6.5 Industrial Application Examples of Waste Plastics Conversion Technologies
175
liquid fuel production from waste plastics. Although most of the facilities for fuel
production from waste plastics are still in pilot scale, there are some commercial-scale
plants in operation. An example of a liquid fuel production facility was developed
by the Shonan Trading Co., Ltd., in Japan. This company uses thermoplastic wastes
(excluding the chlorine-containing plastics) as the feedstock and converts them into
hydrocarbon oils through pyrolysis. The process is performed in semi-batch reactors
with continuous feeding of the scrap film with an extruder. The treatment capacity
is up to 1000 kg/batch and the maximum oil yield is 1000 L per batch (around 80
wt% yield) [35]. The same process is used by the Mogami-kiko Co., Ltd., in Japan
whose plant is capable of tolerating the thermoplastics contaminated with PVC and
PET. The plastics are first treated thermally at 400 °C for the removal of hydrogen
chloride. Then the temperature is raised to 500 °C for 12–15 h. The hydrocarbon
oil yields from this process are from 50 to 90 wt% [35]. Similarly, removal of HCl
was also practiced at Altis Co., Ltd., in Japan, where the chlorine-containing plastics
were pyrolyzed and HCl was removed in a dechlorination system. The volatized
hydrocarbons are then condensed in a condenser and the gaseous components were
incinerated in a flare stack to yield a flue gas without hydrocarbon contamination
[35].
North American technology manufacturers include the Envion Co. in Washington,
D.C, where scrap plastics from a curbside mix, sourced directly from material recycling facilities (MRF) are used to produce crude oil. PVC and PVC related plastics
are tolerated in the system up to a certain level. However, they are not desirable due
to the corrosion of the equipment by the HCl and the low quality of the produced
oil. The produced crude oils need further refining before use [13]. Another conversion facility, Polyflow, is located in Ohio, USA, in which waste plastics from MSW
and MRFs are converted into liquid products by a novel, patented and non-catalytic
pyrolysis process. All polymers with contaminations less than 25% can be used as the
feedstock. The main products of the facility are the mixture of diesel and gasoline as
well as monomers such as styrene and ethylbenzene [13]. The Polymer Energy Co.
in Minnesota, USA, produces the mixture of diesel and gasoline by vaporizing waste
plastics by thermal treatments in the presence of catalysts. The sources of feedstock
are plastics mined from the landfill, industry scrap or plastics collected through recycling, but their process is not capable of handling PVC [13]. The Klean Industry Inc in
British Columbia, Canada, uses waste plastics from municipal waste streams (MSW),
MRF, agricultural scrap plastics, plastic films, post-consumer, post-industrial, automotive shredder residues and e-waste for the production of a variety of products such
as diesel fuel, the mixture of gasoline and diesel, and monomers through catalytic
pyrolysis without the need for further refining. The system is capable of handling
waste plastics with contamination such as metal, paper, soil, etc. [13].
Microwave-assisted pyrolysis of plastics conversion was demonstrated in the plant
of Anhui Oursun Environmental Technologies in China. This plant uses PPE, PE,
PET, HDPE, LDPE, PP and PS as the feedstock and converts them into crude oil and
diesel using microwave heating. The system can tolerate contamination in the waste
plastics up to a certain level. The products are ready to be used by the consumers
and no further refining is needed [13].
175
liquid fuel production from waste plastics. Although most of the facilities for fuel
production from waste plastics are still in pilot scale, there are some commercial-scale
plants in operation. An example of a liquid fuel production facility was developed
by the Shonan Trading Co., Ltd., in Japan. This company uses thermoplastic wastes
(excluding the chlorine-containing plastics) as the feedstock and converts them into
hydrocarbon oils through pyrolysis. The process is performed in semi-batch reactors
with continuous feeding of the scrap film with an extruder. The treatment capacity
is up to 1000 kg/batch and the maximum oil yield is 1000 L per batch (around 80
wt% yield) [35]. The same process is used by the Mogami-kiko Co., Ltd., in Japan
whose plant is capable of tolerating the thermoplastics contaminated with PVC and
PET. The plastics are first treated thermally at 400 °C for the removal of hydrogen
chloride. Then the temperature is raised to 500 °C for 12–15 h. The hydrocarbon
oil yields from this process are from 50 to 90 wt% [35]. Similarly, removal of HCl
was also practiced at Altis Co., Ltd., in Japan, where the chlorine-containing plastics
were pyrolyzed and HCl was removed in a dechlorination system. The volatized
hydrocarbons are then condensed in a condenser and the gaseous components were
incinerated in a flare stack to yield a flue gas without hydrocarbon contamination
[35].
North American technology manufacturers include the Envion Co. in Washington,
D.C, where scrap plastics from a curbside mix, sourced directly from material recycling facilities (MRF) are used to produce crude oil. PVC and PVC related plastics
are tolerated in the system up to a certain level. However, they are not desirable due
to the corrosion of the equipment by the HCl and the low quality of the produced
oil. The produced crude oils need further refining before use [13]. Another conversion facility, Polyflow, is located in Ohio, USA, in which waste plastics from MSW
and MRFs are converted into liquid products by a novel, patented and non-catalytic
pyrolysis process. All polymers with contaminations less than 25% can be used as the
feedstock. The main products of the facility are the mixture of diesel and gasoline as
well as monomers such as styrene and ethylbenzene [13]. The Polymer Energy Co.
in Minnesota, USA, produces the mixture of diesel and gasoline by vaporizing waste
plastics by thermal treatments in the presence of catalysts. The sources of feedstock
are plastics mined from the landfill, industry scrap or plastics collected through recycling, but their process is not capable of handling PVC [13]. The Klean Industry Inc in
British Columbia, Canada, uses waste plastics from municipal waste streams (MSW),
MRF, agricultural scrap plastics, plastic films, post-consumer, post-industrial, automotive shredder residues and e-waste for the production of a variety of products such
as diesel fuel, the mixture of gasoline and diesel, and monomers through catalytic
pyrolysis without the need for further refining. The system is capable of handling
waste plastics with contamination such as metal, paper, soil, etc. [13].
Microwave-assisted pyrolysis of plastics conversion was demonstrated in the plant
of Anhui Oursun Environmental Technologies in China. This plant uses PPE, PE,
PET, HDPE, LDPE, PP and PS as the feedstock and converts them into crude oil and
diesel using microwave heating. The system can tolerate contamination in the waste
plastics up to a certain level. The products are ready to be used by the consumers
and no further refining is needed [13].