Suitable Plastics

 Waste from Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs)

 

Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) sort curbside collected recyclables for the sorting and separation of curbside post-consumer recyclables.  These MRFs typically recycle 85% of the collected material.  However 15% of the waste collected is sent to landfill.  The MRFs using positive sorting and the contaminated material left on the belt (termed 'off-the-belt' material) is sent landfill.  It is estimated that half of this material is commingled plastics which are suitable for the plastic-to-diesel P2D process

 

The photograph opposite shows the 'off-the-belt' waste from a MRF which is destined for landfill.  Note it still has a high level of recoverable mixed plastics

P-Fuel Plastics to Diesel (P2D)

Plastics suitable for use in the P-Fuel process

The P-Fuel process can utilize mixed plastic as an input stream with the exception of polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE, 1), and viny/polyvinyl chloride (V, 3).

 Paper Mill Recovered Plastic

 

Paper Recycling Mills produces large tonnages of a wet waste comprised of plastic film intermingled with short paper fibre (pulp).  This mixed waste has a water content of approx. 50%.  All of this waste is presently landfilled.

 

Before this mill waste could be used in the P2D process it first needs to be dried and the paper fibre content substantially removed from the plastic films.

 

The photograph opposite shows the plastic film and short paper fibre waste from a paper Recycling mill.  Note the high level of recoverable light-weight plastic film

Trim Waste

 

Flexible film manufacturing plants produce a waste material called 'trim' which comprises edge trim from their film slitting and trimming operations.  The trim is a mixture of printed, metallized and laminated plastic films.

 

The photograph  opposite shows the trim from a packaging film manufacturing plant.  All of this trim is presently landfilled.

 Non-plastic waste suitable as feed stock to the P-Fuel process

 

Waste oils can be fed into the process via a liquid injection port.

The following are waste oils that can be used for cracking:

• Waste Lubricating Oils

• Engine lubrication oils

• Industrial lubrication oils

• Various mechanical lubrication oils

• General hydraulic liquid oils

• Anti-friction and anti-wearing liquid oils

• Break-in lubrication oils

• Brake oil

• Cutting oils

• Electrical usage oils

• Transformer oil

• Electric insulation oils

• Heat treatment oils

• Quenching oils

• Residue oil from refineries

• Heavy oil from tank bottoms that have been cleaned

• Shipping fuel oil & lubrication oil from ship cleaning

• Waste asphalt and associated oils

• Basically any hydrocarbon-based oils

 

Due to the high viscosity of plastics materials the continuous feeding to a conventional reactor can be problematic. Waste lubricating oils can be advantageously used as carriers.

Plastic Feed stock Pre-processing

 

Plastic waste can be used as supplied.  Prior to entry into the reactor the waste plastic is passed through a pre-processor where it is reduced to a suitable size,  homogenizd, compacted, agglomerated, melted, degassed (remove water), filtered and metered into the reactor. 

 

The importance of a reliable and efficient pre-processing system cannot be over emphasized.