Systems and methods for sequestering carbon

Abstract

To provide systems and methods for sequestering carbon.SOLUTION: Embodiments include a binder mixture, where the binder mixture includes a carbon coproduct from a pyrolysis reaction and a binding agent. Some embodiments include a method of producing a pavement mixture, including receiving a carbon coproduct from a pyrolysis reaction, receiving a binding agent, and blending together the carbon coproduct and the binding agent. Some embodiments include a method of producing a carbon coproduct, including receiving a hydrocarbon, tailoring a pyrolysis reactor to control a carbon coproduct, splitting the hydrocarbon within the pyrolysis reactor, and separating the hydrogen gas and the carbon coproduct, where the carbon coproduct is tailored for a binder mixture. Some embodiments include a system for producing pavement, including a pyrolysis reactor, resulting in a hydrogen gas product and a carbon coproduct, and a pavement system, where the pavement system forms a pavement mixture comprising the carbon coproduct.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (Related Applications) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 554,851, filed February 16, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to pyrolysis reactions and carbon sequestration. More particularly, this disclosure relates to uses of the carbon co-product from such reactions. [Background technology]

[0003] Natural gas, renewable natural gas, and / or other hydrocarbon fuels can be used to decarbonize some applications using pyrolysis reactors that can produce hydrogen with low carbon intensity while simultaneously producing carbon co-products. Hydrogen can replace some (or all) of the natural gas, renewable natural gas, and / or other hydrocarbon fuels in applications. Purely by way of example, hydrogen gas can replace some (or all) of the natural gas consumed by furnaces to heat residential spaces (e.g., homes, apartments, etc.) and / or commercial buildings (e.g., stores, office buildings, etc.). Meanwhile, the carbon co-product can be collected for carbon sequestration, thereby reducing emissions associated with natural gas, renewable natural gas, or other hydrocarbon fuels in various applications. However, finding applications for the carbon co-product can be challenging. For example, it can be difficult to achieve a match between the characteristics and volume of the solid carbon co-product and a specific application of the carbon. As a result, while pyrolysis reactors provide a mechanism for separating carbon from hydrogen gas (e.g., reducing carbon dioxide emissions associated with hydrocarbons), completely isolating the carbon from the reaction remains problematic.

[0004] Bitumen (also known as asphalt binder) is a petroleum component that is the liquid binder that holds asphalt together. Although bitumen provides a strong, water- and oil-resistant adhesive for the components of asphalt (and related paving products), bitumen is the most energy-, emission-, and cost-intensive component in paving products. Therefore, the asphalt industry is reducing the amount of bitumen used to save money and reduce the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO ) embodied in the asphalt material. 2e The goal of recycling is to reduce the total amount of binder required. For example, recent efforts have explored using recycled plastics and rubber as aggregates to reduce the total amount of binder required. In some cases, it may also be desirable for additives to improve asphalt performance through reinforcement, solid lubrication during mixing, protection against oxidation, and various other effects. However, achieving this benefit typically requires flexibility in designing the additive production process, and many additive streams are diverted from the asphalt industry and therefore must be used "as is." As a result, these recycled products have had problems that impair the performance of the resulting pavement, do not actually reduce the amount of bitumen binder needed to form the final product, adversely affect the cost, and / or adversely affect the environmental impact of the pavement product. For example, additive materials can dramatically increase the viscosity of bitumen, which in turn impairs the processability of bitumen as an asphalt binder. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Generally, the present disclosure relates to pyrolysis reactions and carbon sequestration, and more particularly to the use of carbon co-products from such reactions. In one example, the present disclosure includes a binder mixture, the binder mixture including a carbon co-product and a binder. The carbon co-product is a co-product from the pyrolysis reaction.

[0006] In another example, the present disclosure includes a method of producing a paving mixture. The method may include receiving a carbon co-product, where the carbon co-product is a co-product from a pyrolysis reaction. The method may also include receiving a binder. The method may also include blending the carbon co-product and the binder together.

[0007] In another example, the present disclosure includes a method for producing a carbon co-product. The method may include receiving a hydrocarbon. The method may also include adjusting a pyrolysis reactor to control the carbon co-product. The method may also include cracking the hydrocarbon in the pyrolysis reactor such that at least a portion of the hydrocarbon is converted to hydrogen gas and the controlled carbon co-product. The method may also include a method for varying the carbon co-product through varying the reaction rate, such as by including a catalytic material or a non-thermal energy source (e.g., from a microwave or non-thermal / "cold" plasma source). The method may also include separating the hydrogen gas and the carbon co-product, where the carbon co-product is adjusted for use in a binder mixture.

[0008] In another example, the present disclosure includes a system for producing paving. The system may include a pyrolysis reactor that heats hydrocarbons to produce a hydrogen gas product and a carbon co-product. The system may also include a paving system (sometimes known as a "mix design") that forms a paving mix that includes the carbon co-product.

[0009] The details of one or more examples are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will become apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] The following drawings illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and, therefore, do not limit the scope of the invention. The drawings are not necessarily to scale (unless so noted) and are intended for use in conjunction with the explanations in the following detailed description. Embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements.

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a pyrolysis reaction, according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary paving mix, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary paving mix, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for producing a paving mix, according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for producing a carbon co-product, according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary system for generating pavement, according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary pyrolysis composite system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary asphalt composite system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary cement composite system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 is a plot of the positive effect of conditioned pyrolytic carbon added to asphalt, according to one embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 is a graph illustrating mixture viscosity with tuned pyrolytic carbon addition, according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The following detailed description is exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides some practical illustrations for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Examples of configurations, materials, dimensions, and manufacturing processes are provided for selected elements, while all other elements use elements known to those skilled in the art of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many of the described embodiments have various suitable alternatives.

[0013] In hydrocarbon pyrolysis, hydrocarbons decompose primarily into hydrogen gas (H) and solid carbon (C) (referred to herein as carbon co-product). Occasionally, small amounts of other intermediate hydrocarbon products (such as naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, and fluoranthene, a class of polyaromatic hydrocarbons) are also produced. Pyrolysis of hydrocarbons (e.g., natural gas, pure methane, and / or other suitable hydrocarbons) can produce significant amounts of solid carbon as a co-product of hydrogen gas. While solid carbon can have desirable attributes and / or properties (collectively referred to as "characteristics"), achieving a match between the properties and volume of the solid carbon co-product and a specific application for the carbon can be difficult. As a result, while pyrolysis reactors provide a mechanism for separating carbon from hydrogen gas (e.g., reducing carbon dioxide emissions associated with hydrocarbons), completely isolating carbon from the reaction remains problematic.

[0014] Examples of suitable pyrolysis reactors are illustrated in commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 11,897,768, U.S. Non-provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 832,516, U.S. Non-provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 503,187, U.S. Non-provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 710,810, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 592,904, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 592,906, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In such pyrolysis reactors, the associated carbon strength of the solid carbon produced may be 1, 2, or 3 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO ) per kilogram of solid carbon produced. 2eThe associated carbon intensity of the solid carbon produced from these pyrolysis reactors can be lower than 1 / kg (1 / 20 ... 2e If consisting of input, 2kg CO 2e / kg, 1kg CO 2e / kg, 0kg CO 2e / kg, or even 0 kg CO 2e In some such embodiments, depending on the allocation scheme, the carbon intensity can be as low as about -10 kg CO 2e / kg.

[0015] Disclosed herein are systems and methods for sequestering carbon-containing materials produced by the pyrolysis of hydrocarbon fuels while reducing the carbon intensity of the carbon-containing products (e.g., asphalt and other pavement products). For example, the systems and methods disclosed herein can use and / or modify a pyrolysis system to produce hydrogen gas and a carbon co-product (e.g., solid carbon combined with various by-products from the pyrolysis reaction). The systems and methods disclosed herein then use the carbon co-product to displace existing materials in the finished carbon-containing product. Because the carbon co-product results from the carbon sequestration pyrolysis process, the carbon co-product has a relatively low CO2 content compared to the displaced existing materials. 2e As a result, the finished carbon-containing product may have a lower overall CO2 content compared to conventional forms of carbon-containing products. 2e can have:

[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary pyrolysis reactor 100 according to one embodiment. As discussed herein, the pyrolysis reactor 100 can input hydrocarbons 110 into a pyrolysis reactor 120. The pyrolysis reactor 120 can decompose the hydrocarbons (e.g., by chemical decomposition). In some embodiments, this involves heating the hydrocarbons 110 to an elevated temperature (referred to herein as a reaction temperature). The hydrocarbons 110 are converted to hydrogen gas and solid carbon (e.g., heating the hydrocarbon above its decomposition temperature can break the chemical bonds within its molecules). Thus, the pyrolysis reactor 120 can output a hydrogen gas product 130 and a carbon co-product 140. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, at least a portion of the hydrogen gas product 130 can go to an end use 135. The end use discussed herein is simply the application / use for the end point of the pyrolysis reaction (in this case, the hydrogen gas and carbon co-product). In some cases, end uses 135 of hydrogen gas product 130 can replace some (or all) of natural gas, renewable natural gas, and / or other hydrocarbon fuels in various applications with hydrogen gas product 130. In some embodiments, all of hydrogen gas product 130 can go to one or more end uses 135. In some embodiments, at least a portion of hydrogen gas product 130 can be recycled and used to help power pyrolysis reactor 120, as shown in FIG. 1 .

[0017] In some embodiments, the carbon co-product 140 can proceed to an end use 145. As discussed herein, finding a use / application for the carbon co-product 140 can be difficult due to its characteristics and volume. However, the carbon co-product 140 can have desirable attributes and / or properties (collectively referred to as "characteristics") that would be useful in various end uses 145. An exemplary end use 145 for the carbon co-product 140 is in paving (e.g., as part of a paving binder). Using the carbon co-product 140 in the end use 145 (such as paving) can help completely sequester the carbon from the reaction (i.e., because the carbon co-product 140 can be sequestered in the end use 145).

[0018] As an exemplary end-point use 145 in paving, the carbon co-product 140 can replace a portion of the binding agent (e.g., bitumen) in asphalt to produce a modified binder. In some embodiments, the modified binder reduces the cost of producing asphalt and / or reduces emissions from the manufacturing process while having negligible impact on various performance metrics of the asphalt (or other pavement product). In some embodiments, the modified binder improves various performance metrics of the asphalt (or other pavement product). In other embodiments, the carbon co-product can displace other portions of the asphalt mix, including specialty additives such as mineral fillers, other fines, or polymers (such as styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)), and other technical curatives. By producing a carbon co-product 140 suitable for use as an additive for asphalt bitumen that can replace a significant proportion of the mass of the asphalt bitumen in asphalt, the technology disclosed herein can economically sequester the carbon removed from the hydrocarbon fuel while helping to improve various properties of the asphalt pavement product.

[0019] That is, utilizing the solid carbon co-product 140 as part of the asphalt binder can provide significant benefits to asphalt production and can provide significant cost incentives for pyrolysis systems. For example, because the production cost of the solid carbon co-product 140 is lower than the production cost of asphalt bitumen, replacing a portion of the bitumen with the carbon co-product 140 can reduce the overall cost of producing asphalt. Additionally or alternatively, similar to the discussion above, the CO 2e CO2 of asphalt bitumen 2e As a result, replacing a portion of the bitumen with the carbon co-product 140 can reduce the embodied emissions of the combined product.

[0020] Furthermore, blending the carbon co-product 140 into asphalt provides a method for sequestering solid carbon from the pyrolysis system for long periods of time. That is, integrating the carbon co-product 140 can help prevent the carbon co-product 140 from being released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO). Furthermore, asphalt production can be a distributed industry (e.g., asphalt can be produced at multiple production facilities for local consumption rather than at a few centralized facilities before being distributed). As a result, the carbon co-product 140 from a distributed pyrolysis system does not need to be transported long distances to be integrated with asphalt production and / or does not require a complex supply chain to link the pyrolysis system with the asphalt producer.

[0021] In some embodiments, as discussed further herein, the carbon co-product 140 can act as a filler material to replace a significant portion of the asphalt bitumen (e.g., with tests showing positive results at about 5%, about 10%, about 20%, and about 30%). The added carbon co-product can have a positive effect on the performance grade (PG) or only a minor negative effect, and may not affect the production process or may provide some benefit to the production process. For example, for up to about 20% mass replacement with the carbon co-product, the carbon co-product can increase the bitumen viscosity to less than 500 centipoise (cP) at 135°C, which is well below levels that would require changes in processing conditions and / or equipment and / or affect the long-term structural characteristics of the resulting asphalt product. In some embodiments, the addition of the carbon co-product can widen the acceptable operating temperature window of the paving mixture by reducing the temperature sensitivity of the material during processing.

[0022] In some embodiments, the carbon co-product 140 produced by the pyrolysis reactor can increase the PG rating at addition levels of 5-20 wt. % in unmodified asphalt. The carbon co-product can increase the PG rating even more significantly in exemplary cases at addition levels of 5-20 wt. % in styrene butadiene styrene (SBS)-modified asphalt. In some cases, there can be a favorable interaction between SBS and pyrolytic carbon (i.e., carbon co-product 140). Because SBS is a high-cost additive, the carbon co-product 140 can reduce the cost of the modified asphalt by reducing the amount of SBS required to obtain the benefits of the modification.

[0023] In some cases, even without the addition of SBS, the addition of carbon co-product 140 can dramatically increase the rut resistance of the binder to the point that it can approach the performance of a binder with SBS, which may further indicate that the use of carbon co-product 140 in pavements may reduce the need for this expensive additive.

[0024] In some embodiments, asphalt workability (the number of turns required to reach 92% of maximum density) can be improved by the addition of a carbon co-product. In an exemplary embodiment, when the mixing temperature is reduced from 135°C to 105°C, the workability index may not increase by more than 25%, allowing the carbon co-product to qualify as a warm-mix additive in the asphalt production process. This may expand the potential applications of carbon co-product additives to asphalt (and related pavement products).

[0025] As discussed in more detail herein, the hydrogen gas produced by the pyrolysis system (i.e., hydrogen gas product 130) can be consumed by various end points (i.e., can have various end uses 135). For example, the hydrogen gas product 130 can be combusted to provide heat for an asphalt production process. In some such embodiments, the ratio of outputs from the pyrolysis reactors can be adjusted to match the mass and energy requirements of the asphalt production facility. In another example, the hydrogen gas product 130 can be combusted to provide heat for various other uses (e.g., furnaces, water heaters, hot water heaters, power generation components, other manufacturing processes, and / or any other suitable use). In other embodiments, the hydrogen may be used to provide zero-emission electricity through combustion in an engine or turbine or through reaction in a fuel cell. In some such embodiments, the pyrolysis system is located locally to the use of the hydrogen gas product 130, thereby avoiding the need to transport the hydrogen gas product 130. Instead, the carbon co-product 140 can be collected and transported to an appropriate destination (e.g., an asphalt production facility).

[0026] In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system disclosed herein can decarbonize two product streams by using the carbon co-product 140 from hydrogen production to replace a portion of the blend used in another production (e.g., a pavement product) (e.g., decarbonizing natural gas use by displacing natural gas with the hydrogen gas product 130, and decarbonizing pavement and / or asphalt production). For example, the properties of the carbon co-product 140 produced by the pyrolysis system can allow the carbon co-product 140 to be blended and used with the asphalt product (and other pavement products), while the produced hydrogen decarbonizes process heat within the same facility. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system is implemented in an asphalt production facility.

[0027] In various embodiments, the pyrolysis system can be operated to produce different specific compositions of carbon co-product 140 based on the end use of the carbon co-product 140. That is, the pyrolysis system can produce different compositions of matter for the carbon co-product 140 that define families of modified binders (e.g., blends of carbon co-product 140 with various asphalts and asphalt binders, including polymer-modified asphalt). As discussed in more detail herein, the modified binders can have defined ranges of properties, along with enumerated asphalt mix designs and asphalt binders, that can improve various performance metrics of the finished asphalt product.

[0028] In some embodiments, as discussed further herein, the pyrolysis system may be integrated with a paving system (e.g., an asphalt production system and / or an asphalt binder blending system). In such embodiments, the pyrolysis system may reduce the overall CO2 content of the system at two points of operation. 2e First, as mentioned above, the carbon co-product 140 can reduce the CO 2eSecond, the hydrogen gas product 130 produced by the pyrolysis system can supplement (or replace) natural gas consumed by the asphalt production system and / or the asphalt binder blending system to heat the asphalt blend during production. In some such embodiments, the pyrolysis system has an H / C output ratio tailored to meet the heat and mass balance (HMB) needs of the asphalt plant and / or to decarbonize the asphalt plant, so that all generated carbon can be consumed on-site and no additional distribution or transportation is required.

[0029] Although described herein primarily as a system and method for sequestering carbon from the pyrolysis of natural gas for use in asphalt products, those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of the present technology is not so limited. For example, the pyrolysis process / reaction 100 can also be controlled to produce a variety of other carbon-containing products and / or carbon suitable for end use 145 (i.e., carbon co-product 140), such as various other pavements, batteries, plastics, thermoplastics, carbon fiber products, and / or various other suitable materials. In another example, the carbon integrated with the asphalt process can originate from various other carbon-producing processes, such as the pyrolysis of other hydrocarbons, other carbon capture technologies, and / or any other suitable process. Thus, the scope of the present technology is not limited to any subset of the embodiments discussed herein.

[0030] 2 and 3 show exemplary applications / uses 200 and 300 (respectively) of the carbon co-product 140 from the pyrolysis reaction 100, according to one embodiment. As discussed herein, the carbon co-product 140 has advantageous properties for various paving applications and, therefore, can be used in paving mixtures. For example, in some cases, the carbon co-product 140 can mobilize a portion of the binder and can be used in a binder mixture (in some cases, together with the binder). This binder mixture can, in some embodiments, be used in a paving mixture. In some embodiments, the paving mixture can be asphalt and / or the binder can be bitumen, as discussed herein.

[0031] In some embodiments, producing a paving product / mixture (such as an asphalt product) including carbon co-product 140 involves blending the carbon co-product as an additive in a paving mixing process. The asphalt mix can then be developed as usual. FIG. 2 illustrates the production of paving mix 250 having carbon co-product 140 as an additive. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, carbon co-product 140, binder 240 (e.g., bitumen), and additional paving material 244 can all be added together to form paving mix 250 (e.g., asphalt, cement, concrete, etc.). In some embodiments, as described further herein, carbon co-product 140 and binder 242 can together be referred to as binder mix 243. In some embodiments (e.g., when paving mix 250 is asphalt), additional paving material 244 can be aggregate (e.g., mineral material such as sand, gravel, stone, etc.).

[0032] In some cases, the carbon co-product 140 can be introduced into a paving mix plant using a solids handling system. In some embodiments, the process of forming a paving mix 250 using the carbon co-product 140 as an additive can include 1) heating aggregate to a suitable mixing temperature in a drying drum while simultaneously heating a conventional asphalt binder, 2) transferring the aggregate to a mixing drum, 3) adding the carbon co-product and conventional asphalt binder to the mixing drum, 4) agitating the mixture until homogeneous, and 5) emptying the mixing drum into a transport truck or storage silo.

[0033] In some embodiments, instead of blending the carbon co-product 140 as an additive, the carbon co-product 140 can be pre-blended into the binder. This is shown in FIG. 3. Specifically, FIG. 3 shows that the carbon co-product 140 and binder 342 are pre-blended to form a binder mixture 343. The binder mixture 343 can then be mixed with additional paving material 344 to form paving mixture 350. The binder mixture 343 includes the carbon co-product 140 and the binder 342. In some embodiments, as discussed herein, the carbon co-product 140 can be sequestered in the binder mixture, thus helping to reduce the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere. In an exemplary embodiment, the binder 342 can be bitumen, and the additional paving material 344 can be aggregate. In this example, the paving mixture 350 can include the binder mixture 343 (including the carbon co-product 140 and bitumen) and the aggregate.

[0034] In some embodiments, if the carbon co-product 140 is pre-blended with the binder 342 (e.g., asphalt binder, etc.), the process of forming the paving mixture 350 may include 1) heating the asphalt binder, 2) transferring the binder to a low shear mixing silo, 3) adding the carbon co-product to the low shear mixing silo, 4) mixing until homogeneous, and 5) emptying the mixing drum into a transport truck or storage silo before adding it to the other components of the paving product (e.g., using any applicable process).

[0035] In some embodiments, the binder mixture 243, 343 (i.e., a mixture of carbon co-product 140 and binder (242 and / or 342)) can include approximately 70-95% by weight of binder (e.g., asphalt bitumen, etc.) and 5-30% by weight of carbon co-product 140. An exemplary binder (242, 342) type can include an unmodified asphalt binder that performs according to the PG grading system, where PG-HH-CC specifies high temperature (HH) and low temperature (CC) limits, where HH is between about 50 and about 64 degrees (inclusive) and CC is between about 16 and about 40 degrees (inclusive). Another exemplary type of binder (242, 342) can include a polymer-modified asphalt binder containing SBS, where the amount of SBS added is 0-5 wt.%, and performance follows the PG grading system, where PG-HH-CC defines the high temperature (HH) and low temperature (CC) limits, where HH is between about 64 and about 80 degrees (inclusive), and CC is between about 16 and about 40 degrees (inclusive). Thus, in some embodiments, 30% or less of the binder mixture 243, 343 is the carbon co-product 140.

[0036] In some embodiments, the paving mixture 250, 350 (e.g., asphalt) can include 4-7.6% by weight of the binder 242, 342 (e.g., asphalt bitumen), of which 0.25-10% by weight is comprised of the carbon co-product 140, and 92-95% by weight of additional paving materials 344 (e.g., aggregate, gravel, sand, and / or dust). In some embodiments, 15% or less of the paving mixture 250, 350 is the binder mixture 243, 343. Furthermore, as described herein, the carbon co-product 140 can account for up to 30% of the paving mixture with a maximum of 15% of the total mass transferred in the complete mix design. In some embodiments, the carbon co-product 140 can be used as a binder substitute (e.g., used in the binder mixture 243, 343) in hot mix or warm mix asphalt. In other words, the paving mixture 250, 350 can be a hot mix or a warm mix, as the case may be. The carbon co-product 140 can replace up to 5%, up to 10%, up to 15%, up to 20%, or up to 25+% of the bitumen fraction in the asphalt mix.

[0037] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary method 400 of producing a paving mix according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, method 400 may be a method of producing paving mix 250 and / or paving mix 350. Method 400 may include an operation 410 of receiving a carbon co-product. As discussed herein, the carbon co-product (such as carbon co-product 140) may be a co-product from a pyrolysis reaction. In some embodiments, as discussed herein, the carbon co-product may be transported and / or shipped from a pyrolysis system / plant to a paving system / plant. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system and paving system may be within the same plant, and thus the carbon co-product may already be within the paving plant / system.

[0038] The method 400 may include an operation 415 of receiving a binder. The binder may be a material, mixture, etc. that helps bind various components together. For example, in some embodiments, the paving mixture may be asphalt, and the binder may be bitumen. In a paving mixture such as asphalt, the bitumen may bind and hold together various aggregate materials (e.g., stone, sand, gravel, etc.). In some embodiments, the method 400 may include pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon feedstock to produce a carbon co-product and hydrogen gas, wherein the carbon co-product is received from a pyrolysis reactor. In some embodiments, the carbon co-product is tailored to have characteristics (e.g., particle size, particle morphology, particle allotrope, purity, hydrophobicity, and / or oil content) that improve the properties of the binder mixture, as discussed herein. In some embodiments, the binder (e.g., bitumen) may need to be heated and / or otherwise prepared before being blended and / or mixed with other components. In some cases, the binder may be preheated before being received. In some cases, the binder can be heated after receiving it but before blending / mixing. In some cases, the binder may not need to be heated before being blended and / or mixed with the other components. Preparing the binder (e.g., heating the binder) can help the binder better blend / mix with the other components. In some embodiments, preparing the binder (e.g., heating the binder) can be at least partially fueled / powered by at least a portion of the hydrogen gas from the pyrolysis reaction.

[0039] Method 400 may include operation 420 of blending together a carbon co-product and a binder. In some embodiments, blending together the carbon co-product and binder may result in a binder mixture (e.g., binder mixture 243 and / or 343). In some embodiments, blending together the carbon co-product and binder may be at least partially fueled / powered by at least a portion of the hydrogen gas from the pyrolysis reaction. For example, hydrogen gas may be used to heat the carbon co-product and / or binder and to power one or more devices for mixing the carbon co-product and binder. As discussed herein, the carbon co-product may be pre-blended with the binder. Stated another way, the binder mixture (i.e., the mixture of the carbon co-product and binder) may be pre-formed and / or pre-blended. Thus, in these examples, method 400 may subsequently include mixing the binder mixture with additional paving material.

[0040] As an exemplary embodiment, if the carbon co-product and binder are pre-blended to form a binder mixture, preparing the binder can include heating the binder, and blending the carbon co-product and binder together can include transferring the binder to a low-shear mixing silo, adding the carbon co-product to the low-shear mixing silo, and agitating the binder and carbon co-product until homogeneous to obtain the binder mixture. For example, if the paving mixture is asphalt and the carbon co-product is pre-blended, producing the asphalt mixture can include heating the asphalt binder, transferring the binder to a low-shear mixing silo, adding the carbon co-product to the low-shear mixing silo, agitating until homogeneous, and emptying the mixing drum into a shipping truck or storage silo before adding to the other components of the paving product according to conventional processes.

[0041] In some embodiments, as discussed herein, the carbon co-product may be an additive when creating a paving mixture. In these embodiments, the method 400 may include receiving one or more paving materials (e.g., aggregates) and preparing the one or more paving materials (e.g., heating the materials). The one or more paving materials, the carbon co-product, and the binder may then be blended together.

[0042] In some embodiments, preparing the one or more paving materials can include heating the one or more paving materials, preparing the binder can include heating the binder, and blending the one or more paving materials, the carbon co-product, and the binder together can include adding the one or more paving materials to a mixing drum, adding the binder and the carbon co-product to the mixing drum, and agitating the one or more paving materials, the binder, and the carbon co-product until homogeneous to obtain a paving mix. For example, if the paving mix is ​​asphalt and the carbon co-product is an additive, producing the asphalt mix can include heating aggregate to an appropriate mixing temperature in a drying drum while simultaneously heating a conventional asphalt binder, transferring the aggregate to the mixing drum, adding the carbon co-product and the conventional asphalt binder to the mixing drum, agitating the mixture until homogeneous, and emptying the mixing drum into a transport truck or a storage silo. Thus, in some embodiments, heating the one or more paving materials and heating the binder can be simultaneous.

[0043] 5 illustrates an exemplary method 500 for producing a carbon co-product, such as carbon co-product 140, according to one embodiment. Method 500 may produce the carbon co-product via a pyrolysis reaction.

[0044] The method 500 may include an operation 510 of receiving a hydrocarbon. The hydrocarbon may be hydrocarbon 110 in some embodiments or may include one or more hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbon may include natural gas, pure methane, and / or other suitable hydrocarbons.

[0045] Method 500 can include operation 515 of adjusting the pyrolysis reactor to control the carbon co-product. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis system can be controlled / adjusted to produce a carbon co-product with characteristics suitable for supplementing the binder / binding agent in asphalt products and / or other paving products. Characteristics of the carbon composition / physical form suitable for supplementing the binder in asphalt products (and / or other paving products) include: Iodine absorption—about 1 mL / 100 g to about 30 mL / 100 g, or about 12.3 mL / 100 g; Oil absorption—about 20 cm 3 / 100g~approx.100cm 3 / 100g, or approximately 58.7cm 3 / 100g, N2 surface area - approx. 1m 2 / g~about 100m 2 / g, or approximately 8.6 m 2 / g, average primary particle size—about 50 nm to about 10,000 nm, or about 124.62 nm, and / or an oil content of about 0 to about 25% by weight, or about 1% to about 6% by weight. In some embodiments, the oil can contain organic compound by-products (e.g., pyrolysis oil, asphaltenes, acetylene, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, organic compounds such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (e.g., hexane, propane, butane, butadiene, toluene, benzene, trimethylbenzene, ethanol, formaldehyde, naphthalene) and / or semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) (e.g., decane, fluorene, dibenzofuran, chrysene, pyrene, fluoranthene, octadecane, phenanthrene, anthracene, naphthalene, caprolactam, etc.), other oils, waxes, etc.). Thus, in some embodiments, tuning the pyrolysis reactor controls at least one of the particle size, purity, hydrophobicity, and / or oil content of the carbon co-product.

[0046] Carbon by-products having these properties can be produced by a variety of systems. In certain examples, as described in more detail below, a pyrolysis system can be controlled to produce carbon co-products with these characteristics. However, it will be understood that carbons having the above characteristics can be produced by other processes and integrated with the compositions described herein.

[0047] As described above, a pyrolysis system decomposes hydrocarbons (e.g., natural gas, methane, renewable natural gas, and / or any other suitable hydrocarbon) into a hydrogen gas by-product and a solid carbon co-product. The pyrolysis system can be controlled to produce a carbon co-product for use in a mixture as an additive for an asphalt product. In a specific, non-limiting example, the pyrolysis system can decompose natural gas into hydrogen gas and a solid carbon that is optimized for and compatible with bitumen. For example, the pyrolysis reaction can have a controllable temperature profile and residence time that can produce carbon particles (i.e., a carbon co-product) that can be tailored, controlled, customized, and / or otherwise suitable to supplement the binder / binding agent in the asphalt product and / or other paving products. The pyrolysis reactor can include other methods of modifying the reaction rate, including the addition of catalysts and energy and / or chemical radicals from a plasma source. The pyrolysis reactor can contain small amounts of additional reactants (oxygen, air, steam, CO2, halogens) that serve to alter the surface chemistry of the particles produced in a facile manner without significantly interfering with the overall pyrolysis process.

[0048] In some embodiments, the pyrolysis reaction also produces some amount of oil and hydrocarbons. The pyrolysis reactor can, in some cases, be tuned so that the reaction products (e.g., carbon co-products) have an oil / hydrocarbon range of 0-25%. This oil / hydrocarbon can include organic compound by-products (e.g., pyrolysis oil, asphaltenes, acetylene, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, organic compounds such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (e.g., hexane, propane, butane, butadiene, toluene, trimethylbenzene, ethanol, naphthalene) and / or semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) (e.g., decane, fluorene, dibenzofuran, chrysene, pyrene, fluoranthene, octadecane, anthracene, naphthalene, caprolactam, etc.), other oils, waxes, etc.).

[0049] As a result, the carbon co-product can be sequestered in the asphalt product without adversely affecting various properties of the asphalt product, including its mechanical properties, chemical properties, ability to be processed and applied, and various environmental conditions under which it meets its rated performance. For example, carbon particles and oil or hydrocarbons can emerge from a pyrolysis system separately, as a mixture, and / or as a combination of mixtures and pure components. In some embodiments, oil is a product from the pyrolysis reaction other than solid carbon and hydrogen gas. When combined, the carbon particles and oil can produce a mixed solid product, referred to as the carbon co-product of the pyrolysis reaction. Thus, in some embodiments, the carbon co-product can be a mixture of carbon particles and oil, resulting in a mixed solid carbon co-product. As discussed herein, the carbon co-product can be intentionally designed / controlled to be compatible and miscible with bitumen by adjusting the reactor, for example, the average reactor temperature, the reactor temperature profile, the flow rate of the feedstock to the reactor, the flow rate of the combustion fuel to the reactor, the reactor residence time, the feedstock composition (e.g., by mixing a portion of the reactor product gas, or an inert gas, or a gas containing an oxidant, with the feedstock before entering the reactor, or by capturing and reinjecting the produced heavier hydrocarbons and oil as feedstock), the reactor Reynolds number, the use of catalysts in certain parts of the reactor, or the addition of other energy types (e.g., electromagnetic energy) to the reactor. As one example, the use of catalysts can modify the morphology and allotropy of the produced carbon particles to create more crystalline domains, graphene nanoparticles, or carbon nanotubes. As another example, the use of electromagnetic energy (e.g., from a plasma source) can enable rapid heating and quenching of the reaction, producing smaller particles. Utilizing methane as a feedstock for pyrolysis can increase particle purity compared to carbon particle production using heavier oil feedstocks.

[0050] Thus, in some embodiments, adjusting the pyrolysis reactor to control carbon co-products (i.e., operation 515 of method 500) can include adjusting one or more factors of the pyrolysis reactor. In some embodiments, as discussed herein, the one or more factors can include at least one of average reactor temperature, reactor temperature profile, feedstock flow rate to the pyrolysis reactor, fuel flow rate to the pyrolysis reactor, reactor residence time, feedstock composition, Reynolds number of the pyrolysis reactor, use of a catalyst in a portion of the pyrolysis reactor, and addition of another energy type to the pyrolysis reactor.

[0051] The method 500 can include an operation 520 of cracking hydrocarbons in a pyrolysis reactor. In some embodiments, cracking the hydrocarbons includes chemically decomposing the hydrocarbons (e.g., in some cases, by heating the hydrocarbons). As discussed herein, the pyrolysis reactor can heat the hydrocarbons to extremely high temperatures (i.e., reaction temperatures) at which the hydrocarbons are heated above their decomposition temperatures, which can break the chemical bonds within their molecules and convert the hydrocarbons to hydrogen gas and carbon. Thus, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the hydrocarbons are converted to hydrogen gas and controlled carbon co-products at the reaction temperatures. In some embodiments, integration of a catalyst in the pyrolysis reactor reduces the required temperature.

[0052] The method 500 can include an operation 525 of separating the hydrogen gas and the carbon co-product. Once the pyrolysis reaction occurs, a product stream of the carbon co-product and hydrogen gas can be output from the pyrolysis reactor, and the hydrogen gas and carbon co-product can then be separated from each other. As described herein, each product has various uses. For example, the hydrogen gas can be used to help heat the pyrolysis reactor, to provide heat for various other uses, and the like. In some cases, at least a portion of the hydrogen gas can be used to generate electricity in various other devices. For example, a generator can use the hydrogen gas to generate electricity. In various exemplary embodiments, the generator can include a thermionic converter, a thermophotovoltaic system, an alkali metal thermal energy converter (AMTEC), a fuel cell, an internal combustion engine, a turbine or microturbine, a thermoelectric generator, a steam turbine, and / or a Stirling engine. The carbon co-product can optionally be used in a binder mixture, which can be part of pavement, as an example.

[0053] In some embodiments, the carbon co-product can be tailored for the binder mixture, for example, by adjusting the pyrolysis reactor. In some cases, the carbon co-product can be controlled / tailored after the pyrolysis reaction has occurred. For example, in addition to or instead of adjusting the pyrolysis reactor, the pyrolysis system can remove the carbon co-product from the product stream immediately after the reaction chamber (e.g., to remove carbon co-products with relatively high oil content) and / or after the product stream has been passed through one or more post-production filters (e.g., to remove at least a portion of the oil in the product stream and reduce the oil content of the carbon co-product). As a result, the particle size, purity, hydrophobicity, and / or oil content of the carbon co-product can be controlled, thereby allowing the pyrolysis process to reduce (or minimize) the impact of the carbon co-product on the viscosity of the bitumen. This control, in turn, allows the pyrolysis process to reduce (or minimize) the impact of the carbon co-product on the performance of the bitumen as a binder. Control can also maximize any positive benefits of carbon on the properties of the asphalt mixture. Thus, in some embodiments, separating the hydrogen gas and the carbon co-product can include immediately removing the carbon co-product from the pyrolysis reactor output stream. In some embodiments, separating the hydrogen gas and the carbon co-product can include passing the pyrolysis reactor output stream, including the hydrogen gas and the carbon co-product, through one or more post-production filters.

[0054] As discussed herein, the carbon co-product can be used as a bitumen substitute in hot-mix or warm-mix asphalt. The carbon co-product can replace up to 5%, up to 10%, up to 15%, up to 20%, or up to 25+% of the bitumen in a typical asphalt mix design. In some embodiments, the carbon co-product can be added to the asphalt mix as an unmodified powder. In some embodiments, the carbon co-product may be pelletized. Oil produced by the pyrolysis reactor can be used as a pelletizing binder / agent. As an example, the carbon co-product can be directly mixed into bitumen using typical processing equipment such as a pug mill. Various properties of the carbon co-product (e.g., purity, hydrophobicity, and / or its oil content) result in a reduced impact of the carbon co-product on bitumen viscosity compared to other bitumen substitutes. This solves a common problem associated with fine additives to bitumen. The mixed carbon co-product serves an additional function as a carbon sequestration medium, since it is produced in the process of removing carbon from natural gas. Solid carbon is inert when stored in the asphalt matrix, providing long-term sequestration.

[0055] In fact, carbon co-products can improve various metrics of asphalt performance, including its mechanical properties, chemical properties, ability to be processed and applied, and various environmental conditions under which it meets its nominal performance. For example, blended carbon co-products can improve the high-temperature performance of bitumen by hardening it without excessively compromising low-temperature performance. The bitumen can be more resistant to deformation and softening. In practice, this means that the upper temperature limit increases by a greater amount than the lower temperature limit, widening the temperature window in which the asphalt can be used. In other cases, low-temperature performance remains completely unchanged or potentially improved.

[0056] In some embodiments, the carbon co-product can improve the workability of the asphalt mixture, resulting in fewer voids with fewer mixing cycles. The carbon co-product can positively affect workability, in which case it can be used as an additive for warm-mixing asphalt. The addition of the carbon co-product can improve the rut resistance of the asphalt mixture as measured by tests such as the Hamburg Wheel Test. In some cases, the carbon strength of the added carbon co-product is lower than that of the bitumen, so the addition of the carbon co-product reduces the overall carbon strength of the bitumen / carbon mixture. This may be true when all emissions from the pyrolysis reactor are allocated to hydrogen, or other allocation methods, such as by mass, energy value, or economic value.

[0057] In the case of polymer-modified asphalt (where SBS is the polymer additive), traffic grading performance can be disproportionately improved by the blended carbon co-product additive, allowing for reduced use of SBS additives for the same level of performance benefit. Increased oil content in the resulting carbon co-product can reduce the amount of viscosity modifiers, such as naphtha, that can be added to the asphalt mix formulation. In fact, the presence of an optimal concentration of oil in the carbon can eliminate the need for adding external viscosity modifiers in the process.

[0058] Figure 6 shows an exemplary system 600 for producing paving, according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6, system 600 can include a pyrolysis reactor 620 and a paving system 630. Pyrolysis reactor 620 can heat hydrocarbons 610, resulting in a hydrogen gas product and a carbon co-product. Paving system 630, in some embodiments, can form a paving mix that includes the carbon co-product produced from pyrolysis reactor 620. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6, at least a portion of the hydrogen gas product from pyrolysis reactor 620 can be recycled to power pyrolysis reactor 620.

[0059] In some embodiments, pyrolysis reactor 620 and paving system 630 may be in different facilities, and the carbon co-product may be transported to paving system 630. In some embodiments, pyrolysis reactor 620 and paving system 630 may be in the same facility. In some cases, for example, when pyrolysis reactor 620 and paving system 630 are in the same facility, a portion of the hydrogen gas product from pyrolysis reactor 620 may proceed to paving system 630 and be recycled to power one or more components of paving system 630. In some embodiments, the carbon co-product may be continuously supplied to paving system 630. As an example, paving system 630 may produce at least one of paving binder, asphalt, cement, concrete, etc. In some embodiments, for example, when pyrolysis reactor 620 and paving system 630 are a combined system / facility, pyrolysis reactor 620 is configured to produce a carbon co-product with characteristics suitable for a paving mix, one or more portions of the hydrogen gas are used to power one or more components of the paving system, and the carbon co-product replaces a portion of the binder in the paving mix.

[0060] An installation having both a pyrolysis reactor and a second system (e.g., a paving system) may be referred to herein as a combined system and / or a pyrolysis composite system. Figure 7 shows an exemplary pyrolysis composite system 700, according to one embodiment. The combined system 700 is merely one exemplary system of how a pyrolysis reactor / system and another system may be combined and how the various products of the various components of the combined system 700 may be utilized.

[0061] In the combined system 700, the pyrolysis reactor 720 performs the pyrolysis of hydrocarbons 710 (e.g., natural gas, methane, mixed hydrocarbons, etc.) to form a carbon co-product and a hydrogen gas product. In some embodiments, the hydrogen gas product can include H, unreacted feed, by-products, etc. In the exemplary system 700, a portion of the hydrogen gas product proceeds to a fuel mixing point 725, and a portion is recycled and used to heat the pyrolysis reactor 720. In some embodiments, a portion of the hydrocarbons 710 can be fed to the fuel mixing point 725 (along with the hydrogen gas product) and mixed to form a blended fuel. The blended fuel can pass through a combustion component 728 to form heat that can be used to heat various components of the system 700. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the hydrogen gas product is used for electricity generation (e.g., via a fuel cell and / or other device).

[0062] In some embodiments, the carbon co-product from pyrolysis reactor 720 can be stored in carbon silo 741. In some embodiments, the carbon co-product from carbon silo 741 and the feedstock from feedstock silo 751 can go through thermal treatment 747 (using heat from combustion component 728), resulting in feedstock exhaust 734 and final product stream 749.

[0063] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary asphalt combined system 800 according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis reactor is installed at and integrated with an asphalt production facility. The pyrolysis reactor and combined asphalt production facility (sometimes referred to herein as a "combined pyrolysis and asphalt plant") can capture efficiencies between aspects of the present technology. For example, the pyrolysis reactor can have an adjustable ratio of hydrogen to the generated carbon co-product (e.g., by recycling and burning various amounts of product hydrogen to power the reactor). That is, the pyrolysis reactor can use a combination of hydrocarbons (e.g., methane, natural gas, hydrocarbon gases, mixtures of hydrocarbon gases, or other hydrocarbons (liquid, solid, gas, or mixtures thereof)) and a first portion of the resulting hydrogen gas to provide energy for the pyrolysis reaction. The second portion of the resulting hydrogen gas can then be used as fuel for various other components of the pyrolysis and asphalt combined plant (e.g., to be burned to provide heat to the mixing chamber of the asphalt components, to generate electricity (e.g., using a generator, a thermionic converter, a thermophotovoltaic system, an AMTEC, a fuel cell, an internal combustion engine, a turbine or microturbine, a thermoelectric generator, a steam turbine, and / or a Stirling engine), to power one or more components of the pyrolysis and asphalt combined plant, etc.).

[0064] In some embodiments, the production facility (i.e., composite plant) can produce bitumen, hot mix asphalt, or warm mix asphalt. More generally, the facility can produce a variety of products having components that can be partially replaced and / or improved by the addition of a carbon co-product and / or require the use of a fuel stream (e.g., for process heating or chemical processing). Material streams can include asphalt, cement, rubber, batteries, plastics, thermoplastics, and / or various other suitable materials.

[0065] In some embodiments, the pyrolysis reactor can be sized and designed to fit into the asphalt production facility while aiding in the decarbonization of the asphalt production facility. For example, typically in the production of hot mix asphalt, bitumen is heated to high temperatures by burning fossil fuels. This process requires a certain amount of heating power per unit mass of asphalt. The pyrolysis reactor can produce enough hydrogen to replace the heat source, while the carbon co-product produced in the pyrolysis reactor can be used as an additive to the product. Furthermore, the pyrolysis reactor can be tuned so that the amount of carbon produced optimally matches the asphalt mix design being produced. Alternatively, the pyrolysis reactor can be operated to produce different amounts of carbon co-product, with the excess being fed to other processes. More generally, scaled operation of the pyrolysis reactor can also be applied to other material streams and facilities where the desired hydrogen-to-carbon co-product mass ratio and pyrolysis reactor size may vary.

[0066] For example, a combined pyrolysis and asphalt plant can include any suitable number of pyrolysis reactors powering a heated drum mixer while producing up to 5%, up to 10%, up to 15%, up to 20%, or up to 25% by weight of the continuous feed rate of bitumen as a carbon co-product. As another example, a combined pyrolysis and asphalt plant can include any suitable number of pyrolysis reactors powering a heated cement kiln while producing up to 5%, up to 10%, up to 15%, up to 20%, or up to 25% by weight of the continuous feed rate of cement as a carbon co-product.

[0067] In some embodiments, the carbon co-product can be fed continuously or batch-wise to an asphalt plant to act as a bitumen extender, improving performance and reducing overall asphalt plant emissions while lowering costs. Additionally, the operating conditions of the pyrolysis reactor (e.g., reaction temperature, operating temperature, flow rate, residence time, ratio of output gas recycled to the feed stream, feedstock composition, use of catalyst, addition of other energy types (e.g., from a plasma source), addition of chemical radicals (e.g., from a plasma source), etc.) can be adjusted to control various physical properties of the carbon co-product (e.g., those properties described above with respect to the compositional / physical form characteristics of the carbon co-product) to make it more compatible with the asphalt product.

[0068] Combined system 800 illustrates exemplary components of a combined pyrolysis / asphalt plant. For example, in system 800, hydrocarbons 810 are fed to pyrolysis reactor 820 and fuel mixing point 825. Pyrolysis reactor 820 produces a hydrogen gas product and a carbon co-product (which can be stored in carbon silo 841). In some embodiments, a portion of the hydrogen gas is used to heat pyrolysis reactor 820, a portion of the hydrogen gas is used to generate electricity (e.g., for use with one or more of the components of combined system 800 (such as components 828, 852, 862, 863, 864, and / or any other components)), and / or a portion is mixed with hydrocarbons 810 at fuel mixing point 825 to form a blended fuel (which can go to drum dryer burner 828 to form heat).

[0069] In some embodiments, the carbon co-product may be mixed with the raw material (from asphalt binder reservoir 851) in mixing tank 852. As described herein, an exemplary raw material from asphalt binder reservoir 851 is bitumen. Thus, in some cases, mixing tank 852 is an asphalt bitumen mixing tank. In some embodiments, the raw material (e.g., aggregate) proceeds from aggregate bin 861 to conveyor / screener 862 and is then mixed with the carbon co-product mixture (from mixing tank 852) in drum dryer / mixer 863 (using heat from drum dryer burner 828). Drum dryer / mixer 863 can form an asphalt mixture (including the carbon co-product) and dust exhaust (i.e., emissions 834). The asphalt mixture can proceed via conveyor 864 to a truck for unloading (e.g., hot silo / truck unloading 865). In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, a composite system can include a pyrolysis reactor 820 and a paving system 830, in this case an asphalt system 830.

[0070] As described herein, another exemplary pavement type is cement. Thus, in some cases, the pyrolysis reactor can be combined with a cement plant. FIG. 9 illustrates one such exemplary cement composite system 900, according to one embodiment. The cement composite system 900 can include a pyrolysis reactor 920 and a cement system 930. Similar to the other exemplary composite systems 700 and 800, hydrocarbons 910 are fed to the pyrolysis reactor 920 and a fuel mixing point 925. The pyrolysis reactor 920 produces a hydrogen gas product and a carbon co-product (which can be stored in a carbon silo 941). In some embodiments, a portion of the hydrogen gas is used to provide energy for the pyrolysis reaction in the pyrolysis reactor 920 (through heat from combustion or through electrical energy from an engine, turbine, or fuel cell), and a portion is mixed with the hydrocarbons 910 at the fuel mixing point 925 to form a blended fuel (which can go to a calciner burner 937 to generate heat).

[0071] 9, system 900 can include a raw material bin 951 for storing raw materials. The raw materials can proceed to a raw material mill 952 and then to a kiln 953, which can use heat from calciner burners 937. The raw materials can then proceed to a clinker cooling and storage section 954 and then to a cement mill 956, where they are combined with the carbon co-product (from carbon silo 941) and the raw materials (from additive silo 955). The resulting cement (including the carbon co-product) can be stored in a finished cement silo 960.

[0072] 10 and 11 show data / plots that demonstrate the positive effect of using a carbon co-product from a pyrolysis reaction (especially a carbon co-product controlled / tailored for use in a binder mixture). For example, plot 1000 (shown in FIG. 10) shows the positive effect of tailored pyrolytic carbon added to asphalt. For example, plot 1000 shows that an FH64 asphalt blend fails after 10,000 passes through a Hamburg rutting wheel, but by replacing 20% ​​of the binder with carbon, the mixture performs nearly as well as an SBS polymer-modified blend, although SBS is much more expensive. Graph / plot 1100 (shown in FIG. 11) shows that with the addition of up to 20% tailored pyrolytic carbon, the mixture viscosity increases minimally, remaining below 500 cP. This means that the carbon-modified bitumen can be processed conventionally. In some embodiments, the results shown in Figures 10 and 11 can be achieved by the binder mixtures, methods of producing paving mixtures, methods of producing carbon co-products, and / or systems for producing paving described herein.

[0073] Embodiments of pyrolysis reactions and uses of carbon co-products from such reactions are disclosed. Although the invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain disclosed embodiments, the disclosed embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation, and other embodiments of the invention are possible. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes, adaptations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0074] From the foregoing, it will be understood that, although specific embodiments of the present technology have been described herein for illustrative purposes, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments of the present technology. To the extent that any material incorporated herein by reference contradicts the present disclosure, the present disclosure shall control. Where the context permits, singular or plural terms may also include the plural or singular terms, respectively. Furthermore, unless the word "or" is clearly limited in reference to a list of two or more items to mean only a single item exclusively from the other items, the use of "or" in such a list should be interpreted as including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items in the list, or (c) any combination of the items in the list. Furthermore, as used herein, the phrase "and / or," such as in "A and / or B," refers to A alone, B alone, and both A and B. Additionally, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," and "with" are used throughout to mean the inclusion of at least the recited features, so as not to exclude any greater number of the same features and / or other features of additional types. Furthermore, the terms "approximately" and "about" are used herein to mean within 10% of a given value or limit. Purely by way of example, an approximate ratio means within 10% of a given ratio.

[0075] Several embodiments of the disclosed technology have been described above with reference to the drawings. Computing devices on which the described technology may be implemented may include one or more central processing units, memory, input devices (e.g., keyboards and pointing devices), output devices (e.g., display devices), storage devices (e.g., disk drives), and network devices (e.g., network interfaces). Memory and storage devices are computer-readable storage media that may store instructions that implement at least a portion of the described technology. Furthermore, data structures and message structures may be stored or transmitted via data transmission media, such as signals over communications links. Various communications links may be used, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, or a point-to-point dial-up connection. Thus, computer-readable media may include computer-readable storage media (e.g., "non-transitory" media) and computer-readable transmission media.

[0076] From the foregoing, it will also be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the present disclosure or the present technology. For example, those skilled in the art will understand that various components of the present technology may be further divided into subcomponents, or that various components and functions of the present technology may be combined and integrated. In addition, certain aspects of the technology described in the context of particular embodiments may also be combined or eliminated in other embodiments.

[0077] Furthermore, although advantages associated with particular embodiments of the present technology have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments necessarily exhibit such advantages, to fall within the scope of the present technology. Thus, the present disclosure and related technology may encompass other embodiments not explicitly shown or described herein.

Claims

1. A binder mixture, the binder mixture comprising: a carbon co-product, wherein the carbon co-product is a co-product from a pyrolysis reaction; and a binder; and A binder mixture comprising:

2. The binder mixture of claim 1 , wherein the carbon co-product is sequestered in the binder mixture.

3. 10. The binder mixture of claim 1, wherein no more than 30% of the binder mixture is the carbon co-product.

4. 10. The binder mixture of claim 1, wherein the binder mixture is part of a paving mixture.

5. 5. The binder mixture of claim 4, wherein the paving mixture is at least one of asphalt, cement, and concrete.

6. 6. The binder mixture of claim 5, wherein the paving mixture is asphalt, and the asphalt is hot mix asphalt, warm mix asphalt, or cold mix asphalt.

7. the paving mixture is asphalt; the binder is bitumen; 7. The binder mixture of claim 6, wherein the paving mixture comprises the binder mixture, aggregate, fines, and filler.

8. 8. The binder mixture of claim 7, wherein no more than 15% of said paving mixture is said binder mixture.

9. 1. A method of producing a paving mix, said method comprising: receiving a carbon co-product, the carbon co-product being a co-product from a pyrolysis reaction; receiving a binder; blending the carbon co-product and the binder together; A method comprising:

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein blending the carbon co-product and the binder together is at least partially powered from at least a portion of the hydrogen gas from the pyrolysis reaction.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon feedstock to produce the carbon co-product and the hydrogen gas, wherein the carbon co-product is received from a pyrolysis reactor.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the carbon co-product and the binder are blended together to provide a binder mixture.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the carbon co-product is tailored to have properties that improve characteristics of the binder mixture.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the characteristics of the carbon co-product include one or more of particle size, particle morphology, particle allotropy, purity, hydrophobicity, and oil content.

15. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising subsequently mixing the binder mixture with additional paving material.

16. Blending the carbon co-product and the binder together comprises: adding the carbon co-product to a mixing silo; adding the binder to the mixing silo; and agitating the binder and the carbon co-product until homogeneous to provide the binder mixture.

17. further comprising receiving one or more paving materials; The method of claim 9 , wherein the blending comprises blending the one or more paving materials, the carbon co-product, and the binder together.

18. Blending the one or more paving materials, the carbon co-product, and the binder together comprises: adding the one or more paving materials to a mixing drum; adding the binder and the carbon co-product to the mixing drum; agitating the one or more paving materials, the binder, and the carbon co-product until homogeneous to provide the paving mix.

19. the paving mixture is asphalt; The method of claim 9, wherein the binder is bitumen.

20. 1. A method for producing a carbon co-product, the method comprising: receiving a hydrocarbon; adjusting the pyrolysis reactor to control carbon co-products; cracking the hydrocarbons in the pyrolysis reactor such that at least a portion of the hydrocarbons are converted to hydrogen gas and the controlled carbon co-product; separating the hydrogen gas and the carbon co-product, wherein the carbon co-product is conditioned for a binder mixture; and A method comprising:

21. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the tuning of the pyrolysis reactor controls at least one of particle size, particle morphology, particle allotrope, purity, hydrophobicity, and oil content of the carbon co-product to improve its compatibility with a binder mixture.

22. The carbon co-product has an iodine absorption of 1 mL / 100 g to 30 mL / 100 g, ３ / 100g~100cm ３ / 100g oil absorption, 1m ２ / g to 100m ２ 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the sintered body comprises at least one of a nitrogen surface area of ​​1000 nm to 10000 nm / g, an average primary particle size of 50 nm to 10,000 nm, and an oil content of 0% to 25% by weight.

23. adjusting the pyrolysis reactor to control the carbon co-products comprises:

21. The method of claim 20, comprising adjusting one or more parameters of the pyrolysis reactor.

24. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more factors include at least one of average reactor temperature, reactor temperature profile, feedstock flow rate to the pyrolysis reactor, fuel flow rate to the pyrolysis reactor, reactor residence time, feedstock composition, the Reynolds number of the pyrolysis reactor, use of a catalyst in a portion of the pyrolysis reactor, and addition of another energy type to the pyrolysis reactor.

25. Separating the hydrogen gas and the carbon co-product comprises:

21. The method of claim 20, comprising immediately removing the carbon co-product from the pyrolysis reactor output stream.

26. Separating the hydrogen gas and the carbon co-product comprises:

21. The method of claim 20, comprising flowing the pyrolysis reactor product stream, the product stream comprising the hydrogen gas and at least a portion of the carbon co-product, through one or more post-production filters.

27. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the carbon co-product is a mixture of carbon particles and oil, the oil including products from the pyrolysis reaction other than solid carbon and the hydrogen gas, resulting in a mixed solid carbon co-product.

28. 1. A system for generating pavement, the system comprising: a pyrolysis reactor that cracks hydrocarbons to produce a hydrogen gas product and a carbon co-product; a paving system, the paving system forming a paving mix including the carbon co-product; A system comprising:

29. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the pyrolysis reactor and the paving system are located within the same facility.

30. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein a portion of the hydrogen gas product is recycled to power the pyrolysis reactor.

31. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein a portion of the hydrogen gas product is recycled to power one or more components of the pavement system.

32. the pyrolysis reactor is adapted to produce the carbon co-product having characteristics suitable for the paving mix; one or more portions of the hydrogen gas are used to power one or more components of the pavement system; 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the carbon co-product replaces a portion of a binder in the paving mixture.

33. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the paving system produces at least one of paving binder, asphalt, cement, and concrete.

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