Pelletizing Spent Bleaching Earth for Clay-Biocarbon Composite

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Solution Overview

Problem

Spent bleaching earth (SBE) is a hazardous industrial waste that poses environmental and ecological risks due to its slow decomposition and potential for spontaneous combustion, and existing methods for regeneration are economically inefficient and environmentally harmful.

Innovation Solution

A process for pelletizing SBE into a clay-biocarbon composite involves classifying SBE, mixing with filler compounds, forming pellets, and pyrolyzing them to produce a clay-biocarbon composite, which includes thermal processing and condensing volatile compounds to produce a drop-in liquid fuel, while destroying toxins in the syngas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If SBE is disposed in landfill without pre-treatment, then disposal is simple, but environmental pollution and ecological risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisposal simplicityVSAvoidenvironmental pollution

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful waste SBE into a beneficial product through pyrolysis, transforming the environmental hazard into a valuable clay-biocarbon composite material that can be reused in industrial applications, thereby eliminating pollution while creating economic value

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of simply discarding SBE in landfills, the patent recovers valuable components through pyrolysis processing, extracting biocarbon and producing reusable clay composite materials, thus transforming waste disposal into resource recovery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Ease of operation

If SBE is stored in open-air, then storage is convenient, but spontaneous combustion risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage convenienceVSAvoidfire safety

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent addresses the fire hazard by utilizing controlled pyrolysis to convert the combustible oil content into biocarbon and useful gases, transforming the fire risk into a processing advantage that eliminates the hazard while producing valuable products

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Loss of substance

If SBE is incinerated, then volume reduction is achieved, but economic efficiency decreases and harmful emissions occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevolume reductionVSAvoidharmful emissions

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than simply incinerating SBE which produces harmful emissions, the patent uses controlled pyrolysis to convert the organic content into biocarbon, syngas, and pyrolysis oil, transforming what would be harmful emissions into valuable energy resources and reusable materials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the thermal processing parameters from complete combustion (incineration) to controlled pyrolysis with limited oxygen, fundamentally altering the chemical reactions to produce beneficial products instead of harmful emissions while achieving volume reduction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Loss of substance

If SBE is regenerating through previous methods, then oil recovery is attempted, but economic efficiency remains poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil recoveryVSAvoideconomic efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the process economically viable by creating multiple revenue streams from a single feedstock: the clay-biocarbon composite can be used in various industrial applications, pyrolysis oil can be refined into fuels, and syngas can be utilized for energy, thereby transforming a single oil recovery operation into a multi-product valorization system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 process effectively recovers and repurposes SBE, reducing environmental risks and generating a valuable clay-biocarbon composite for applications like adsorption and filtration, while producing a renewable fuel.

Implementation Method 1

pyrolyzing the pellets to produce the clay-biocarbon composite

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPyrolysis: Pyrolysis

Implementation Method 2

condensing at least one volatile compound emitted from the pelleted SBE during thermal processing to produce a condensate for reuse

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCondensation: Condensation

Data Source

PatentUS11654418B2Method and system for pelletizing spent bleaching earth

Publication Date: 2023.05.23 TITAN CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS CORP

AI summary

The present disclosure includes a process for pelletizing a spent bleaching earth (SBE) into a clay-biocarbon composite including classifying the SBE based on at least one parameter of the SBE, selecting at least one filler compound and mixing the at least one filler compound with the SBE to make a mixture, forming a plurality of pellets out of the mixture, and pyrolyzing the pellets to produce the clay-biocarbon composite. Pyrolyzing a pelleted spent bleaching earth (SBE) may include advancing the pelleted SBE with a distributer to a first thermal chamber for providing even thermal processing, releasing the pelleted SBE to an auger to cool to room temperature, and condensing at least one volatile compound emitted from the pelleted SBE during thermal processing to produce a condensate for reuse.