Device and process for the recovery of increased volumes of pure terpenes and terpenoids from scrap polymers and elastomers

Abstract

A device and process for the vacuum pyrolization of scrap tires to produce a pyrolytic oil from which valuable terpenes such as limonene and pulegone may be extracted and purified.

1 . A device for the pyrolysis of tires to from pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone comprising;
 a nitrogen blanket bin for accepting shredded, washed, and dried automobile tires;   at least one vacuum-lock valve;   a helical screw which slowly turns to generate a mixture of shredded automobile tires and an additive/catalyst that can flow from the nitrogen blanket bin;   at least one heater for heating the mixture from ambient temperature to about 450 degrees Celsius;   a release valve for controlling the release of at least one of either a material and a vapor from the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace and into a contactor/separator for recovery of at least one of either a type of terpene or a type of terpenoid from a mixture that has at least one of either the material or the vapor, wherein the contactor/separator can generate a pyrolytic vapor from the at least one of either the material or the vapor after a set of solids is removed from the mixture, and wherein the contactor/separator includes a chiller assembly for reducing the temperature of the pyrolytic vapor, a first heatable distillation column for reheating and cooling the mixture, a second heatable distillation column which separates types of terpenes and the types of terpenoids that have been extracted from the mixture wherein a small orifice is operatively disposed between the first heatable distillation column and the second heatable distillation column; and   a piping system for transporting the liquid and vapor products that are one of either produced, transferred, recovered, or purified by the device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone.   
     
     
         2 . A device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone comprising;
 a nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace for accepting automobile tires;   a heater for heating the nitrogen blanket furnace to at least about 200 degrees Centigrade;   a vacuum pump for generating a vacuum in the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace;   an additive/catalyst placed within the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace for dispersion over the automobile tires;   a release valve for controlling the release of at least one of either a material and a vapor from the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace and into a contactor/separator for recovery of at least one of either a type of terpene or a type of terpenoid from a mixture that has at least one of either the material or the vapor, wherein the contactor/separator can generate a pyrolytic vapor from the at least one of either the material or the vapor after a set of solids is removed from the mixture, and wherein the contactor/separator includes a chiller assembly for reducing the temperature of the pyrolytic vapor, a first heatable distillation column for reheating and cooling the mixture, a second heatable distillation column which separates types of terpenes and the types of terpenoids that have been extracted from the mixture wherein a small orifice is operatively disposed between the first heatable distillation column and the second heatable distillation column; and   a piping system for transporting the liquid and vapor products that are one of either produced, transferred, recovered, or purified by the device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone.   
     
     
         3 . A device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone comprising;
 a nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace for accepting scrap polymers and elastomers;   a heater for heating the vacuum sealed furnace to at least about 200 degrees Centigrade;   a vacuum pump for generating a vacuum in the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace;   an additive/catalyst placed within the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace for dispersion over the automobile tires; and   a release valve for controlling the release of at least one of either a material and a vapor from the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace and into a contactor/separator system for recovery of at least one of either a type of terpene or a type of terpenoid from a mixture that has at least one of either the material or the vapor.   
     
     
         4 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 3  wherein the contactor/separator can generate a pyrolytic vapor from the at least one of either the material or the vapor after a set of solids is removed from the mixture. 
     
     
         5 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 4  wherein the contactor/separator includes a chiller assembly for reducing the temperature of the pyrolytic vapor. 
     
     
         6 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 4  wherein the contactor/separator includes a first heatable distillation column for reheating and cooling the scrap polymers and elastomers, and a second heatable distillation column which separates one of either a terpene or a terpenoid extracted from the scrap polymers and elastomers. 
     
     
         7 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 6  wherein a small orifice is operatively disposed between the first heatable distillation column and the second heatable distillation column. 
     
     
         8 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 7  wherein the first heatable distillation column further comprises at least one tray. 
     
     
         9 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 7  further comprising a piping system for transporting a residual liquid and a residual vapor that produced, transferred, recovered, and purified by the device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone. 
     
     
         10 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 9  wherein the scrap polymers and elastomers are automobile tires. 
     
     
         11 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 10  wherein the an additive/catalyst is one of either a carbonates or a bicarbonate. 
     
     
         12 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 11  wherein the one of either a carbonates or a bicarbonate contains one of either sodium or potassium. 
     
     
         13 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 12  wherein the one of either a carbonates or a bicarbonate contains is potassium carbonate. 
     
     
         14 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 13  wherein the temperature of the scrap polymers and elastomers is about 470 degrees Centigrade. 
     
     
         15 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 14  wherein the device is a batch system wherein the catalyst/additive is placed in a container located above the scrap polymers and elastomers within the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace, and wherein the scrap nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace is dumped and its contents dispersed over the polymers and elastomers when the polymers and elastomers reach their melting temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 15  wherein the catalyst/additive is not released into the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace until the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace is at a temperature of about 200 degrees centigrade. 
     
     
         17 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 14  wherein the device is a continuous system wherein the catalyst/additive and the scrap polymers and elastomers are blended together in the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace wherein the scrap nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace includes a material displacement device for moving the scrap polymers and elastomers through the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace. 
     
     
         18 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 17  wherein the material displacement device for moving material through the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace in substantially in the shape of a tube within which a screw moves the scrap polymers and elastomers through the nitrogen blanket vacuum sealed furnace. 
     
     
         19 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 18  further comprising a broad spectrum ultraviolet lamp to irradiate the residual liquid for a period of between two hours and four hours to increase the concentration a pyrolitic oil that is produced using the device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone. 
     
     
         20 . The device for the pyrolysis of tires to form pyrolytic oils containing limonene and pulegone in accordance with  claim 19  further comprising a refrigeration system to remove excess heat generated from the use of the broad spectrum ultraviolet lamp on the pyrolitic oil.