215, at least 220, at least 225, at least 230, or at least 235°C and / or not exceeding 350, not exceeding 340, not exceeding 335, not exceeding 330, not exceeding 325, not exceeding 320, not exceeding 315, not exceeding 310, not exceeding 305, or not exceeding 300°C. Based on the total weight of the stream, the polyolefin-containing byproduct stream 140 can contain at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of components with a boiling point higher than that of the predominantly terephthaloyl or DMT.

[0252] As discussed in further detail herein, all or part of the polyolefin-containing byproduct streams may be introduced into one or more downstream chemical recycling facilities, either alone or together with one or more other byproduct streams, streams from one or more other downstream chemical recycling facilities, and / or waste plastic streams (including untreated, partially treated, and / or treated mixed plastic waste).

[0253] Turn again Figure 3 The PET-containing stream 138 (containing dissolved PET and its degradation products) exiting the non-PET separation zone 208 (upstream of the reaction zone 210) can then be transferred to the reaction zone 210, where the PET introduced into the reaction zone undergoes at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, or at least 95% decomposition. In some embodiments, the reaction medium within the reaction zone 210 can be agitated or stirred, and one or more temperature control devices (e.g., heat exchangers) can be used to maintain the target reaction temperature. In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the target reaction temperature in reaction zone 210 may be at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80 or at least 85°C and / or not more than 350, not more than 345, not more than 340, not more than 335, not more than 330, not more than 325, not more than 320, not more than 315, not more than 310, not more than 300 or not more than 295°C.

[0254] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the solvent decomposition process can be a low-pressure solvent decomposition process, and the pressure in the solvent decomposition reactor (or reaction zone) 210 can be within 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50 psi of atmospheric pressure, or it can be within 55, 75, 90, 100, 125, 150, 200 or 250 psi of atmospheric pressure. The pressure in the solvent decomposition reactor (or reaction zone) 210 may be within 0.35, 0.70, 1, 1.4, 1.75, 2, 2.5, 2.75, 3, 3.5, 3.75, 5, or 6.25 bar gauge pressure (bar) and / or not exceeding 6.9, 8.6, or 10.35 bar. The pressure in the solvation reactor (or reaction zone) 210 may be at least 100 psig (6.7 barg), at least 150 psig (10.3 barg), at least 200 psig (13.8 barg), at least 250 psig (17.2 barg), at least 300 psig (20.7 barg), at least 350 psig (24.1 barg), at least 400 psig (27.5 barg) and / or not exceeding 725 psig (50 barg), not exceeding 650 psig (44.7 barg), not exceeding 600 psig (41.3 barg), not exceeding 550 psig (37.8 barg), not exceeding 500 psig (34.5 barg), not exceeding 450 psig (31 barg), not exceeding 400 psig (27.6 barg) or not exceeding 350 psig (24.1 barg).

[0255] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the solvent decomposition process carried out in reaction zone 210 or facility 30 may be a high-pressure solvent decomposition process, and the pressure in the solvent decomposition reactor may be at least 50 barg (725 psig), at least 70 barg (1015 psig), at least 75 barg (1088 psig), at least 80 barg (1161 psig), at least 85 barg (1233 psig), at least 90 barg (1307 psig), or at least 95 barg (1378 psig). (g), at least 100 barg (1451 psig), at least 110 barg (1596), at least 120 barg (1741 psig), or at least 125 barg (1814 psig) and / or no more than 150 barg (2177 barg), no more than 145 barg (2104), no more than 140 barg (2032 psig), no more than 1959 barg (1959), no more than 130 barg (1886 psig), or no more than 125 barg (1814 psig).

[0256] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the average residence time of the reaction medium in reaction zone 210 may be at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, or at least 15 minutes and / or no more than 12, no more than 11, no more than 10, no more than 9, no more than 8, no more than 7, no more than 6, no more than 5, or no more than 4 hours. When leaving reaction zone 210 in reactor effluent 144, at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 99% of the total weight of PET introduced into solvent decomposition or methanol decomposition facility 30 may be decomposed.

[0257] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, reactor purge stream 142 may be removed from reaction zone 210, and at least a portion may be conveyed as reactor purge byproduct stream 142 to one or more downstream facilities within chemical recovery facility 10. The boiling point of reactor purge byproduct stream 142 may be higher than the boiling point of the primary terephthalamide (or DMT in the case of methanol decomposition) produced from solvent decomposition facility 30.

[0258] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment described herein, based on the total weight of stream 142, reactor purification byproduct stream 142 contains at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% of terephthaloyl groups. When the solvent decomposition facility is a methanol decomposition facility, based on the total weight of stream 142, reactor purification byproduct stream 142 may contain at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% of DMT.

[0259] In addition, based on the total weight of stream 142, the reactor purification byproduct stream 142 may include at least 100 ppm and no more than 25 wt% of one or more non-terephthaloyl solids. In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the stream, the total amount of non-terephthaloyl solids in the reactor purified byproduct stream 142 may be at least 150, at least 200, at least 250, at least 300, at least 350, at least 400, at least 500, at least 600, at least 700, at least 800, at least 900, at least 1000, at least 1500, at least 2000, at least 2500, at least 3000, at least 3500, at least 4000, at least 4500, at least 5000, at least 5500, at least 6000, at least 7000, at least 8000, at least 9000, at least 10,000, or at least 12,500 ppm and / or not more than 25, not more than 22, not more than 20, not more than 18, not more than 15, not more than 12, not more than 10, not more than 8, not more than 5, not more than 3, not more than 2, or not more than 1 wt%.

[0260] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the total solids content of the reactor purified byproduct stream 142, based on the total weight of the stream, is at least 100, at least 250, at least 500, at least 750, at least 1000, at least 1500, at least 2000, at least 2500, at least 3000, at least 3500, at least 4000, at least 4500, at least 5000, at least 5500, at least 6000, at least 6500, at least 7000, at least 7500, at least 800. 0, at least 8500, at least 9000, at least 9500 ppm (ppm by weight) or at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 8, at least 10 or at least 12 wt% and / or not more than 25, not more than 22, not more than 20, not more than 17, not more than 15, not more than 12, not more than 10, not more than 8, not more than 6, not more than 5, not more than 3, not more than 2 or not more than 1 wt% or not more than 7500, not more than 5000, not more than 2500 ppm (ppm by weight).

[0261] Examples of solids may include, but are not limited to, non-volatile catalyst compounds. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the reactor purification byproduct stream may include at least 100, at least 250, at least 500, at least 750, at least 1000, at least 1500, at least 2000, at least 2500, at least 3000, at least 3500, at least 4000, at least 4500, at least 5000, at least 7500, at least 10,000, or at least 12,500 ppm and / or no more than 60,000, no more than 50,000, no more than 40,000, no more than 35,000, no more than 30,000, no more than 25,000, no more than 20,000, no more than 15,000, or no more than 10,000 ppm of non-volatile catalyst metal.

[0262] Examples of suitable non-volatile catalyst metals include, but are not limited to: titanium, zinc, manganese, lithium, magnesium, sodium, methoxides, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, tin, residual esterification or transesterification catalysts, residual polycondensation catalysts, aluminum, depolymerization catalysts, and combinations thereof. As discussed in further detail herein, all or part of the reactor purification byproduct stream 142 may be introduced, alone or together with one or more other byproduct streams, streams from one or more other downstream chemical recovery facilities, and / or waste plastic streams (including untreated, partially treated, and / or treated mixed plastic waste) into one or more downstream chemical recovery facilities.

[0263] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, such as Figure 3As generally indicated, the effluent stream 144 from reaction zone 210 in solvent decomposition facility 30 may optionally be fed through a non-PET separation zone 208 located downstream of the reactor, as previously discussed. The resulting effluent stream 144 from the reactor or (if present) from the non-PET separation zone 208 may be conveyed through product separation zone 220, whereby at least 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, or 99 wt% of heavy organic material is separated from the feed stream 144 to form a stream primarily composed of light organic material 146 and a stream primarily composed of heavy organic material 148. Any suitable method for separating these streams may be used, including, for example, distillation, extraction, decantation, crystallization, membrane separation, solid / liquid separation such as filtration (e.g., belt filter), and combinations thereof.

[0264] like Figure 3 As shown, a heavy organic stream 148 extracted from product separation zone 220 can be introduced into heavy organic matter separation zone 240. Based on the total weight of the stream, this heavy organic stream may include, for example, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% heavy organic components. In heavy organic matter separation zone 240, a predominantly terephthaloyl product stream 158 can be separated from a terephthaloyl bottom or “sludge” byproduct stream 160. This separation can be achieved by, for example, distillation, extraction, decantation, membrane separation, melt crystallization, zone purification, and combinations thereof. As a result, based on the total weight of the stream, stream 158 contains at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% predominantly terephthaloyl (or DMT). In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least some or all of the major terephthaloyl group may comprise a recycled terephthaloyl group (r-terephthaloyl group), such as the recycled DMT (r-DMT).

[0265] Also removed from the heavy organic matter separation zone 240 is the terephthaloyl bottom by-product stream (also known as the "terephthaloyl tower bottom by-product stream," "terephthaloyl sludge by-product stream," or "terephthaloyl residue by-product stream"). By-product stream 160 can also be removed from the heavy organic matter separation zone 240. When the solvent decomposition facility is a methanol decomposition facility, this stream can be referred to as the DMT bottom by-product stream, DMT tower bottom by-product stream, DMT sludge by-product stream, or DMT residue stream.

[0266] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the byproduct stream may include, for example, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 92, at least 95, at least 97, at least 98, at least 99, or at least 99.5 wt% of oligomers, which contain a portion of polyester that has undergone solvent decomposition, based on the total weight of the composition (e.g., PET oligomers). As used herein, the term “polyester portion” or “polyester fraction” refers to a portion or residue of polyester, or a reaction product of a polyester portion or residue. The number-average chain length of these oligomers may be at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, at least 6, at least 7, or at least 8 monomer units (acid + diol) and / or no more than 30, no more than 27, no more than 25, no more than 22, no more than 20, no more than 17, no more than 15, no more than 12, or no more than 10 monomer units (acid + diol), and may include a portion of the polyester (e.g., PET) being processed.

[0267] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments described herein, the terephthaloyl bottom (or DMT bottom) byproduct stream 160 may comprise an oligomer and at least one substituted terephthaloyl component. As used herein, the term "substituted terephthaloyl" refers to a terephthaloyl component having at least one substituted atom or group. Based on the total weight of the terephthaloyl bottom by-product stream 160, the terephthaloyl bottom by-product stream 160 may include at least 1, at least 100, at least 500 ppb (ppb, parts per billion, etc.) by weight, or at least 1, at least 50, at least 1000, at least 2500, at least 5000, at least 7500, or at least 10,000 ppm (ppm, parts per million, etc.) by weight, or at least 1, at least 2, or at least 5 wt% and / or no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 2, no more than 1, no more than 0.5, no more than 0.1, no more than 0.05, or no more than 0.01 wt% of substituted terephthaloyl components.

[0268] As discussed in further detail herein, all or part of the terephthaloyl bottom byproduct stream 160 may be introduced into one or more downstream chemical recovery facilities, either alone or together with one or more other byproduct streams, streams from one or more other downstream chemical recovery facilities, and / or waste plastic streams (including untreated, partially treated, and / or treated mixed plastic waste).

[0269] Refer again Figure 3The stream 146, which is mainly composed of light organic matter from the product separation zone 220, can be introduced into the light organic matter separation zone 230. In the light organic matter separation zone 230, the stream 146 can be separated to remove the main solvent (e.g., methanol in methanol decomposition) and to separate the main diol (e.g., ethylene glycol in methanol decomposition) from organic byproducts (or multiple byproducts) that are lighter and heavier than the main diol.

[0270] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the solvent stream 150 extracted from the light organic matter separation zone 230 may include at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% of a primary solvent, based on the total weight of the stream. When the solvent decomposition facility 30 is a methanol decomposition facility, the stream 150 may contain at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% methanol, based on the total weight of the stream. All or part of the stream may be recycled back to one or more locations within the solvent decomposition facility for further use.

[0271] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least one light organic solvent decomposition byproduct stream 152 (also referred to as a “light organic” stream) may also be extracted from the light organic separation zone 230 and may include at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of a component with a boiling point below the boiling point of the major terephthaloyl (or DMT) group, which is not the major diol (or ethylene glycol) or the major solvent (or methanol). Additionally, or alternatively, the byproduct stream may contain no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 3, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt% of a component with a boiling point above the boiling point of DMT, and the boiling point of the stream 152 itself may be below the boiling point of the major terephthaloyl (or DMT) group.

[0272] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the light organic solvent decomposition byproduct stream 152 can be generated in a solvent decomposition facility containing a primary solvent (e.g., methanol). For example, the light organic solvent byproduct stream 152 may include at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50 or at least 55 wt% and / or no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35 or no more than 30 wt% of a primary solvent.

[0273] In addition, the byproduct stream 152 may also include acetaldehyde, in an amount of at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 50, at least 100, at least 250, at least 500, at least 750, or at least 1000 ppm and / or not more than 90, not more than 85, not more than 80, not more than 75, not more than 70, not more than 65, not more than 60, not more than 55, not more than 50, not more than 45, not more than 40, not more than 35, not more than 30, not more than 25, not more than 20, not more than 15, not more than 10, not more than 5, not more than 3, not more than 2, not more than 1, not more than 0.5, not more than 0.1, or not more than 0.05 wt%, or in an amount of 1 ppm to 50 wt%, 50 ppm to 0.5 wt%, or 100 ppm to 0.05 wt%, based on the total weight of the byproduct stream.

[0274] In addition, the light organic byproduct stream 152 may also include 1,4-dioxane (para-dioxane or p-dioxane) in an amount of at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 50, at least 100, at least 250, at least 500, at least 750 or at least 1000 ppm and / or not more than 60, not more than 55, not more than 50, not more than 45, not more than 40, not more than 35, not more than 30, not more than 25, not more than 20, not more than 15, not more than 10, not more than 5, not more than 3, not more than 2, not more than 1, not more than 0.5, not more than 0.1 or not more than 0.05 wt% based on the total weight of the byproduct stream, or 1,4-dioxane may be present in an amount of 1 ppm to 50 wt%, 50 ppm to 0.5 wt%, or 100 ppm to 0.05 wt% based on the total weight of the byproduct stream.

[0275] The light organic byproduct stream 152 may also include at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of: tetrahydrofuran (THF), methyl acetate, silicates, 2,5-methyldioxolane, 1,4-cyclohexanediethanol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol, 2,2,4-trimethyl-3-pentenal, 2,2,4-trimethyl-3-pentenol, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, 2,4-dimethyl-3-pentanone (DIPK), and isobutyl isobutyrate. Ester, methyl formate, n-butanol, acetic acid, dibutyl ether, heptane, dibutyl terephthalate, dimethyl phthalate, dimethyl 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate, 2-methoxyethanol, 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, 1,1-dimethoxy-2-butene, 1,1-dimethoxyethane, 1,3-propanediol, 2,5-dimethyl-1,3,5-hexadiene, 2,5-dimethyl-2,4-hexadiene, α-methylstyrene, diethylene glycol methyl ether, 1,3,6-trioxane (diethylene) (glycol formal), dimethoxydimethylsilane, dimethyl ether, diisopropyl ketone, EG benzoate, hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane, hexamethyldisiloxane, methoxytrimethylsilane, methyl 4-ethylbenzoate, methyl octanoate, methyl glycolate, methyl lactate, methyl laurate, methyl methoxyethyl terephthalate, methyl nonanoate, methyl oleate, methyl palmitate, methyl stearate, methyl 4-acetylbenzoate, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, styrene, trimethylsilanol, 1,1-dimethoxy-2-butene, 4-methylmorpholine, 1,3,3-trimethoxypropane, methyl myristate, dimethyl adipate, N-methylcaprolactam, dimethyl azelaate, neopentyl glycol and combinations thereof.

[0276] As discussed in further detail herein, one or more light organic byproduct streams, either individually or in part, may be introduced into one or more downstream chemical recycling facilities, either alone or together with one or more other byproduct streams, streams from one or more other downstream chemical recycling facilities, and / or waste plastic streams, including mixed plastic waste (untreated, partially treated, and / or treated).

[0277] Additionally, the stream primarily comprising the major diol 154 can also be withdrawn from the light organic matter separation zone 230. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the stream of major diol 154 (e.g., ethylene glycol) may comprise at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% of the major diol based on the total weight of the stream. The major diol stream 154 may also include a recovered component, such that the recovered component of the major diol product stream 154 is at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% based on the total weight of the stream. The major diol (or ethylene glycol) may include γ-diol (or γ-ethylene glycol).

[0278] like Figure 3 As shown, the bottom byproduct stream 156 containing diols can also be taken from the light organic matter separation zone 230. The terms "diol bottoms" or "diol sludge" (or, more specifically, EG bottoms or EG sludge in methanol decomposition) refer to components with a boiling point (or azeotropic point) higher than that of the major diol but lower than that of the major terephthaloyl group.

[0279] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the glycol bottom byproduct stream 156 may contain at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of a component with a boiling point higher than that of the major glycol (e.g., ethylene glycol) and lower than that of the major terephthaloyl group. The glycol bottom byproduct stream 156 may contain no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt% of a component with a boiling point lower than that of the major glycol (e.g., ethylene glycol). The boiling point of the glycol bottom byproduct stream 156 may be higher than that of the major glycol (e.g., EG) and lower than that of the major terephthaloyl group (e.g., DMT).

[0280] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the bottom diol byproduct stream 156 may comprise a primary diol and at least one other diol. For example, based on the total weight of the byproduct stream 156, the bottom diol byproduct stream 156 may comprise at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 5, or at least 8 and / or no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 12, or no more than 10 wt% of a primary diol (or ethylene glycol). The primary diol (or ethylene glycol) may be present either on its own (in a free state) or as part of another compound.

[0281] Other possible primary diols (depending on the PET or other treated polymers) may include, but are not limited to, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,4-cyclohexane-diethanol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, neopentanediol, 3-methylpentanediol-(2,4), 2-methylpentanediol-(1,4), 2,2,4-trimethylpentanediol-(1,3), 2-ethylhexanediol-(1,3), and 2,2-diethylpropanediol-(1,3). Hexanediol-(1,3), 1,4-di-(hydroxyethoxy)-benzene, 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxycyclohexyl)-propane, 2,4-dihydroxy-1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-cyclobutane, 2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclobutanediol, 2,2-bis-(3-hydroxyethoxyphenyl)-propane, 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxypropoxyphenyl)-propane, isosorbide, hydroquinone, BDS-(2,2-(sulfonylbis)4,1-phenyleneoxy))bis(ethanol), and combinations thereof. Other diols may not be ethylene glycol or may not contain ethylene glycol. Molecules of these diols may also be present in any oligomers of the polyester in this or other byproduct streams. Additionally, other non-terephthaloyl and / or non-diol components may also be present in these streams. Examples of such components include isophthalates and other acid residues with boiling points higher than the predominantly terephthaloyl group.

[0282] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the diols in the bottom by-product stream 156 of the diol column, diols other than the primary diol (or ethylene glycol in the case of methanol decomposition) may be present in the bottom by-product stream 156 in the following amounts: at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70 or at least 75 and / or not more than 99, not more than 95, not more than 90, not more than 85, not more than 80, not more than 75, not more than 70, not more than 65, not more than 60, not more than 55, not more than 50, not more than 45, not more than 40 or not more than 35 wt%.

[0283] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, in the bottom byproduct stream 156 of the glycol column, at least one diol other than the main diol has a weight ratio to the main diol of at least 0.5:1, at least 0.55:1, at least 0.65:1, at least 0.70:1, at least 0.75:1, at least 0.80:1, at least 0.85:1, at least 0.90:1, at least 0.95:1, at least 0.97:1, at least 0.99:1, at least 1:1, at least 1.05:1, at least 1.1:1, at least 1.15:1, at least 1.2:1, at least or at least 1.25:1. Additionally, or alternatively, in the bottom byproduct stream 156 of the diol column, the weight ratio of at least one diol other than the main diol to the main diol is not more than 5:1, not more than 4.5:1, not more than 4:1, not more than 3.5:1, not more than 3:1, not more than 2.5:1, not more than 2:1, not more than 1.5:1, not more than 1.25:1 or not more than 1:1, or in the range of 0.5:1-5:1, 0.70:1-3:1, or 0.80:1-2.5:1.

[0284] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the solvent decomposition facility 30 can generate two or more byproduct streams, which may include two or more heavy organic byproduct streams, two or more light organic byproduct streams, or a combination of light and heavy organic byproduct streams. All or part of one or more solvent decomposition byproduct streams (such as...) can be generated. Figure 1 The flow (shown in 110) is introduced into at least one downstream processing facility, including, for example, a pyrolysis facility 60, a cracking facility 70, a POX gasification facility 50, an energy recovery facility 80, and any other optional facilities mentioned above.

[0285] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, two or more (or portions thereof) solvent decomposition byproduct streams may be introduced into the same downstream processing facility, while in other embodiments, two or more (or portions thereof) solvent decomposition byproduct streams may be introduced into different downstream processing facilities. In some embodiments, at least 90, at least 95, at least 97, at least 99 wt%, or all of a single byproduct stream may be introduced into a downstream facility, while in other embodiments, the stream may be separated between two or more downstream facilities, such that no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, or no more than 30 wt% of a single byproduct stream may be introduced into a downstream process facility.

[0286] Refer again Figure 1In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of at least one solvent decomposition byproduct stream 110 may be combined with at least a portion of the PO-enriched plastic stream 114 removed from the pretreatment facility 20, such as Figure 1 As shown. The amount of a single byproduct stream 110 (or all byproduct streams when combining two or more) in a combined stream of PO-enriched plastics can vary and, based on the total weight of the combined stream, can be, for example, at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, or at least 50 and / or not exceeding 90, not exceeding 85, not exceeding 80, not exceeding 75, not exceeding 70, not exceeding 65, not exceeding 60, not exceeding 55, not exceeding 50, or not exceeding 40 wt%. Figure 1 As shown, the combined stream can then be introduced into one or more locations of the chemical recovery facility, including, for example, into the POX gasification facility 50, pyrolysis facility 60, cracker facility 70 and / or energy generation facility 80.

[0287] Liquefaction / Dehalogenation

[0288] like Figure 1 As shown, PO-enriched waste plastic stream 114 (combined with or not combined with solvent decomposition byproduct stream 110) may optionally be introduced into a liquefaction zone or step before being introduced into one or more downstream treatment facilities. As used herein, the term "liquefaction" zone or step refers to a chemical treatment zone or step in which at least a portion of the introduced plastic is liquefied. The step of liquefying plastics may include chemical liquefaction, physical liquefaction, or a combination thereof. Exemplary methods for liquefying polymers introduced into the liquefaction zone may include (i) heating / melting; (ii) dissolving in a solvent; (iii) depolymerization; (iv) plasticization, and combinations thereof. Additionally, one or more of options (i) to (iv) may be accompanied by the addition of a blending agent or liquefying agent to help facilitate the liquefaction (reduction of viscosity) of the polymer material. Thus, a variety of rheology modifiers (e.g., solvents, depolymerizing agents, plasticizers, and blending agents) can be used to enhance the flow and / or dispersibility of liquefied waste plastics.

[0289] When added to liquefaction zone 40, at least 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, or 99 wt% of plastic (typically waste plastic) undergoes a decrease in viscosity. In some cases, the decrease in viscosity can be promoted by heating (e.g., adding vapor that comes into direct or indirect contact with the plastic), while in others, it can be promoted by combining the plastic with a solvent capable of dissolving it. Examples of suitable solvents may include, but are not limited to: alcohols such as methanol or ethanol, glycols such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, cyclohexanediol, glycerol, pyrolysis oil, engine oil, and water. Figure 1 As shown, solvent stream 141 can be directly added to liquefaction zone 40, or it can be combined with one or more streams fed into liquefaction zone 40. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image) combination.

[0290] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the solvent may comprise streams drawn from one or more other facilities within the chemical recovery facility. For example, the solvent may comprise streams drawn from at least one of the solvent decomposition facility 30, pyrolysis facility 60, and cracking facility 70. The solvent may be or comprise at least one solvent decomposition byproduct described herein, or may be or comprise pyrolysis oil.

[0291] In some cases, plastics can be depolymerized, thereby reducing the number-average chain length of the plastic, for example, by contact with a depolymerizing agent. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least one of the previously listed solvents may be used as a depolymerizing agent, while in one or more other embodiments, the depolymerizing agent may include organic acids (e.g., acetic acid, citric acid, butyric acid, formic acid, lactic acid, oleic acid, oxalic acid, stearic acid, tartaric acid, and / or uric acid) or inorganic acids such as sulfuric acid (for polyolefins). The depolymerizing agent can reduce the melting point and / or viscosity of the polymer by lowering its number-average chain length.

[0292] Alternatively or additionally, plasticizers can be used in the liquefaction zone to reduce the viscosity of the plastic. Plasticizers for polyethylene include, for example, dioctyl phthalate, dioctyl terephthalate, glyceryl tribenzoate, polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight up to 8,000 Daltons, sunflower oil, paraffin wax, paraffin oil, mineral oil, glycerin, EPDM, and EVA with a molecular weight of 400-1,000 Daltons. Plasticizers used for polypropylene include, for example, dioctyl sebacate, paraffin oil, isooctyl resinate, plasticizing oil (Drakeol 34), naphthenic and aromatic treated oils, and glycerin. Plasticizers used in polyesters include, for example, polyalkylene ethers (e.g., polyethylene glycol, poly(tetrahydrofuran), polypropylene glycol, or mixtures thereof) with a molecular weight in the range of 400-1500 Daltons, glyceryl monostearate, epoxidized soybean oil fatty acid octyl ester, epoxidized soybean oil, epoxidized tall oleate, epoxidized linseed oil, polyhydroxy fatty acids, glycols (e.g., ethylene glycol, pentylene glycol, hexanediol, etc.), phthalates, terephthalates, trimellitates, and polyethylene glycol di-(2-ethylhexanoate). When used, the plasticizer may be present in an amount of at least 0.1, at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 2, or at least 5 wt% and / or not more than 10, not more than 8, not more than 5, not more than 3, not more than 2, or not more than 1 wt% based on the total weight of the stream, or it may be in the range of 0.1 wt%-10 wt%, 0.5 wt%-8 wt%, or 1 wt%-5 wt% based on the total weight of the stream.

[0293] Furthermore, one or more methods for liquefying waste plastic streams may also include adding at least one blending agent to the plastic before, during, or after the liquefaction process. Such blending agents may include, for example, emulsifiers and / or surfactants, and may be used to more fully blend the liquefied plastic into a single phase, particularly when density differences between the plastic components of the mixed plastic stream result in multiple liquid or semi-liquid phases. When used, the blending agent may be present in amounts of at least 0.1, at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 2, or at least 5 wt% and / or no more than 10, no more than 8, no more than 5, no more than 3, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt%, based on the total weight of the stream; or it may range from 0.1 wt% to 10 wt%, 0.5 wt% to 8 wt%, or 1 wt% to 5 wt%, based on the total weight of the stream.

[0294] like Figure 1 As generally shown, when combined with the PO-enriched plastic stream 114, a solvent decomposition byproduct stream (which may include one or more solvent decomposition byproducts described herein) may be added before the PO-enriched plastic stream 114 is introduced into the liquefaction zone 40 (as shown in line 113) and / or after the liquefied plastic stream is removed from the liquefaction zone 40 (as shown in line 115). In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion or all of one or more byproduct streams may also be introduced directly into the liquefaction zone, such as... Figure 1 As shown. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the PO-enriched plastic stream 114 may completely bypass the liquefaction zone 40 in the pipeline 117, and may optionally be combined with at least one solvent decomposition byproduct stream 110, also as... Figure 1 As shown in the image.

[0295] In addition, such as Figure 1 As shown, a portion of the pyrolysis oil stream 143 extracted from the pyrolysis facility 60 can be combined with the PO-enriched plastic stream 114 to form liquefied plastic. Although shown as being introduced directly into the liquefaction zone 40, all or part of the pyrolysis oil stream 143 can be combined with the PO-enriched plastic stream 114 before being introduced into the liquefaction zone 40 or after the PO-enriched plastic stream 114 leaves the liquefaction zone 40. When used, the pyrolysis oil can be added individually or in combination with one or more other solvent streams at one or more locations described herein.

[0296] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the feed stream introduced into one or more downstream processing facilities, the feed stream from liquefaction zone 40 to one or more downstream chemical recovery facilities may contain at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of one or more solvent decomposition byproduct streams. For example, feed streams 116, 118, 120, and 122 to each of the POX facility 50, pyrolysis facility 60, cracking facility 70, energy recovery facility 80, and / or any other facility 90 of chemical recovery facility 10 may include PO-enriched waste plastics and a quantity of one or more solvent decomposition byproducts described herein.

[0297] Additionally, or alternatively, based on the total weight of the feed streams introduced into one or more downstream processing facilities, the feed streams to the pyrolysis facility 60, POX facility 50, cracking facility 70, energy recovery facility 80 and / or any other facility 90 may contain no more than 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2 or 1 wt% of one or more solvent decomposition byproduct streams.

[0298] Alternatively, or additionally, based on the total weight of the stream, the liquefied (or reduced viscosity) plastic stream taken from the liquefaction zone 40 may contain at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90 or at least 95 wt% and / or no more than 95, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 2 or no more than 1 wt% of PO, or based on the total weight of the stream, the amount of PO may be in the range of 1 wt% to 95 wt%, 5 wt% to 90 wt%, 10 wt% to 85 wt%.

[0299] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the viscosity of the liquefied plastic stream leaving the liquefaction zone 40 may be less than 3,000, less than 2,500, less than 2,000, less than 1,500, less than 1,000, less than 800, less than 750, less than 700, less than 650, less than 600, less than 550, less than 500, less than 450, less than 400, less than 350, less than 300, less than 250, less than 150, less than 100, less than 75, less than 50, less than 25, less than 10, less than 5, or less than 1 poise, as measured using a Borelfeld R / S rheometer with a V80-40 paddle rotor, which operates at a shear rate of 10 rad / s and a temperature of 350°C. In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the viscosity of the liquefied plastic stream leaving the liquefaction zone (measured at 350°C and 10 rad / s and expressed in poise) is no more than 95%, no more than 90%, no more than 75%, no more than 50%, no more than 25%, no more than 10%, no more than 5%, or no more than 1% of the viscosity of the PO enriched stream introduced into the liquefaction zone.

[0300] Figure 6 The basic components of a liquefaction system are shown, which can be used as... Figure 1 The liquefaction zone 40 is shown in the chemical recovery facility. It should be understood that... Figure 6 An exemplary embodiment of a liquefaction system is described. Figure 6 Some features described herein may be omitted and / or additional features described elsewhere in this document may be added. Figure 6 The system described in the text.

[0301] like Figure 6 As shown, the waste plastic feed, such as PO-enriched waste plastic stream 114, can be derived from a waste plastic source, such as the pretreatment facility 20 described herein. The waste plastic feed (e.g., PO-enriched waste plastic stream 114) can be introduced into the liquefaction zone 40. Figure 6 It is described as comprising at least one melting tank 310, at least one circulating loop pump 312, at least one external heat exchanger 340, at least one stripping tower 330, and at least one separation vessel 320. These various exemplary components and their functions in the liquefaction zone 40 will be discussed in more detail below.

[0302] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, and as Figure 6As shown, the liquefaction zone 40 includes a melting tank 310 and a heater. The melting tank 310 receives waste plastic feed, such as PO enriched waste plastic stream 114, and the heater heats the waste plastic. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the melting tank 310 may include one or more continuously stirred tanks. When one or more rheology modifiers (e.g., solvents, depolymerizers, plasticizers, and blending agents) are used in the liquefaction zone, such rheology modifiers may be added to and / or mixed with the PO enriched plastic in or before the melting tank 310.

[0303] In one embodiment or in any of the embodiments mentioned herein ( Figure 6 (Not shown in the diagram) The heater for the liquefaction zone 40 can take the form of an internal heat exchange coil located in the melting tank 310, a jacket on the outside of the melting tank 310, heat tracing on the outside of the melting tank 310, and / or an electric heating element on the outside of the melting tank 310. Alternatively, as Figure 6 As shown, the heater of the liquefaction zone 40 may include an external heat exchanger 340 that receives the liquefied plastic stream 171 from the melting tank 310, heats it, and returns at least a portion of the heated liquefied plastic stream 173 to the melting tank 310.

[0304] like Figure 6 As shown, when using an external heat exchanger 340 to provide heat to the liquefaction zone 40, a circulation loop can be used to continuously add heat to the PO enrichment material. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the circulation loop includes a melting tank 310, an external heat exchanger 340, a conduit (shown as line 171) connecting the melting tank and the external heat exchanger, and a pump 151 for circulating the liquefied waste plastic in the circulation loop. When using the circulation loop, the resulting liquefied PO enrichment material can be distributed as part of the circulating PO enrichment stream via... Figure 6 The catheter 161 shown is continuously removed from the liquefaction zone 40.

[0305] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the liquefaction zone 40 may optionally include equipment for removing halogens from the PO enriched material. When the PO enriched material is heated in the liquefaction zone 40, halogen-enriched gases can be evaporated. By separating the evaporated halogen-enriched gases from the liquefied PO enriched material, the concentration of halogens in the PO enriched material can be reduced.

[0306] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, dehalogenation can be facilitated by injecting stripping gas (e.g., steam) into the liquefied PO enrichment material in the melting tank 310 or at another location in the circulation loop. Figure 6As shown, the stripping tower 330 and the separation vessel 320 can be arranged in the circulation loop, downstream of the external heat exchanger 340 and upstream of the melting tank 310. Figure 6 As shown, the stripping tower 330 can receive heated liquefied plastic stream 173 from an external heat exchanger 340 and inject stripping gas 153 into the liquefied plastic. Injecting stripping gas 153 into the liquefied plastic can generate a two-phase medium in the stripping tower 330.

[0307] This two-phase medium, introduced into the separation vessel 320 via stream 175, can then flow (e.g., by gravity) through the separation vessel 320, where the halogen-enriched gaseous phase separates from the halogen-depleted liquid phase and is removed from the separation vessel 320 via stream 162. Alternatively, a portion of the liquefied plastic 173 heated from an external heat exchanger 340 can bypass the stripping tower 330 and be introduced directly into the separation vessel 320. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a first portion of the halogen-depleted liquid phase discharged from the outlet of the separation vessel can be returned to the melting tank 310 via line 159, while a second portion of the halogen-depleted liquid phase can be discharged from the liquefaction zone as a dehalogenated, liquefied, PO-enriched product stream 161. The separated halogen-enriched gaseous streams from the separation vessel 162 and from the melting tank 310 via line 164 can be removed from the liquefaction zone 40 for further processing and / or disposal.

[0308] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the halogen content of the dehalogenated liquefied waste plastic stream 161 leaving the liquefaction zone 40 may be less than 500, less than 400, less than 300, less than 200, less than 100, less than 50, less than 10, less than 5, less than 2, less than 1, less than 0.5, or less than 0.1 ppmw. The halogen content of the liquefied plastic stream 161 leaving the liquefaction zone 40 is no more than 95%, no more than 90%, no more than 75%, no more than 50%, no more than 25%, no more than 10%, or no more than 5% (by weight) of the halogen content of the PO enriched stream introduced into the liquefaction zone.

[0309] like Figure 6 As shown, at least a portion of the dehalogenated liquefied waste plastic stream 161 can be introduced into a downstream POX gasifier at the POX gasification facility 50 to produce a syngas composition and / or into a downstream pyrolysis reactor at the pyrolysis facility 60 to produce pyrolysis vapors (i.e., pyrolysis gas and pyrolysis oil) and pyrolysis residues. Alternatively, or additionally, at least a portion of the dehalogenated liquefied waste plastic stream 161 can be introduced into an energy recovery facility 80 and / or one or more other facilities 90, such as separation or solidification facilities.

[0310] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemical recovery facility 10 may not include the liquefaction zone 40. Alternatively, the chemical recovery facility may include the liquefaction zone 40, but may not include any type of dehalogenation zone or equipment.

[0311] Refer again Figure 1 At least a portion of the PO-enriched plastic stream 114 (alone or in combination with one or more solvent decomposition byproduct streams 110) from the pretreatment facility 20 and / or from the liquefaction zone 40 may be introduced into one or more downstream treatment facilities, including, for example, a pyrolysis facility 60, a cracking facility 70, a POX gasification facility 50, an energy recovery facility 80, and any other optional facilities 90, as discussed in detail below.

[0312] pyrolysis

[0313] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein Figure 1 The chemical recycling facility 10 described in general may include a pyrolysis facility. As used herein, the term "pyrolysis" refers to the thermal decomposition of one or more organic materials at elevated temperatures in an inert (i.e., substantially oxygen-free) atmosphere. A "pyrolysis facility" is a facility that includes all the equipment, piping, and control devices necessary for the pyrolysis of waste plastics and the raw materials derived therefrom.

[0314] Figure 7 An exemplary pyrolysis facility 60 is described for converting waste plastic stream 116 (e.g., liquefied waste plastic from a liquefaction zone) into pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, and pyrolysis residues. It should be understood that... Figure 7 An exemplary embodiment of the present technology is depicted. Therefore, Figure 7 Some features described herein may be omitted and / or additional features described elsewhere in this document may be added. Figure 7 The system described in the text.

[0315] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the feed stream 116 to the pyrolysis facility 60 may comprise at least one of the following: (i) at least one solvent decomposition byproduct stream as previously described, and (ii) a PO enrichment stream of waste plastics. One or more of these streams may be introduced into the pyrolysis facility 60 continuously, or one or more of these streams may be introduced intermittently. When multiple types of feed streams are present, each feed stream may be introduced separately, or all or part of the feed streams may be combined to allow the combined streams to be introduced into the pyrolysis facility 60. When combining, it may be done continuously or intermittently. The feed introduced into the pyrolysis facility 60 may be in the form of liquefied plastics (e.g., liquefied, melted, plasticized, depolymerized, or a combination thereof), plastic pellets or granules, or a slurry thereof.

[0316] Usually, such as Figure 7The pyrolysis facility 60 is depicted to include a pyrolysis reactor 510 and a separator 520 for separating product streams from the reactor. Although not described in... Figure 7 As described, the separator 520 of the pyrolysis facility 60 may include various types of equipment, including but not limited to filtration systems, multi-stage separators, condensers and / or quench towers.

[0317] When in pyrolysis reactor 510, at least a portion of the feed may undergo a pyrolysis reaction that produces a pyrolysis effluent comprising pyrolysis oil, pyrolysis gas, and pyrolysis residue. As used herein, the term "pyrolysis gas" refers to a composition obtained by pyrolysis that is gaseous at 25°C and 1 atm. As used herein, the term "pyrolysis oil (pyrolysis oil or pyoil)" refers to a composition obtained by pyrolysis that is liquid at 25°C and 1 atm. As used herein, the term "pyrolysis residue" refers to a composition obtained by pyrolysis that is not pyrolysis gas or pyrolysis oil and primarily comprises pyrolysis coke and pyrolysis heavy wax. As used herein, the term "pyrolysis coke" refers to a carbonaceous composition obtained by pyrolysis that is solid at 200°C and 1 atm. As used herein, the term "pyrolysis heavy wax" refers to a C20+ hydrocarbon obtained by pyrolysis that is not pyrolysis coke, pyrolysis gas, or pyrolysis oil. Pyrolysis gas and pyrolysis oil can leave the pyrolysis reactor 500 as pyrolysis vapor stream 170.

[0318] Pyrolysis is a process involving the chemical and thermal decomposition of an introduced feedstock. Although all pyrolysis processes can generally be characterized by a substantially oxygen-free reaction environment, the pyrolysis process can be further defined by factors such as the pyrolysis reaction temperature within the reactor, the residence time in the pyrolysis reactor, the type of reactor, the pressure within the pyrolysis reactor, and the presence or absence of a pyrolysis catalyst.

[0319] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the pyrolysis reactor 510 may be, for example, a membrane reactor, a screw extruder, a tubular reactor, a tank, a stirred tank reactor, a riser reactor, a fixed bed reactor, a fluidized bed reactor, a rotary kiln, a vacuum reactor, a microwave reactor, or an autoclave. The pyrolysis reactor 510 includes a membrane reactor, such as a falling film reactor or an upflow membrane reactor.

[0320] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis reaction may include heating and converting the feedstock in a substantially oxygen-free atmosphere or in an atmosphere containing less oxygen than ambient air. For example, based on the internal volume of the reactor, the atmosphere within the pyrolysis reactor 510 may contain no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, or 0.5 vol% (vol%, volume percent) of oxygen.

[0321] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the riser gas and / or feed gas can be used to introduce feedstock into the pyrolysis reactor 510 and / or to promote various reactions within the pyrolysis reactor 510. For example, the riser gas and / or feed gas may comprise nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and / or steam, and may consist substantially of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and / or steam, or may consist of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and / or steam. The riser gas and / or feed gas may be added together with the waste plastic stream 116 prior to introduction into the pyrolysis reactor 510 and / or may be added directly to the pyrolysis reactor 510. The riser gas and / or feed gas may include steam and / or reducing gases, such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and combinations thereof.

[0322] Furthermore, the temperature in the pyrolysis reactor 510 can be adjusted to facilitate the production of certain final products. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis temperature in the pyrolysis reactor 510 can be at least 325°C, at least 350°C, at least 375°C, at least 400°C, at least 425°C, at least 450°C, at least 475°C, at least 500°C, at least 525°C, at least 550°C, at least 575°C, at least 600°C, at least 625°C, at least 650°C, at least 675°C, at least 700°C, at least 725°C, at least 750°C, at least 775°C, or at least 800°C.

[0323] Additionally, or alternatively, the pyrolysis temperature in the pyrolysis reactor may be no more than 1,100°C, no more than 1,050°C, no more than 1,000°C, no more than 950°C, no more than 900°C, no more than 850°C, no more than 800°C, no more than 750°C, no more than 700°C, no more than 650°C, no more than 600°C, no more than 550°C, no more than 525°C, no more than 500°C, no more than 475°C, no more than 450°C, no more than 425°C, or no more than 400°C. More specifically, the pyrolysis temperature in the pyrolysis reactor can be in the range of 325 to 1,100°C, 350 to 900°C, 350 to 700°C, 350 to 550°C, 350 to 475°C, 425 to 1,100°C, 425 to 800°C, 500 to 1,100°C, 500 to 800°C, 600 to 1,100°C, 600 to 800°C, 650 to 1,000°C, or 650 to 800°C.

[0324] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the residence time of the feedstock in the pyrolysis reactor may be at least 0.1, at least 0.2, at least 0.3, at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 1.2, at least 1.3, at least 2, at least 3, or at least 4 seconds. Alternatively, the residence time of the feedstock in the pyrolysis reactor may be at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, at least 6, at least 7, at least 8, at least 9, at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 45, at least 60, at least 75, or at least 90 minutes. Additionally, or alternatively, the residence time of the feedstock in the pyrolysis reactor may be less than 6, less than 5, less than 4, less than 3, less than 2, less than 1, or less than 0.5 hours. Furthermore, the residence time of the raw material in the pyrolysis reactor can be less than 100, less than 90, less than 80, less than 70, less than 60, less than 50, less than 40, less than 30, less than 20, less than 10, less than 9, less than 8, less than 7, less than 6, less than 5, less than 4, less than 3, less than 2, or less than 1 second. More specifically, the residence time of the raw material in the pyrolysis reactor can be within the range of 0.1-10 seconds, 0.5-10 seconds, 30 minutes-4 hours, 30 minutes-3 hours, or 1 hour-2 hours.

[0325] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pressure within the pyrolysis reactor may be maintained at at least 0.1, at least 0.2, at least or 0.3 bar and / or no more than 60, no more than 50, no more than 40, no more than 30, no more than 20, no more than 10, no more than 8, no more than 5, no more than 2, no more than 1.5, or no more than 1.1 bar. The pressure within the pyrolysis reactor may be maintained at atmospheric pressure or in the range of 0.1 to 100 bar, or 0.1 to 60 bar, or 0.1 to 30 bar, or 0.1 to 10 bar, or 1.5 bar, 0.2 to 1.5 bar, or 0.3 to 1.1 bar. The pressure within the pyrolysis reactor may be at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50, at least 60, or at least 70 bar and / or no more than 100, no more than 95, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, or no more than 60 bar. As used herein, unless otherwise stated, the term "bar" refers to gauge pressure.

[0326] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis catalyst may be introduced into the feed stream 116 prior to its introduction into the pyrolysis reactor 510 and / or directly into the pyrolysis reactor 510. The catalyst may be homogeneous or heterogeneous and may include, for example, certain types of zeolites and other mesoscopic catalysts. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis reaction may not be catalyzed (e.g., carried out in the absence of a pyrolysis catalyst), but non-catalyzed, heat-retaining inert additives, such as sand, may be included in the reactor 510 to facilitate heat transfer. This catalyst-free pyrolysis method may be referred to as "thermal pyrolysis".

[0327] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis reaction in the pyrolysis reactor 510 can occur in the absence of a pyrolysis catalyst, at a temperature in the range of 350 to 600°C, at a pressure in the range of 0.1 to 100 bar, and at a residence time of 0.2 seconds to 4 hours or 0.5 hours to 3 hours.

[0328] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor may contain at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, or at least 75 wt% of pyrolysis oil, which may be in vapor form in the pyrolysis effluent when leaving the heated reactor; however, these vapors may subsequently condense into the resulting pyrolysis oil. Additionally, or alternatively, the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor may contain no more than 99, no more than 95, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, or no more than 25 wt% of pyrolysis oil, which may be in vapor form in the pyrolysis effluent when leaving the heated reactor. Based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor, the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor may contain 20wt%-99wt%, 25wt%-80wt%, 30wt%-85wt%, 30wt%-80wt%, 30wt%-75wt%, 30wt%-70wt%, or 30wt%-65wt% of pyrolysis oil.

[0329] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor may contain at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, or at least 80 wt% of pyrolysis gas. Additionally, or alternatively, the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor may contain no more than 99, no more than 95, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, or no more than 45 wt% of pyrolysis gas. Based on the total weight of the stream, the pyrolysis effluent may contain 1 wt%-90 wt%, 10 wt%-85 wt%, 15 wt%-85 wt%, 20 wt%-80 wt%, 25 wt%-80 wt%, 30 wt%-75 wt%, or 35 wt%-75 wt% of pyrolysis gas.

[0330] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor may contain at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, at least 6, at least 7, at least 8, at least 9, or at least 10 wt% of pyrolysis residue. Additionally, or alternatively, the pyrolysis effluent may contain no more than 60, no more than 50, no more than 40, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 9, no more than 8, no more than 7, no more than 6, or no more than 5 wt% of pyrolysis residue. Based on the total weight of the stream, the pyrolysis effluent may contain pyrolysis residue in the range of 0.1 wt%–25 wt%, 1 wt%–15 wt%, 1 wt%–8 wt%, or 1 wt%–5 wt%.

[0331] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor may contain no more than 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, or 0.5 wt% free water. As used herein, “free water” means water pre-added (as a liquid or vapor) to the pyrolysis unit and water generated in the pyrolysis unit.

[0332] The pyrolysis system described herein can produce pyrolysis effluents that can be separated into a pyrolysis oil stream 174, a pyrolysis gas stream 172, and a pyrolysis residue stream 176, each of which can be directly used in various downstream applications based on their formulations. Various characteristics and properties of the pyrolysis oil, pyrolysis gas, and pyrolysis residue are described below. It should be noted that while all of the following characteristics and properties can be listed individually, it is conceivable that each of the following characteristics and / or properties of the pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, and / or pyrolysis residue is not mutually exclusive and can be combined and exist in any combination.

[0333] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis oil may primarily comprise hydrocarbons (e.g., C4-C30 hydrocarbons) having 4 to 30 carbon atoms per molecule. As used herein, the term “Cx” or “Cx hydrocarbon” refers to a hydrocarbon compound comprising a total of “x” carbon atoms per molecule and encompasses all alkenes, alkanes, aromatics, heterocycles, and isomers having that number of carbon atoms. For example, each of n-butane, isobutane, and tert-butane, as well as butene and butadiene molecules, will fall under the general description “C4”. Based on the total weight of the pyrolysis oil stream 174, the C4-C30 hydrocarbon content of the pyrolysis oil may be at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt%.

[0334] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis oil may primarily comprise C5-C25 hydrocarbons, C5-C22 hydrocarbons, or C5-C20 hydrocarbons. For example, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis oil, the pyrolysis oil may contain at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of C5-C25, C5-C22, or C5-C20 hydrocarbons. Based on the total weight of the pyrolysis oil, the C5-C12 hydrocarbon content of the pyrolysis oil may be at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, or at least 55 wt%. Additionally, or alternatively, the C5-C12 hydrocarbon content of the pyrolysis oil may be no more than 95, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, or no more than 50 wt%. Based on the total weight of the stream, the C5-C12 hydrocarbon content of the pyrolysis oil can range from 10wt% to 95wt%, 20wt% to 80wt%, or 35wt% to 80wt%.

[0335] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, depending on reactor conditions and whether a catalyst is used, the pyrolysis oil may also comprise various amounts of olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons. Based on the total weight of the pyrolysis oil, the pyrolysis oil contains at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, or at least 40 wt% of olefins and / or aromatic hydrocarbons. Additionally, or alternatively, the pyrolysis oil may include no more than 90, no more than 80, no more than 70, no more than 60, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, or no more than 1 wt% of olefins and / or aromatic hydrocarbons. The term "aromatic hydrocarbon" as used herein refers to the total amount (by weight) of any compound containing an aromatic moiety, such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and styrene.

[0336] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the alkane (e.g., straight-chain or branched alkanes) content of the pyrolysis oil may be at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, or at least 65 wt%, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis oil. Additionally, or alternatively, the alkane content of the pyrolysis oil may be no more than 99, no more than 97, no more than 95, no more than 93, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, or no more than 30 wt%. The alkane content of the pyrolysis oil may be in the range of 25 wt%-90 wt%, 35 wt%-90 wt%, or 50 wt%-80 wt%.

[0337] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the intermediate boiling point of the pyrolysis oil may be at least 75°C, at least 80°C, at least 85°C, at least 90°C, at least 95°C, at least 100°C, at least 105°C, at least 110°C, or at least 115°C and / or not exceeding 250°C, not exceeding 245°C, not exceeding 240°C, not exceeding 235°C, not exceeding 230°C, not exceeding 225°C, not exceeding 220°C, not exceeding 215°C, not exceeding 210°C, not exceeding 205°C, not exceeding 200°C, not exceeding 195°C, not exceeding 190°C, not exceeding 185°C, not exceeding 180°C, not exceeding 175°C, not exceeding 170°C, not exceeding 165°C, not exceeding 160°C, not exceeding 155°C, not exceeding 150°C, not exceeding 145°C, not exceeding 140°C, not exceeding 135°C, not exceeding 130°C, not exceeding 125°C, or not exceeding 120°C, as measured according to ASTM D5399. The intermediate boiling point of pyrolysis oil can be in the range of 75 to 250°C, 90 to 225°C, or 115 to 190°C. As used herein, "intermediate boiling point" refers to the median boiling point temperature of pyrolysis oil, wherein 50% by volume of the pyrolysis oil boils above the intermediate boiling point and 50% by volume boils below the intermediate boiling point.

[0338] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the boiling point range of the pyrolysis oil is such that at least 90% of the pyrolysis oil vaporizes at temperatures of 250°C, 280°C, 290°C, 300°C, or 310°C, as measured according to ASTM D-5399.

[0339] The methane content of the pyrolysis gas, based on its total weight, can be at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, at least 6, at least 7, at least 8, at least 9, at least 10, at least 11, at least 12, at least 13, at least 14, or at least 15 and / or not more than 50, not more than 45, not more than 40, not more than 35, not more than 30, not more than 25, or not more than 20 wt%. In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the methane content of the pyrolysis gas can be in the range of 1 wt%-50 wt%, 5 wt%-50 wt%, or 15 wt%-45 wt%.

[0340] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis gas, the C3 and / or C4 hydrocarbon content of the pyrolysis gas (including all hydrocarbons having 3 or 4 carbon atoms per molecule) can be at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, or at least 60 and / or not more than 99, not more than 95, not more than 90, not more than 85, not more than 80, not more than 75, not more than 70, or not more than 65 wt%. The C3 hydrocarbon content, C4 hydrocarbon content, or combined C3 and C4 hydrocarbon content of the pyrolysis gas can be in the range of 10 wt%-90 wt%, 25 wt%-90 wt%, or 25 wt%-80 wt%.

[0341] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis gas may account for at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, or at least 50 wt% of the total effluent from the pyrolysis reactor, and the total ethylene and propylene content of the pyrolysis gas may be at least 25, at least 40, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, or at least 75 wt%.

[0342] Turning to the pyrolysis residue, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis residue comprises at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, or at least 85 wt% of C20+ hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis residue. As used herein, “C20+ hydrocarbon” means a hydrocarbon compound containing a total of at least 20 carbon atoms per molecule and encompasses all alkenes, alkanes, and isomers having that number of carbon atoms.

[0343] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis residue, the pyrolysis residue comprises at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, at least 95, or at least 99 wt% carbon-containing solids. Additionally, or alternatively, the pyrolysis residue comprises no more than 99, no more than 90, no more than 80, no more than 70, no more than 60, no more than 50, no more than 40, no more than 30, no more than 20, no more than 10, no more than 9, no more than 8, no more than 7, no more than 6, no more than 5, or no more than 4 wt% carbon-containing solids. As used herein, “carbon-containing solids” refers to a carbon-containing composition derived from pyrolysis that is solid at 25°C and 1 atm. Based on the total weight of the carbon-containing solids, the carbon-containing solids contain at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, at least 80, or at least 90 wt% carbon.

[0344] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, and pyrolysis residue may be fed to one or more other chemical processing facilities, including, for example, an energy recovery facility 80, a partial oxidation facility 50, one or more other facilities 90 previously discussed, and a cracking facility 70. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the pyrolysis gas stream 172 and / or at least a portion of the pyrolysis oil (also known as pyoil) stream 174 may be introduced into the energy recovery facility 80, the cracking facility 70, the POX gasification facility 50, and combinations thereof, while the pyrolysis residue stream 176 may be introduced into the POX gasification facility 50 and / or the energy recovery facility 80. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the pyrolysis gas stream 172, the pyrolysis oil stream 174, and / or the pyrolysis residue stream 176 may be fed to one or more separation facilities ( Figure 1 (Not shown in the text), thereby forming a purer stream of pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, and / or pyrolysis residues, which can then be fed to energy recovery facility 80, cracking facility 70, POX gasification facility 50, and combinations thereof. Additionally, or alternatively, all or part of the pyrolysis oil stream 176 may be combined with the PO-enriched waste plastic stream 114 to provide a liquefied plastic stream as feed to one or more downstream facilities described herein.

[0345] Cracking

[0346] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the material from pyrolysis facility 60 or from... Figure 1At least a portion of one or more streams from one or more other facilities shown is introduced into cracking facility 70. As used herein, the term "cracking" refers to the breaking down of complex organic molecules into simpler molecules by the breaking of carbon-carbon bonds. A "cracking facility" is a facility that includes all the equipment, piping, and control devices necessary for cracking feedstocks derived from waste plastics. A cracking facility may include one or more cracker furnaces and a downstream separation zone including equipment for processing the effluent from the cracker furnaces. As used herein, the terms "cracker" and "cracking" are used interchangeably.

[0347] Turning now to Figure 8a, a cracking facility 70 configured according to one or more embodiments of the present technology is shown. Typically, the cracking facility 70 includes a cracker furnace 720 and a separation zone 740 downstream of the cracker furnace 720 for separating the furnace effluent into various final products, such as a recovered component olefin (r-olefin) stream 130. As shown in Figure 8a, at least a portion of the pyrolysis gas stream 172 and / or pyrolysis oil stream 174 from the pyrolysis facility 60 can be fed to the cracking facility 70. The pyrolysis oil stream 174 can be introduced into the inlet of the cracker furnace 720, while the pyrolysis gas stream 172 can be introduced at a location upstream or downstream of the furnace 720. Also as shown in Figure 8a, a stream of alkanes 132 (e.g., ethane and / or propane) can be withdrawn from the separation zone and may include recovered component alkanes (r-alkanes). All or part of the alkanes can be recovered via stream 134 to the inlet of the cracker furnace 720, also as shown in Figure 8a. When in use, the pyrolysis oil stream, pyrolysis gas stream 172, and recovered alkane stream 174 can optionally be combined with the cracker feed stream 136 to form the feed stream 119 to the cracking facility 720.

[0348] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the feed stream 119 to the cracking unit 70 may comprise at least one of the following: (i) one or more solvent decomposition byproduct streams 110 as described above, (ii) a PO enrichment stream 114 of waste plastics, and (iii) a pyrolysis stream (e.g., pyrolysis gas 172 and / or pyrolysis oil 174). One or more of these streams may be introduced into the cracking unit 70 continuously, or one or more of these streams may be introduced intermittently. When multiple types of feed streams are present, each feed stream may be introduced separately, or all or part of the feed streams may be combined so that the combined streams may be introduced into the cracking unit 70. When combining, it may be done continuously or intermittently. One or more feed streams introduced into the cracking unit 70 may be in the form of a predominantly gaseous stream, a predominantly liquid stream, or a combination thereof.

[0349] As shown in Figure 8a, the streams of pyrolysis gas 172 and / or pyrolysis oil 174 may be introduced into the cracker facility 70 together with or as part of the cracker feed stream 136. In some embodiments, based on the total weight of the stream 119, the cracker feed stream 119 may contain at least 1, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, or a combination of pyrolysis gas and pyrolysis oil. Alternatively, or additionally, based on the total weight of stream 119, cracker feed stream 119 may contain no more than 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, or 20 wt% of pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, or a combination of pyrolysis gas and pyrolysis oil, or based on the total weight of stream 119, it may contain amounts of these components ranging from 1 wt% to 95 wt%, 5 wt% to 90 wt%, or 10 wt% to 85 wt%.

[0350] In some embodiments, based on the total weight of the cracker feed stream 119, the cracker feed stream 119 may contain at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90 or at least 95 wt% and / or no more than 95, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, no more than 45, no more than 40, no more than 35, no more than 30, no more than 25 or no more than 20 wt% of hydrocarbon feed other than pyrolysis gas and pyrolysis oil, or based on the total weight of the cracker feed stream 119, it may contain 5 wt%-95 wt%, 10 wt%-90 wt%, or 15 wt%-85 wt% of hydrocarbon feed other than pyrolysis gas and pyrolysis oil.

[0351] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments described herein, the cracker feed stream 119 may comprise a composition primarily containing C2-C4 hydrocarbons. As used herein, the term "primarily C2-C4 hydrocarbons" refers to a stream or composition containing at least 50 wt% C2-C4 hydrocarbon components. Examples of specific types of C2-C4 hydrocarbon streams or compositions include propane, ethane, butane, and LPG. The cracker feed stream 119 may contain at least 50, or at least 55, or at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, in each case, wt% – based on the total weight of the feed, and / or, not exceeding 100, or not exceeding 99, or not exceeding 95, or not exceeding 92, or not exceeding 90, or not exceeding 85, or not exceeding 80, or not exceeding 75, or not exceeding 70, or not exceeding 65, or not exceeding 60, in each case, the weight percentage of C2 to C4 hydrocarbons or straight-chain alkanes, based on the total weight of the feed. The cracker feed stream 119 may contain primarily propane, primarily ethane, primarily butane, or a combination of two or more of these components.

[0352] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments described herein, the cracker feed stream 119 may comprise a composition containing primarily C5-C22 hydrocarbons. As used herein, “primarily C5-C22 hydrocarbons” means a stream or composition containing at least 50 wt% C5-C22 hydrocarbon components. Examples include gasoline, naphtha, middle distillates, diesel, and kerosene.

[0353] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the stream, the cracker feed stream 119 may contain at least 20, or at least 25, or at least 30, or at least 35, or at least 40, or at least 45, or at least 50, or at least 55, or at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, in each case, as a weight percentage of C5 to C22 or C5 to C20 hydrocarbons, and / or no more than 100, or no more than 99, or no more than 95, or no more than 92, or no more than 90, or no more than 85, or no more than 80, or no more than 75, or no more than 70, or no more than 65, or no more than 60, in each case, as a weight percentage of C5 to C22 or C5 to C20 hydrocarbons, or, based on the total weight of the stream, it may include C5 to C22 hydrocarbons in an amount ranging from 20wt% to 100wt%, 25wt% to 95wt%, or 35wt% to 85wt%.

[0354] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the C15 and heavier (C15+) content of the cracker feed stream 119 may be at least 0.5, or at least 1, or at least 2, or at least 5, in each case as a weight percentage and / or not more than 40, or not more than 35, or not more than 30, or not more than 25, or not more than 20, or not more than 18, or not more than 15, or not more than 12, or not more than 10, or not more than 5, or not more than 3, in each case as a weight percentage, or, based on the total weight of the stream, it may be in the range of 0.5wt%-40wt%, 1wt%-35wt%, or 2wt%-30wt%.

[0355] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the feed to the cracker furnace may comprise vacuum gas oil (VGO), hydrogenated vacuum gas oil (HVGO), or atmospheric gas oil (AGO). Based on the total weight of stream 119, cracker feed stream 119 may contain at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85 or at least 90 and / or not more than 99, not more than 95, not more than 90, not more than 85, not more than 80, not more than 75, not more than 70, not more than 65, not more than 60, not more than 55 or not more than 50 wt% of at least one gas oil, or, based on the total weight of stream 119, it may be present in amounts ranging from 5 wt% to 99 wt%, 10 wt% to 90 wt%, 15 wt% to 85 wt%, or 5 wt% to 50 wt%.

[0356] As shown in Figure 8a, the cracker feed stream 119 is introduced into the cracker furnace 720. Turning now to Figure 8b, a schematic diagram of the cracker furnace 720 suitable for the chemical recovery facility and / or cracker facility described herein is shown. As shown in Figure 8b, the cracker furnace 720 may include a convection section 746, a radiant section 748, and a cross section 750 located between the convection section 746 and the radiant section 748. The convection section 746 is a portion of the furnace that receives heat from the hot flue gas and includes a set of tubes or coils 752 through which the cracker stream passes. In the convection section 746, the cracker stream is heated by convection from the hot flue gas passing through it. Although shown in Figure 8b as including horizontally oriented convection section tubes 752a and vertically oriented radiant section tubes 752b, it should be understood that the tubes may be configured in any suitable configuration. For example, the convection section tubes 752a may be vertical. The radiant section tubes 752b may be horizontal. Additionally, although shown as a single tube, the cracker furnace 720 may include one or more tubes or coils, which may include at least one split, bend, U-shape, elbow, or combination thereof. When multiple tubes or coils are present, they may be arranged in parallel and / or in series.

[0357] The radiant section 748 is a section of the furnace 720 where heat is primarily transferred via radiation from the high-temperature gas into the heating tubes. The radiant section 748 also includes multiple burners 756 for introducing heat into the lower part of the furnace 720. The furnace 720 includes a firebox 754 that surrounds and houses the tubes 752b within the radiant section 748, and the burners 756 are oriented into this firebox. The cross section 750 includes conduits for connecting the convection section 746 and the radiant section 748, and allows the transfer of heated cracker flow from one section to another, either inside or outside the furnace 720.

[0358] As hot combustion gases rise through the furnace body, they can pass through convection section 746, where at least a portion of the waste heat can be extracted and used to heat the cracker stream passing through convection section 746. Cracker 720 may have a single convection (preheating) section and a single radiant section, while in other embodiments, the furnace may include two or more radiant sections sharing a common convection section. At least one induced draft fan 760 near the furnace body controls the flow of hot flue gas and the heat distribution through furnace 720, and one or more heat exchangers 761 are available for cooling the furnace effluent. In addition to the exchanger 761 at the furnace outlet shown in Figure 8b (e.g., a transfer line heat exchanger or TLE), or alternatively in conjunction with the exchanger 761 at the furnace outlet shown in Figure 8b, liquid quenching (not shown) may be used to cool the cracked olefin-containing effluent 125.

[0359] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, cracker facility 70 may include a single cracking furnace, or it may have at least two, at least three, at least four, at least five, at least six, at least seven, or at least eight or more cracking furnaces operating in parallel. Any furnace or each furnace may be a gas cracker, a liquid cracker, or a cracking furnace. The furnace may be a gas cracker that receives a cracker feed stream through the furnace, or through at least one coil in the furnace, or through at least one tube in the furnace, the cracker feed stream containing at least 50 wt%, at least 75 wt%, at least 85 wt%, or at least 90 wt% of ethane, propane, LPG, or combinations thereof, based on the total weight of all cracker feeds to the furnace.

[0360] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the cracker 720 may be a liquid or naphtha cracker receiving a cracker feed stream containing at least 50 wt%, or at least 75 wt%, or at least 85 wt% of liquid hydrocarbons (when measured at 25°C and 1 atm) having a carbon number of C5-C22.

[0361] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the cracker feed stream 119 can be cracked in a gas furnace. The gas furnace is a furnace having at least one coil that receives (or is operated to receive or configured to receive) a predominantly gaseous feed (more than 50 wt% of the feed is vapor) (“gas coil”) at a coil inlet at the inlet of the convection zone. The gas coil may receive a predominantly C2-C4 or predominantly C2-C3 feedstock to the inlet of the coil in the convection zone, or alternatively, has at least one coil that receives more than 50 wt% ethane and / or more than 50% propane and / or more than 50% LPG, or in any of these cases, receives at least 60 wt%, or at least 70 wt%, or at least 80 wt%, based on the weight of the cracker feed to the coil, or alternatively, based on the weight of the cracker feed to the convection zone.

[0362] The gas furnace may have more than one gas coil. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least 25%, or at least 50%, or at least 60%, or all of the coils in the convection zone or the furnace's convection box are gas coils. The gas coil receives a gaseous feed at its coil inlet at the inlet of the convection zone, in which at least 60 wt%, or at least 70 wt%, or at least 80 wt%, or at least 90 wt%, or at least 95 wt%, or at least 97 wt%, or at least 98 wt%, or at least 99 wt%, or at least 99.5 wt%, or at least 99.9 wt% of the feed is vapor.

[0363] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the feed stream can be cracked in a cracking furnace. A cracking furnace is a gas furnace. The cracking furnace includes at least one gas coil and at least one liquid coil within the same furnace, or within the same convection zone, or within the same convection box. The liquid coil is a coil (“liquid coil”) that receives a feed that is primarily liquid (more than 50 wt% of the feed is liquid) at its coil inlet at the convection zone inlet.

[0364] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the cracker feed stream 119 can be cracked in a thermal gas cracker.

[0365] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the cracker feed stream 119 can be cracked in a thermal steam gas cracker in the presence of steam. Steam cracking refers to the high-temperature cracking (decomposition) of hydrocarbons in the presence of steam. When present, steam can be introduced via line 121 shown in FIG. 8b.

[0366] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, when from Figure 1 When two or more streams from the chemical recovery facility 10 are combined with another stream from facility 10 to form cracker feed stream 119, this combination can occur upstream of or within the cracker furnace 720. Alternatively, different feed streams can be introduced into furnace 720 individually and can pass through part or all of furnace 720 simultaneously, while being isolated from each other by feeding into separate pipes within the same furnace 720 (e.g., a cracking furnace). Alternatively, at least a portion of one or more streams from the chemical recovery facility can be introduced into the cracker facility downstream of the cracker furnace but upstream of one or more units in the separation facility.

[0367] The heated cracker stream 119 then passes through a cracking furnace 720, where the hydrocarbon components are thermally cracked to form lighter hydrocarbons, including olefins such as ethylene, propylene, and / or butadiene. The residence time of the cracker stream in the cracking furnace 720 can be at least 0.15, or at least 0.2, or at least 0.25, or at least 0.3, or at least 0.35, or at least 0.4, or at least 0.45 seconds in each case, and / or no more than 2, or no more than 1.75, or no more than 1.5, or no more than 1.25, or no more than 1, or no more than 0.9, or no more than 0.8, or no more than 0.75, or no more than 0.7, or no more than 0.65, or no more than 0.6, or no more than 0.5 seconds in each case, or in the range of 0.15 to 2 seconds, 0.20 to 1.75 seconds, or 0.25 to 1.5 seconds.

[0368] The temperature of the cracked olefin-containing effluent 125 removed from the furnace outlet may be at least 640, or at least 650, or at least 660, or at least 670, or at least 680, or at least 690, or at least 700, or at least 720, or at least 730, or at least 740, or at least 750, or at least 760, or at least 770, or at least 780, or at least 790, or at least 800, or at least 810, or at least 820 °C, in each case being °C, and / or not exceeding 1000, or not exceeding 990 °C. Or not exceeding 980, or not exceeding 970, or not exceeding 960, or not exceeding 950, or not exceeding 940, or not exceeding 930, or not exceeding 920, or not exceeding 910, or not exceeding 900, or not exceeding 890, or not exceeding 880, or not exceeding 875, or not exceeding 870, or not exceeding 860, or not exceeding 850, or not exceeding 840, or not exceeding 830, in each case being °C, within the range of 730 to 900 °C, 750 to 875 °C, or 750 to 850 °C.

[0369] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the yield of olefins—ethylene, propylene, butadiene, or combinations thereof—may be at least 15, or at least 20, or at least 25, or at least 30, or at least 35, or at least 40, or at least 45, or at least 50, or at least 55, or at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, in each case as a percentage. As used herein, the term “yield” means the mass of product produced from the mass of feedstock / the mass of feedstock × 100%. Based on the total weight of the effluent, the olefin-containing effluent contains at least 30, or at least 40, or at least 50, or at least 60, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, or at least 97, or at least 99 (in each case as a weight percentage) of ethylene, propylene, or ethylene and propylene.

[0370] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the olefin-containing effluent stream 125 may contain at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, or at least 90 wt% of C2-C4 olefins. Based on the total weight of the olefin-containing effluent stream 125, stream 125 may primarily contain ethylene, primarily contain propylene, or primarily contain both ethylene and propylene. The weight ratio of ethylene to propylene in the olefin-containing effluent 125 may be at least 0.2:1, at least 0.3:1, at least 0.4:1, at least 0.5:1, at least 0.6:1, at least 0.7:1, at least 0.8:1, at least 0.9:1, at least 1:1, at least 1.1:1, at least 1.2:1, at least 1.3:1, at least 1.4:1, at least 1.5:1, at least 1.6:1, at least 1.7:1, at least 1.8:1, at least 1.9:1, or at least 2:1 and / or not exceeding 3:1, not exceeding 2.9:1, not exceeding 2.8:1, not exceeding 2.7:1, not exceeding 2.5:1, not exceeding 2.3:1, not exceeding 2.2:1, not exceeding 2.1:1, not exceeding 2:1, not exceeding 1.7:1, not exceeding 1.5:1, or not exceeding 1.25:1.

[0371] Turning again to Figure 8a, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, when introduced into cracker facility 70, pyrolysis gas 172 may be introduced into the inlet of cracker furnace 720, or all or part of the pyrolysis gas may be introduced downstream of the furnace outlet, at a location upstream or inside the separation zone 740 of cracker facility 70. When introduced into or upstream of separation zone 740, pyrolysis gas may be introduced upstream of the last stage of compression, or before the inlet of at least one fractionating column in the fractionation section of separation zone 740.

[0372] Prior to entering cracker facility 70, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the crude pyrolysis gas stream from the pyrolysis facility may undergo one or more separation steps to remove one or more components from the stream. Examples of these components may include, but are not limited to: halogens, aldehydes, oxygen-containing compounds, nitrogen-containing compounds, sulfur-containing compounds, carbon dioxide, water, gasified metals, and combinations thereof. Based on the total weight of the pyrolysis gas stream 172, the pyrolysis gas stream 172 introduced into cracker facility 70 contains at least 0.1, at least 0.5, at least 1, at least 1.5, at least 2, at least 2.5, at least 3, at least 3.5, at least 4, at least 4.5, or at least 5 and / or no more than 30, no more than 25, no more than 20, no more than 15, no more than 10, no more than 5, no more than 3, no more than 2, or no more than 1 wt% of one or more aldehyde components.

[0373] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of stream 172, the total ethylene content of pyrolysis stream 172 may be at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 7, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, or at least 30 wt% and / or not more than 60, not more than 55, not more than 50, not more than 45, not more than 40, or not more than 35 wt%. Alternatively, or additionally, based on the total weight of stream 172, the total propylene content of pyrolysis stream 172 may be at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 7, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, or at least 30 wt% and / or not more than 60, not more than 55, not more than 50, not more than 45, not more than 40, or not more than 35 wt%. Based on the total weight of the stream, the total amount of ethylene and propylene in the pyrolysis gas stream 172 can be at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40 or at least 45 wt% and / or not more than 85, not more than 80, not more than 75, not more than 70, not more than 65, not more than 60, not more than 55, not more than 50 or not more than 45 wt%.

[0374] Upon exiting the cracker furnace, the olefin-containing effluent 125 can be rapidly cooled (e.g., quenched) to prevent the generation of large amounts of undesirable byproducts and to minimize fouling in downstream equipment. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, during the quenching or cooling step, the temperature of the olefin-containing effluent from the furnace can be reduced by 35 to 485°C, 35 to 375°C, or 90 to 550°C to reach a temperature of 500 to 760°C.

[0375] The resulting cooled effluent can then be separated in a gas-liquid separator, and the vapor can be compressed in a gas compressor having, for example, 1-5 compression stages, with optional interstage cooling and liquid removal. The gas flow pressure at the outlet of the first set of compression stages is in the range of 7 to 20 barg, 8.5 to 18 barg, or 9.5 to 14 barg. The resulting compressed stream is then treated by contact with an acid gas removal agent to remove acid gases, including halogens, CO2, and H2S. Examples of acid gas removal agents include, but are not limited to, caustic alkalis and various types of amines. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a single contactor may be used, while in other embodiments, a dual-tower absorber-stripper configuration may be employed.

[0376] The processed compressed olefin-containing stream can then be further compressed in another compressor, optionally with interstage cooling and liquid separation. The resulting compressed stream has a pressure in the range of 20-50 barg, 25-45 barg, or 30-40 barg. Any suitable moisture removal method can be used, including, for example, molecular sieves or other similar methods. The resulting stream can then be fed to a fractionation section, where olefins and other components can be separated into various high-purity products or intermediate streams. In some embodiments, all or part of the pyrolysis gas can be introduced before and / or after one or more stages of a second compressor. Similarly, the pressure of the pyrolysis gas is within 20 psi, 50 psi, 100 psi, or 150 psi of the pressure of the stream it is combined with.

[0377] In one embodiment, or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a feed stream from the quenching zone may be introduced into at least one column within the fractionation zone of the separation zone. As used herein, the term "fractionation" refers to the general process of separating two or more materials with different boiling points. Examples of equipment and methods utilizing fractionation include, but are not limited to, distillation, rectification, stripping, and gas-liquid separation (single-stage).

[0378] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the fractionation section of a cracker facility may include one or more of the following: a demethanizer, a deethaner, a depropanizer, an ethylene separator, a propylene separator, a debutanizer, and combinations thereof. As used herein, the term "demethanizer" refers to a tower whose light key component is methane. Similarly, "deethaner" and "depropanizer" refer to towers having ethane and propane as light key components, respectively.

[0379] Any suitable column arrangement can be used such that the fractionation section provides at least one olefin product stream and at least one alkane stream. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the fractionation section may provide: at least two olefin streams, such as ethylene and propylene; and at least two alkane streams, such as ethane and propane; and additional streams, including, for example, methane and lighter components, and butane and heavier components.

[0380] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the olefin stream, the olefin stream taken from the fractionation section may contain at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90 or at least 95 wt% and / or no more than 100, no more than 99, no more than 97, no more than 95, no more than 90, no more than 85 or no more than 80 wt% of olefins. The olefins may be primarily ethylene or primarily propylene. Based on the total weight of the olefins in the olefin stream, the olefin stream may contain at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90 or at least 95 wt% and / or no more than 99, no more than 97, no more than 95, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70 or no more than 65 wt% of ethylene. Based on the total weight of the olefin stream, the olefin stream may contain at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55 or at least 60 wt% and / or no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50 or no more than 45 wt% of ethylene, or based on the total weight of the olefin stream, it may be present in amounts of 20 wt%-80 wt%, 25 wt%-75 wt%, or 30 wt%-70 wt%.

[0381] Alternatively, or additionally, based on the total weight of olefins in the olefin stream, the olefin stream may contain at least 50, at least 55, at least 60, at least 65, at least 70, at least 75, at least 80, at least 85, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% and / or no more than 99, no more than 97, no more than 95, no more than 90, no more than 85, no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, or no more than 65 wt% of propylene. In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, based on the total weight of the olefin stream, the olefin stream may contain at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40, at least 45, at least 50, at least 55, or at least 60 wt% and / or no more than 80, no more than 75, no more than 70, no more than 65, no more than 60, no more than 55, no more than 50, or no more than 45 wt% of propylene, or based on the total weight of the olefin stream, it may be present in amounts of 20 wt%-80 wt%, 25 wt%-75 wt%, or 30 wt%-70 wt%.

[0382] As the compressed stream passes through the fractionation section, it passes through a demethanizer, where methane and lighter (CO, CO2, H2) components are separated from ethane and heavier components. The demethanizer can operate at temperatures of at least -145, or at least -142, or at least -140, or at least -135 °C in each case, and / or, not exceeding -120, not exceeding -125, not exceeding -130, not exceeding -135 °C. The bottom stream from the demethanizer comprises at least 50, or at least 55, or at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, or at least 99 (in each case, a percentage of the total amount) of ethane and heavier components.

[0383] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, all or a portion of the stream introduced into the fractionation section may be introduced into a deethanizer, wherein C2 and lighter components are separated from C3 and heavier components by fractionation. The deethanizer may operate at the following overhead temperatures and pressures: overhead temperatures of at least -35, or at least -30, or at least -25, or at least -20 °C in each case, and / or, not exceeding -5, not exceeding -10, not exceeding -15, or not exceeding -20 °C; and overhead pressures of at least 3, or at least 5, or at least 7, or at least 8, or at least 10 barg in each case, and / or, not exceeding 20, or not exceeding 18, or not exceeding 17, or not exceeding 15, or not exceeding 14, or not exceeding 13 barg in each case. The deethanizer extracts at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, or at least 97, or at least 99% of the total C2 and lighter components introduced into the column in the overhead stream, in each case as a percentage of the total amount. Based on the total weight of the overhead stream, the overhead stream removed from the deethanizer contains at least 50, or at least 55, or at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95% of ethane and ethylene, in each case as a percentage by weight.

[0384] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the C2 and lighter overhead streams from the de-ethaner column can be further separated in an ethane-ethylene fractionator column (ethylene fractionator or ethylene separator). In the ethane-ethylene fractionator, the ethylene and lighter component streams can be withdrawn from the top of the column or as a side stream from the upper part of the column, while ethane and any remaining heavier components are removed in the bottom stream. The ethylene fractionator can be operated at the following overhead temperatures and pressures: overhead temperature of at least -45, or at least -40, or at least -35, or at least -30, or at least -25, or at least -20 °C in each case, and / or, not exceeding -15, or not exceeding -20, or not exceeding -25 °C in each case; overhead pressure of at least 10, or at least 12, or at least 15 barg in each case, and / or, not exceeding 25, not exceeding 22, not exceeding 20 barg. Based on the total weight of the stream, the overhead stream, which may be rich in ethylene, may contain at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, or at least 97, or at least 98, or at least 99 (in each case, by weight percentage) of ethylene, and may be sent to downstream processing units for further processing, storage, or sale.

[0385] Based on the total weight of the bottom stream, the bottom stream of the ethane-ethylene fractionator may include at least 40, or at least 45, or at least 50, or at least 55, or at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, or at least 98 (in each case, by weight percentage) of ethane. As previously described, all or part of the extracted ethane may be recovered as an additional feedstock, alone or in combination with pyrolysis oil and / or pyrolysis gas, to the inlet of the cracker furnace.

[0386] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the compressed stream can be separated in a depropanizer, wherein C3 and lighter components are removed as overhead vapor, while C4 and heavier components exit the column in the liquid bottom. The depropanizer can operate at an overhead temperature of at least 20, or at least 35, or at least 40 °C in each case, and / or no greater than 70, 65, 60, 55 °C, and at least 10, or at least 12, or at least 15, in each case, barg, and / or no greater than 20, or no greater than 17, or no greater than 15, in each case, barg, at an overhead pressure. The depropanizer extracts at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, or at least 97, or at least 99, in each case, a percentage of the total amount of C3 and lighter components introduced into the column in the overhead stream. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the overhead stream removed from the propane stripper contains at least or at least 50, or at least 55, or at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, or at least 98 wt% of propane and propylene, in each case based on the total weight of the overhead stream.

[0387] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the overhead stream from the depropanizer may be introduced into a propane-propylene fractionator (propylene fractionator or propylene diverter), wherein propylene and any lighter components are removed from the overhead stream, and propane and any heavier components exit the column in the bottom stream. The propylene fractionator may operate at the following overhead temperatures and pressures: an overhead temperature of at least 20, or at least 25, or at least 30, or at least 35 °C in each case, and / or, not exceeding 55, not exceeding 50, not exceeding 45, or not exceeding 40 °C; and an overhead pressure of at least 12, or at least 15, or at least 17, or at least 20, or in each case, barg, and / or, not exceeding 20, or not exceeding 17, or not exceeding 15, or not exceeding 12, or in each case, barg. Based on the total weight of the stream, the overhead stream, which may be rich in propylene, may contain at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, or at least 97, or at least 98, or at least 99 (in each case, by weight percentage) of propylene, and may be sent to downstream processing units for further processing, storage, or sale.

[0388] Based on the total weight of the bottom stream, the bottom stream from the propane-propylene fractionator may include at least 40, or at least 45, or at least 50, or at least 55, or at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, or at least 98 (in each case, by weight percentage) of propane. As discussed above, all or part of the extracted propane may be recovered as an additional feedstock, alone or in combination with pyrolysis oil and / or pyrolysis gas, to the cracker furnace.

[0389] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the compressed stream may be fed to a debutanizer to separate C4 and lighter components (including butene, butane, and butadiene) from C5 and heavier (C5+) components. The debutanizer may be operated at the following overhead temperatures and pressures: overhead temperature: at least 20, or at least 25, or at least 30, or at least 35, or at least 40 °C in each case, and / or, not exceeding 60, or not exceeding 65, or not exceeding 60, or not exceeding 55, or not exceeding 50 °C in each case; overhead pressure: at least 2, or at least 3, or at least 4, or at least 5 barg in each case, and / or, not exceeding 8, or not exceeding 6, or not exceeding 4, or not exceeding 2 barg in each case. The butane extractor extracts at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95, or at least 97, or at least 99 of the total amount of C4 and lighter components introduced into the column in the overhead stream, as a percentage in each case.

[0390] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the overhead stream removed from the butane dehydrogenator contains at least 30, or at least 35, or at least 40, or at least 45, or at least 50, or at least 55, or at least 60, or at least 65, or at least 70, or at least 75, or at least 80, or at least 85, or at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of butadiene, in each case as a weight percentage. The bottom stream from the butane dehydrogenator primarily comprises C5 and heavier components, in an amount of at least 50, or at least 60, or at least 70, or at least 80, or at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of the total stream weight. The bottom stream from the butane dehydrogenator may be sent for further separation, processing, storage, sale, or use. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments described herein, the overhead stream or C4 from the butane dehydrogenator may be subjected to any conventional separation method, such as extraction or distillation processes, to extract a more concentrated butadiene stream.

[0391] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of one or more streams may be introduced. Figure 1In one or more of the facilities shown, and in other embodiments, all or part of the material removed from the separation zone of the cracking facility may be diverted to further separation and / or storage, transportation, sale and / or use.

[0392] Partial oxidation (POX) gasification

[0393] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments described herein, a chemical recycling facility may also include a partial oxidation (POX) gasification facility. As used herein, the term “partial oxidation” refers to the high-temperature conversion of a carbon-containing feedstock into syngas (carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide), wherein the conversion is carried out in the presence of a substoichiometric amount of oxygen. The conversion may be a conversion of a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock and may be carried out using a smaller amount of oxygen than the stoichiometric amount required for a fully oxidized feedstock (i.e., all carbon is oxidized to carbon dioxide and all hydrogen is oxidized to water). Reactions occurring within a partial oxidation (POX) gasifier include the conversion of a carbon-containing feedstock into syngas, and specific examples include, but are not limited to: partial oxidation, water-gas shift, water-gas primary reaction, Boudouard reaction, oxidation, methanation, hydrogen reforming, steam reforming, and carbon dioxide reforming. The feedstock for POX gasification may include solids, liquids, and / or gases. A “partial oxidation facility” or “POX gasification facility” is a facility that includes all equipment, piping, and control devices required for the POX gasification of waste plastics and feedstocks derived therefrom.

[0394] In a POX gasification facility, the feed stream can be converted into syngas in the presence of substoichiometric amounts of oxygen. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the feed stream to the POX gasification facility may comprise one or more PO-enriched waste plastics, at least one solvent decomposition byproduct stream, a pyrolysis stream (including pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, and / or pyrolysis residues), and at least one stream from a cracking facility. One or more of these streams may be introduced into the POX gasification facility continuously or intermittently. When multiple types of feed streams are present, each may be introduced separately, or all or part of the streams may be combined to introduce a combined stream into the POX gasification facility. When present, the combination may be continuous or intermittent. The feed stream may be in the form of a gas, liquid or liquefied plastic, solid (typically pulverized), or slurry.

[0395] A POX gasification facility includes at least one POX gasification reactor. An exemplary POX gasification reactor 52 is shown in... Figure 9The POX vaporization unit may include a gas-feed, liquid-feed, or solid-feed reactor (or vaporizer). In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the POX vaporization facility may perform liquid-feed POX vaporization. As used herein, "liquid-feed POX vaporization" refers to a POX vaporization process in which the feed to the process comprises primarily (by weight) components that are liquid at 25°C and 1 atm. Additionally, or alternatively, the POX vaporization unit may perform gas-feed POX vaporization. As used herein, "gas-feed POX vaporization" refers to a POX vaporization process in which the feed to the process comprises primarily (by weight) components that are gaseous at 25°C and 1 atm.

[0396] Additionally, or alternatively, the POX gasification unit can perform solid feed POX gasification. As used herein, “solid feed POX gasification” refers to a POX gasification process in which the feed to the process comprises (by weight) components that are solid at 25°C and 1 atm.

[0397] POX vaporization processes with gas feed, liquid feed, and solid feed can be co-fed with smaller amounts of other components of different phases at 25°C and 1 atm. Therefore, a gas-feed POX vaporizer can be co-fed with liquids and / or solids, but only in amounts less than the amount of gas (by weight) fed to the gas-phase POX vaporizer; a liquid-feed POX vaporizer can be co-fed with gas and / or solids, but only in amounts less than the amount of liquid (by weight) fed to the liquid-feed POX vaporizer; and a solid-feed POX vaporizer can be co-fed with gas and / or liquids, but only in amounts less than the amount of solids (by weight) fed to the solid-feed POX vaporizer.

[0398] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the total feed of a gas-feed POX vaporizer may contain at least 60, at least 70, at least 80, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of a component that is gaseous at 25°C and 1 atm; the total feed of a liquid-feed POX vaporizer may contain at least 60, at least 70, at least 80, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of a component that is liquid at 25°C and 1 atm; and the total feed of a solid-feed POX vaporizer may contain at least 60, at least 70, at least 80, at least 90, or at least 95 wt% of a component that is solid at 25°C and 1 atm.

[0399] like Figure 9As generally shown, the gasification feed stream 116 may be introduced into the gasification reactor together with the oxidant stream 180. The feed stream 116 and the oxidant stream 180 may be injected into a pressurized gasification zone via an injector assembly, the pressurized gasification zone having a pressure of, for example, typically at least 500, at least 600, at least 800 or at least 1,000 psig (or at least 35, at least 40, at least 55 or at least 70 barg).

[0400] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the oxidant in stream 180 comprises an oxidizing gas, which may include air, oxygen-enriched air, or molecular oxygen (O2). Based on the molar percentage of all components in the oxidant stream 180 injected into the reaction (combustion) zone of the gasification reactor 52, the oxidant comprises at least 25, at least 35, at least 40, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, at least 80, at least 90, at least 95, at least 97, at least 99, or at least 99.5 mol% (mol%, mole percent) of molecular oxygen. Taking into account the amount of feed stream and the amount of feed charged, processing conditions, and reactor design, a specific amount of oxygen supplied to the reaction zone relative to the components in feed stream 116 may be sufficient to obtain maximum or near-maximum yields of carbon monoxide and hydrogen derived from the gasification reaction.

[0401] Oxidizing agents can include other oxidizing gases or liquids besides or in place of air, oxygen-enriched air, and molecular oxygen. Examples of suitable oxidizing liquids include water (which can be added as a liquid or as a vapor) and ammonia. Examples of suitable oxidizing gases include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide.

[0402] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the atomizing enhancement fluid is fed together with the feedstock and oxidant into the gasification zone. As used herein, the term "atomizing enhancement fluid" refers to a liquid or gas that is operable to reduce viscosity to reduce dispersion energy or to increase energy available to aid dispersion. The atomizing enhancement fluid may be mixed with the plastic-containing feedstock before it is fed into the gasification zone, or added separately to the gasification zone, for example, to a jet assembly connected to the gasification reactor. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the atomizing enhancement fluid is water and / or steam. However, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, steam and / or water are not supplied to the gasification zone.

[0403] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a gas stream rich in carbon dioxide or nitrogen (e.g., greater than the molar amount present in air, or at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, or at least 40 mol%) is introduced into the vaporizer. These gases can be used as carrier gases to propel the feedstock into the vaporization zone. Due to the pressure within the vaporization zone, these carrier gases can be compressed to provide the power for introduction into the vaporization zone. The gas stream may be identical or different in composition from the atomization-enhancing fluid. In one or more embodiments, the gas stream also functions as the atomization-enhancing fluid.

[0404] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a hydrogen-rich gas stream (H2) (e.g., at least 1, at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, at least 80, or at least 90 mol%) is fed into the vaporizer. Hydrogen may be added to influence the partial oxidation reaction, thereby controlling the composition of the resulting syngas.

[0405] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, a gas stream containing more than 0.01 mol% or more than 0.02 mol% carbon dioxide is not introduced into the vaporizer or vaporization zone. Alternatively, a gas stream containing more than 77, more than 70, more than 50, more than 30, more than 10, more than 5, or more than 3 mol% nitrogen is not introduced into the vaporizer or vaporization zone. Furthermore, a gaseous hydrogen stream having more than 0.1, more than 0.5, more than 1, or more than 5 mol% hydrogen is not introduced into the vaporizer or vaporization zone. Furthermore, a methane stream containing more than 0.1, more than 0.5, more than 1, or more than 5 mol% methane is not introduced into the vaporizer or vaporization zone. In some embodiments, the only gaseous stream introduced into the vaporization zone is an oxidant.

[0406] As previously described, the gasification process can be a partial oxidation (POX) gasification reaction. Typically, to increase the yield of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, the oxidation process involves partial rather than complete oxidation of the gasified feedstock, and therefore can operate in an oxygen-deficient environment relative to the amount required to completely oxidize 100% of the carbon and hydrogen bonds. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the total oxygen requirement of the gasifier can exceed the theoretically required amount by at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 15%, or at least 20% of the carbon content of the gasified feedstock to carbon monoxide. Generally, satisfactory operation is obtained when the total oxygen supply exceeds the theoretical requirement by 10% to 80%. Examples of suitable oxygen amounts per pound of carbon could be in the ranges of 0.4 to 3.0, 0.6 to 2.5, 0.9 to 2.5, or 1.2 to 2.5 pounds of free oxygen per pound of carbon.

[0407] By introducing separate feed streams and oxidant streams, allowing them to collide with each other within the reaction zone, mixing of the feed streams and oxidant streams can be completed entirely within the reaction zone. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the oxidant stream is introduced into the reaction zone of the gasifier at a high speed, exceeding both the flame propagation rate and improving mixing with the feed stream. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the oxidant can be injected into the gasification zone at a speed ranging from 25 to 500, 50 to 400, or 100 to 400 feet per second. These values ​​will be the velocity of the gaseous oxidant stream at the injector-gasification zone interface, or the injector tip velocity. Mixing of the feed streams and oxidant can also be completed outside the reaction zone. For example, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the feed, oxidant, and / or atomization enhancement fluid can be combined in a conduit upstream of the gasification zone or in an injection assembly connected to the gasification reactor.

[0408] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the gasification feed stream, oxidant, and / or atomization enhancement liquid may optionally be preheated to a temperature of at least 200°C, at least 300°C, or at least 400°C. However, the gasification process employed does not require preheating the feed stream to effectively gasify the feed, and the preheating step can lead to a reduction in the energy efficiency of the process.

[0409] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the type of gasification technology employed may be a partially oxidizing fluidized bed gasifier that produces syngas. This technology differs from fixed-bed (or moving-bed) gasifiers and fluidized bed gasifiers. An exemplary gasifier that can be used is described in U.S. Patent No. 3,544,291, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference without conflict with this disclosure. However, other types of gasification reactors may also be used within the scope of this technology in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein.

[0410] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the gasifier / gasification reactor may be non-catalytic, meaning that the gasifier / gasification reactor does not contain a catalyst bed, and the gasification process is non-catalytic, meaning that the catalyst is not introduced into the gasification zone as a discrete, unbound catalyst. Furthermore, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the gasification process may not be a slag-discharge gasification process; that is, it is not operated under slag-discharge conditions (far above the melting temperature of the ash) that allow molten slag to form in the gasification zone and flow downwards along the refractory wall.

[0411] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, all reaction zones in the gasification zone and optionally in the gasifier / gasification reactor can operate at temperatures of at least 1000°C, at least 1100°C, at least 1200°C, at least 1250°C, or at least 1300°C and / or not exceeding 2500°C, not exceeding 2000°C, not exceeding 1800°C, or not exceeding 1600°C. The reaction temperature can be self-generated. Advantageously, the gasifier operating in steady-state mode can be at a self-generated temperature and does not require the application of external energy to heat the gasification zone.

[0412] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the vaporizer is primarily a gas-feed vaporizer.

[0413] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the gasifier is a non-slag-discharge gasifier or operates under conditions that do not form slag.

[0414] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the vaporizer may operate under positive pressure rather than negative pressure.

[0415] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the vaporizer can operate at pressures of at least 200 psig (1.38 MPa), 300 psig (2.06 MPa), 350 psig (2.41 MPa), 400 psig (2.76 MPa), 420 psig (2.89 MPa), 450 psig (3.10 MPa), 475 psig (3.27 MPa), 500 psig (3.44 MPa), and 500 psig (3.44 MPa) within the vaporization zone (or combustion chamber). Operable at pressures of 50 psig (3.79 MPa), 600 psig (4.13 MPa), 650 psig (4.48 MPa), 700 psig (4.82 MPa), 750 psig (5.17 MPa), 800 psig (5.51 MPa), 900 psig (6.2 MPa), 1000 psig (6.89 MPa), 1100 psig (7.58 MPa), or 1200 psig (8.2 MPa). Additionally, or alternatively, the vaporizer may operate within the vaporization zone (or combustion chamber) at pressures not exceeding 1300 psig (8.96 MPa), 1250 psig (8.61 MPa), 1200 psig (8.27 MPa), 1150 psig (7.92 MPa), 1100 psig (7.58 MPa), 1050 psig (7.23 MPa), 1000 psig (6.89 MPa), 900 psig (6.2 MPa), 800 psig (5.51 MPa), or 750 psig (5.17 MPa).

[0416] Examples of suitable pressure ranges include 300-1000 psig (2.06-6.89 MPa), 300-750 psig (2.06-5.17 MPa), 350-1000 psig (2.41-6.89 MPa), 350-750 psig (2.06-5.17 MPa), 400-1000 psig (2.67-6.89 MPa), and 420-900 psig (2.89-6.89 MPa). 2MPa), 450-900psig (3.10-6.2MPa), 475-900psig (3.27-6.2MPa), 500-900psig (3.44-6.2MPa), 5 50-900psig(3.79-6.2MPa), 600-900psig(4.13-6.2MPa), 650-900psig(4.48-6.2MPa), 400-800ps ig(2.67-5.51MPa), 420-800psig(2.89-5.51MPa), 450-800psig(3.10-5.51MPa), 500-800psig(3 .44-5.51MPa), 550-800psig (3.79-5.51MPa), 600-800psig (4.13-5.51MPa), 650-800psig (4.48- 5.51MPa), 400-750psig (2.67-5.17MPa), 420-750psig (2.89-5.17MPa), 450-750psig (3.10-5.17MPa), 475-750psig (3.27-5.17MPa), 500-750psig (3.44-5.17MPa) or 550-750psig (3.79-5.17MPa).

[0417] Typically, the average residence time of the gas in the gasifier reactor can be very short to increase throughput. Because the gasifier can operate at high temperatures and pressures, a near-complete conversion of the feedstock to gas can occur within a very short timeframe. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the average residence time of the gas in the gasifier can be no more than 30 seconds, no more than 25 seconds, n...

Claims

1. A method for recycling plastic waste, the method comprising: (a) A certain amount of recycled sheet waste containing PET and PVC separated from the said plastic waste is fed into the solvent decomposition facility within the chemical recycling facility; and (b) Depolymerizing at least a portion of the PET and PVC-containing recycled sheet waste in the solvent decomposition facility; The sheet waste contains at least 5 wt% PVC on a dry basis; and On a dry basis, the sheet waste contains 1 wt% to 20 wt% polyolefin; The thin sheet waste is a byproduct of the recycling device; The method further includes, prior to depolymerization (b), feeding at least a portion of the sheet waste to at least one density separation stage, in which a PET enriched stream and a polyolefin enriched stream are generated from the waste plastic stream containing the sheet waste; and feeding at least a portion of the PET enriched stream to a solvent decomposition facility, and introducing at least a portion of the polyolefin enriched stream into a liquefaction zone for liquefaction, the liquefaction zone comprising at least one melting tank, at least one circulating loop pump, at least one external heat exchanger, at least one stripping tower and at least one separation vessel; The circulating loop pump circulates the liquefied polyolefin enriched stream; the external heat exchanger receives the liquefied polyolefin enriched stream from the melting tank, heats it, and returns at least a portion of the heated liquefied polyolefin enriched stream to the melting tank; the stripping tower and the separation vessel are located downstream of the external heat exchanger and upstream of the melting tank; the stripping tower receives the heated liquefied polyolefin enriched stream from the external heat exchanger and injects stripping gas into the liquefied polyolefin enriched stream to generate a two-phase medium; the two-phase medium flows through the separation vessel, wherein the halogen-enriched gas phase is separated from the halogen-depleted liquid phase and removed from the separation vessel; at least a portion of the halogen-depleted liquid phase is introduced as dehalogenated, liquefied polyolefin enriched material into one or more of the following within a chemical recovery facility: a cracking unit, a partially oxidized POX gasification unit, and an energy recovery unit. Based on the total weight of plastics in the PET enrichment stream, the PET enrichment stream contains at least 50 wt% PET; based on the total weight of plastics in the PET enrichment stream, the PET enrichment stream contains no more than 0.5 wt% polyolefin; based on the total weight of plastics in the polyolefin enrichment stream, the polyolefin enrichment stream contains no more than 5 wt% halogen.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, On a dry basis, the sheet waste contains at least 10 wt% PVC.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, On a dry basis, the sheet waste contains at least 0.1 wt% PET.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, On a dry basis, the sheet waste contains 1 wt% to 15 wt% polyolefin.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: feeding at least a portion of the polyolefin enrichment stream to a partially oxidized POX gasification facility.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: feeding at least a portion of the polyolefin enrichment stream to an energy recovery facility.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: feeding at least a portion of the sheet waste to a mechanical dewatering device prior to the depolymerization (b).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, After the mechanical dehydration equipment, the waste sheet is fed into the thermal dryer.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The waste flakes are fed directly into the solvent decomposition facility within the chemical recovery facility.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The caustic alkali component or caustic alkali solution is introduced together with the sheet waste into the solvent decomposition facility's dissolver and / or solvent decomposition reactor.

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