Multistage pyrolysis of recycled pvb of different compositions

Abstract

It has been discovered that a number of valuable recycle content products can be directly derived from a PVB-containing waste composition, such as an interlayer, by using a chemical recycling system with multiple pyrolysis processes. More particularly, a PVB-containing waste composition can be subjected to an initial mild pyrolysis step and a subsequent pyrolysis step to thereby produce a number of desired recycle content products. As a result, the recovery and utilization of recycle content products from PVB-containing waste compositions can be optimized.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Poly(vinyl butyral) (“PVB”) is commonly used in the manufacture of polymer sheets, which can be used as an interlayer in translucent laminates (such as safety glass or polymer laminates). For example, safety glass typically refers to a transparent laminate containing a PVB sheet or interlayer disposed between two glass panes. Safety glass is commonly used in automotive and construction applications because its primary function is to absorb energy, such as that caused by an impact from an object, without allowing it to penetrate openings or scatter glass fragments, thereby minimizing damage or injury to objects or people near the glass. Safety glass can also be used to provide other beneficial effects, such as reducing the transmission of ultraviolet (UV) and / or infrared (IR) light, or enhancing the appearance and aesthetic appeal of window openings.

[0002] Unfortunately, the widespread use of PVB-containing interlayers has led to an overabundance of PVB-containing waste interlayer materials. Due to their non-biodegradable nature, waste interlayer materials have a negative impact on the environment when disposed of in landfills. Therefore, from an environmental perspective, it is desirable to physically recycle these waste interlayer materials as much as possible.

[0003] Conventional recycling technologies for waste interlayer materials typically focus on physical recycling, which physically separates the glass from the PVB resin, resulting in recycled glass and recycled PVB resin. However, these physical recycling processes are not always economically viable and / or generate undesirable waste streams that must be disposed of or otherwise treated. Furthermore, these conventional physical recycling methods may suffer from operational inefficiencies that prevent the effective recovery of PVB resin and any byproducts found within it. Additionally, these conventional recycling methods can potentially incur high operating costs, particularly in terms of energy consumption, which may offset any financial gains from using waste interlayers as a feedstock. Therefore, there is a need for an efficient and economical chemical recycling method for breaking down waste PVB-containing interlayers into the desired recycled final products. Summary of the Invention

[0004] On one hand, this technology relates to a method for recovering compositions comprising poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB). Typically, the method involves: (a) pyrolyzing at least a portion of a feedstock comprising a PVB-containing composition in an initial pyrolysis stage to thereby provide an initial pyrolysis effluent and a liquid reaction medium; and (b) pyrolyzing at least a portion of the liquid reaction medium in a subsequent pyrolysis stage to thereby form a subsequent pyrolysis effluent. Attached Figure Description

[0005] This document describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the following figures, wherein: Figure 1This is a flowchart illustrating the main steps of a method and facility for the chemical recovery of PVB-containing compositions according to an embodiment of this technology; and Figure 2 It is a flowchart illustrating the main steps of a method and facility for recovering desired recoverable components from pyrolysis effluents according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0006] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the laboratory equipment configuration. Detailed Implementation

[0007] We have discovered that PVB-containing waste intermediate layer materials with different chemical agents can be consistently chemically recycled via pyrolysis to generate valuable recoverable components that can be recovered from the pyrolysis effluent. More specifically, we have found that one or more valuable recoverable components can be recovered from the pyrolysis of PVB in waste intermediate layer materials. Therefore, by utilizing the pyrolysis method described herein, we can optimize the recovery and utilization of recoverable components from PVB-containing waste intermediate layer materials. Consequently, the waste pyrolysis structure and method disclosed herein achieve process efficiency and logistical simplicity that were previously unattainable in the recycling of PVB-containing waste intermediate layer materials.

[0008] Furthermore, we have found that additional chemical processing facilities upstream of the waste pyrolysis facility can better facilitate downstream pyrolysis reactions and increase the yield of desired recoverable components from PVB-containing waste intermediate layer materials. For example, we have found that incorporating a mild pyrolysis system upstream of the primary pyrolysis reactor can increase the yield of desired recoverable components from PVB-containing waste intermediate layer materials.

[0009] Figure 1 An exemplary chemical recycling facility 10, including a pyrolysis unit, is described herein. The chemical recycling facility described herein can efficiently pyrolyze PVB-containing compositions into various recycled component products. It should be understood that... Figure 1 An exemplary implementation of this technology is depicted. (This can be omitted.) Figure 1 Certain features described herein and / or additional features described elsewhere in this document may be added to it. Figure 1 The system described below is an example of a series of methods and steps.

[0010] Overall chemical recycling facility Now go to Figure 1This document illustrates the main steps of a method for the chemical recycling of PVB-containing compositions in a chemical recycling facility 10. The chemical recycling methods and facilities described herein can be used to convert PVB-containing compositions into recycled component products or chemical intermediates for the formation of various end-use materials. The PVB-containing compositions fed into the chemical recycling facility can be post-consumer PVB-containing compositions, post-industrial PVB-containing compositions, or combinations of two or more thereof. Post-consumer chemically recycled materials refer to non-virgin plastics, polymers, materials, or articles that have previously been introduced into the consumer market. Post-consumer chemically recycled materials have been used at least once in their intended application for any duration, regardless of wear and tear, or have been sold to end-user customers, or have been discarded into recycling bins by any person or entity other than the manufacturer or enterprise engaged in the manufacture or sale of said material. Post-industrial chemically recycled materials are materials that have been manufactured and have not yet been used in their intended application, or have not yet been sold to end-user customers, or have been discarded by the manufacturer or any other entity engaged in the sale of said material. Examples of post-industrial materials include rework materials, re-grinding materials, scrap materials, trimmed materials, non-conforming materials, and finished materials that have been transferred from the manufacturer to any downstream customer (e.g., from manufacturer to wholesaler to distributor) but have not yet been used or sold to the end-user customer. Post-consumer or post-industrial PVB-containing raw materials are raw materials containing PVB polymers.

[0011] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemical recovery facility may be a commercial-scale facility capable of processing large quantities of PVB-containing compositions. As used herein, the term "commercial-scale facility" means a facility with an average annual feed rate of at least 500 lbs / hour (on an annual average).

[0012] In one implementation or in combination with any implementation mentioned herein, two or more facilities of a chemical recovery facility, such as a liquefaction facility, a pyrolysis facility, and a feedstock source, may be co-located with each other. As used herein, the term “co-located” means that two facilities share at least a portion of the process flow and / or support equipment or services. When two or more facilities are co-located, the facilities meet at least one of the following criteria (i) to (v): (i) the facilities share at least one non-residential utility service; (ii) the facilities share at least one service team; (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., solid, liquid, and / or gaseous material fed into, used by, or generated in the facilities) 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 center. At least one, at least two, at least three, at least four, or all of the above statements (i) to (v) may be true.

[0013] Regarding (i), examples of suitable utility services include, but are not limited to, steam systems (cogeneration 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 6900V), non-residential wastewater / sewage systems, storage facilities, transport pipelines, flare systems, and combinations thereof.

[0014] Regarding (ii), examples of service teams and facilities include, but are not limited to, emergency service personnel (fire and / or medical), third-party suppliers, state or local government oversight groups, and combinations thereof. Government oversight groups may include, for example, regulatory or environmental agencies, as well as municipal and tax agencies at the city, county, and state levels.

[0015] Regarding (iii), the boundary may be, for example, a fence line, a boundary line, a gate, or a shared boundary with at least one boundary of land or facilities owned by a third party.

[0016] Regarding (iv), the conduit may be a fluid conduit for transporting gases, liquids, solid / liquid mixtures (e.g., slurries), solid / gas mixtures (e.g., pneumatic conveying), solid / liquid / gas mixtures, or solids (e.g., belt conveying). In some cases, two units may share one or more conduits selected from the above list.

[0017] Turn again Figure 1Chemically recycled feedstocks containing one or more PVB-containing compositions can be introduced from feedstock sources into chemical recycling facilities. As used herein, the term "PVB-containing composition" refers to any form of used, discarded, and / or disposed PVB-containing composition and article, such as waste PVB-containing compositions typically sent to landfills, including post-consumer and post-industrial PVB. PVB-containing compositions can be pretreated prior to pyrolysis. Feedstock pretreatment can be carried out at the pyrolysis facility, at the supplier's facility, or by the supplier, and supplied to the pyrolysis facility by the supplier in the form of pretreated or pre-sorted feedstock.

[0018] Chemically recycled feedstock fed into a chemical recycling facility may include unprocessed or partially processed PVB-containing compositions. As used herein, the term "unprocessed PVB-containing composition" means a PVB-containing composition that has not undergone any automatic or mechanical sorting, washing, or pulverization. Partially processed PVB-containing compositions may originate from, for example, recycling facilities. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may comprise post-industrial PVB-containing compositions and / or post-consumer PVB-containing compositions.

[0019] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, all or part of the PVB-containing composition in the chemically recycled feedstock may be derived from a recycling facility that recovers glass from waste and waste glass laminates containing a PVB interlayer.

[0020] As used herein, the term “chemical recovery feedstock” refers to the total feedstock fed into the chemical recovery facility and encompasses all feedstock streams introduced into the chemical recovery facility.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, the chemical recycling facility 10 may include a feed system 12 for introducing chemically recycled feedstock containing a PVB composition (e.g., solid PVB resin) into the facility. The feed system 12 may be any conventional feed system for handling solid particulate feed, such as a screw feeder or a belt conveyor system.

[0022] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemically recovered feedstock fed into the chemical recovery facility and / or pyrolysis reactor may comprise a PVB-containing composition in an amount of at least 25 wt%, at least 50 wt%, at least 60 wt%, at least 65 wt%, at least 70 wt%, at least 75 wt%, at least 80 wt%, at least 85 wt%, at least 90 wt%, at least 95 wt%, or at least 99 wt% based on the total weight of the chemically recovered feedstock. Alternatively, the chemically recovered feedstock fed into the pyrolysis reactor may comprise less than 99 wt%, less than 95 wt%, less than 90 wt%, less than 85 wt%, less than 80 wt%, less than 75 wt%, or less than 70 wt% of the PVB-containing composition based on the total weight of the chemically recovered feedstock stream.

[0023] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the chemically recovered feedstock fed to the chemical recovery facility is substantially composed of or consists of at least one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven different PVB-containing compositions. Differences between the PVB-containing compositions may lie in the amount or type of plasticizer, the total degree of substitution, or the levels of -OH, acetaldehyde fraction, butyraldehyde fraction, or metal content.

[0024] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemically recovered feedstock fed into the pyrolysis reactor comprises at least three different PVB-containing compositions.

[0025] In one embodiment, or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemically recovered feedstock fed to the pyrolysis reactor comprises less than 10 wt%, less than 5 wt%, less than 2 wt%, less than 1 wt%, less than 0.5 wt%, or less than 0.1 wt% of glass based on the total weight of the stream. However, one advantage of the chemical recovery facility of the present invention over mechanical recovery methods is that the pyrolysis reactor can tolerate chemically recovered feedstocks containing glass. Therefore, in one embodiment, the chemically recovered feedstock comprises at least 0.1 wt%, or at least 0.5 wt%, or at least 1 wt%, or at least 1.5 wt%, or at least 2 wt%, or at least 2.5 wt%, or at least 3 wt%, or at least 4 wt%, or at least 5 wt% of glass based on the weight of the feedstock stream fed to the pyrolysis reactor.

[0026] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemically recovered feedstock fed to the pyrolysis reactor comprises less than 10% by weight, less than 5% by weight, less than 2% by weight, less than 1% by weight, less than 0.5% by weight, or less than 0.1% by weight of halogenated plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride, based on the total weight of the feedstock stream.

[0027] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemically recovered feedstock comprises less than 10 wt%, less than 5 wt%, less than 2 wt%, less than 1 wt%, less than 0.5 wt%, or less than 0.1 wt% of polyolefins (e.g., polypropylene and / or polyethylene) and / or polyesters (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate) based on the total weight of the feedstock stream fed to the pyrolysis reactor.

[0028] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the chemical recycling facility does not include or has no co-located plastic sorting facility preceding it, which separates PVB from polyolefins, nylon and polyester and produces a PVB-rich stream containing at least 60% by weight of PVB.

[0029] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the mentioned embodiments, the chemically recycled feedstock comprises no more than 20%, no more than 15%, no more than 12%, no more than 10%, no more than 8%, no more than 6%, no more than 5%, no more than 4%, no more than 3%, no more than 2%, or no more than 1% by weight of biological waste material based on the total weight of the stream. As used herein, the term "biological waste" refers to material derived from living organisms. Exemplary biological waste materials include, but are not limited to, cotton, wood, sawdust, food scraps, animals and animal parts, plants and plant parts, and feces.

[0030] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may comprise one or more thermoplastic polymers in addition to or in place of PVB. Examples of suitable thermoplastic polymers may include, but are not limited to, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), optionally modified with modifiers such as DEG and IPA, and copolyesters containing terephthaloyl moieties, aliphatic polyesters, poly(vinyl acetal) resins, polyurethanes (PU), poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), poly(vinyl chloride-co-methacrylate), polyethylene, polyolefins, ethylene-acrylate copolymers, poly(ethylene-co-butyl acrylate), silicone elastomers, epoxy resins, acid copolymers (e.g., ethylene / carboxylic acid copolymers and their ionomers), or combinations thereof.

[0031] When the PVB-containing compositions described herein comprise PVB resin, the PVB resin can be formed according to any suitable method. PVB resin can be formed by acetalization of polyvinyl alcohol with one or more aldehydes in the presence of an acid catalyst. The resulting resin can then be separated, stabilized, and dried according to known methods, such as those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 2,282,057 and 2,282,026 and Wade, B. 2016, Vinyl Acetal Polymers, Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology. 1-22 (online, copyright 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The resulting PVB resin may have a total acetalization percentage of at least 50 wt%, at least 60 wt%, at least 70 wt%, at least 75 wt%, at least 80 wt%, or at least 85 wt%, as measured according to ASTM D-1396, unless otherwise stated. The total amount of aldehyde residues in PVB resin can be collectively referred to as acetal components. The remaining portion of PVB resin consists of residual vinyl alcohol (hydroxyl) and residual acetic acid groups, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[0032] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the PVB resin in the PVB-containing composition may be a poly(vinyl butyraldehyde) resin that primarily comprises butyraldehyde residues, and may, for example, comprise no more than 50% by weight, no more than 40% by weight, no more than 30% by weight, no more than 20% by weight, no more than 10% by weight, no more than 5% by weight, or no more than about 2% by weight of aldehyde residues other than butyraldehyde, based on the total weight of all aldehyde residues of the resin.

[0033] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the molecular weight of the PVB resin in the PVB-containing composition may be at least 50,000 Daltons, at least 70,000 Daltons, or at least 100,000 Daltons and / or not greater than 800,000 Daltons, not greater than 550,000 Daltons, not greater than 500,000 Daltons, not greater than 450,000 Daltons, or not greater than 425,000 Daltons, as measured by size exclusion chromatography using Cotts and Ouano's low-angle laser light scattering method (SEC / LALLS). As used herein, the term "molecular weight" refers to weight-average molecular weight (Mw). The molecular weight of the PVB resin may be in the range of about 50,000 Daltons to about 600,000 Daltons, about 70,000 Daltons to about 450,000 Daltons, or about 100,000 Daltons to about 425,000 Daltons.

[0034] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition in the chemically recycled raw material may contain at least 1% by weight, at least 5% by weight, at least 10% by weight, at least 25% by weight, at least 50% by weight, at least 60% by weight, at least 70% by weight, at least 80% by weight, at least 85% by weight, at least 90% by weight, at least 95% by weight, or at least 98% by weight of PVB resin based on the total weight of the PVB-containing composition.

[0035] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemically recycled raw material may comprise at least two different PVB-containing compositions, including at least a first PVB-containing composition and a second PVB-containing composition, wherein the first PVB-containing composition has a different PVB content relative to the second PVB-containing composition. For example, the difference in PVB content between the first PVB-containing composition and the second PVB-containing composition may be at least 2% by weight, at least 5% by weight, at least 10% by weight, at least 12% by weight, at least 15% by weight, at least 20% by weight, or at least 30% by weight. As used herein, the terms “different by weight percent” or “difference…by at least…weight percent” refer to the difference between two given weight percentages, calculated by subtracting one number from the other.

[0036] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may comprise two or more PVB resins with different compositions. For example, in some embodiments, one or both of the outer skin layers forming the intermediate layer of the PVB-containing composition may be formed of a first PVB resin, while the core layer or inner layer may be formed of a second PVB resin. In such embodiments, the first PVB resin used to form the outer layer may have a residual polyvinyl alcohol content and / or residual acetate content that is at least 2% by weight, at least 3% by weight, at least 4% by weight, at least 5% by weight, at least 6% by weight, or at least 8% by weight higher or lower than the residual polyvinyl alcohol content and / or residual acetate content of the second PVB resin used to form the inner layer.

[0037] As used herein, the terms “residual polyvinyl alcohol content” and “residual acetate content” refer to the amounts of hydroxyl and acetate groups remaining on the resin after processing, respectively. For example, polyvinyl butyral can be produced by hydrolyzing polyvinyl acetate to polyvinyl alcohol (“PVOH”) and then acetalizing the polyvinyl alcohol with butyraldehyde to form polyvinyl butyral. During the hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate, not all acetate groups are converted to hydroxyl groups, and acetate groups remain on the resin. Similarly, during the acetalization of polyvinyl alcohol, not all hydroxyl groups are converted to acetal groups, which also results in residual hydroxyl groups on the resin. Therefore, most poly(vinyl alcohol acetal) resins include residual PVOH groups (as vinyl hydroxyl groups) and residual acetate groups (as vinyl acetate groups) as part of the polymer chain. Residual PVOH content and residual acetate content are expressed as a percentage by weight (%), based on the weight of the polymer resin and measured according to ASTM D-1396, unless otherwise specified.

[0038] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may contain at least 8%, at least 9%, at least 9.5%, at least 10%, at least 10.5%, at least 11%, at least 11.5%, at least 12%, at least 12.5%, at least 13%, at least 13.5%, at least 14%, at least 14.5%, at least 15%, at least 15.5%, at least 16%, at least 16.5%, at least 17%, at least 17.5%, at least 18%, at least 18.5%, at least 19%, at least 19.5%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 26%, at least 30%, at least 32%, at least 35%. The residual polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) content is at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least 90% and / or not more than 100%, not more than 90%, not more than 80%, not more than 70%, not more than 60%, not more than 50%, not more than 40%, not more than 35%, not more than 32%, not more than 30%, not more than 25%, not more than 22%, not more than 20%, not more than 19%, not more than 18%, not more than 17%, not more than 16%, not more than 15%, not more than 14%, not more than 13%, not more than 12%, not more than 11%, not more than 10%, not more than 9%, or not more than 8%. For example, the PVB-containing composition may contain a residual polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) content in the range of about 14% to about 45% by weight, about 16% to about 30% by weight, about 18% to about 25% by weight, about 18.5% to about 20% by weight, or about 19.5% to about 21% by weight.

[0039] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemically recycled raw material may comprise at least two different PVB-containing compositions, including at least a first PVB-containing composition and a second PVB-containing composition, wherein the first PVB-containing composition has a different residual PVOH content relative to the second PVB-containing composition. For example, the difference between the residual PVOH content of the first PVB-containing composition and the second PVB-containing composition may be at least 2% by weight, at least 5% by weight, at least 10% by weight, at least 12% by weight, at least 15% by weight, at least 20% by weight, or at least 30% by weight.

[0040] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may contain at least 5% by weight, at least 8% by weight, at least 10% by weight, at least 12% by weight, at least 14% by weight, at least 16% by weight, at least 18% by weight, at least 20% by weight or at least 30% by weight and / or less than 90% by weight, less than 80% by weight, less than 70% by weight or less than 60% by weight of residual acetate.

[0041] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemically recycled raw material may comprise at least two different PVB-containing compositions, including at least a first PVB-containing composition and a second PVB-containing composition, wherein the first PVB-containing composition has a different residual acetate content relative to the second PVB-containing composition. For example, the difference in residual acetate content between the first PVB-containing composition and the second PVB-containing composition may be at least 2% by weight, at least 5% by weight, at least 10% by weight, at least 12% by weight, at least 15% by weight, at least 20% by weight, or at least 30% by weight and / or no more than 15% by weight, no more than 13% by weight, no more than 11% by weight, no more than 9% by weight, no more than 8% by weight, no more than 6% by weight, no more than 5% by weight, no more than 4% by weight, no more than 3% by weight, no more than 2% by weight, no more than 1% by weight, or no more than 0.5% by weight.

[0042] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may comprise at least one plasticizer. For example, the PVB-containing composition may comprise at least 1 phr, at least 5 phr, at least 10 phr, at least 15 phr, at least 20 phr, at least 25 phr, at least 30 phr, at least 35 phr, at least 40 phr, at least 45 phr, at least 50 phr, at least 55 phr, at least 60 phr, at least 65 phr, at least 70 phr, at least 75 phr, at least 80 phr, at least 85 phr, or at least 90 phr and / or not greater than 100, not greater than 90, not greater than 85, not greater than 80, not greater than 75, not greater than 70, not greater than 65, not greater than 60, not greater than 55, not greater than 50, not greater than 45, not greater than 40, not greater than 35, not greater than 30, not greater than 25, not greater than 20, not greater than 15, not greater than 10 At least one plasticizer, phr, not more than 5, not more than 4, not more than 3, not more than 2, not more than 1, not more than 0.5, or not more than 0.1. As used herein, the term “parts per hundred parts of resin” or “phr” refers to the amount of plasticizer present, by weight, compared to one hundred parts of resin.

[0043] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemically recycled raw material may comprise at least two different PVB-containing compositions, including at least a first PVB-containing composition and a second PVB-containing composition, wherein the first PVB-containing composition has a different plasticizer content relative to the second PVB-containing composition. For example, the difference in plasticizer content between the first PVB-containing composition and the second PVB-containing composition may be at least 2 phr, at least 5 phr, at least 10 phr, at least 12 phr, at least 15 phr, at least 20 phr, or at least 30 phr and / or no more than 15 phr, no more than 13 phr, no more than 11 phr, no more than 9 phr, no more than 8 phr, no more than 6 phr, no more than 5 phr, no more than 4 phr, no more than 3 phr, no more than 2 phr, no more than 1 phr, no more than 0.5 phr, or no more than 0.1 phr.

[0044] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the plasticizer may be triethylene glycol bis(2-ethylhexanoate) (“TEG-EH”), triethylene glycol di-2-ethylbutyrate, triethylene glycol diheptanoate, tetraethylene glycol diheptanoate, tetraethylene glycol di-(2-ethylhexanoate) (“4GEH”), dioctyl adipate, hexylcyclohexyl adipate, diisononyl adipate, heptylnonyl adipate, di(butoxyethyl) adipate, dihexyl adipate, dibutyl sebacate, triethylene glycol di-(2-ethylhexanoate) (“3GEH”), H”), dioctyl sebacate, bis(methoxyethyl) terephthalate, bis(butoxyethyl) terephthalate, bis(butoxyethoxyethyl) terephthalate, bis(ethoxyethyl) terephthalate, bis(ethoxyethoxyethyl) terephthalate, bis(2-ethylhexyloxyethyl) terephthalate, bis(2-ethylhexyl) isophthalate, ethoxyethoxyethyl benzoate, butoxyethoxyethyl benzoate, butoxyethoxyethoxyethyl benzoate, dipropylene glycol o-toluene, or combinations of two or more thereof.

[0045] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the chemically recycled raw material may comprise at least two different PVB-containing compositions, including at least a first PVB-containing composition and a second PVB-containing composition, wherein the first PVB-containing composition has a different plasticizer than the second PVB-containing composition. Optionally, the first PVB-containing composition and the second PVB-containing composition may have the same plasticizer.

[0046] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may comprise less than 10% by weight, less than 5% by weight, less than 4% by weight, less than 3% by weight, less than 2% by weight, less than 1% by weight, or less than 0.5% by weight of glass, glass frit, UV stabilizer, pigment, adhesion control agent, antioxidant, rubber, silicate, or a combination of two or more thereof, based on the total weight of the PVB-containing composition.

[0047] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may comprise at least 0.01 wt%, at least 0.1 wt%, or at least 0.5 wt%, and / or less than 10 wt%, less than 5 wt%, less than 4 wt%, less than 3 wt%, less than 2 wt%, or less than 1 wt% of glass based on the total weight of the PVB-containing composition.

[0048] In general, at least a portion of the glass (e.g., glass particles) may be at least partially embedded in and / or adhered to the PVB resin.

[0049] Typically, the concentration of solid contaminants in a PVB-containing composition can be measured by an alcohol solubility test, wherein the PVB resin and plasticizer will dissolve in a specified alcohol, while the solid contaminants will not dissolve. In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may contain at least 0.01 wt%, at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.2 wt%, at least 0.3 wt%, at least 0.4 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, at least 1.5 wt%, at least 2 wt%, at least 2.5 wt%, at least 3 wt%, at least 3.5 wt%, at least 4 wt%, at least 4.5 wt%, or at least 5 wt% of one or more substantially insoluble components that are substantially insoluble in alcohol, based on the total weight of the PVB-containing composition. Alternatively, the PVB-containing composition may comprise less than 50% by weight, less than 40% by weight, less than 30% by weight, less than 25% by weight, less than 20% by weight, less than 15% by weight, less than 10% by weight, less than 9% by weight, less than 8% by weight, less than 7% by weight, less than 6% by weight, less than 5% by weight, less than 4% by weight, less than 3% by weight, less than 2% by weight, or less than 1% by weight, based on the total weight of the PVB-containing composition. Typically, the alcohol may be ethanol.

[0050] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the basic insoluble component is insoluble in ethanol and may comprise glass, metal, polymer, salt, silicate, calcium, calcium derivatives, sodium derivatives, or combinations thereof.

[0051] Typically, in one or more embodiments, the insoluble component may comprise at least one polymer, such as polyolefin, polyester, rubber, polyamide, polystyrene, or a combination of two or more thereof. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may comprise at least 0.01 wt%, at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.2 wt%, at least 0.3 wt%, at least 0.4 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, at least 1.5 wt%, at least 2 wt%, at least 2.5 wt%, at least 3 wt%, at least 3.5 wt%, at least 4 wt%, at least 4.5 wt%, or at least 5 wt% of at least one insoluble polymer. Alternatively, or optionally, the PVB-containing composition may comprise less than 50 wt%, less than 40 wt%, less than 30 wt%, less than 25 wt%, less than 20 wt%, less than 15 wt%, less than 10 wt%, less than 9 wt%, less than 8 wt%, less than 7 wt%, less than 6 wt%, less than 5 wt%, less than 4 wt%, less than 3 wt%, less than 2 wt%, or less than 1 wt% of at least one insoluble polymer. Polymers that are essentially insoluble in alcohols (such as ethanol) can be derived from packaging materials, recycled windshields, and / or installation materials.

[0052] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may comprise at least 0.01 wt%, at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.2 wt%, at least 0.3 wt%, at least 0.4 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, at least 1.5 wt%, at least 2 wt%, at least 2.5 wt%, at least 3 wt%, at least 3.5 wt%, at least 4 wt%, at least 4.5 wt%, or at least 5 wt% of rubber. Additionally, or optionally, the PVB-containing composition may comprise less than 50 wt%, less than 40 wt%, less than 30 wt%, less than 25 wt%, less than 20 wt%, less than 15 wt%, less than 10 wt%, less than 9 wt%, less than 8 wt%, less than 7 wt%, less than 6 wt%, less than 5 wt%, less than 4 wt%, less than 3 wt%, less than 2 wt%, or less than 1 wt% of rubber.

[0053] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may comprise at least 0.01 wt%, at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.2 wt%, at least 0.3 wt%, at least 0.4 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, at least 1.5 wt%, at least 2 wt%, at least 2.5 wt%, at least 3 wt%, at least 3.5 wt%, at least 4 wt%, at least 4.5 wt%, or at least 5 wt% of glass, metal, salt, silicate, calcium, calcium derivatives, sodium derivatives, or combinations thereof. Additionally, or optionally, the PVB-containing composition may comprise less than 50 wt%, less than 40 wt%, less than 30 wt%, less than 25 wt%, less than 20 wt%, less than 15 wt%, less than 10 wt%, less than 9 wt%, less than 8 wt%, less than 7 wt%, less than 6 wt%, less than 5 wt%, less than 4 wt%, less than 3 wt%, less than 2 wt%, or less than 1 wt% of glass, metal, salt, silicate, calcium, calcium derivatives, sodium derivatives, or combinations thereof.

[0054] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may comprise less than 10% by weight, less than 5% by weight, less than 4% by weight, less than 3% by weight, less than 2% by weight, or less than 1% by weight of glass based on the total weight of the PVB-containing composition.

[0055] The amount of insoluble components in the PVB-containing composition can be measured by combining 20 g of the PVB-containing composition with 200 mL of 190% standard ethanol in a stirred vessel at room temperature (approximately 23°C) and stirring the mixture for four hours. The resulting solution is then sieved through a sieve (25 to 30 mesh). The varnish is then dried by evaporation in a fume hood until no weight loss is detectable. Subsequently, the material is further dried in an oven at 50°C for two hours. The dried material is analyzed using ICP-OES.

[0056] Alternatively, the amount of solid contaminants can also be measured by determining the ash content of the PVB-containing composition via ASTM E1534-93 (2019).

[0057] Analysis of carbon residues can be performed according to ASTM D4530 - Trace Carbon Residue Test.

[0058] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the PVB-containing composition may contain at least 0.01 wt%, at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.2 wt%, at least 0.3 wt%, at least 0.4 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, at least 1.5 wt%, at least 2 wt%, at least 2.5 wt%, at least 3 wt%, at least 3.5 wt%, at least 4 wt%, at least 4.5 wt%, or at least 5 wt% of ash content based on the total weight of the PVB-containing composition, as measured according to ASTM D5630-13. Alternatively, the PVB-containing composition may contain less than 50 wt%, less than 40 wt%, less than 30 wt%, less than 25 wt%, less than 20 wt%, less than 15 wt%, less than 10 wt%, less than 9 wt%, less than 8 wt%, less than 7 wt%, less than 6 wt%, less than 5 wt%, less than 4 wt%, less than 3 wt%, less than 2 wt%, less than 1 wt%, or less than 0.5 wt% of ash content based on the total weight of the PVB-containing composition, as measured according to ASTM D5630-13.

[0059] Examples of suitable PVB-containing compositions applicable to the chemical recycling facilities described herein may include, but are not limited to: post-industrial PVB-containing waste and / or post-consumer PVB-containing reduced-size flakes, granules, fragments, or pulverized PVB derived from consumer applications, including but not limited to transportation (e.g., windshields, side windows, and rear windows), construction, photovoltaics, LEDs, artistic expression, and skylights. Exemplary post-industrial PVB-containing compositions may include, for example, PVB waste, broken laminated glass, substandard PVB resin, materials oversized during PVB production, or a combination of two or more thereof. PVB-containing compositions, whether post-consumer, post-industrial, or both, may also include metals and other polymers, such as polymer films (e.g., polyester) with a spectrally selective metallic coating, such as those derived from post-consumer solar-controlled glass with a spectrally selective metallic coating, the coating being either encapsulated between PVB layers, between the PVB film and the glass, or applied as an outer surface layer to the glass. PVB-containing compositions may also include varnishes and colorants. Such materials can be obtained from glass panels containing PVB coated or infused with glazes for solar energy absorption, thermal control, sound damping, or coloring applications. PVB-containing compositions may also include UV-absorbing compounds and polymers.

[0060] Specific embodiments of the PVB-containing composition (in the form of an intermediate layer) are described in detail in PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO2021 / 127206 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0285339, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference unless otherwise specified in this disclosure.

[0061] Typically, the formulation of PVB-containing compositions can vary over time, depending on the source of the PVB-containing composition. For example, the amounts of the PVB resin, the plasticizer, and / or the solid contaminants (e.g., glass, rubber, etc.) can vary in each PVB-containing composition introduced into the chemical recycling facility.

[0062] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, one or more of the following criteria may be applied to PVB-containing compositions introduced into a chemical recycling facility: (i) the amount of PVB resin in the PVB-containing composition changes by at least 2% by weight over time; (ii) the amount of plasticizer in the PVB-containing composition changes by at least 2 phr over time; (iii) the amount of solid contaminants in the PVB-containing composition changes by at least 2% by weight over time; or (iv) the ratio of PVB resin to plasticizer changes by at least 2% by weight over time. In many cases, at least two, at least three, or all four criteria are met. This may be due to differences derived from the source of the PVB-containing composition.

[0063] As mentioned above, the composition of the PVB-containing composition fed into the chemical recovery facility can vary depending on its source. However, the chemical recovery facility can be designed with sufficient flexibility to accommodate such variations.

[0064] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the amount of PVB resin in the PVB-containing composition varies by at least 2% by weight, at least 3% by weight, at least 4% by weight, at least 5% by weight, at least 6% by weight, at least 7% by weight, at least 8% by weight, at least 9% by weight, at least 10% by weight, at least 11% by weight, at least 12% by weight, at least 13% by weight, at least 14% by weight, or at least 15% by weight and / or less than 25% by weight over a time period of 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, or 1 week. As described above, this difference can be calculated based on the difference between two given weight percentages over a specified time period by subtracting one number from the other.

[0065] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the amount of plasticizer in the PVB-containing composition varies by at least 2 phr, at least 3 phr, at least 4 phr, at least 5 phr, at least 6 phr, at least 7 phr, at least 8 phr, at least 9 phr, at least 10 phr, at least 11 phr, at least 12 phr, at least 13 phr, at least 14 phr, or at least 15 phr and / or less than 25 phr over a time period of 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, or 1 week. As described above, this difference can be calculated based on the difference between two given phr values ​​within a specified time period by subtracting one number from the other.

[0066] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the amount of the solid contaminant in the PVB-containing composition varies by at least 2% by weight, at least 3% by weight, at least 4% by weight, at least 5% by weight, at least 6% by weight, at least 7% by weight, at least 8% by weight, at least 9% by weight, at least 10% by weight, at least 11% by weight, at least 12% by weight, at least 13% by weight, at least 14% by weight, or at least 15% by weight and / or less than 25% by weight over a time period of 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, or 1 week. As described above, this difference can be calculated based on the difference between two given weight percentages over a specified time period by subtracting one number from the other.

[0067] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the ratio of the PVB resin to the plasticizer in the PVB-containing composition varies by 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 less than 25% over a time period of 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, or 1 week. As described above, this difference can be calculated based on the difference between two given ratio values ​​within a specified time period by subtracting one number from the other.

[0068] The aforementioned variance measurement can be performed by sampling the PVB-containing composition over a specified time period (e.g., one week). To produce consistent measurement results, a 20-gram sample of the PVB-containing composition can be obtained and tested by solubility analysis as described above.

[0069] Optional raw material pretreatment Although not in Figure 1As described herein, the chemical recovery facility 10 may optionally include a pretreatment facility for preparing a PVB-containing composition for downstream recovery processes. When in the optional pretreatment facility, the PVB-containing composition may undergo one or more pretreatment steps to prepare it for chemical recovery. As used herein, the term "pretreatment facility" refers to a facility that includes all equipment, production lines, and control devices necessary to perform the pretreatment of the PVB-containing composition. The pretreatment facility described herein can employ any suitable method for preparing the PVB-containing composition for chemical recovery using one or more steps described further in detail below. Optionally, in some embodiments, the chemical recovery facility may not contain a pretreatment facility, and the chemical recovery feedstock may not undergo any pretreatment prior to any downstream chemical recovery step described herein.

[0070] When in a pretreatment facility, chemically recycled feedstock may undergo one or more treatment steps to prepare it for chemical recycling. As used herein, the term “pretreatment” refers to the preparation of a PVB-containing composition for chemical recycling using one or more of the following steps: (i) pulverization; (ii) granulation; (iii) washing; (iv) drying; and (v) separation. “Pretreatment” does not refer to a plastic sorting facility used to separate mixed plastic waste into a PVB-rich stream and other streams concentrated in one or more polyolefin, nylon, or polyester polymers. Chemically recycled feedstock and PVB-containing feedstock may be fed into a pyrolysis reactor in the form of solid particles (dry or wet), slurry, or liquid (molten or solvated in a solvent).

[0071] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the PVB-containing composition may undergo a size reduction process in a pretreatment facility. For example, the raw material may be subjected to mechanical size reduction operations, such as grinding / granulation, shredding, chopping, cutting, or other pulverizing processes, to provide PVB-containing composition particles with reduced size. Such mechanical size reduction operations may include size reduction steps other than pulverization and / or compaction.

[0072] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, after size reduction processing, the PVB-containing composition may comprise solid particles having a D90 diameter of at least 0.01 inch, at least 0.05 inch, at least 0.1 inch, at least 0.2 inch, at least 0.3 inch, at least 0.4 inch, at least 0.5 inch, at least 1 inch, or at least 2 inches and / or no greater than 5 inches, no greater than 4 inches, no greater than 3 inches, no greater than 2 inches, or no greater than 1 inch. As used herein, the term “D90” refers to a specified diameter in which ninety percent of the particle distribution has a diameter smaller than the specified diameter, and ten percent has a diameter larger than the specified diameter. To ensure representative D90 values ​​are obtained, the sample weight of particles should be at least one pound. To determine the D90 of particles in a continuous process, at least five samples should be tested at equal time intervals over at least 24 hours. D90 testing is performed using high-speed photography and computer algorithms to generate a particle size distribution. One suitable particle size analyzer for determining D90 values ​​is the Model CPA 4-1 computerized particle size analyzer from WS Tyler, Mentor, Ohio.

[0073] Liquefaction systems (dehydration, liquefaction, and pyrolysis) like Figure 1 As shown, the chemically recovered feedstock may be introduced into the liquefaction system 14 prior to being introduced into the pyrolysis reactor 16, wherein the chemically recovered feedstock may undergo at least partial dehydration, liquefaction, and pyrolysis. As used herein, “dehydration” refers to a chemical treatment that removes at least a portion of the water from the PVB-containing composition. As used herein, the term “liquefaction” refers to a chemical treatment in which at least a portion of the stream entering the composition is liquefied. The steps of liquefying the PVB-containing composition may include dehydration, chemical liquefaction, physical liquefaction, or a combination thereof. Exemplary methods of liquefying the PVB-containing composition introduced into the liquefaction system may include: (i) heating / melting (thereby forming a “molten” stream); (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 a liquefying agent to help promote the liquefaction (viscosity reduction) of the polymer material. Therefore, a variety of rheology modifiers (e.g., solvents, depolymerizers, plasticizers, and blending agents) can be used to enhance the flowability and / or dispersibility of liquefied PVB-containing compositions.

[0074] When added to a liquefaction system, the viscosity of the PVB resin originally present in the chemically recycled feedstock decreases by at least 50 wt%, at least 55 wt%, at least 60 wt%, at least 65 wt%, at least 70 wt%, at least 75 wt%, at least 80 wt%, at least 85 wt%, at least 90 wt%, at least 95 wt%, or at least 99 wt%. In some cases, the viscosity reduction can be promoted by heating (e.g., adding vapor that directly or indirectly contacts the PVB-containing composition), while in others, it can be promoted by combining the PVB-containing composition with a solvent capable of at least partially dissolving it. Examples of suitable solvents may include, but are not limited to: alcohols, such as methanol or ethanol; diols, such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, cyclohexanediol, glycerol; pyrolysis oils; engine oils; water; vinyl chloride monomer; vinyl acetate; polyvinyl acetate; vinyl alcohol; polyvinyl alcohol; butyraldehyde; TEG-EH; triethylene glycol di-2-ethylbutyrate; triethylene glycol diheptanoate; tetraethylene glycol diheptanoate; tetraethylene glycol di-(2-ethylhexanoate) (“4GEH”); dioctyl adipate; hexylcyclohexyl adipate; diisononyl adipate; heptylnonyl adipate; di(butoxyethyl) adipate; hexyl... Di(2-ethylhexyl) sebacate; dibutyl sebacate; triethylene glycol di-(2-ethylhexanoate) (“3GEH”); dioctyl sebacate; bis(methoxyethyl) terephthalate; bis(butoxyethyl) terephthalate; bis(butoxyethoxyethyl) terephthalate; bis(ethoxyethyl) terephthalate; bis(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate; bis(2-ethylhexyl) isophthalate; ethoxyethoxyethyl benzoate; butoxyethoxyethyl benzoate; butoxyethoxyethoxyethyl benzoate; and / or dipropylene glycol o-toluene. This dissolving solvent can be added directly to the liquefaction vessel in the liquefaction system, or it can be pre-combined with one or more feed streams (including chemically recovered feedstocks) fed to the liquefaction system.

[0075] In one embodiment, or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the dissolving solvent may comprise a stream drawn from one or more other facilities within the chemical recovery facility. For example, the solvent may comprise a stream drawn from a pyrolysis reactor. In some embodiments, the dissolving solvent may be or comprise pyrolysis oil.

[0076] In some cases, at least a portion of the PVB resin in a PVB-containing composition may be depolymerized, such that, for example, the number-average chain length of the resin is reduced by contact with a depolymerizing agent. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least one of the solvents previously listed 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) or hydrochloric acid. The depolymerizing agent can reduce the melting point and / or viscosity of the polymer by lowering its number-average chain length.

[0077] Furthermore, one or more of the methods for liquefying chemically recovered feedstocks may also include adding at least one blending agent to the feed stream before, during, or after the liquefaction process in the liquefaction system. Such blending agents may include, for example, emulsifiers and / or surfactants. When used, the blending agent may be present in amounts of at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, at least 2 wt%, or at least 5 wt% and / or no more than 10 wt%, no more than 8 wt%, no more than 5 wt%, no more than 3 wt%, no more than 2 wt%, or no more than 1 wt% based on the total weight of the chemically recovered feedstock, 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 chemically recovered feedstock.

[0078] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the liquefied chemical recovery feedstock formed within the liquefaction system may have a viscosity of less than 3,000 poise, less than 2,500 poise, less than 2,000 poise, less than 1,500 poise, less than 1,000 poise, less than 800 poise, less than 750 poise, less than 700 poise, less than 650 poise, less than 600 poise, less than 550 poise, less than 500 poise, less than 450 poise, less than 400 poise, less than 350 poise, less than 300 poise, less than 250 poise, less than 150 poise, less than 100 poise, less than 75 poise, less than 50 poise, less than 25 poise, less than 10 poise, less than 5 poise, or less than 1 poise, which is measured using a Brookfield R / S rheometer with a V80-40 blade rotor at a shear rate of 10 rad / s and a temperature of 350°C.

[0079] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the liquefaction system may include at least one, at least two, at least three, or at least four liquefaction vessels to facilitate the liquefaction and / or pyrolysis of the PVB-containing composition prior to entry into the pyrolysis reactor. In various embodiments, the liquefaction vessels may include at least one melting tank and / or at least one extruder to facilitate the liquefaction and / or pyrolysis of the PVB-containing composition.

[0080] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the melting tank 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 system, such rheology modifiers may be added to and / or mixed with the chemically recycled feedstock before being introduced into or prior to the melting tank.

[0081] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the liquefaction container, such as the melting tank and / or the extruder, can receive the chemically recycled feedstock and heat the PVB-containing composition via a heating mechanism in the melting tank and / or via an extrusion process in the extruder.

[0082] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the internal space of the liquefaction container (where the PVB-containing composition is dehydrated and / or liquefied) or the PVB-containing composition may reach or be maintained at temperatures of at least 75°C, at least 100°C, at least 125°C, at least 150°C, at least 175°C, at least 200°C, at least 210°C, or at least 225°C. Alternatively, the internal space of the first liquefaction container or the PVB-containing composition may reach or be maintained at temperatures not exceeding 400°C, not exceeding 375°C, not exceeding 350°C, not exceeding 325°C, not exceeding 300°C, not exceeding 275°C, not exceeding 250°C, not exceeding 225°C, or not exceeding 200°C. For example, the internal space of the liquefaction container (where the PVB-containing composition is dehydrated and / or liquefied) or the PVB-containing composition can reach or be maintained at temperatures in the following ranges: 75°C to 250°C, 100°C to 225°C, or 100°C to 200°C.

[0083] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, during the dehydration, liquefaction and / or pyrolysis steps, the temperature of the PVB-containing composition may be increased by at least 50°C, at least 75°C, at least 100°C, at least 125°C, at least 150°C, at least 175°C, at least 200°C, at least 225°C, or at least 250°C and / or less than 400°C.

[0084] While not wishing to be bound by theory, depending on the temperature and conditions within the liquefaction container, at least a portion of the PVB-containing composition of the chemically recycled feedstock in the liquefaction container can undergo pyrolysis, thereby producing pyrolysis effluent. More specifically, if a temperature above 250°C is used in the liquefaction container(s), pyrolysis conditions may exist within the liquefaction container(s). Therefore, in such embodiments, the liquefied chemically recycled feedstock formed in the liquefaction container(s) may also undergo a certain amount of pyrolysis, forming pyrolysis products (e.g., pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, and pyrolysis residues). Desiredly, the temperature inside the liquefaction container or the temperature of the PVB-containing composition is in the range of 75°C to 250°C, 100°C to 225°C, or 100°C to 200°C to avoid any significant breakdown of the polymer backbone.

[0085] Typically, the residence time of chemically recycled feedstock in one or more liquefaction containers can vary depending on the type of liquefaction containers. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the residence time of chemically recycled feedstock in one or more liquefaction containers can be at least 1 minute, at least 2 minutes, at least 3 minutes, at least 4 minutes, at least 5 minutes, at least 6 minutes, at least 7 minutes, at least 8 minutes, at least 9 minutes, at least 10 minutes, at least 20 minutes, at least 30 minutes, at least 45 minutes, at least 60 minutes, at least 75 minutes, or at least 90 minutes. Alternatively, or optionally, the residence time of feedstock in one or more liquefaction containers can be less than 6 hours, less than 5 hours, less than 4 hours, less than 3 hours, less than 2 hours, less than 1 hour, or less than 0.5 hours. Alternatively, the residence time of the chemically recycled raw material in the liquefaction container (one or more) may be less than 100 minutes, less than 90 minutes, less than 80 minutes, less than 70 minutes, less than 60 minutes, less than 50 minutes, less than 40 minutes, less than 30 minutes, less than 20 minutes, less than 10 minutes, less than 9 minutes, less than 8 minutes, less than 7 minutes, less than 6 minutes, less than 5 minutes, less than 4 minutes, less than 3 minutes, less than 2 minutes, or less than 1 minute. More specifically, the residence time of the raw material in the liquefaction container (one or more) may be from 30 minutes to 4 hours, from 30 minutes to 3 hours, from 1 hour to 3 hours, or from 1 hour to 2 hours.

[0086] As described above, liquefaction vessels can operate under pyrolysis conditions, thus generating pyrolysis products (e.g., pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, and / or pyrolysis residues). Therefore, if pyrolysis temperatures and conditions are employed in the liquefaction system, pyrolysis effluent streams can be recovered from the system, such as... Figure 1As shown. The contents of these possible pyrolysis effluents are discussed in more detail below with reference to a pyrolysis reactor. Therefore, all the foregoing ranges and characteristics of pyrolysis effluents from a pyrolysis reactor can also be applied to possible pyrolysis effluents derived from one or more liquefaction vessels.

[0087] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the liquefaction system can facilitate mild pyrolysis of the PVB-containing composition. As used herein, "mild pyrolysis" means pyrolysis performed at a lower pyrolysis temperature compared to subsequent treatments carried out in a pyrolysis reactor. Figure 1 As shown, the mild pyrolysis step in the liquefaction system occurs in a reactor different from the subsequent pyrolysis reaction in the pyrolysis reactor.

[0088] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent stream leaving the liquefaction system may contain at least 1 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 10 wt%, at least 15 wt%, at least 20 wt%, at least 25 wt%, at least 30 wt%, at least 35 wt%, at least 40 wt%, at least 45 wt%, at least 50 wt%, at least 55 wt%, at least 60 wt%, at least 65 wt%, at least 70 wt%, or at least 75 wt% of one or more pyrolysis products, such as pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, and / or pyrolysis residues. Alternatively, the pyrolysis effluent leaving the liquefaction system may contain no more than 99% by weight, no more than 95% by weight, no more than 90% by weight, no more than 85% by weight, no more than 80% by weight, no more than 75% by weight, no more than 70% by weight, no more than 65% by weight, no more than 60% by weight, no more than 55% by weight, no more than 50% by weight, no more than 45% by weight, no more than 40% by weight, no more than 35% by weight, no more than 30% by weight, no more than 25% by weight, no more than 20% by weight, no more than 15% by weight, or no more than 10% by weight of one or more pyrolysis products, such as pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, and / or pyrolysis residues.

[0089] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent stream leaving the liquefaction system may contain at least 1 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 10 wt%, at least 15 wt%, at least 20 wt%, at least 25 wt%, at least 30 wt%, at least 35 wt%, at least 40 wt%, at least 45 wt%, at least 50 wt%, at least 55 wt%, at least 60 wt%, at least 65 wt%, at least 70 wt%, or at least 75 wt% of unreacted (i.e., unpyrolyzed) liquefied PVB. Alternatively, the pyrolysis effluent leaving the liquefaction system may contain no more than 99 wt%, no more than 95 wt%, no more than 90 wt%, no more than 85 wt%, no more than 80 wt%, no more than 75 wt%, no more than 70 wt%, no more than 65 wt%, no more than 60 wt%, no more than 55 wt%, no more than 50 wt%, no more than 45 wt%, no more than 40 wt%, no more than 35 wt%, no more than 30 wt%, no more than 25 wt%, no more than 20 wt%, no more than 15 wt%, or no more than 10 wt% of unreacted (i.e., non-pyrolytic) liquefied PVB.

[0090] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the PVB-containing composition feedstock to the pyrolysis reactor or via a liquefaction system may contain multiple pyrolysis products in the form of recycled component products, which are directly derived from the PVB-containing composition. For example, the pyrolysis products may contain multiple recycled component products derived from the pyrolysis of PVB resin. Additionally, or optionally, the pyrolysis products may contain plasticizers originally derived from the recycled PVB-containing composition.

[0091] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis products in the pyrolysis effluent may comprise recycled plasticizers, recycled C2-C4 aldehydes (e.g., recycled acetaldehyde and / or recycled butyraldehyde), recycled UV stabilizers, recycled antioxidants, recycled CO, recycled ethylene, recycled methane, or combinations of two or more thereof, in each case obtained from a PVB-containing composition feedstock.

[0092] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, or at least 1.5 wt% of recovered carbon monoxide based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Additionally, or optionally, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain no more than 15 wt%, no more than 10 wt%, no more than 8 wt%, no more than 7 wt%, no more than 6 wt%, no more than 5 wt%, no more than 4 wt%, no more than 3 wt%, or no more than 2 wt% of recovered carbon monoxide based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0093] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, or at least 1.5 wt% of the recovered component acetaldehyde based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Additionally, or optionally, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain no more than 15 wt%, no more than 10 wt%, no more than 8 wt%, no more than 7 wt%, no more than 6 wt%, no more than 5 wt%, no more than 4 wt%, no more than 3 wt%, or no more than 2 wt% of the recovered component acetaldehyde based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0094] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain at least 1 wt%, at least 2 wt%, at least 3 wt%, at least 4 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 6 wt%, at least 7 wt%, at least 8 wt%, at least 9 wt%, at least 10 wt%, at least 11 wt%, at least 12 wt%, at least 13 wt%, at least 14 wt%, at least 15 wt%, at least 16 wt%, at least 17 wt%, at least 18 wt%, at least 19 wt%, or at least 20 wt% of the recovered component butyraldehyde, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Additionally, or optionally, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain no more than 60 wt%, no more than 55 wt%, no more than 50 wt%, no more than 45 wt%, no more than 40 wt%, no more than 35 wt%, no more than 30 wt%, or no more than 25 wt% of the recovered component butyraldehyde, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0095] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain at least 1 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 10 wt%, at least 15 wt%, at least 20 wt%, at least 25 wt%, at least 30 wt%, at least 35 wt%, or at least 40 wt% of recycled plasticizer based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Additionally, or optionally, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain no more than 80 wt%, no more than 75 wt%, no more than 70 wt%, no more than 65 wt%, no more than 60 wt%, no more than 55 wt%, no more than 50 wt%, no more than 45 wt%, no more than 40 wt%, or no more than 35 wt% of recycled plasticizer based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0096] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, or at least 1.5 wt% of the recovered components ethylene, propylene, butadiene, butane, pentadiene, cyclopentadiene, benzene, toluene, styrene, naphthalene, or a combination of two or more thereof, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Alternatively, or optionally, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain no more than 10 wt%, no more than 8 wt%, no more than 6 wt%, no more than 5 wt%, no more than 4 wt%, no more than 3 wt%, no more than 2 wt%, no more than 1 wt%, no more than 0.5 wt%, or no more than 0.1 wt% of the recovered components ethylene, propylene, butadiene, butane, pentadiene, cyclopentadiene, benzene, toluene, styrene, naphthalene, or a combination of two or more thereof, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0097] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain no more than 5% by weight, no more than 4% by weight, no more than 3% by weight, no more than 2% by weight, no more than 1% by weight, no more than 0.5% by weight, or no more than 0.1% by weight of recovered C2-C4 hydrocarbons based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent.

[0098] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain no more than 5% by weight, no more than 4% by weight, no more than 3% by weight, no more than 2% by weight, no more than 1% by weight, no more than 0.5% by weight, or no more than 0.1% by weight of recovered aromatic hydrocarbons based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These recovered aromatic hydrocarbons may include recovered benzene, recovered toluene, recovered styrene, and / or recovered naphthalene.

[0099] In one embodiment, or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, or at least 1 wt% of recycled component glass based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Alternatively, the pyrolysis effluent from the liquefaction system may contain no more than 50 wt%, no more than 25 wt%, no more than 10 wt%, or no more than 5 wt% of recycled component glass based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis. In such embodiments, the glass in the pyrolysis effluent may be in particulate form and primarily form pyrolysis residues.

[0100] After leaving the liquefaction system, the pyrolysis effluent can be separated in a separation system into a recoverable pyrolysis oil stream, a recoverable pyrolysis residue stream, and a recoverable pyrolysis gas stream. Additionally, or optionally, one or more pyrolysis products can be recovered from at least a portion of the pyrolysis effluent, pyrolysis oil, pyrolysis gas, and / or pyrolysis residue. The separation system can include various types of equipment, including but not limited to filtration systems, multistage separators, vacuum separators, condensation systems, distillation columns, and / or quench towers.

[0101] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the liquefaction container, such as a melting tank and / or an extruder, may be at least partially heated by an electric heat source (e.g., one or more electric heaters) and / or a combustion heating system comprising multiple burners (burning fuel and air). The combustion fuel may comprise conventional fossil fuels and / or recycled component fuels, such as recycled carbon monoxide, recycled acetaldehyde, and / or recycled ethylene, which may be derived from the pyrolysis effluent stream from a chemical recovery facility. For example, a combustion fuel of a recycled component may be at least partially derived from the pyrolysis effluent stream from a chemical recovery facility.

[0102] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the combustion heating system can heat a heat transfer fluid, such as water, steam, Dowtherm, Therminol, and / or mineral oil, which can be used to provide indirect heat to the liquefaction system.

[0103] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the pyrolysis gas stream derived from the pyrolysis effluent can be used as combustion fuel in a combustion heating system that provides heat to the liquefaction container.

[0104] like Figure 1 As shown and described in more detail below, at least a portion of the liquefied (e.g., molten) chemically recovered feedstock from liquefaction system 14 can be introduced into downstream pyrolysis reactor 16 at the pyrolysis facility to produce pyrolysis effluent.

[0105] pyrolysis Then turn to Figure 1 The chemical recovery facility 10 may include a pyrolysis reactor 16. A "pyrolysis facility" is a facility that includes all the equipment, piping, and control devices necessary for the pyrolysis of PVB-containing compositions and raw materials derived therefrom. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis facility may include the pyrolysis reactor 16 and the aforementioned liquefaction system 14.

[0106] like Figure 1 As shown, at least a portion of the chemically recovered feedstock from the liquefaction system 14 can be introduced into the pyrolysis reactor 16 at the pyrolysis facility to generate a pyrolysis effluent stream containing pyrolysis oil, pyrolysis gas and pyrolysis residues.

[0107] Typically, a pyrolysis facility may include a liquefaction system, a pyrolysis reactor, and a separation system for the pyrolysis effluent, which can separate the pyrolysis effluent into a pyrolysis gas stream, a pyrolysis oil stream, a pyrolysis residue stream, and / or a specific recovery component product stream.

[0108] When in a pyrolysis reactor, at least a portion of the chemically recovered feedstock, including the PVB-containing composition, undergoes a pyrolysis reaction that produces a pyrolysis effluent comprising pyrolysis oil, pyrolysis gas, and pyrolysis residues. Typically, the pyrolysis effluent leaving the pyrolysis reactor may be in the form of vapors containing pyrolysis gas and uncondensed pyrolysis oil. As used herein, “pyrolysis vapor” refers to uncondensed pyrolysis effluent.

[0109] Pyrolysis is a process involving the chemical and thermal decomposition of an introduced feed in the absence of substantial oxygen. Pyrolysis can typically be characterized as the thermal decomposition of a substance (e.g., polymers) in the presence of an inert or non-flammable atmosphere. While steam or water may be present in the pyrolysis zone, the pyrolysis reaction typically occurs in the absence of added free oxygen.

[0110] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis reactor 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.

[0111] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, optional riser gas and / or feed gas may be used to introduce the feedstock into the pyrolysis reactor and / or to facilitate various reactions within the pyrolysis reactor. For example, the riser gas and / or feed gas may comprise, consist substantially of, or consist of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and / or steam. The riser gas and / or feed gas may be added together with the chemically recovered feedstock prior to introduction into the pyrolysis reactor, and / or may be added directly to the pyrolysis reactor. The riser gas and / or feed gas may include steam and / or reducing gases, such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and combinations thereof.

[0112] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the booster gas and / or feed gas may contain steam. Optionally, in some embodiments, no steam is added to the pyrolysis reactor.

[0113] Furthermore, the temperature in the pyrolysis reactor can be adjusted to facilitate the production of certain final products. In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis temperature in the pyrolysis reactor can be at least 200°C, at least 225°C, at least 250°C, or at least 275°C, or at least 300°C, or at least 325°C, or at least 350°C, or at least 375°C, or at least 400°C, or at least 425°C, or at least 440°C, or at least 450°C, or at least 465°C, or at least 475°C. Alternatively, or optionally, the pyrolysis temperature in the pyrolysis reactor can be no greater than 600°C, or no greater than 550°C, no greater than 530°C, no greater than 510°C, or no greater than 500°C, no greater than 490°C, no greater than 480°C, no greater than 475°C, no greater than 450°C, no greater than 425°C, or no greater than 400°C.

[0114] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis temperature in the pyrolysis reactor can range from 200°C to 550°C, 250°C to 550°C, 300°C to 550°C, 325°C to 550°C, 350°C to 550°C, 375°C to 550°C, 400°C to 550°C, 425°C to 550°C, 440°C to 550°C, 450°C to 550°C, 465°C to 550°C, 475°C to 550°C, 300°C to 525°C, 325°C to 525°C, 350°C to 525°C, 375°C to 525°C, 400°C to 525°C, 425°C to 525°C. 440℃ to 525℃, 450℃ to 525℃, 465℃ to 525℃, 475℃ to 525℃, 300℃ to 500℃, 325℃ to 500℃, 350℃ to 500℃, 375℃ to 500℃, 400℃ to 500℃, 425℃ to 500℃, 440℃ to 500℃, 450℃ to 500℃, 465℃ to 500℃, 475℃ to 500℃, 300℃ to 490℃, 325℃ to 490℃, 350℃ to 490℃, 375℃ to 490℃, 400℃ to 490℃, 425℃ to 490℃, 440℃ to 490℃ or 450℃ to 490℃. We have found that high yields can be achieved when the temperature in the pyrolysis reaction zone is in the range of 400°C to 500°C, and particularly from above 425°C to 500°C. Temperatures within the pyrolysis reactor in the ranges of 440°C to 500°C, or 440°C to 490°C, or 450°C to 500°C, or 450°C to 490°C, will produce good yields in combinations of two or more recoverable components (e.g., acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, plasticizers) without consuming unnecessary energy. However, we have also found that butyraldehyde can be recovered in high yields at lower temperatures of 350°C to 400°C. If it is desirable to optimize the process for butyraldehyde recovery and tolerate lower yields of other components, the pyrolysis reaction temperature can be further reduced to the above ranges. These pyrolysis temperatures can be measured at the feed inlet and / or the pyrolysis effluent outlet of the pyrolysis reactor.

[0115] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis reactor maintains its internal temperature within 15%, 10%, or 5% of the aforementioned pyrolysis temperature range, as measured at the feed inlet and / or the pyrolysis effluent outlet of the pyrolysis reactor.

[0116] In one embodiment, or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis temperature within the pyrolysis reactor is higher than the temperature conditions in the liquefaction system. Therefore, the pyrolysis reaction in the pyrolysis reactor can occur under more stringent conditions (e.g., higher temperatures) relative to the milder pyrolysis treatment in the liquefaction system.

[0117] Although not in Figure 1 While the above description illustrates the process, it is conceivable that the aforementioned mild pyrolysis step and the subsequent vigorous pyrolysis step could also occur in different stages / regions of the same reactor. For example, in a liquefaction system, the mild pyrolysis step discussed above (including the aforementioned operating temperature and residence time) could actually be carried out and occur in a stage or region of the pyrolysis reactor that is separate from the stage / region where vigorous pyrolysis subsequently occurs. In this case, an exemplary pyrolysis reactor could be a multi-stage membrane reactor, a multi-stage tubular reactor, or an extruder with distinct sections.

[0118] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the residence time of the raw material in the pyrolysis reactor may be at least 0.1 seconds, at least 0.2 seconds, at least 0.3 seconds, at least 0.5 seconds, at least 1 second, at least 1.2 seconds, at least 1.3 seconds, at least 2 seconds, at least 3 seconds, or at least 4 seconds. Optionally, the residence time of the raw material in the pyrolysis reactor may be at least 1 minute, at least 2 minutes, at least 3 minutes, at least 4 minutes, at least 5 minutes, at least 6 minutes, at least 7 minutes, at least 8 minutes, at least 9 minutes, at least 10 minutes, at least 20 minutes, at least 30 minutes, at least 45 minutes, at least 60 minutes, at least 75 minutes, or at least 90 minutes. Additionally, or optionally, the residence time of the raw material in the pyrolysis reactor may be less than 6 hours, less than 5 hours, less than 4 hours, less than 3 hours, less than 2 hours, less than 1 hour, or less than 0.5 hours, less than 20 minutes, less than 15 minutes, less than 10 minutes, or 5 minutes or less. Furthermore, the residence time of the raw material in the pyrolysis reactor can be less than 100 seconds, less than 90 seconds, less than 80 seconds, less than 70 seconds, less than 60 seconds, less than 50 seconds, less than 40 seconds, less than 30 seconds, less than 20 seconds, less than 10 seconds, less than 9 seconds, less than 8 seconds, less than 7 seconds, less than 6 seconds, less than 5 seconds, less than 4 seconds, less than 3 seconds, less than 2 seconds, or less than 1 second. More specifically, the residence time of the raw material in the pyrolysis reactor can range from 15 seconds to 30 minutes, or 30 seconds to 20 minutes, or 30 seconds to 10 minutes, or 30 seconds to 5 minutes, or 0.5 seconds to 4 hours, 1 second to 4 hours, 10 seconds to 2 hours, 10 seconds to 30 minutes, 0.5 seconds to 30 seconds, 1 second to 15 seconds, or 2 seconds to 8 seconds. If the chemically recovered raw material is preheated in the liquefaction zone and fed into the pyrolysis reactor at a temperature of 100°C or higher, or 200°C or higher, the residence time can be shortened.

[0119] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pressure within the pyrolysis reactor may be maintained at atmospheric pressure or within the range of 0.05 bar to 100 bar, or 0.05 bar to 60 bar, or 0.1 bar to 30 bar, or 0.1 bar to 10 bar, 0.2 bar to 1.5 bar, or 0.3 bar to 1.1 bar. As used herein, the term "bar" refers to gauge pressure unless otherwise stated. Optionally, the pressure within the pyrolysis reactor may be maintained under vacuum.

[0120] In one embodiment, or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis catalyst may be introduced into the chemically recovered feedstock prior to introduction into the pyrolysis reactor and / or directly into the pyrolysis reactor. The catalyst may be homogeneous or heterogeneous and may include, for example, certain types of zeolites and other mesoporous catalysts.

[0121] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis reaction may not be catalyzed (e.g., carried out in the absence of a pyrolysis catalyst), but may include non-catalyzed, heat-retaining, inert additives, such as sand and / or glass, in the reactor to facilitate heat transfer. Such catalyst-free pyrolysis methods may be referred to as “thermal pyrolysis”.

[0122] After leaving the pyrolysis reactor, the pyrolysis effluent can be separated into a pyrolysis oil stream and a pyrolysis gas stream in a separation system (e.g., a condenser). The condenser can include various types of equipment, including but not limited to filtration systems, multi-stage separators, condensation zones, and / or quench towers. While in the condenser, the pyrolysis effluent (e.g., pyrolysis vapors) can be cooled to condense the pyrolysis oil fraction initially present in the pyrolysis effluent stream.

[0123] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor from the pyrolysis reactor may contain at least 50 wt%, at least 60 wt%, at least 75 wt%, at least 80 wt%, at least 85 wt%, at least 90 wt%, at least 95 wt%, at least 98 wt%, at least 99 wt%, at least 99.5 wt%, and at least 99.9 wt% of pyrolysis oil based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor. Alternatively, the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor may contain no more than 99.9 wt%, no more than 99.5 wt%, no more than 99 wt%, no more than 98 wt%, no more than 97 wt%, no more than 95 wt%, no more than 90 wt%, no more than 85 wt%, no more than 80 wt%, and no more than 75 wt% of pyrolysis oil based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor. As discussed above, the pyrolysis oil may be in the form of uncondensed vapor in the pyrolysis effluent leaving the heated reactor; however, these vapors may subsequently condense into the resulting pyrolysis oil. The pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor may be included in the pyrolysis oil within the following range: 70% to 99.9% by weight, 80% to 99.9% by weight, 90% to 99.9% by weight, 90% to 99.9% by weight, 85% to 98% by weight, 95% to 99.5% by weight, 95% to 99% by weight, or 95% to 98% by weight, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor.

[0124] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor from the pyrolysis reactor may contain at least 0.01 wt%, at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, at least 1.5 wt%, or at least 2 wt% of pyrolysis gas based on the total weight of the pyrolysis vapor. Additionally, or optionally, the pyrolysis vapor may contain at least 20 wt%, at least 15 wt%, at least 10 wt%, at least 8 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 4 wt%, at least 3 wt%, at least 2 wt%, or at least 1 wt% of pyrolysis gas based on the total weight of the pyrolysis vapor. The pyrolysis effluent may contain 0.01 wt% to 20 wt%, 0.01 wt% to 10 wt%, 0.01 wt% to 5 wt%, 0.01 wt% to 4 wt%, 0.01 wt% to 3 wt%, 0.1 wt% to 5 wt%, 0.5 wt% to 5 wt%, 1 wt% to 5 wt%, 1.5 wt% to 5 wt%, or 1.5 wt% to 4 wt% of pyrolysis gas based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor. In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, at least 2 wt%, at least 3 wt%, at least 4 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 6 wt%, at least 7 wt%, at least 8 wt%, at least 9 wt%, or at least 10 wt% of pyrolysis residue based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor. Alternatively, the pyrolysis effluent may contain pyrolysis residue in an amount not exceeding 15 wt%, 10 wt%, 9 wt%, 8 wt%, 7 wt%, 6 wt%, 5 wt%, 4 wt%, or 3 wt% based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor. The pyrolysis effluent may contain pyrolysis residue present in an amount ranging from 0.1 wt% to 20 wt%, 0.5 wt% to 10 wt%, 1 wt% to 5 wt%, or 1 wt% to 3 wt% based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent or pyrolysis vapor. This pyrolysis residue may be removed from the pyrolysis reactor (where it may be formed) and / or separated from the pyrolysis effluent in a downstream separator (e.g., a condenser), or both.

[0125] We also found that pyrolysis oil can be recovered from PVB-containing compositions in high yields. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the yield of pyrolysis oil is at least 70% by weight, or at least 75% by weight, or at least 80% by weight, or at least 85% by weight, or at least 87% by weight, or at least 88% by weight, or at least 90% by weight, or at least 85% by weight.

[0126] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the yield of pyrolysis gas may be low, which is particularly desirable when combined with a high yield of pyrolysis oil. The yield of pyrolysis gas, based on the weight of the PVB-containing composition in the chemically recovered feedstock to the pyrolysis reactor, or optionally based on the weight of the chemically recovered feedstock, may be no more than 20% by weight, or no more than 10% by weight, or no more than 5% by weight, or no more than 4% by weight, or no more than 3% by weight, or no more than 2% by weight.

[0127] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the yield of pyrolysis residue may be low, which is particularly desirable when combined with a high yield of pyrolysis oil. The yield of pyrolysis residue, based on the weight of the PVB-containing composition in the chemically recovered feedstock to the pyrolysis reactor, or optionally based on the weight of the chemically recovered feedstock, may be no more than 20% by weight, or no more than 10% by weight, or no more than 5% by weight, or no more than 4% by weight, or no more than 3% by weight. The amount of pyrolysis residue may be at least 0.5% by weight, at least 1% by weight, or at least 1.5% by weight, based on the same baseline.

[0128] We also found that butyraldehyde can be recovered from PVB-containing compositions in good yields. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the yield of butyraldehyde is at least 10% by weight, or at least 15% by weight, or at least 18% by weight, or at least 20% by weight, or at least 21% by weight, or at least 22% by weight, or at least 23% by weight, or at least 24% by weight, based on the weight of the PVB-containing composition in the chemically recovered feedstock, or optionally based on the weight of the chemically recovered feedstock fed to the pyrolysis reactor.

[0129] The recovery of butyraldehyde described above is based on the weight of the PVB-containing composition in the chemically recovered feedstock, or optionally on the weight of the chemically recovered feedstock fed to the pyrolysis reactor. We have found that we can achieve high yields of recovered butyraldehyde based on the amount of butyraldehyde available for recovery in the PVB feedstock. The yield of recovered butyraldehyde is at least 70% by weight, or at least 72% by weight, or at least 75% by weight, or at least 77% by weight, or at least 80% by weight (determined as the number of kg of butyraldehyde recovered per kg of butyraldehyde fraction in the PVB fed to the pyrolysis reactor × 100).

[0130] We also found that acetaldehyde can be recovered from PVB-containing compositions in good yield. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the yield of acetaldehyde is at least 1% by weight, or at least 1.5% by weight, or at least 2% by weight, or at least 2.5% by weight, or at least 3% by weight, based on the weight of the PVB-containing composition in the chemically recovered feedstock, or optionally based on the weight of the chemically recovered feedstock fed to the pyrolysis reactor.

[0131] We also found that plasticizers can be recovered from PVB-containing compositions in good yields. In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the plasticizer yield is at least 10% by weight, or at least 15% by weight, or at least 18% by weight, or at least 19% by weight, or at least 20% by weight, or at least 21% by weight, based on the weight of the PVB-containing composition in the chemically recovered feedstock, or optionally based on the weight of the chemically recovered feedstock fed to the pyrolysis reactor.

[0132] The recovery of the aforementioned plasticizers is based on the weight of the PVB-containing composition in the chemically recycled feedstock, or optionally on the weight of the chemically recycled feedstock fed to the pyrolysis reactor. We have found that we can achieve high yields of recovered plasticizers based on the amount of plasticizer available for recovery in the PVB feedstock. The yield of recovered plasticizers, based on the plasticizer content in the PVB fed to the pyrolysis reactor, is at least 65% by weight, or at least 68% by weight, or at least 70% by weight, or at least 72% by weight, or at least 74% by weight (determined as kg of plasticizer recovered per kg of plasticizer groups in the PVB fed to the pyrolysis reactor × 100).

[0133] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain a plurality of pyrolysis products in the form of recycled component products, said pyrolysis products being directly derived from the PVB-containing composition. For example, the pyrolysis products may contain a plurality of recycled component products derived from the pyrolysis of PVB resin. Additionally, or alternatively, the pyrolysis products may contain plasticizers originally derived from the recycled PVB-containing composition.

[0134] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis products in the pyrolysis effluent may include recycled plasticizers, recycled C2-C4 aldehydes (e.g., recycled acetaldehyde and / or recycled butyraldehyde), recycled UV stabilizers, recycled antioxidants, recycled CO, recycled ethylene, recycled methane, or combinations of two or more of these.

[0135] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, or at least 1.5 wt% of recovered carbon monoxide based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Additionally, or optionally, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain no more than 15 wt%, no more than 10 wt%, no more than 8 wt%, no more than 7 wt%, no more than 6 wt%, no more than 5 wt%, no more than 4 wt%, no more than 3 wt%, or no more than 2 wt% of recovered carbon monoxide based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0136] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, or at least 1.5 wt% of the recovered component acetaldehyde based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Additionally, or optionally, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain no more than 15 wt%, no more than 10 wt%, no more than 8 wt%, no more than 7 wt%, no more than 6 wt%, no more than 5 wt%, no more than 4 wt%, no more than 3 wt%, or no more than 2 wt% of the recovered component acetaldehyde based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0137] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain at least 1 wt%, at least 2 wt%, at least 3 wt%, at least 4 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 6 wt%, at least 7 wt%, at least 8 wt%, at least 9 wt%, at least 10 wt%, at least 11 wt%, at least 12 wt%, at least 13 wt%, at least 14 wt%, at least 15 wt%, at least 16 wt%, at least 17 wt%, at least 18 wt%, at least 19 wt%, or at least 20 wt% of the recovered component butyraldehyde, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Additionally, or optionally, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain no more than 60 wt%, no more than 55 wt%, no more than 50 wt%, no more than 45 wt%, no more than 40 wt%, no more than 35 wt%, no more than 30 wt%, or no more than 25 wt% of the recovered component butyraldehyde, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0138] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain at least 1 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 10 wt%, at least 15 wt%, at least 20 wt%, at least 25 wt%, at least 30 wt%, at least 35 wt%, or at least 40 wt% of recycled plasticizer based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Additionally, or optionally, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain no more than 80 wt%, no more than 75 wt%, no more than 70 wt%, no more than 65 wt%, no more than 60 wt%, no more than 55 wt%, no more than 50 wt%, no more than 45 wt%, no more than 40 wt%, or no more than 35 wt% of recycled plasticizer based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0139] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, or at least 1.5 wt% of the recovered components ethylene, propylene, butadiene, butane, pentadiene, cyclopentadiene, benzene, toluene, styrene, naphthalene, or a combination of two or more thereof, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Alternatively, or optionally, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain at least 10 wt%, at least 8 wt%, at least 6 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 4 wt%, at least 3 wt%, at least 2 wt%, at least 1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, or at least 0.1 wt% of the recovered components ethylene, propylene, butadiene, butane, pentadiene, cyclopentadiene, benzene, toluene, styrene, naphthalene, or a combination of two or more thereof, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0140] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain no more than 5% by weight, no more than 4% by weight, no more than 3% by weight, no more than 2% by weight, no more than 1% by weight, no more than 0.5% by weight, or no more than 0.1% by weight of recovered C2-C4 hydrocarbons based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent.

[0141] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain no more than 5% by weight, no more than 4% by weight, no more than 3% by weight, no more than 2% by weight, no more than 1% by weight, no more than 0.5% by weight, or no more than 0.1% by weight of recovered aromatic hydrocarbons based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These recovered aromatic hydrocarbons may include recovered benzene, recovered toluene, recovered styrene, and / or recovered naphthalene.

[0142] In one embodiment, or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, or at least 1 wt% of recycled glass component based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. Alternatively, the pyrolysis effluent from the pyrolysis reactor may contain no more than 50 wt%, no more than 25 wt%, no more than 10 wt%, or no more than 5 wt% of recycled glass component based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis. In such embodiments, the glass in the pyrolysis effluent may be in particulate form and primarily form pyrolysis residues.

[0143] In such implementations, the glass in the pyrolysis effluent may be in particulate form and mainly form pyrolysis residues.

[0144] As discussed in more detail below, after leaving the pyrolysis reactor, the pyrolysis effluent can be separated in a separation system into a recoverable pyrolysis oil stream, a recoverable pyrolysis residue stream, and a recoverable pyrolysis gas stream. Additionally, or optionally, one or more pyrolysis products can be recovered from at least a portion of the pyrolysis effluent, pyrolysis oil, pyrolysis gas, and / or pyrolysis residue. The separation system can include various types of equipment, including but not limited to filtration systems, multistage separators, vacuum separators, condensation systems, distillation columns, and / or quench towers.

[0145] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the pyrolysis effluent may be directed to a separation system to recover the following: a recovered plasticizer stream, a recovered acetaldehyde stream, and / or a recovered butyraldehyde stream.

[0146] Figure 2 A chemical recovery facility 10 is described, which includes a downstream separation system for recovering one or more pyrolysis products from the pyrolysis effluent discharged from the pyrolysis reactor.

[0147] like Figure 2As shown, at least a portion of the pyrolysis effluent 18 can be directed to a first separation system 20 to recover one or more pyrolysis products, unconverted PVB resin, and / or other byproducts (e.g., recovered component glass) from the pyrolysis effluent. The first separation system 20 may include various types of equipment, including but not limited to filtration systems, multistage separators, vacuum separators, condensation systems, distillation columns, and / or quenching columns.

[0148] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the pyrolysis effluent 18 may be directed to a first separation system 20 to thereby form a first lean effluent stream 22 and a first recovered component product stream containing the recovered component plasticizer, the recovered component acetaldehyde, and / or the recovered component butyraldehyde.

[0149] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, the first recycled component product stream may contain at least 1 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 10 wt%, at least 15 wt%, at least 20 wt%, at least 25 wt%, at least 30 wt%, at least 35 wt%, at least 40 wt%, at least 45 wt%, at least 50 wt%, at least 55 wt%, at least 60 wt%, at least 65 wt%, at least 70 wt%, at least 75 wt%, at least 80 wt%, at least 85 wt%, at least 90 wt%, or at least 95 wt% of recycled component plasticizer, recycled component acetaldehyde, and / or recycled component butyraldehyde, based on the total weight of the stream. Alternatively, the recycled component product stream may contain no more than 99 wt%, no more than 95 wt%, no more than 90 wt%, no more than 85 wt%, no more than 80 wt%, no more than 75 wt%, no more than 70 wt%, no more than 65 wt%, no more than 60 wt%, no more than 55 wt%, no more than 50 wt%, no more than 45 wt%, no more than 40 wt%, or no more than 35 wt% of recycled plasticizer, recycled acetaldehyde, and / or recycled butyraldehyde, based on the total weight of the stream. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0150] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the first recycled component product stream may be enriched with one or more plasticizers relative to the pyrolysis effluent stream.

[0151] Alternatively, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the pyrolysis effluent may be directed to a first separation system to thereby form a first depleted effluent stream and a first recycled component product stream containing glass particles. In such embodiments, the first recycled component product stream may be glass-rich relative to the pyrolysis effluent stream.

[0152] Back to Figure 2At least a portion of the first lean effluent 22 may be introduced into a second separation system 24 to thereby recover one or more additional thermal decomposition products from the first lean effluent 22. The second separation system 24 may include various types of equipment, including but not limited to filtration systems, multistage separators, vacuum separators, condensation systems, distillation columns, and / or quenching columns.

[0153] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the first lean pyrolysis effluent 22 may be directed to a second separation system 24 to thereby form a second lean effluent stream 26 and a second recovered component product stream containing the recovered component plasticizer, the recovered component acetaldehyde, and / or the recovered component butyraldehyde.

[0154] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the second recycled component product stream may contain at least 1 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 10 wt%, at least 15 wt%, at least 20 wt%, at least 25 wt%, at least 30 wt%, at least 35 wt%, at least 40 wt%, at least 45 wt%, at least 50 wt%, at least 55 wt%, at least 60 wt%, at least 65 wt%, at least 70 wt%, at least 75 wt%, at least 80 wt%, at least 85 wt%, at least 90 wt%, or at least 95 wt% of recycled component plasticizer, recycled component acetaldehyde, and / or recycled component butyraldehyde, based on the total weight of the stream. Alternatively, the second recycled component product stream may contain no more than 99 wt%, no more than 95 wt%, no more than 90 wt%, no more than 85 wt%, no more than 80 wt%, no more than 75 wt%, no more than 70 wt%, no more than 65 wt%, no more than 60 wt%, no more than 55 wt%, no more than 50 wt%, no more than 45 wt%, no more than 40 wt%, or no more than 35 wt% of recycled plasticizer, recycled acetaldehyde, and / or recycled butyraldehyde, based on the total weight of the stream. These weight percentages are measured on a dry basis.

[0155] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the second recovered component product stream may be enriched with one or more aldehydes (e.g., acetaldehyde and / or butyraldehyde) relative to the first depleted effluent stream.

[0156] Alternatively, in one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the first depleted effluent stream may be directed to a second separation system to thereby form a second depleted effluent stream and a second recycled component product stream containing glass particles. In such embodiments, the second recycled component product stream may be glass-rich relative to the first depleted effluent stream.

[0157] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the first separation system and / or the second separation system may include a separation step and / or system that occurs under vacuum conditions. Additionally, or alternatively, the first separation system and / or the second separation system may be carried out under conditions and temperatures that do not chemically modify the unconverted PVB in the pyrolysis effluent and / or the first depleted effluent stream.

[0158] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the first separation system and / or the second separation system may include a quench tower. In the quench tower, at least a portion of the pyrolysis effluent and / or the first depleted stream can be rapidly cooled (e.g., quenched) to prevent the generation of large amounts of undesirable byproducts and to minimize fouling in downstream equipment.

[0159] Back to Figure 2 At least a portion of the second lean effluent stream 26 (which may contain some residual unconverted PVB resin) can be guided back to the pyrolysis reactor 16 via pump 28. Figure 2 As shown, additional PVB solids may be introduced into the second lean effluent stream 26 before it is introduced into the pyrolysis reactor 16. Additionally, as described above, one or more booster gases may be added to the second lean effluent stream 26 before it is introduced into the pyrolysis reactor 16. Furthermore, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the secondary effluent stream 26 may be further heated via a heat exchanger 30 before it is introduced into the pyrolysis reactor.

[0160] The resulting pyrolysis oil, pyrolysis gas, and / or the pyrolysis products recovered therefrom can be used directly in a variety of downstream applications based on their formulations. As discussed above, individual or combined pyrolysis products can be recovered from pyrolysis effluents, pyrolysis residues, pyrolysis gas, and / or pyrolysis oil.

[0161] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, one or more pyrolysis products can be recovered from pyrolysis effluents, pyrolysis residues, pyrolysis gases and / or pyrolysis oils. Subsequently, at least a portion of the recovered pyrolysis products may be treated by: (i) transferring at least a portion of the pyrolysis products as recovered component products to a third party; (ii) reacting at least a portion of the pyrolysis products with one or more additional reactants to thereby produce additional recovered component products; and / or (iii) combining at least a portion of the pyrolysis products with another component to thereby produce secondary recovered component products.

[0162] Other examples of recycled components include polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyral, cellulose butyrate, cellulose propionate, and monopropylamine, dipropylamine, tripropylamine, or monobutylamine, dibutylamine, tributylamine obtained by reducing propionaldehyde or butyral to propanol and butanol, respectively.

[0163] These products can be prepared by reacting one or more thermal decomposition products with one or more additional reactants to obtain the desired additional recovered component products. The additional recovered component products can retain at least a portion of their recovered component value derived from the thermal decomposition products.

[0164] Secondary recycled component products can be prepared by combining, blending, or mixing at least a portion of the thermal decomposition products with another component to produce secondary recycled component products. The secondary recycled component products are preferably blends or mixtures of the decomposition products and another polymer. The secondary recycled component products can obtain at least a portion of their recycled component value derived from the thermal decomposition products.

[0165] For example, thermal decomposition product plasticizers can be combined, mixed, or blended with PVB polymers to prepare plasticized or more highly plasticized PBV interlayers.

[0166] In one embodiment, or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the recovered thermal decomposition products may be processed by transferring at least a portion of the thermal decomposition products as recovered component products to a third party. Typically, such transfer may involve selling the thermal decomposition products to a third party.

[0167] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the recovered thermal decomposition products can be treated by reacting at least a portion of the thermal decomposition products with one or more additional reactants to thereby produce additional recovered component products. Typically, in such embodiments, the thermal decomposition products may contain C2-C4 aldehydes, which can be used to produce additional recovered component products, such as recovered PVB resin.

[0168] In one embodiment, or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the recovered thermal decomposition products can be treated by combining at least a portion of the thermal decomposition products with other components to thereby produce secondary recovered component products. Typically, in such embodiments, the thermal decomposition products may be recovered component plasticizers, which may be combined with PVB resins to form recovered component PVB resins.

[0169] In one embodiment or in combination with any embodiment mentioned herein, at least a portion of the recycled glass component from the pyrolysis effluent may be reused in the pyrolysis reactor as bed material and / or inert insulating additive.

[0170] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the recycled glass particles from the pyrolysis effluent may have a D90 diameter of less than 2 mm, less than 1 mm, less than 0.5 mm, or less than 0.2 mm.

[0171] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the pyrolysis reactor may be at least partially heated by an electric heat source (e.g., one or more electric heaters) and / or a combustion heating system comprising multiple burners (burning fuel and air). The combustion fuel may comprise conventional fossil fuels and / or recycled component fuels, such as recycled carbon monoxide, recycled acetaldehyde, and / or recycled ethylene, which may be derived from the pyrolysis effluent stream from a chemical recovery facility. For example, a combustion fuel of a recycled component may be at least partially derived from the pyrolysis effluent stream from a chemical recovery facility.

[0172] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, the combustion heating system can heat a heat transfer fluid, such as water, steam, Dow heat transfer fluid, Serminol heat transfer oil, and / or mineral oil, which can be used to provide indirect heat to the pyrolysis reactor.

[0173] In one embodiment or in combination with any of the embodiments mentioned herein, at least a portion of the pyrolysis gas stream derived from the pyrolysis effluent can be used as combustion fuel in a combustion heating system that provides thermal energy to the pyrolysis reactor.

[0174] Example Pyrolysis of two different PVB raw materials was performed to demonstrate the recovery of butyraldehyde, acetaldehyde, and plasticizers.

[0175] PVB raw materials: Raw material 1: PVB-PIR (post-industrial recycling) is a variety of standard intermediate layers from Eastman Chemical Company.

[0176] Raw material 2: PVB-PCR (post-consumer recycled) is a PVB sheet obtained from the recycling and processing of automotive windshields, containing very little glass (<1% by weight).

[0177] Table 1 describes the contribution of different polyene components to feedstock 1, and the amounts of plasticizer Pz, butyraldehyde moiety, acetaldehyde moiety, and / or polyene vary between the listed low and high values ​​due to the use of various PVB interlayers. Values ​​are given in weight percent (%). Except for the amount of plasticizer, which is measured, the values ​​for all other components of feedstock 2 are assumed to be theoretical values, representing the composition that might be expected in a PCR stream containing recycled PVB from various manufacturers.

[0178] * The wt% values ​​for PVB, PVOH, and PVAc are calculated based on their respective polyene components.

[0179] **Hypothetical PVB-PCR composition used to calculate the recoveries of acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, and PVB plasticizer after pyrolysis** ***Commercially available PVB materials with varying plasticizer contents. These are used in the results section to demonstrate the potential recovery rates of acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, and PVB plasticizers after pyrolysis. ****The amount of Pz was measured.

[0180] Experimental setup The pyrolysis of the PVB feedstock sample was carried out in a batch-operated fixed-bed reactor. 150 g of PVB material was used in the experiment. A schematic diagram of the laboratory equipment is shown below. Figure 3 Nitrogen cylinder 1 supplies nitrogen to pyrolysis reactor 7. The nitrogen flow is controlled by valve 2, which is coupled to mass flow meter 3. The nitrogen flow is preheated in a preheater (71 cm long, 2.25 cm inner diameter) 4 made of stainless steel wrapped with insulating heating tape. The nitrogen temperature is regulated by measuring the nitrogen temperature with thermocouples inserted into the preheater, and the preheater temperature is regulated by PIC controller 6. Heated nitrogen at the desired set point flows into pyrolysis reactor 7. Pyrolysis reactor 7 consists of a stainless steel reactor (50 cm long, 6 cm inner diameter) that is externally heated by insulating heating tape. Heating is controlled by PIC controller 6, which is coupled to multiple thermocouples on pyrolysis reactor 7 to measure the pyrolysis reactor temperature. PID controller 6 causes the feed to be at a rate of 10 to 15 °C / min. -1 The heating rate is increased to the desired final pyrolysis temperature. Pyrolysis reactor 7 is in reflux mode, and its set temperature is the same as that of pyrolysis reactor 7. The cooler 8 through which the pyrolysis effluent flows (not from the product extraction from the cooler) is set to -10°C to capture volatile substances, such as acetaldehyde (boiling point 20°C). As the cooling medium, a mixture of 50% by weight diol and 50% by weight water is used and circulated through a water circulation heater 9. After cooler 8, a container is placed to capture the liquid phase ( Figure 3 (Not shown in the image). The gas phase flows through a spiral condenser 11, which is cooled to 0°C using an ice bath through which water circulates in a water-circulating cooler 10. The purpose of the condenser 11 is to capture liquid products not captured by the cooler 8. Gas products 13 from the top of the condenser 11 are captured for analysis, as are oil and waxy products 12 from the bottom.

[0181] Typically, at least 95% material balance closure can be achieved. If the material balance closure is insufficient, a carbon bed 14 can be used. Technical checks, safety checks, and experiments were conducted to adjust the N2 flow rate from bottle 1 and the material balance closure without a carbon bed. Initial results showed that a satisfactory material balance closure can be achieved without a C-bed. If needed, the gas flow from the top of condenser 11 can flow through the carbon bed 14 to generate a second gaseous product stream 15.

[0182] Experimental Procedure Record the weight of the cleaning equipment (reactor, condenser, collection container). The fixed-bed reactor is filled with a pre-weighed amount of PVB sample. The PVB recycled feedstock is introduced into pyrolysis reactor 7 as is. Start the cooling on cooler 8 and condenser 11. Pyrolysis reactor 7 is purged with N2 from bottle 1 and a leak test is performed. Nitrogen is used as the product carrier gas and is preheated to 300°C before entering fixed-bed pyrolysis reactor 7. The N2 flow rate is set to 5 ml / min. -1 A 5 L Tedlar bag was connected to line 15 to collect the second gas stream. The bag was replaced before it was filled, and the gas was analyzed briefly to avoid condensation of C6+ products. The gas effluent was sampled at least three times (start-middle-end) in each experiment for offline gas analysis in a micro GC.

[0183] Start the pyrolysis reactor for heating, and assume the experimental time is zero when the bottom thermocouple on pyrolysis reactor 7 reaches the desired temperature. After the desired reaction time is reached, turn off the heater, collect, weigh, and store the oil from the collection point in a freezer. Disconnect the gas bag and take a sample for analysis. Remove the insulation from all equipment to reach ambient temperature, then use 50 ml of [unclear - possibly a specific liquid or solution]. -1 The N2 stream was used to purge the equipment for 20 minutes. Afterward, the equipment (reactor, condenser, collection container) was weighed, and the solid residue was collected and weighed for material balance calculation purposes.

[0184] Multiple pyrolysis operations were conducted at different temperatures. The pyrolysis conditions for raw material 1 and 2 PVB samples are reported in Table 2 below.

[0185] *Different experimental conditions (raw material: 200 g; cooler temperature: 0℃) Water and PVB samples were fed together at a 1:1 weight ratio. Liquid / Oil Product Analysis Methods Quantitative analysis of acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, and PVB plasticizer in the recovered liquid / oil products from each test run was performed following Test Method A. Quantification of acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, and PVB plasticizer (S2075) in the liquid / oil pyrolysis products was conducted on gas chromatography (GC-FID) equipped with a flame ionization detector. A DB1 column (60 m × 320 μm × 1 μm) was used with helium as the carrier gas. The amounts of acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, and PVB plasticizer in the samples were calculated based on the external standard method, while unknown compounds were quantified using the response factor of butyraldehyde.

[0186] Solid analysis methods ICP analysis (Test Method B) was performed on PVB raw material samples and solid residues obtained from different pyrolysis test runs to determine the metal content.

[0187] The metal content in PVB raw materials and solid residues obtained from pyrolysis experiments was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Prior to measurement, the samples were acid-digested (HNO3 / H2O2) in a microwave oven.

[0188] Carbon residue analysis was performed according to ASTM D4530 - Micro Carbon Residue Test (MCRT), which involves pyrolysis at 500°C.

[0189] According to ASTM E1534-93 (2019), the ash content is determined by burning the sample at 575°C for 24 hours in an air atmosphere.

[0190] Gas Sample Analysis Methods Gas sample analysis was performed using a Varian 450-GC gas analyzer equipped with two columns. The first column was specifically designed to separate H2, CO, CO2, N2, and O2, and quantified using a thermal conductivity detector. The second column was dedicated to different hydrocarbons (CH4, C2, ...). 2-5 Identification and quantification of C6+. Analyze the same sample three times to ensure reproducibility.

[0191] Metal content test results The metal and ash content characterization of the two PVB raw materials is reported in Table 3. It can be seen that the PIR raw material has a low metal content.

[0192] Table 4 presents the lump product yields (as a function of pyrolysis temperature) obtained from the pyrolysis of PVB-PIR and PVB-PCR feedstocks. The yields are reported as weight percent (%) and calculated as kg of product recovered per kg of treated PVB x 100. It can be seen that gas production from both feedstocks is limited over the temperature range after the gas stream is cooled in cooler 8 and condenser 11. With increasing temperature, an increase in oil yield and a decrease in solid residue yield were observed. No significant changes in lump product yield were observed above 450°C for either feedstock. Water has a minimal to no effect on the pyrolysis behavior of the PVB-PCR feedstock.

[0193] *Liquid yield is on a wet basis. Experiments were conducted by co-feeding water with PVB samples.

[0194] Liquid / oil analysis results The yields of key components, namely acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, plasticizers, and other compounds, obtained from PVB-PCR and PVB-PIR pyrolysis at different temperatures were analyzed and are presented in Table 5. The values ​​are reported as weight percent (wt%) and calculated as kg of product recovered per kg of treated PVB x 100. It was observed that the yields of all products increased with increasing pyrolysis temperature from 300 °C to 375 °C, while above 375 °C the yields remained relatively constant.

[0195] *No analysis was performed.

[0196] Other detected substances include 2-butene, 2-butenal, 1-butanol, benzene, 3-buten-2-one-methyl, N-heptane, 3-penten-2-one, toluene, 5-hexenal, butyric acid, 2-cyclohexen-1-one, benzaldehyde, phenol, EK 496, 2-ethylhexanoic acid, hydroxyethyl ester of 2-ethylhexanoic acid, hydroxyethoxy ester of 2-ethylhexanoic acid, TEG-2EH, 2(2(2-acetoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl 2-ethylhexanoate, 2(2(2(butyryloxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl 2-ethylhexanoate, TEG-2EH DEG, bumetrazole, and 2(2-hydroxy-5-octylphenyl)benzotriazole. These were determined by difference calculations.

[0197] ***Yield calculated based on dry liquid / oil yield Key component recovery rate In Table 6, the acetaldehyde recovery rate is estimated based on the contents of PVOH, PVB, PVAc, and HOAc in the samples. For both raw materials, the acetaldehyde recovery rate increases with increasing temperature. At 450℃, the acetaldehyde recovery rate of PVB-PCR is higher than that of PVB-PIR.

[0198] *No analysis was performed.

[0199] **Lower and higher potential recycling rates were calculated based on commercially available PVB materials with different plasticizer contents. See Table 1.**

[0200] ***Recovery rate calculated based on dry liquid / oil yield In Table 7, the butyraldehyde recovery rate is calculated based on the butyraldehyde content in the sample feedstock, expressed as the butyraldehyde recovered per kg of processed PVB × 100. For both feedstocks, the butyraldehyde recovery rate increases with temperature up to 375°C and then remains constant.

[0201] *No analysis was performed.

[0202] **Lower and higher potential recycling rates were calculated based on commercially available PVB materials with different plasticizer contents. See Table 1.**

[0203] ***Recovery rate calculated based on dry liquid / oil yield In Table 8, plasticizer recovery rates are calculated based on their content in the sample feedstock, expressed as the amount of plasticizer recovered per kg of processed PVB (kg × 100). For both feedstocks, plasticizer recovery rates increased with increasing temperature up to 375°C and then remained constant. A higher plasticizer recovery rate was observed for the PVB-PIR feedstock compared to the PVB-PCR feedstock.

[0204] *No analysis was performed.

[0205] **Lower and higher potential recycling rates were calculated based on commercially available PVB materials with different plasticizer contents. See Table 1.**

[0206] ***Recovery rate calculated based on dry liquid / oil yield Table 9 presents the compositional analysis of the solid residues. Compared to the raw material composition (Table 3), the ppm (mg / kg) of metals in the solid residues increased. During pyrolysis, all inorganic species remained non-volatile and ultimately remained predominantly in the solid residues. The inorganic material content in the solid residues of the PVB-PCR raw material was higher than that of the PVB-PIR material. Importantly, the concentration of metals present in the solid residues of both raw materials increased with increasing temperature. This can be attributed, not only theoretically, to the deep embedding of inorganic species within the polymer matrix of each layer. With increasing pyrolysis temperature, the polymer matrix was pyrolyzed more thoroughly, and therefore, the concentration of inorganic species present in the remaining residues increased due to increased oil and / or gas yields and decreased solid yields.

[0207] From Table 4, the non-condensable pyrolysis gas yield is no greater than 1% by weight for PVB-PIR samples and no greater than 2% by weight for PVB-PIR samples. The compositional analysis of this minor product stream is shown in Table 10.

[0208] From both feedstocks, the highest recoveries and liquid yields of acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, and the plasticizer can be achieved at approximately 400°C to 500°C, and more particularly at approximately 425°C to 475°C. The yields of the compounds increase sharply before reaching 450°C, then plateau with only slight improvements, and in some cases, begin to decrease slightly when the temperature reaches 500°C. High yields were achieved in the pyrolysis reactor within residence times of only 5 minutes or less.

[0209] Maximizing liquid yield reduces solids residue yield. Low solids residue yield ensures efficient separation of unwanted inorganic species from the polymer matrix. Adding water / steam during pyrolysis does not affect the yield of organic matter. This observation leads to the conclusion that moisture-rich feedstocks can be seamlessly processed through pyrolysis without a pre-pyrolysis drying step, saving additional energy costs. Furthermore, the presence of water or steam does not affect oil, gas, and solids yields, nor the recovery rates of key components such as plasticizers, acetaldehyde, and butyraldehyde.

[0210] definition It should be understood that the following is not intended to be an exhaustive list of the defined terms. Other definitions may be provided in the foregoing description, such as when used in the context of the defined terms.

[0211] As used herein, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” refer to one or more.

[0212] As used herein, the term "and / or," when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items may be used alone, or any combination of two or more of the listed items may be used. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and / or C, then the composition may contain only A; only B; only C; a combination of A and B; a combination of A and C; a combination of B and C; or a combination of A, B, and C.

[0213] As used in this article, the phrase “at least a portion” includes at least a portion and up to include the entire quantity or time period.

[0214] As used herein, the term “chemical recycling” refers to a PVB recycling process that includes steps of chemically converting waste PVB into lower molecular weight polymers, oligomers, monomers, and / or non-polymer molecules (e.g., carbon monoxide, C2-C4 aldehydes, ethylene, and propylene), which are useful and / or can be used as feedstocks for another chemical production process.

[0215] As used herein, the term “co-location” refers to the characteristic that at least two objects are located in a common physical location and / or are within one mile of each other.

[0216] As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “comprises,” and “comprise” are open-ended transitional terms used to transition from a subject described before the term to one or more elements described after the term, wherein one or more elements listed after the transitional term are not necessarily the only elements constituting the subject.

[0217] As used herein, the term "depleted" refers to a component being present in a lower quantity, on a dry weight basis, than the component is present in a reference material or stream.

[0218] As used in this article, the term “diameter” refers to the maximum chord length of a particle (i.e., its maximum size), which can be measured using a particle size analyzer, such as the WS Tyler Model CPA 4-1 computerized particle analyzer from Mentor, Ohio.

[0219] As used herein, the term “directly derived” refers to having at least one physical component derived from recycled PVB.

[0220] As used herein, the term "enriched" means that the content of a particular component, on a dry weight basis, is greater than the content of that component in a reference material or stream.

[0221] As used herein, the terms “having,” “has,” and “have” have the same open-ended meaning as “comprising,” “comprises,” and “comprise” provided above.

[0222] As used herein, the terms “including,” “include,” and “included” have the same open-ended meaning as “comprising,” “comprises,” and “comprise” provided above.

[0223] As used herein, the term "intermediate layer" refers to a single or multiple polymer sheet suitable for use with at least one rigid substrate to form a multilayer board.

[0224] As used herein, the term "separate" refers to the property of one or more objects that are independent of other materials (in motion or at rest).

[0225] As used herein, “melt feed” means a feed that is substantially liquid and contains at least one component that is substantially liquid and has been heated to above its melting temperature and / or glass transition temperature.

[0226] As used herein, the term “primarily” means more than 50% by weight. For example, a primary PVB stream, composition, feedstock, or product is a stream, composition, feedstock, or product containing more than 50% by weight of PVB.

[0227] As used herein, the term “pretreatment” refers to preparing a PVB composition for chemical recovery using one or more of the following steps: (i) crushing, (ii) granulation, (iii) washing, (iv) drying, and / or (v) separation.

[0228] As used herein, the term "PVB recycling facility" refers to a facility used to produce recycled component products through the chemical recycling of PVB.

[0229] As used in this article, the term "pyrolysis" refers to the thermal decomposition of one or more organic materials at high temperatures in an inert (i.e., essentially oxygen-free) atmosphere.

[0230] As used herein, the term "pyrolytic carbon" refers to a carbon-containing composition obtained from pyrolysis, which is solid at 200 °C and 1 atm.

[0231] As used herein, the terms “pyrolysis gas” and “pygas” refer to compositions obtained from pyrolysis that are gaseous at 25°C and 1 atm.

[0232] As used herein, the term "pyrolysis oil" or "pyoil" refers to a composition obtained from pyrolysis that is liquid at 25°C and 1 atm. Pyrolysis oil can be in vapor or liquid form.

[0233] As used herein, the term "pyrolysis residue" refers to a composition obtained from pyrolysis that is not pyrolysis gas or pyrolysis oil and mainly comprises pyrolysis char and pyrolysis heavy wax. It is a solid at 25°C and 1 atm.

[0234] As used herein, the terms “recycled ingredient” and “r-content” refer to compositions that are or contain compositions directly and / or indirectly derived from recycled PVB compositions.

[0235] As used herein, the terms “recovered component pyrolysis gas,” “r-pyrolysis gas,” or “r-pygas” refer to pyrolysis gas that is or contains directly and / or indirectly derived from recovered PVB compositions.

[0236] As used herein, the terms “recycled component pyrolysis oil,” “r-pyrolysis oil,” or “r-pyoil” refer to pyrolysis oil that is or contains directly and / or indirectly derived from recycled PVB compositions.

[0237] As used herein, the terms “monolayer” and “monolithic” interlayer refer to an interlayer formed from a single resin sheet, while the terms “multi-layer” and “multi-layer” interlayer refer to an interlayer having two or more resin sheets co-extruded, laminated, or otherwise coupled to each other.

[0238] Numerical range When indicating numerical order, it should be understood that each number is modified to be the same as the first or last number in the numerical order or sentence; for example, each number is "at least," "up to," or "not exceeding," depending on the context; and each number is in an "or" relationship. For example, "at least 10% by weight, 20% by weight, 30% by weight, 40% by weight, 50% by weight, 75% by weight..." means the same as "at least 10% by weight, or at least 20% by weight, or at least 30% by weight, or at least 40% by weight, or at least 50% by weight, or at least 75% by weight," etc.; and "not more than 90% by weight, 85% by weight, 70% by weight, 60% by weight..." means the same as "not more than 90% by weight, or not more than 85% by weight, or not more than 70% by weight..." etc.; and "at least 1% by weight, 2% by weight, 3% by weight..." means the same as "not more than 1% by weight, 2% by weight, 3% by weight..." The meaning of “% , 4% , 5% , 6% , 7% , 8% , 9% , or 10% , etc.” is the same as that of “at least 1% , or at least 2% , or at least 3% , etc.”; and the meaning of “at least 5% , 10% , 15% , 20% , and / or not more than 99% , 95% , or 90% , etc.” is the same as that of “at least 5% , or at least 10% , or at least 15% , or at least 20% , and / or not more than 99% , or not more than 95% , or not more than 90% , etc.”.

[0239] This specification uses numerical ranges to quantify certain parameters relevant to the invention. It should be understood that when numerical ranges are provided, these ranges are to be interpreted as providing textual support for claims that only state the lower limit of the range and claims that only state the upper limit of the range. For example, a disclosed numerical range of 10 to 100 provides textual support for claims stating "greater than 10" (no upper limit) and claims stating "less than 100" (no lower limit).

[0240] The claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Modifications to the exemplary embodiments described above can be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0241] The inventors hereby declare that they intend to determine and evaluate the reasonable and fair scope of the invention based on the doctrine of equivalence, as it relates to any device that does not substantially deviate from but is outside the literal scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for recovering poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB), the method comprising: (a) In the initial pyrolysis stage, the pyrolysis includes at least a portion of the raw material containing the PVB composition, thereby providing the initial pyrolysis effluent and the liquid reaction medium; as well as (b) At least a portion of the liquid reaction medium is pyrolyzed in a subsequent pyrolysis stage to form a subsequent pyrolysis effluent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial pyrolysis effluent comprises a recycled plasticizer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subsequent pyrolysis effluent contains the recovered component acetaldehyde or the recovered component butyraldehyde.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the PVB-containing composition comprises post-consumer waste.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pyrolysis in step (b) is carried out at a higher temperature than the pyrolysis in step (a).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initial pyrolysis stage and the subsequent pyrolysis stage are carried out in different pyrolysis reactors.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pyrolysis in step (a) is carried out at a pyrolysis temperature in the range of 200°C to 450°C, and the pyrolysis in step (b) is carried out at a pyrolysis temperature in the range of 200°C to 550°C.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsequent pyrolysis effluent comprises 5% to 60% by weight of the recovered component butyraldehyde.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial pyrolysis effluent comprises 5% to 80% by weight of recycled plasticizer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial pyrolysis effluent and / or subsequent pyrolysis effluent comprises no more than 10% by weight of recovered components ethylene, propylene, butadiene, butane, pentadiene, cyclopentadiene, benzene, toluene, styrene, naphthalene, or a combination of two or more thereof, based on the total weight of the pyrolysis effluent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the raw material comprises at least 75% by weight of the PVB-containing composition.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the decomposition product comprises butyraldehyde, and the butyraldehyde yield is at least 10% by weight, or at least 15% by weight, or at least 18% by weight, or at least 20% by weight, or at least 21% by weight, or at least 22% by weight, or at least 23% by weight, or at least 24% by weight, based on the weight of the PVB-containing composition fed to the pyrolysis reactor, or optionally based on the weight of the chemically recovered feedstock fed to the pyrolysis reactor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the decomposition product comprises butyraldehyde, and the butyraldehyde yield is at least 70% by weight, or at least 72% by weight, or at least 75% by weight, or at least 77% by weight, or at least 80% by weight, based on the butyraldehyde content in the PVB fed to the pyrolysis reactor.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the decomposition product comprises a plasticizer, and the yield of the plasticizer is at least 10% by weight, or at least 15% by weight, or at least 18% by weight, or at least 19% by weight, or at least 20% by weight, or at least 21% by weight, based on the weight of the PVB-containing composition fed to the pyrolysis reactor, or optionally based on the weight of the chemically recovered feedstock fed to the pyrolysis reactor.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the decomposition product comprises a plasticizer, and the yield of the plasticizer is at least 65% by weight, or at least 68% by weight, or at least 70% by weight, or at least 72% by weight, or at least 74% by weight, based on the amount of plasticizer in the PVB fed into the pyrolysis reactor.

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