Porous Composite Arc Material for High-Temperature Microwave Pyrolysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies for recycling plastics, rubber materials, and carbon fiber composite materials are inefficient and costly, and existing microwave pyrolysis methods fail to achieve high working temperatures and ideal efficiency in processing waste materials.
Innovation Solution
A porous composite material capable of generating electric arcs in a microwave field, composed of an inorganic porous framework and a carbon material supported on it, is developed. This material quickly generates high temperatures (above 1000°C) when exposed to a microwave field, facilitating efficient microwave high-temperature heating and pyrolysis of organic compounds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional microwave pyrolysis methods are used, then the process is simple to operate, but the working temperature is insufficient and pyrolysis efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material comprising carbon material and inorganic porous framework material. The carbon material generates electric arcs in the microwave field, while the inorganic porous framework provides structural support and heat distribution, achieving high temperature pyrolysis without complex equipment modifications
Solution Approach 2:
The inorganic porous framework material with specific pore size (0.2-1000 μm) enables efficient microwave penetration and uniform heat distribution throughout the material, facilitating high-temperature pyrolysis while maintaining structural integrity and avoiding complex device designs
2Adaptability or versatility
If mechanical recycling is used for waste plastics, then the process is widely applicable to common plastics, but it cannot treat temperature-sensitive plastics, composite materials, and thermosetting plastics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the processing parameter from low-temperature mechanical recycling to high-temperature pyrolysis (above 1000°C), enabling the treatment of previously incompatible materials such as thermosetting plastics, composite materials, and temperature-sensitive plastics while maintaining high recycling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical recycling system with a microwave-based thermal pyrolysis system, which can handle a broader range of plastic types including those that cannot be mechanically processed, thereby improving both adaptability and productivity
3Manufacturing precision
If chemical recycling with catalysts is used, then the selectivity is high, but the cost is high due to expensive catalysts and time-consuming sorting requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive catalysts with a disposable porous support structure that can be regenerated. The inorganic porous framework serves as a temporary carrier for carbon material, enabling high-selectivity pyrolysis without the need for costly catalyst recovery or complex sorting processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the catalytic function from expensive metal catalysts and transfers it to a carbon material supported on an inorganic porous framework, eliminating the need for catalyst recovery and reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining high selectivity
4Object-affected harmful factors
If degradable plastics are used, then the environmental degradation is improved, but the performance of recycled plastic articles is seriously affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of plastic persistence in the environment into a benefit by using microwave pyrolysis to rapidly decompose plastics at high temperatures, transforming waste plastics into valuable pyrolysis products while eliminating environmental pollution concerns, and the process works for both degradable and non-degradable plastics
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
The porous composite material enables rapid and efficient pyrolysis of various organic materials, producing high-value lighter components and allowing for effective recycling of metals and glass fibers from waste circuit boards, thus addressing the inefficiencies and costs of current recycling methods.
Implementation Method 1
a porous composite material capable of generating electric arcs in a microwave field
Implementation Method 2
When the porous composite material is placed in a microwave field, electric arcs are generated in the microwave field, so that high temperature can be quickly generated
Data Source
AI summary
A porous composite material capable of generating an arc in a microwave field includes an inorganic porous framework and a carbon material loaded on the inorganic porous framework. The average pore size of the inorganic porous framework is 0.2-1000 μm. The porous composite material has an excellent mechanical performance, can generate an arc in a microwave field to quickly generate a high temperature, and thus can be used in fields such as microwave high-temperature heating, biomass pyrolysis, vegetable oil treatment, waste polymer material pyrolysis, petrochemical pyrolysis, carbon-fiber composite material recovery, waste treatment, VOC waste gas treatment, COD wastewater treatment, high-temperature catalysis, waste circuit board full-component recycling, and hydrogen preparation.