Method and apparatus for producing thermal decomposition residue containing carbonates

Abstract

The objective is to provide a pyrolysis apparatus that can recover almost all of the organic matter in waste as carbonates without emitting greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, by pyrolysis of the waste without combustion, and a method for producing pyrolysis residue containing carbonates using the pyrolysis apparatus. [Solution] The present invention provides a thermal decomposition treatment tank for thermally decomposing a substance, wherein at least a material to be treated inlet, a gas inlet, and a heating means insertion inlet are provided on the top, side, or bottom surface, A heating means that can be inserted into the pyrolysis treatment tank and removed from the outside of the pyrolysis treatment tank, The present invention provides a pyrolysis apparatus comprising at least [a certain element], and a method for producing a pyrolysis residue containing carbonates from a material to be treated, which contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin, using the pyrolysis apparatus.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a thermal decomposition residue mainly composed of carbonates such as calcium carbonate and potassium carbonate by thermal decomposing a material to be treated, and to an apparatus used therefor. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent times, with environmental pollution becoming a serious problem, it is difficult to dispose of waste as is. Waste, including household waste and industrial waste, is mainly disposed of by incineration. Incineration of waste requires high temperatures and large amounts of fuel and electricity. Generally, when processing waste, it is necessary to transport it to a waste treatment facility and incinerate it, but energy is consumed not only for the transportation of waste by vehicles, but also for the high temperature treatment at the incineration facility. Furthermore, it is known that incineration of waste releases large amounts of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere, and depending on the temperature during incineration, harmful substances such as dioxins may be generated in the incinerated ash.

[0003] Various devices are being considered for the purpose of efficiently incinerating waste. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pyrolysis apparatus equipped with a magnetic means for applying magnetism to waste during incineration. Patent Document 2 discloses a magnetic pyrolysis furnace equipped with a permanent magnet for the purpose of burning the material to be combusted by air passing through a strong magnetic field. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a magnetic pyrolysis apparatus equipped with a permanent magnet for magnetizing air for the purpose of pyrolysis of organic matter using magnetization heat. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-73016 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-13136 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-113574 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-102160 Specification [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Conventional pyrolysis apparatuses equipped with magnetization means such as permanent magnets, while claiming to perform "pyrolysis," were actually intended to efficiently "combust" the material to be processed. Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus with "high combustion efficiency using oxygen," Patent Document 2 discloses a combustion mechanism in which "the material to be combusted and oxygen in minute clusters react violently, and the material to be combusted is further decomposed by the combustion heat," and Patent Document 3 discloses that it is important to sufficiently supply air to the entire organic material containment space to generate the magnetic heat necessary for the decomposition of organic matter. Thus, these prior arts can be said to be apparatuses for efficiently "combusting" the material to be processed.

[0006] Pyrolysis (reaction) refers to the decomposition of organic matter, etc., by heating in the absence of oxygen or halogens, and is completely different from combustion (reaction), which is a phenomenon in which organic matter, etc., combines with oxygen to produce heat and light. The oxygen concentration in the air is approximately 21%, and there is a required oxygen concentration (critical oxygen concentration) for the material to be burned. For example, methane, a flammable gas that causes explosive combustion, will not burn if the oxygen concentration falls below 12.1%. It is also known that a candle flame will go out if the oxygen concentration falls below 17%. In conventional technology, when the goal is to efficiently induce combustion of the material to be burned, a highly flammable fuel is continuously introduced into the apparatus to prevent the oxygen concentration from falling below the critical concentration, and a large amount of fresh air is also introduced to maintain the combustion state. As will be explained in more detail later, whether the material to be burned or pyrolyzed can be determined by analyzing the emitted gas and residue. The inventors have provided a pyrolysis apparatus and a method for producing pyrolysis residue mainly composed of calcium carbonate from a material to be treated, which can recover almost all of the organic matter in the waste as carbonate without emitting almost any greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, by literally "thermal decomposition" rather than "combustion" the waste (Patent Document 4). In relation to the manufacturing method in Patent Document 4, the inventors have provided a more efficient method for producing pyrolysis residue mainly composed of calcium carbonate from a material to be treated. That is, the object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for producing industrially tradable pyrolysis residue that can be processed simply and efficiently on-site without moving, transporting, or shipping the waste. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One embodiment of the present invention is a thermal decomposition treatment tank for thermally decomposing a substance, wherein at least a material to be treated inlet, a gas inlet, and a heating means insertion inlet are provided on the top, side, or bottom surface, A heating means that can be inserted into the pyrolysis treatment tank and removed from the outside of the pyrolysis treatment tank, A method for producing a pyrolysis residue containing carbonate from a material to be treated that contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin, using a pyrolysis apparatus that contains at least the material to be treated, wherein the material to be treated that contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin is introduced into the pyrolysis treatment tank from the material inlet, Nitrogen is introduced into the pyrolysis treatment tank through the gas inlet. A heating device is inserted into the pyrolysis treatment tank through the heating device insertion port. At least a portion of the material to be treated, which contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin, is heated to 290°C or higher to initiate thermal decomposition of the material to be treated, which contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin. Remove the heating element from the pyrolysis treatment tank. This is a manufacturing method for obtaining a thermal decomposition residue containing carbonates generated by the thermal decomposition of a treated material that contains at least some organic matter of animal or plant origin.

[0008] Furthermore, a second embodiment of the present invention is a thermal decomposition treatment tank for thermally decomposing a substance, wherein at least a material to be treated inlet, a gas inlet, and a heating means insertion inlet are provided on the top, side, or bottom surface, A heating means that can be inserted into the pyrolysis treatment tank and removed from the outside of the pyrolysis treatment tank, This apparatus produces a thermal decomposition residue containing carbonates by thermally decomposing a material to be treated, which contains at least some organic matter of animal or plant origin. It is preferable that a nitrogen generator is connected to the gas inlet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The pyrolysis apparatus of this embodiment can pyrolyze the material to be processed without adding fuel. By pyrolyzing the material to be processed, greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide are not emitted into the environment, and after the pyrolysis treatment, a pyrolysis residue containing many valuable substances including carbonates can be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the general outline of the pyrolysis apparatus according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] One embodiment of the method for producing a thermal decomposition residue containing carbonate is a method for producing carbonate by chemically decomposing a material to be treated, which contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin, by heating it without the presence of oxygen, halogens, etc. The material to be thermally decomposed in the production method of one embodiment contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin. Here, organic matter of animal or plant origin means a substance containing organic compounds that originates from animals, including humans, and plants. Specific examples of organic matter of animal or plant origin include, for example, food waste, paper (e.g., newspapers, cardboard, magazines, copy paper, shredded paper), food, and animal carcasses. Organic matter of animal or plant origin is characterized by containing calcium as one of its components. The material to be treated used in the production method of one embodiment preferably contains the above-mentioned organic matter of animal or plant origin, and may further contain resin. Here, resin includes synthetic thermoplastic resins, synthetic thermosetting resins, mixtures thereof, and resin compositions containing these and other additives. In this specification, resin means, in particular, something that is not of animal or plant origin, i.e., artificial polymer substances and compositions containing them. Specific examples of resins in this specification include, for example, waste plastics and waste resins, including various used plastic molded products and various resin molded products, and used medical devices such as plastic gloves, plastic syringes, and resin tubes. In one embodiment of the manufacturing method, it is preferable to use organic matter derived from animals or plants as the material to be processed, and a mixture containing organic matter derived from animals or plants and resin can also be used. A specific example of a mixture containing organic matter derived from animals or plants and resin is a waste mixture (for example, general municipal waste). One embodiment of the manufacturing method can be carried out using an apparatus (sometimes simply referred to as a "thermal decomposition apparatus" in this specification) that thermally decomposes a material to be treated, which contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin, to produce a thermal decomposition residue containing carbonates, comprising at least a thermal decomposition treatment tank and a heating means. Here, the thermal decomposition treatment tank is a sealable container for containing the material to be treated in order to thermally decompose it. The thermal decomposition treatment tank may have various shapes, such as generally cylindrical, rectangular parallelepiped, cubic, or spherical, as long as it can contain the material to be treated for a predetermined time. The thermal decomposition treatment tank is preferably made of a material such as iron, steel, or stainless steel. The internal volume of the thermal decomposition treatment tank depends on the amount of material to be treated, but is approximately 0.1 m³. 3 -4.0m 3 , or approximately 0.8m 3 -2.0m 3 Preferably about 0.5 m 3 -1.0m 3 If the volume of the pyrolysis tank is too small, it becomes difficult to control the oxygen concentration, which can make it difficult to continue the pyrolysis reaction stably. If the volume of the pyrolysis tank is too large, temperature unevenness is likely to occur inside the tank, which may reduce the pyrolysis efficiency when considering the time required for pyrolysis and the amount of material to be processed. An inlet for the material to be treated is provided on the top, side, or bottom of the pyrolysis treatment tank. The inlet for the material to be treated is an entrance for introducing the material to be treated, which includes at least the above-mentioned organic matter of animal or plant origin, into the pyrolysis treatment tank. The inlet for the material to be treated may be provided on any part of the pyrolysis treatment tank, but it is preferable that it be provided on the top or upper side. Furthermore, a gas inlet is provided on the top, side, or bottom of the pyrolysis treatment tank. As will be described later, the gas inlet is provided to continuously or as needed supply a non-combustible gas, particularly nitrogen, necessary for the pyrolysis of the material to be treated into the pyrolysis treatment tank. At least one gas inlet is provided, and two or more may be provided as needed. The gas inlet may be provided anywhere in the pyrolysis treatment tank, but it is preferable that it be provided on the lower side or bottom. In addition, a heating means insertion port is separately provided on the upper surface, side surface or bottom surface of the pyrolysis treatment tank. As will be described later, the heating means insertion port is provided for inserting means for heating at least a part of the object to be treated into the pyrolysis treatment tank. At least one heating means insertion port can be provided, and two or more can be provided as necessary. The heating means insertion port can be provided on any part of the pyrolysis treatment tank, but it is preferably provided slightly below the side surface or on the bottom surface.

[0012] Here, the non-combustible gas introduced into the pyrolysis treatment tank from the gas inlet is preferably nitrogen. Nitrogen is introduced to create a low oxygen concentration environment inside the pyrolysis treatment tank. To introduce nitrogen into the pyrolysis treatment tank, a nitrogen generator such as a nitrogen cylinder or a PSA nitrogen gas generator can be used. A nitrogen generator is a device that can extract only nitrogen in the air by adsorbing oxygen in the air onto adsorbents such as natural zeolite, synthetic zeolite, molecular sieve carbon, activated carbon, and phenolic resin. By introducing nitrogen into the pyrolysis treatment tank by such means, it becomes possible to create an environment with a very low oxygen concentration in at least a part of the pyrolysis treatment tank.

[0013] Here, the low oxygen concentration environment (also referred to as "low oxygen concentration state" in this specification) means an environment (state) in which the gas inside the pyrolysis treatment tank has an oxygen concentration lower than the oxygen content in the air (about 21%). The oxygen concentration of the gas for creating a low oxygen concentration environment (state) suitable for pyrolyzing the object to be treated using the pyrolysis device according to the embodiment of the present invention is 17% or less, preferably 10% or less, and more preferably 9% or less. For example, since the limiting oxygen concentration of methane, which is a combustible gas, is about 12%, it is preferable to set the environment for pyrolyzing the object to be treated using the pyrolysis device according to the embodiment of the present invention to an environment (state) with an oxygen concentration of 12% or less, taking this value as a reference.

[0014] The pyrolysis treatment tank further includes a heating means that can be inserted into and removed from the pyrolysis treatment tank. The heating means is a means for raising the temperature of at least a portion of the material to be treated in order to pyrolyze it, and is inserted into the pyrolysis treatment tank at all times or as needed through a heating means insertion port provided in the pyrolysis treatment tank. It is preferable to use an electric heating wire, plasma lighter, soldering iron, thermocouple, heated gas, etc., as the heating means. When using heated gas as the heating means, it is preferable to use a gas that creates the above-mentioned low oxygen concentration environment (state) (for example, a gas with an oxygen concentration of 17% or less) and is heated to 290°C or higher, preferably 400°C or higher. The heating means is inserted into the pyrolysis treatment tank through the heating means insertion port, and the heating means is operated according to the characteristics of the heating means used to raise the temperature of at least a portion of the material to be treated inside the pyrolysis treatment tank to 290°C or higher, preferably 300°C or higher. When the inside of the pyrolysis treatment tank is made into the low-oxygen concentration environment described above, and the temperature of at least a portion of the material to be treated is raised to above the above temperature using a heating means, the pyrolysis of the material inside the pyrolysis treatment tank begins. As described above, even if the temperature of at least a portion of the material to be treated is raised in low-oxygen concentration air, the material to be treated will not burn. Once the temperature of at least a portion of the material to be treated inside the pyrolysis treatment tank is raised by the heating means and the pyrolysis reaction of the material to be treated begins, the reaction will proceed in a chain reaction and spontaneously even without further heating by the heating means. At this point, depending on the characteristics of the heating means used, the operation of the heating means can be stopped and the heating means can be removed from the outside of the pyrolysis treatment tank. As the pyrolysis reaction of the material to be treated progresses, the temperature inside the pyrolysis treatment tank will reach approximately 300°C to 600°C, and the pyrolysis reaction of the material to be treated will proceed further. This temperature range is the temperature range in which the carbonates contained in the thermal decomposition residue generated by the thermal decomposition of the material being treated do not decompose (specifically, below 825°C for calcium carbonate, below 891°C for potassium carbonate, and below 851°C for sodium carbonate). After performing the thermal decomposition treatment on the material being treated for about 6 to 10 hours, the volume of the material is sufficiently reduced. If the thermal decomposition reaction is continued for another 3 days or so, a thermal decomposition residue containing carbonates can be obtained.

[0015] When municipal solid waste is burned and incinerated, qualitative analysis of the resulting incinerated ash using an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (EDX analysis) reveals that the constituent elements of the ash are inorganic salts (all by mass %), including approximately 38% calcium oxide (CaO), 18% chlorine (Cl), 11% silicon dioxide (SiO2), 8% sodium oxide (Na2O), and 7% potassium oxide (K2O). The main components of municipal solid waste are a mixture of various wastes, including waste plastics and resins, and organic matter of animal and plant origin such as food waste, paper, and food scraps. The majority of municipal solid waste is composed of organic matter (mainly carbon (C)), and also contains inorganic substances such as calcium (Ca), chlorine (Cl), and metals. However, the incinerated ash formed by burning municipal solid waste contains almost no carbon (C) derived from organic matter. This is because carbon derived from organic matter combines with oxygen in the air during combustion to form carbon dioxide, which is then emitted as exhaust gas.

[0016] On the other hand, EDX analysis of the pyrolysis residue obtained by pyrolysis treatment of municipal solid waste using the manufacturing method of one embodiment revealed that the constituent elements were approximately 38% oxygen (O), 22% calcium (Ca), 16% carbon (C), and 7% silicon (Si) (all by mass%). Based on the constituent elements of the pyrolysis residue of municipal solid waste, it was found that the main component of the pyrolysis residue is carbonate containing calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Here, "main component" means that approximately 60% or more, preferably 70% or more, and more preferably 80% or more of the mass of the pyrolysis residue is composed of carbonate containing calcium carbonate. When the municipal solid waste to be treated consists only of organic matter derived from plants and animals, the calcium carbonate content in the pyrolysis residue obtained by the manufacturing method of one embodiment is approximately 85% or more by mass. On the other hand, when the municipal solid waste to be treated is a mixture of organic matter derived from plants and animals and resin, it has been found that the calcium carbonate content in the pyrolysis residue obtained by the manufacturing method of one embodiment decreases slightly. Therefore, when using a mixture of organic matter derived from plants and animals and resin as the material to be treated, it is preferable to adjust the mixing ratio of these materials as appropriate to the required calcium carbonate content. The components of the pyrolysis residue obtained by pyrolysis treatment of municipal waste include calcium carbonate, a small amount of charcoal, and other carbonates (magnesium carbonate, potassium carbonate, etc.). When the reaction of pyrolysis treatment of municipal waste was tracked over time, it was found that wood vinegar and wood tar were formed during the pyrolysis treatment. In other words, it can be inferred that the pyrolysis reaction of municipal waste proceeds by a mechanism similar to the dry distillation of wood. The organic compounds that make up the majority of municipal waste are mainly composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms. Of these, the oxygen (O) atom mainly has the following structure: [ka] As shown above, they exist in the form of alcohol, ether bonds, carbonyl groups, and ester bonds. On the other hand, the structure of wood vinegar (acetic acid, the main component), which is produced intermediate during the thermal decomposition treatment of municipal waste, is as follows: [ka] The main component of wood vinegar, acetic acid, combines with calcium ions, which are abundant in urban waste, to form calcium acetate. When calcium acetate is thermally decomposed (at approximately 160°C), calcium carbonate is produced. The structure of carbonate (carbonate ion), which is the main component in the pyrolysis residue, the final product of the pyrolysis process, is as follows: [ka] Therefore, by comparing the bonding patterns of oxygen in these chemical formulas, it can be concluded that the organic compounds contained in municipal waste undergo thermal decomposition and are transformed into wood vinegar. Furthermore, the bonding patterns of carbonate ions and acetic acid are very similar, and there are no other molecular species with similar bonding patterns in terms of chemical structure. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that the carbonates that are the main component of the thermal decomposition residue obtained from the thermal decomposition treatment of municipal waste originate from wood vinegar. Furthermore, once such a thermal decomposition reaction begins when the temperature of a portion of the treated municipal waste rises and the reaction starts, it proceeds spontaneously and in a chain reaction without the need to supply fuel or oxygen. This is because the various reactions that constitute the thermal decomposition of organic matter (for example, the thermal decomposition reactions of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin) are exothermic reactions.

[0017] Thus, there are clear differences in the components of incineration ash from burning municipal waste and the pyrolysis residue from pyrolysis. One embodiment of the present invention involves a process of pyrolysis of a material to be treated, such as municipal waste, which contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin, using a pyrolysis apparatus. As a result, the majority of the exhaust gas (over 85%) is nitrogen, and almost no carbon dioxide is emitted. On the other hand, the main component of the resulting pyrolysis residue is calcium carbonate, which can be traded as a valuable commodity. According to the manufacturing method of one embodiment, pyrolysis residue (a valuable commodity) containing calcium carbonate can be obtained without emitting greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide. In addition, when the waste discharged from the bamboo forest is pyrolyzed using the manufacturing method of one embodiment, a pyrolysis residue (valuable substance) containing potassium carbonate as a main component can be obtained with almost no carbon dioxide emission. Thus, the carbonate that is the main component of the pyrolysis residue produced by the manufacturing method of one embodiment varies depending on the type of the object to be treated, and examples thereof include calcium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, barium carbonate, and mixtures thereof.

[0018] The second embodiment of the present invention is a pyrolysis apparatus for use in the manufacturing method of the above-described one embodiment. The pyrolysis apparatus of the second embodiment includes at least a pyrolysis treatment tank for pyrolyzing a substance, provided with at least a material inlet, a gas inlet, and a heating means insertion port on the upper surface, side surface, or bottom surface, and heating means that can be inserted into the inside of the pyrolysis treatment tank and removed from the outside of the pyrolysis treatment tank.

[0019] The pyrolysis apparatus of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings show an example of the pyrolysis apparatus of the second embodiment of the present invention and are not intended to limit the pyrolysis apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of the pyrolysis apparatus 1 of the second embodiment. In the figure, 10 is a pyrolysis treatment tank, 11 is a gas inlet, 12 is an exhaust gas outlet, 13 is a material inlet, 14 is a pyrolysis residue outlet, 15 is a heating means insertion port, 16 is an exhaust gas purification tower, and 17 is an exhaust gas purification unit. The bottom of the inside of the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 is in an inverted conical shape, and the material to be treated preferably has a shape such that the material to be treated and the pyrolysis residue gather at the center of the bottom of the pyrolysis treatment tank 10. The pyrolysis treatment tank 10 may have various shapes such as generally cylindrical, rectangular parallelepiped, cubic, spherical, etc., as long as it can accommodate the material to be treated for a predetermined time, and is preferably formed of a material such as iron, steel, or stainless steel. The internal volume of the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 depends on the amount of the material to be treated, but is about 0.1 m 3 -4.0 m 3 or about 0.8 m 3 -2.0 m 3 preferably about 0.5 m 3 -1.0 m3 The pyrolysis treatment tank 10 can be sealed by blocking all inlets and outlets, such as the gas inlet 11. The heating means can be inserted into and removed from the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 through the heating means insertion port 15.

[0020] Next, the procedure for performing the manufacturing method of the first embodiment using the pyrolysis apparatus of the second embodiment will be described. First, the material to be processed is introduced into the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 from the material to be processed inlet 13 (arrows shown by double lines in the figure). The material to be processed introduced into the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 from the material to be processed inlet 13 is a waste mixture that includes organic matter of animal and plant origin such as food waste, paper (for example, newspapers, cardboard, magazines, copy paper, shredded paper), food, and animal carcasses, and may also include resin (for example, waste plastics and waste resins including used plastic molded products and various resin molded products, and used medical devices such as plastic gloves, plastic syringes, and resin tubes). The material to be processed introduced into the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 is accumulated at the bottom of the pyrolysis treatment tank 10.

[0021] Next, nitrogen is introduced into the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 from the gas inlet 11 (indicated by the dashed arrow in the figure). One or more gas inlets 11 are provided, and two or more may be provided. The gas inlets 11 may be located on the top, side, or bottom of the pyrolysis treatment tank 10. In the figure, one gas inlet 11 is provided on the left side of the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 as viewed from the drawing. Although not shown in Figure 1, a nitrogen generator such as a nitrogen cylinder or a PSA nitrogen gas generator can be connected to the gas inlet 11. As a result of nitrogen being introduced into the pyrolysis treatment tank 10, at least a portion of the space inside the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 becomes a low-oxygen concentration environment (state). Thus, when the gas inside the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 has an oxygen concentration of 17% or less, preferably 10% or less, and more preferably 9% or less, and the inside of the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 is in a low-oxygen environment (state), a heating means (not shown) is inserted into the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 from the heating means insertion port 15. Next, the heating means is activated according to the characteristics of the heating means used to heat at least a portion of the material to be treated. It is preferable to use an electric heating wire, plasma lighter, soldering iron, thermocouple, or heated gas as the heating means. When at least a portion of the material to be treated is heated by the heating means and the temperature of at least a portion of the material to be treated inside the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 reaches approximately 290°C or higher, preferably 300°C or higher, the pyrolysis of the material introduced into the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 begins. Once the pyrolysis of the material to be treated begins, it is naturally unnecessary to add combustion gas or fuel, and further heating by the heating means is also unnecessary, and the pyrolysis of the material to be treated proceeds spontaneously and in a chain reaction manner. Therefore, at this stage, the operation of the heating means can be stopped according to the characteristics of the heating means used, and the heating means can be removed from the outside of the pyrolysis treatment tank 10. The temperature inside the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 is maintained in a range of approximately 290°C to 600°C or less. This temperature range is the range in which the carbonates contained in the pyrolysis residue generated by the progress of pyrolysis do not undergo pyrolysis (specifically, less than 825°C for calcium carbonate, less than 891°C for potassium carbonate, and less than 851°C for sodium carbonate). In this way, after pyrolysis treatment of the material to be treated for about 6 to 10 hours, the volume of the material to be treated is sufficiently reduced, and the material to be treated accumulates at the bottom of the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 and enters a smoky state.The smoked material itself acts as a heat source, helping to maintain the temperature inside the pyrolysis treatment tank 10 (between 290°C and 600°C). By continuing the pyrolysis reaction for another three days, a pyrolysis residue containing carbonate can be obtained.

[0022] Thus, the thermal decomposition of the material to be treated proceeds in a low-oxygen environment, generating a thermal decomposition residue mainly composed of carbonates containing calcium carbonate and potassium carbonate. The thermal decomposition residue can be continuously discharged from the thermal decomposition residue outlet 14 during thermal decomposition, or all of the generated thermal decomposition residue can be discharged together from the thermal decomposition residue outlet 14 after the thermal decomposition is complete. The thermal decomposition residue outlet 14 can be provided on the side bottom or bottom surface of the thermal decomposition treatment tank 10. In the figure, the thermal decomposition residue outlet 14 is provided on the front side bottom of the thermal decomposition treatment tank 10 as viewed from the drawing. The thermal decomposition residue discharged from the thermal decomposition residue outlet 14 contains a large amount of carbonates (approximately 60% or more, preferably 70% or more, and even more preferably 80% or more), and can therefore be traded as a valuable commodity. In addition, the exhaust gas generated by the thermal decomposition treatment can be passed through the exhaust gas purification tower 16 as needed. The exhaust gas can pass through an exhaust gas purification unit 17, which is located inside the exhaust gas purification tower 16 and consists of various adsorbents such as water and filter paper, as indicated by the dotted arrows in the figure. The exhaust gas, from which odors and other contaminants have been removed, is then discharged from the exhaust gas outlet 12. More than 80% of the discharged exhaust gas is nitrogen, and it contains almost no carbon dioxide. The exhaust gas purification unit 17 located inside the exhaust gas purification tower 16 may be composed of, for example, a filter, activated carbon, adsorbents, and a tar removal device in an appropriate combination.

[0023] Using the pyrolysis apparatus of the present invention, waste and other materials to be treated can be pyrolyzed to produce pyrolysis residue containing calcium carbonate. In this process, the large amounts of air and fuel required for incineration of waste are unnecessary. When waste and other materials to be treated are pyrolyzed using the pyrolysis apparatus of the present invention, greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide are not generated, and the pyrolysis residue produced by the pyrolysis process contains carbonate as its main component and can be traded as a valuable commodity. By carrying out the method using the apparatus of the present invention, a carbon-neutral society can be realized, and more environmentally friendly economic activities can be made possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 1 Pyrolysis equipment 10. Pyrolysis treatment tank 11 Gas inlet 12 Exhaust gas outlet 13. Inlet for material to be processed 14 Pyrolysis residue outlet 15 Heating means insertion port 16 Exhaust gas purification tower 17 Exhaust gas purification unit

Claims

1. A thermal decomposition treatment tank for thermally decomposing a substance, having at least a material to be processed inlet, a gas inlet, and a heating means insertion inlet on its top, side, or bottom surface, A heating means that can be inserted into the pyrolysis treatment tank and removed from the outside of the pyrolysis treatment tank, A method for producing a pyrolysis residue containing carbonates from a material to be treated, which contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin, using a pyrolysis apparatus that includes at least the following: The material to be treated, which contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin, is introduced into the pyrolysis treatment tank through the material inlet. Nitrogen is introduced into the pyrolysis treatment tank through the gas inlet. A heating device is inserted into the pyrolysis treatment tank through the heating device insertion port. At least a portion of the material to be treated, which contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin, is heated to 290°C or higher to initiate thermal decomposition of the material to be treated, which contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin. Remove the heating element from the pyrolysis treatment tank. A method for producing a thermal decomposition residue containing carbonates generated by the thermal decomposition of a treated material that contains at least organic matter of animal or plant origin.

2. A thermal decomposition treatment tank for thermally decomposing a substance, having at least a material to be processed inlet, a gas inlet, and a heating means insertion inlet on its top, side, or bottom surface, A heating means that can be inserted into the pyrolysis treatment tank and removed from the outside of the pyrolysis treatment tank, An apparatus for thermally decomposing a material to be treated, which contains at least some organic matter of animal or plant origin, to produce a thermal decomposition residue containing carbonates.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a nitrogen generator is connected to the gas inlet.

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