Purifying Plastic Pyrolysis Oil Using Polar Solvent Mediators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for purifying plastic pyrolysis oils are inefficient in reducing heteroatom concentrations, particularly chlorine, and often require excessive amounts of strong bases, which can be costly and environmentally impactful.
Innovation Solution
A process involving contact between plastic pyrolysis oil and a strong base, such as an alkali or alkaline earth metal cation, in the presence of a polar solvent like an alcohol or ether, at controlled temperatures and pressures, followed by separation and optional catalytic hydrogenation, to effectively reduce heteroatom concentrations while minimizing strong base usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods use excessive amounts of strong base for purifying plastic pyrolysis oil, then heteroatom concentration reduction is achieved, but cost and environmental impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a polar solvent as an intermediary substance that facilitates the interaction between the strong base and heteroatoms in plastic pyrolysis oil. The polar solvent enhances the solubility and reactivity of the base, allowing more efficient heteroatom removal with reduced base consumption. This mediator enables the base to work more effectively rather than requiring excessive quantities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes process parameters including temperature (50-450°C), pressure (0.1-100 bars), and contact time (1-48 hours) to maximize heteroatom removal efficiency. By carefully controlling these parameters, the process achieves high purification effectiveness with minimal strong base consumption, resolving the contradiction between purification quality and reagent quantity.
2Manufacturing precision
If thermal treatment is performed at high temperature for extended periods, then heteroatom removal is improved, but energy consumption and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary mixing of plastic pyrolysis oil with strong base in the presence of polar solvent before thermal treatment. This preliminary action ensures uniform distribution of base and solvent throughout the oil, creating optimal conditions for rapid heteroatom removal during subsequent thermal treatment. This preparation enables faster processing times while maintaining high removal efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs optimized temperature ranges (50-450°C) and pressure conditions (0.1-100 bars) to accelerate heteroatom removal kinetics. By adjusting these parameters, the process achieves effective purification in 1-48 hours rather than requiring extended treatment times, thus reducing processing time while maintaining removal efficiency.
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 achieves significant reductions in silicon, chlorine, nitrogen, and other impurities with reduced strong base consumption, making it more economically and environmentally viable for use in steam cracking and other petrochemical processes.
Implementation Method 1
contacting said composition with 0.1-50% by mass of a strong base comprising an alkali or alkaline-earth metal cation, in the presence of a polar solvent comprising an alcohol function and/or an ether function
Implementation Method 2
reducing the heteroatom concentration of a composition comprising a plastic pyrolysis oil containing at least 20 ppm by mass of chlorine
Implementation Method 3
for at least 1 minute at a temperature of at most 450°C
Implementation Method 4
separation between the strong base comprising the alkali or alkaline-earth metal cation and the product resulting from contacting said composition
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method for purifying a composition containing a plastic pyrolysis oil, which method comprises treating with a strong base in the presence of an alcohol. The method is useful for reducing the concentration of heteroelements in said composition with a view to making it compatible for introduction as feedstock in conversion methods such as steam cracking, fluid catalytic cracking, catalytic hydrogenation or hydrocracking.