How to turn plastic waste into diesel fuel cheaply

[lowriderzzz]

I use a simple reflux still that I made years ago for methanol recovery in my biodiesel business. It is made from a steel oildrum and has an electric element controlled by a PID controller. The reflux column id 1" copper pipe and the water cooled condenser is also made from copper pipe. The diagram shows it set up for methanol. To extract naphtha from my crude I simply adjust the temperature to 85C.

So you re heat the produced liquid again to 85C and vaporize it and then liquidize once again ?

Do you only do this for kerosine ? If I aim for making diesel should this process be necessary ? Thanks

[imakebiodiesel]

I use a simple reflux still that I made years ago for methanol recovery in my biodiesel business. It is made from a steel oildrum and has an electric element controlled by a PID controller. The reflux column id 1" copper pipe and the water cooled condenser is also made from copper pipe. The diagram shows it set up for methanol. To extract naphtha from my crude I simply adjust the temperature to 85C.


IMB Biodiesel Processors

[lowriderzzz]

My typical output is 92% kerosene and 8% light naphtha. At present I collect all of it in one condenser and then put it into a simple still with a short reflux column. I raise the temperature up to 85C and hold it there for about 15-20 minutes. This distills all of the light naphtha and leaves a kerosene fuel with a flash point of 40C, SG .775 and viscosity of 23mm/s. this is a close match for commercial kerosene.
In a processor I am planning I will incorporate a naphtha condenser that will do this job straight from the retort.

Can you give some more details about the this simple still (design and catalyst mixture inside). Do you share your proportion and type of catalyst that you use.

thanks

[Beyond Biodiesel]

I see the eventual market for this technology, at least in Europe, as small to medium sized. Factories, farms, supermarkets and other businesses have waste plastic that they must pay to have recycled. They can install a pyrolyser and perhaps once a week process their own waste into kerosene that they can use for heating their homes and workspaces.
This way we can bypass Big Oil, rather than go into competition with them.

That is my focus. I am not interested in building a large commercial operation, but promoting small scale, grass-roots, off-grid applications.

[imakebiodiesel]

Thank you, I will pass your greeting on to my son.
Most of our research over the last 2 years has been on developing the catalyst and in this we have been successful. My focus is now on the equipment. I believe that the batch processor is not the way to go. Waste plastic is very bulky and requires a very large retort. A large retort is very slow and expensive to heat. So I am developing a continuous processor. The shredded plastic will be melted and extruded into the retort while kerosene, naphtha, gas and, residual wax will be continuously drawn off.

I see the eventual market for this technology, at least in Europe, as small to medium sized. Factories, farms, supermarkets and other businesses have waste plastic that they must pay to have recycled. They can install a pyrolyser and perhaps once a week process their own waste into kerosene that they can use for heating their homes and workspaces.
This way we can bypass Big Oil, rather than go into competition with them.

[jonathan]

retort sealant

thanks for help my friends

[sunilkm153]

still no commercial plan

I am in contact with Asad by email but unfortunately his login to this forum has been blocked for some time. His good sense and wide knowlege is much missed.
I have produced some white spirit from plastic pyrolysis. As you may already know I take all of my fuel in one mixture and separate it later. I heat the mixture up to 90C and hold it there until the output from the still almost stops. This very light fraction is light naphtha. ( can be sold as cigarette lighter fuel).
I then increase the still temperature to 215C and hold it there until the output almost stops. This fraction is White Spirit. It contains mostly C7 to C12 alkanes.
As Asad mentioned there are almost no restrictions on producing, marketing and transporting White Spirits in most countries and it sells for considerably more than motor or heating fuel.

Thank you dear friend for responding promptly since last several days I regularly go through pages of this blog currently I am on page no 55
and today I discovered that you along with your son (who got prize for the same , accept my greetings it may be late but better to be late then never) engaged from long time in this project still why you don't go for large scale or commercial production are you not satisfied still with your pilot plant or simply you are not interested in commercial production

[imakebiodiesel]

Providing it can fill any irregularities in the flange , the thinner a gasket is the better. It is important to anneal (soften) the copper before fitting. Once you have it cut to shape heat it to a red heat and allow to cool . Tighten the bolts down gradually down to a uniform torque. A well made copper gasket should withstand very high pressure at very high temperatures for a long time.

[Excalibur]

l am going to try retort copper gasket if someone can help me how much l will make gasket thickness? l am worry if l make it 4mm or more id doesnt seal good maybe 2mm is better thanks

For comparison, a typical motorcycle engine from the day when copper head gaskets were the norm, 1mm - 1.5mm thickness was common.
Last year I made a replacement motorcycle head gasket from a scrap copper water tank. It was easy to cut and shape so am hoping it works well for our needs on a pyrolysis unit.

[jonathan]

retort sealant

l am going to try retort copper gasket if someone can help me how much l will make gasket thickness? l am worry if l make it 4mm or more id doesnt seal good maybe 2mm is better thanks

[imakebiodiesel]

captn Cook, in theory it is possible to pyrolyse different materials in one retort and in some cases there are advantages. For instance co cracking rubber crumb with wmo improves the heat penetration and distribution. But with plastics I would not mix other materials. Pyrolysing plastics is a very clean process leaving a non toxic, valuable byproduct. If you mix in other stuff your residue will be dirty and toxic and your fuel is likely to be contaminated as well.

IMB Biodiesel Processors

[Beyond Biodiesel]

My typical output is 92% kerosene and 8% light naphtha. At present I collect all of it in one condenser and then put it into a simple still with a short reflux column. I raise the temperature up to 85C and hold it there for about 15-20 minutes. This distills all of the light naphtha and leaves a kerosene fuel with a flash point of 40C, SG .775 and viscosity of 23mm/s. this is a close match for commercial kerosene.
In a processor I am planning I will incorporate a naphtha condenser that will do this job straight from the retort.

I noticed that the OP fractionated his fluid stream, which seemed to make a lot of sense to me, as oil refineries work this way, and I used to work at one. So, I built a series of heated condensers at the cuts 300c, 200c, 100c, then cooled condensers at 25c and 0c.

I have spent a year fine tuning my series of condensers and get a fairly good product. Fractionating on the fly, as I call it, saves me time and energy, as my pyrolysis unit is fully solar powered, so it is best to get the entire run completed before I lose solar gain at the end of the day.

Right now I am still only distilling WMO, but once I have the WMO distillation system fully debugged, then I plan to use it as the down stream system for a plastics pyrolysis unit, and a wood gas extractor to fractionate the output from the plastics pyrolysis unit and the wood gas extractor. When it is all in place I should be able to make fuel out of nearly anything.

[CaptainCook]

First of all, wow - that's impressive and I want to try it! Thnak you for sharing.

Do you have to separate the different kinds of material or do you think you could put shredded plastic, tires and charcoal together?

[imakebiodiesel]

My typical output is 92% kerosene and 8% light naphtha. At present I collect all of it in one condenser and then put it into a simple still with a short reflux column. I raise the temperature up to 85C and hold it there for about 15-20 minutes. This distills all of the light naphtha and leaves a kerosene fuel with a flash point of 40C, SG .775 and viscosity of 23mm/s. this is a close match for commercial kerosene.
In a processor I am planning I will incorporate a naphtha condenser that will do this job straight from the retort.

[Ron Hammar]

thanks excalibur l will try find a shop to buy copper l will try ebay thanks all of you

Go to a scrape yard. I just got a roll of copper tin about 14" wide and about 8lb for $5.00 a pound.