Co-Feeding Waste Plastics into Refinery Oil Streams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional recycling methods for plastics are inefficient, producing low-quality products and failing to fully recycle post-industrial and post-consumer polymers, leading to environmental and economic burdens, and are hindered by technological and economic limitations, as well as political factors affecting market demand and infrastructure capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for recycling polymers by introducing them into a primary melting extruder, followed by a secondary mixing extruder where they are mixed with fluid oil to form a polymer solution, which is then fed into a refinery oil stream, allowing for contaminant removal and integration into existing refinery processes without significant alterations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional recycling methods are used to process plastic waste, then the recycling process can be performed with existing infrastructure, but the quality of recycled products is low and the economic value is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the physical state of plastic waste from solid to dissolved form by changing parameters (temperature, solvent composition, concentration) to create a solution that can be directly integrated into existing refinery processes, thereby improving product quality while maintaining process compatibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a solvent as an intermediary substance that dissolves plastic waste to form a solution, enabling the material to be processed through existing refinery infrastructure without requiring separate recycling facilities, thus bridging the gap between waste processing and high-quality product production
2Object-affected harmful factors
If plastic waste is sent to landfill or incineration, then disposal is simple and infrastructure requirements are minimal, but environmental pollution increases and economic value is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts harmful plastic waste that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated into a valuable dissolved form that can be processed through existing refinery operations to produce useful products, thereby eliminating environmental harm while creating economic value from the same waste stream
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional solution where the same dissolved plastic waste stream can serve multiple purposes: it acts as a feedstock for fuel production, a source of chemical feedstocks, and a means of waste elimination, thereby maximizing both environmental benefit and economic productivity from a single processing approach
3Adaptability or versatility
If domestic recycling infrastructure is expanded to handle increased plastic waste volumes, then more waste can be processed domestically, but the cost and complexity of building new infrastructure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables existing refinery infrastructure to perform a new function (processing dissolved plastic waste) in addition to their traditional oil processing operations, thereby increasing waste processing capacity without requiring dedicated new recycling infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary dissolution of plastic waste in a controlled manner before introducing it to refinery processes, preparing the material in advance in a form that is compatible with existing infrastructure, thus avoiding the need for complex waste handling facilities
4Manufacturing precision
If pre-processing steps like segregating and beading are performed on recycled plastic material, then the material can be prepared for extrusion, but the process becomes costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a solvent as an intermediary that directly dissolves plastic waste without requiring mechanical pre-processing steps like segregating and beading, thereby eliminating time-consuming preparation steps while still achieving high-quality product output through the dissolution-extrusion pathway
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the recycling of polymers into refinery oil streams, enhancing the quality of recycled products, reducing environmental impact, and maintaining the integrity of downstream refinery processes, while addressing economic and political challenges in the recycling market.
Implementation Method 1
introducing a polymer into a primary melting extruder
Implementation Method 2
primary melting extruder mixes the polymer with a heat transfer oil
Implementation Method 3
A secondary mixing extruder receives the polymer melt from the primary melting extruder. One or more hydrocarbon inflow conduits for providing a fluid oil to the primary melting extruder and/or the secondary mixing extruder are configured to form a polymer solution from the fluid oil and the polymer melt
Implementation Method 4
primary melting extruder mixes the polymer with a heat transfer oil
Implementation Method 5
primary melting extruder mixes the polymer with a heat transfer oil
Data Source
AI summary
The present application provides a method and a system for recycling a polymer. The method includes introducing polymer into a primary melting extruder, producing a polymer melt that is combined with a fluid oil to at least partially dissolve the polymer melt. A secondary mixing extruder mixes these to form a polymer solution that is introduced into a refinery oil stream, producing a polymer-comprising oil stream, which is fed into a refinery process unit. The system includes a primary melting extruder for forming a polymer melt from polymer. A secondary mixing extruder receives the polymer melt. One or more hydrocarbon inflow conduits for providing a fluid oil to the primary melting extruder and/or the secondary mixing extruder are configured to form a polymer solution from the fluid oil and the polymer melt. There is a feed system outlet for feeding the polymer solution to a refinery oil stream.