Microwave processing of carbon-based compositions

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for decomposing and extracting compositions for the recovery of petroleum-based materials from composites comprising those petroleum-based materials, comprising subjecting the compositions and/or composites to microwave radiation, wherein the microwave radiation is in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz. The present invention also provides for products produced by the methods of the present invention and for apparatuses used to perform the methods of the present invention.

1 . A method for obtaining a carbon-based composition from a composite, the method comprising:
 subjecting a composite to microwave radiation for a time sufficient to convert the composite into a fluid composition and a carbon-based composition, wherein said microwave radiation comprises at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz; and   separating the fluid composition from the carbon-based composition.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said microwave radiation comprises one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the microwave frequency component is in the range of from about 5.8 GHz to about 12 GHz. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said microwave radiation comprises a sweeping range of microwave radiation frequencies. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the range of microwave radiation frequencies is about +/−2 GHz of the pre-selected microwave radiation frequency. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the microwave frequency component is in the C-Band frequency range. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the microwave frequency component is in the X-Band frequency range. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said composite is exposed to less than about 12% oxygen. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said composite is exposed to an inert gas atmosphere. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising exposing said composite to pressures less than atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fluid composition comprises a carbon-based material, a hydrocarbon, or both. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the temperature of the composite does not exceed about 600° C. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composite comprises petroleum-based material, tire material, shale rock, drilling cuttings, tar sands, plastics, polymeric materials, recycled materials, refuse, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon-based composition comprises carbon black. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the carbon black material is characterized as conforming to ASTM Designation N110 grade, N220 grade, N330 grade, N300 grade, N550 grade, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the mean particle size of the carbon black is in the range of from about 20 nm to about 25 nm. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the geometry of the carbon black is substantially spherical. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein at least 75% of the carbon black material originally present in the composite is obtained. 
     
     
         19 . A microwave system for obtaining carbon-based material from composite material, the system comprising
 an infeed airlock configured to receive composite material, said infeed airlock being sealable at a pressure less than one atmosphere, wherein said infeed airlock is configured to feed composite material into a microwave reactor coupled to said infeed airlock;   said microwave reactor further comprising a microwave antenna orientable towards said composite material to irradiate said composite material while being transported through the microwave reactor;   said microwave reactor further comprising a vacuum port to receive carbon-containing fluid generated from the composite material being irradiated with microwave radiation characterized as having at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz;   a microwave radiation generator operatively coupled to said microwave antenna via a microwave waveguide, wherein said microwave radiation generator is capable of generating microwave radiation characterized as having at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz;   a vacuum generator operatively coupled to said vacuum port, wherein said vacuum generator is capable of generating vacuum pressure within said microwave reactor below one atmosphere;   a vessel or conduit operatively coupled to said vacuum port to receive the carbon-containing fluid; and   a discharge airlock operatively coupled to the microwave reactor to discharge a composition comprising carbon-based material from the microwave reactor, wherein said discharge airlock is capable of discharging the composition comprising carbon-based material from the microwave system while maintaining pressure within the microwave reactor at less than one atmosphere.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the composite material comprises tire material. 
     
     
         21 . A composition made by subjecting a carbon-based material to microwave radiation for a time sufficient to convert at least a portion of the carbon-based material into a fluid composition, wherein said microwave radiation comprises at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz; and
 removing the fluid composition from the carbon-based material.   
     
     
         22 . The composition made according to  claim 21 , wherein the composition comprises a carbon-based material. 
     
     
         23 . The composition made according to  claim 21 , wherein the fluid composition comprises a plurality of hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 23 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of hydrocarbons comprise hydrocarbon chains each comprising from 14 to about 25 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         25 . A method of cracking heavy oil, comprising:
 subjecting heavy oil to microwave radiation for a time sufficient to crack at least a portion of the heavy oil, wherein said microwave radiation comprises at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the heavy oil comprises an electron activator. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the microwave radiation heats the heavy oil to at least about 250° C. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the microwave radiation heats the heavy oil up to about 500° C. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the microwave radiation heats the heavy oil to at least about 500° C. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the heavy oil is preheated. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the heavy oil is preheated using microwaves. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the heavy oil comprises heavy oil bottoms from a distillation plant, residual oil, slurry oil, refinery waste oil, oil cuttings, oil sands, a geological carbon deposit, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the heavy oil is subjected to microwave radiation at a pressure of less than one atmosphere. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising recovering cracked heavy oil fluid. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the cracked heavy oil fluid is transported at a pressure less than one atmosphere. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein at least a portion of the cracked heavy oil is vaporized. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the vaporized cracked heavy oil is recovered by cooling and condensing the vaporized cracked heavy oil. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said microwave radiation comprises one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the microwave radiation frequency component is in the range of from about 7.9 to about 8.7 GHz. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said microwave radiation is a sweeping range of microwave radiation frequencies. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the sweeping range of microwave radiation frequencies encompasses one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the range of microwave radiation frequencies is about +/−2 GHz of the pre-selected microwave radiation frequency. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the range of microwave radiation frequencies comprises a bandwidth of about 4 GHz. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the frequency component is in the C-Band frequency range. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the frequency component is in the X-Band frequency range. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the range of from about 7.9 GHz to about 8.7 GHz. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said heavy oil is exposed to less than about 12% oxygen. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising recovering a carbon-based material at a pressure less than one atmosphere. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said heavy oil is exposed to an inert gas atmosphere. 
     
     
         50 . A method of removing hydrocarbons from oil cuttings, comprising:
 subjecting oil cuttings comprising hydrocarbons to microwave radiation for a time sufficient to remove at least a portion of the hydrocarbons, wherein said microwave radiation comprises at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the microwave radiation heats the oil cuttings to at least about 250° C. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the microwave radiation heats the oil cuttings up to about 500° C. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the microwave radiation heats the oil cuttings to at least about 500° C. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the oil cuttings are preheated. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the oil cuttings are preheated using microwaves. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the oil cuttings are subjected to microwave radiation at a pressure of less than one atmosphere. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the hydrocarbons are removed from the oil cuttings at a pressure less than one atmosphere. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein at least a portion of the hydrocarbons are vaporized. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the vaporized hydrocarbons are recovered by cooling and condensing the vaporized hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein said microwave radiation comprises one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the microwave frequency component in the range of from about 7.9 and about 8.7 GHz. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein said microwave radiation is a sweeping range of microwave radiation frequencies. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the sweeping range of microwave radiation frequencies encompasses one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the range of microwave radiation frequencies is about +/−2 GHz of the pre-selected microwave radiation frequency. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the range of microwave radiation frequencies comprises a bandwidth of about 4 GHz. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the microwave frequency component is in the C-Band frequency range. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the microwave frequency component is in the X-Band frequency range. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein said composite is exposed to less than about 12% oxygen. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising recovering the hydrocarbons at a pressure less than one atmosphere. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the oil cuttings are exposed to an inert gas atmosphere. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the oil cuttings comprise less than 1% by weight hydrocarbon content after subjecting the oil cuttings to the microwave radiation. 
     
     
         72 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein the carbon-containing material further comprises water.