Czernik, Stefan

Elam, Carolyn C.

Evans, Robert J.

Scholarly Materials And Research @ Georgia Tech

An Integrated Approach to the Recovery of Fiber, Chemicals and Energy from Fibrous Textile and Carpet Waste Robert Evans, Carolyn Elam, and Stefan Czernik National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Paper not available at time of publication.) An Integrated Approach to the Recovery of Fiber, Chemicals, and Energy from Fibrous Textile and Carpet Waste Robert J. Evans, Carolyn C. Elam, and Stefan Czemlk National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Blvd. Golden, CO 80401 0' N?SL \ : Of C? -j-Plastics in the Environment * ^ _J ' J Recycling yionomer building Resins blocks *A fk fk Products" Consumers Disposal Energy recovery The purer the recycle stream -the higher the value (and cost) 0 M?=L Polymers as a Resource for Industry What is Needed? • Completing the Life Cycle of Polymers Back to Chemicals by Unking: • Chemical Industry • Material Manufacturers • Municipalities • Consumers • Benefits: • Increase the Sustainability of the Chemical Industry • Provide Additional Source of Chemicals • Provide Information for Design of Products for Recycling 0 Chemical Recycling Mixed Polymers are Costly to Separate and Lose Performance Properties When Blended Recycling Back to Chemicals has the Potential to be Economical and Allow Plastics to be Truly Recyclable Measure the Efficiency by How Much of the Embodied Energy is Saved Transporting Materials fro recycling adds Costs, Which suggests Smaller Plants Near Waste Source Flexible Chemical Processing • Processing Facilities Convert Several Mixed Polymer Materials - Target Feedstocks are Sorted and Stockpiled Each Type is Processed in Long Duration Runs • Target Materials: - Carpets: Nylon 6, Nylon 66, PET, and Polypropylene - PET/Cotton Textiles Polyurethanes - Engineering Polymer Blends • Selective Pyrolysis is used to Recover Valuable Monomers • Gasification is Used to Convert Organic Residue to Synthesis Gas - Syn Gas used on Site to make Chemicals Sustainability in the Chemical Industry • from the U. S. Chemical Industry Technology Vision 2020: - The U. S. chemical industry... promotes sustainable development by investing in technology that protects the environment and stimulates industrial growth while balancing economic needs with financial constraints." • Sustainability: - "...technological development that meets the economic and environmental needs of the present while enhancing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Thermocatalytic Recovery of High-Value Chemicals from Waste Plastics (Flexible Chemical Processing) High-Value Monomers Oxygenates H9BL Selective Pyrolysis • Selective Pyrolysis: Pyrolyze One Component of a Mixture to Give one Major Product While Other Components Remain Unreacted • Selectivity is Achieved by - Exploiting Differential Kinetics - Selective Catalytic Pyrolysis - Selective Reactive Pyrolysis • NREL has Patented 8 Applications of Selective Pyrolysis • Different Than Conventional View of Pyrolysis, Seen as Process for Converting Materials to Fuels with Low Selectivity and Value -J o O N ? S L Advantages of Selective Pyrolysis Over Other Chemical Processes • Ability to handle a variety of waste streams with the same reactor system. • Relatively insensitive to feedstock contamination. • Potential to recover value from 100% of the plastics in mixtures by incorporation of gasification. • Smaller-scale operations possible and/or desirable. r pyrolysis of Mixed Plastics pVC, pS, pfc and PET Product Yield, Arbitrary Units 120 | 100 -80 60 40 20 -m/i 36 ;. MCI •• m/z 69 | .<r>-- .<^, ,^> 225 250 275 300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 Temperature, C PVC-HCI - PE-hydrocarbons — PS-styrene — PET-TPA and esters 0i NHL Flexible Chemical Processing What's New? • Integration of Caprolactam and Fiber Recovery • Alternative Reactor Design to be Tested • Simple Purification Process Developed • Use of Calcium Carbonate as Catalyst • New Emphasis on Gasification. • Recover Chemicals From PET (carpet +) Nylon-6 to Caprolactam catalyst Jemperature-Programmed pyro|ys|s (sly|on-6 and polypropylene with Catalyst Intensi ty , Arbi t rary Uni ts Tempera tu re , C Temperature 500 Recycling Nylon 6 from Waste Carpet Waste carpel Pyrolysis X  ft" Crude caprolactam (from Nylon 6, B5%) Residue Pyrolysis New carpel Manulaclurl Oil Irom carpel backing j j i Fuel 1 r Process energy Cliemical Nylon 6 Polymerization Decrysiallizalion Caprolactam ^ N 9 i L Nylon-6 Waste Streams Fluidized Bed Pyrolysis Research Four Inch Ruidized Bed Reactor Operating at Hazen Research .5 kg/hr Experiments with Post Consumer Carpet Continuous Feeding and Product Collection System Good Yields of Caprolactam and Mass Balance Achieved Parameter Optimization Performed Condensed Products are Analyzed by GC/MS Confirm Previous Results (90% in purity, 85% Yield) Estimated Production Costs are $.50/lb for Caprolactam Using a 100 millioi Ib/yr Plant as a Basis o N?=L Flexible Chemical Processing Reactor Comparison • Fluid Bed Reactor - Advantages - Temperature Control - Disadvantages - Residence Time Distribution - Catalyst/CaC03 Separation - Gasification in Second Reactor • Auger/Screw Reactor - Advantages - Plug Flow - Mechanical Mixing - Gasification in Same Reactor Process Development Model Industrial Development Business Ventures and Market Partnerships O KB. Flexible Chemical Processing Industrial Collaboration • United Recycling inc Evaluating Process for Integration with National Carpet Collection Program: • Kemestrie Inc to Demonstrate in Fluid Bed Facility: -Caprolactam Recovery - Residue Gasification - Product Purification • Product Evaluation by Industry Process Development Status W h y ? Scoping !,.„, Exp*rimanta T r o u b l * • hoot ing \ Bonoh S o i l * ' ExpWlm»nta> N l o h . o ^ p o r t p n t t t . . i \ i PnxgnanS Opiporttinltl<»« .... v j J i I '< *J2 M a r k e t A M a t a a t n M a a j \ """""» P r Davwlopr Industrial p a r f n a r a h l p * Flexible Chemical Processing Joint Development Project * Complete Technology Development * Demonstrate Performance * Catalyze Partnership Formation NREL-Technology Development URi -Feedstock Suppliers Financial Resources Kemestrie, inc -Conversion System Suppliers Customers for Chemicals Remanufacturers Integrated Carpet Recycling Distribution of Feed by Weight CaCXU 30.0% Integrated Carpet Recycling Distribution of Revenues Energy 8.0% Integrated Carpet Recycling Distribution of Products by Weight Energy 35.0% 0 N?=L Flexible Chemical Processing The Gasification Option • Process Options: - Combustion • Partial Oxidation of Hydrocarbons to Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen, Methane, etc. - Thermal Cracking to High BTU gases • Energy Recovery: • Combustion and Steam Cycle - 20-25% Efficiency - Gasification and Gas Engine - 25-30% - Integrated Gasification, Combined Cycle 3545% - gasification and Fuel Cell 45-50% • Environmental Benefits: - Less Gas Emissions - Lower Temperature and More Control 0* ML Flexible Chemical Processing Current Lab Focus • Expand Nylon -6 Work to Other Face Fiber Types - Co-processing - Block Operation • Refine Gasification Technology for Relevant Feedstocks • In-line Product Purification Process Development • New Reactor Systems • Cheaper Catalysts 0 NWL PET/Cotton Textiles MBMS Studies Performed to Identfy Conditions to Recover the Monomer from PET in Presence of Cellulose Minimal Formation of Cellulose Volatile Products Catalyst for PET Conversion also Catalyzes the Conversion of Cellulose to Char Char can be Gasified in Subsequent Step Issues: Low Value of Chemical Product Size of Plant that Results from Economics PET to MMT and DMT •|^XX|-XX.. * ....XK Uonom«lh|rl i«i»phth*U(« Oifflaltiyl lai«ptiUial*l <MM!| lOMII Temperature-Programmed Pyrolysls PET and PE with Catalyst Inltnsllr, Aiblinry Unlu lempemuit, C ******* Textiles in MSW, 1992 Product Category (feneration i'liou Ions Recovery Thou Ions % of Generation Discards Thou Ions Clothing/Footwear 3,514 176 5.0 3,338 Household Linens 1,137 57 5.0 1,080 Carpets 88S 9 1.0 876 Tires 260 34 13.1 226 Furniture/Furnishings 740 neg. 740 Miscellaneous 208 neg. 208 Total Textiles 6,744 276 4.1 6,468 Neg. = Negligible Source: Franklin Associates, Ltd. Polyester Cloth Isothermal/Methanol Temperature 10 15 Time, minutes 400 300 200 - 100 0 Polymer Recycling by Selective Pyrolysis Barriers to Success • Feedstock Costs and Supply • Technical Uncertainties - Conversion Performance - Product Value • Product Quality - Variable Feed Composition - Conversion Impurities • Return on Investment - Low Cost of Petroleum - Capital Investment Risk vs. Economy of Scale facyclirid for/ester frohl Myester/Cottoh Fabrics Waste Polyester/Cotton Fabrics — • — — — Pressurized Transesferification Polyester/Cotton Fabrics Manufacturing Polyester \ or Pyrolysis r̂  Residue I J Process energy J Polymerization Crude Dimethyl terephthalate 1 Purification Chemical Dimethyl terephthalate <£>Nf=L Flexible Chemical Processing Summary  • Integration of Caprolactam and Fiber Recovery - Smaller-Scale, Regional Operation - Energy Recovery From Residues by Gasification. • Process Developments: - Alternative Reactor Design to be Tested - Simple Purification Process Developed - Use of Calcium Carbonate as Catalyst • Recover Chemicals From PET in Textiles, etc: - Recovery of the PET monomer, DMT - Gasification of the cotton residue - Bench-Scale Work at NREL Continues 

An Integrated Approach to the Recovery of Fiber, Chemicals and Energy from Fibrous Textile and Carpet Waste

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An Integrated Approach to the Recovery of Fiber, Chemicals and Energy from Fibrous Textile and Carpet Waste

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