Methods and systems for converting plastic to fuel

Abstract

A method for producing a vapor stream from waste plastic comprises providing a waste plastic feedstock into a reactor containing one or more residues produced from a previously heated source of waste plastic, and heating the waste plastic feedstock in the reactor to a temperature from about 125° C. to 500° C. to generate a vapor containing one or more hydrocarbons. The waste plastic feedstock can be heated in the reactor without any added external catalyst. The waste plastic feedstock can have a calcium to sodium mass ratio from about 0.0001 to 400 as measured by inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometry. The catalytic activity in the reactor may be provided through one or more constituent elements in the waste plastic feedstock or the one or more residues produced from the previously heated source of waste plastic.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a vapor stream from waste plastic, comprising:
 a. providing a waste plastic feedstock into a reactor containing one or more residues produced from a previously heated source of waste plastic; and   b. heating said waste plastic feedstock in said reactor to a temperature from about 125° C. to 500° C. to generate a vapor containing one or more hydrocarbons, wherein said waste plastic feedstock is heated in said reactor without any added external catalyst,   wherein said waste plastic feedstock has a calcium to sodium mass ratio from about 0.0001 to 400, as measured by inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometry.   
     
     
         2 . A method for producing a vapor stream from waste plastic, comprising:
 a. providing a waste plastic feedstock into a reactor containing one or more residues produced from a previously heated source of waste plastic; and   b. heating said waste plastic feedstock in said reactor to a temperature from about 125° C. to 500° C. to generate a vapor containing one or more hydrocarbons, wherein said waste plastic feedstock is heated in said reactor without any added external catalyst,   wherein said residue has a calcium to sodium mass ratio from about 0.0001 to 400, as measured by inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometry.   
     
     
         3 . A method for producing a hydrocarbon-containing fuel from waste plastic, comprising:
 a. providing a waste plastic feedstock into a reactor containing one or more residues produced from a previously heated source of waste plastic; and   b. heating said waste plastic feedstock in said reactor to a temperature from about 125° C. to 500° C. to generate a vapor containing one or more hydrocarbons, wherein said waste plastic feedstock is heated in said reactor without any added external catalyst,   wherein a mass conversion of said waste plastic feedstock to said fuel is greater than or equal to about 80% and said mass conversion is achieved over a time period from about 1 to 10 hours.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said waste plastic feedstock comprises one or more elements selected from aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, bismuth, boron, cadmium, calcium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, germanium, gold, hafnium, indium, iron, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, platinum, palladium, potassium, rhodium, iridium, osmium, ruthenium, rhenium, rubidium, scandium, selenium, silicon, silver, sodium, strontium, tantalum, tellurium, thallium, thorium, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, zinc, and zirconium. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said calcium to sodium mass ratio is from about 0.005 to 400, as measured by ICP. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said residue comprises one or more elements selected from aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, bismuth, boron, cadmium, calcium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, germanium, gold, hafnium, indium, iron, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, platinum, palladium, potassium, rhodium, iridium, osmium, ruthenium, rhenium, rubidium, scandium, selenium, silicon, silver, sodium, strontium, tantalum, tellurium, thallium, thorium, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, zinc, and zirconium. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         17 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said calcium to sodium mass ratio is from about 0.003 to 40, as measured by ICP. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method is also comprised of one or more pre-processing methods selected from collection processes, sorting processes, size reduction processes, cleaning processes, drying processes, or weighing processes. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said vapor stream is condensed with one or more condenser unit operations. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is also comprised of one or more separation methods. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said one or more separation methods are selected from evaporation separation methods, absorption separation methods, adsorption separation methods, distillation separation methods, liquid-liquid extraction separation methods, membrane separation methods, filtration separation methods, or sedimentation separation methods. 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         36 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said method is also comprised of one or more pre-processing methods selected from collection processes, sorting processes, size reduction processes, cleaning processes, drying processes, or weighing processes. 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         40 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said vapor stream is condensed with one or more condenser unit operations. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method is also comprised of one or more separation methods. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said one or more separation methods are selected from evaporation separation methods, absorption separation methods, adsorption separation methods, distillation separation methods, liquid-liquid extraction separation methods, membrane separation methods, filtration separation methods, or sedimentation separation methods. 
     
     
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         50 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said method is also comprised of one or more pre-processing methods selected from collection processes, sorting processes, size reduction processes, cleaning processes, drying processes, or weighing processes. 
     
     
         51 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said vapor stream is condensed with one or more condenser unit operations. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the method is also comprised of one or more separation methods. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein said one or more separation methods are selected from evaporation separation methods, absorption separation methods, adsorption separation methods, distillation separation methods, liquid-liquid extraction separation methods, membrane separation methods, filtration separation methods, or sedimentation separation methods. 
     
     
         57 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         87 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said residue comprises one or more elements selected from aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, bismuth, boron, cadmium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, germanium, gold, hafnium, indium, iron, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, platinum, palladium, potassium, rhodium, iridium, osmium, ruthenium, rhenium, rubidium, scandium, selenium, silicon, silver, strontium, tantalum, tellurium, thallium, thorium, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, zinc, and zirconium.