Solid waste alcohol from

Solid waste discharges from chemical plants can represent very large problems, especially from paper mills, plastics plants, and food processing plants. Some materials do not decompose in the environment, and can become burdens when they accumulate. Some polymers have backbones that degrade in nature, such as aliphatic polyesters and polyvinyl alcohols others do not, such as polyethylene and polystyrene. 

Recovery of Riologieal Conversion Products Biological conversion produces that can be derived from solid wastes include compost, methane, various proteins and alcohols, and a variety of other intermediate organic compounds. The principal processes that have been used are reported in Table 25-64. Composting and anaerobic digestion, the two most highly developed processes, are considered further. The recovery of gas from landfills is discussed in the portion of this sec tion dealing with ultimate disposal. 

Ethanol, or grain alcohol, is an alcohol fuel widely used as automotive fuel. It can be made from a variety of feedstocks, mainly grains, forest resides, and solid waste. It can be used in its pure form, but is more widely used in a blended form. Gasoline blends (90% gasoline/10% ethanol) have been widely used in many areas of the country. Ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) is a feedstock for reformulated gasoline based on ethanol. 

Methanol, CH3OH, is a clear liquid and also the simplest of the alcohols, with one carbon atom per molecule. Methanol is extensively used today, the U.S. demand in 2002 was over a billion gallons. Methanol is mainly synthesized from natural gas, it can also be produced from a number of C02-free sources including municipal solid waste and plant matter. 

Hydrolysis of cellulosic materials from pulp and paper and municipal solid wastes to produce alcohol degradation of grain, fruit and vegetable wastes to produce glucose syrups [64]... 

Leachates from ISW and municipal solid waste (MSW) sites contain complex mixtures of toxic chemicals. These include heavy metals (iron, nickel, zinc, manganese, chromium, cadmium, and lead) as well as numerous organic compounds (including aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs, alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and pesticides). Specific compositions of leachates vary with pH, soil type, and specific chemicals contained in the sites. All ISW and MSW sites, however, leach toxic mixtures of chemicals. 

A scheme to utilize cellulose as a renewable resource, developed by Prof. A.E, Humphrey, is shown in Figure 1. Cellulose from either crops or solid wastes can be converted into enzymes, proteins, sugar,alcohols and other biochemical products for food, energy or consumer products. The pretreatment of bagasse requisite for fermentation also adds to its cost as a potential substrate. It is concluded that direct fermentation of cellulose still is several years away. 

Biofuel—a solid or liquid fuel made from plant material (biomass) includes wood, wood waste, wood liquors, peat, railroad ties, wood sludge, spent sulfite liquors, agricultural waste, straw, tires, fish oils, tall oil, sludge waste, waste alcohol, municipal solid waste, landfill gases, other waste, and ethanol blended into motor gasoline. 

Cyclohexanedimethanol (47) starts from dimethyl terephthalate. The aromatic ring is hydrogenated in methanol to dimethyl cyclohexane- 1,4-dicarboxylate (hexahydro-DMT) and the ester groups are further reduced under high pressure to the bis primary alcohol, usually as a 68/32 mixture of trans and cis forms. The mixed diol is a sticky low melting solid, mp 45—50°C. It is of interest that waste PET polymer may be direcdy hydrogenated in methanol to cyclohexanedimethanol (48). 

Experiment 30. — Fill the 500 cc. flask, C, half full of watei known to contain the impurities mentioned in Exp. 29, add a few crystals (3 or 4) of potassium permanganate, and connect with the condenser as shown in Fig. 37. Attach the inlet tube to the faucet, fill the condenser slowdy, and regulate the current so that a small stream flows continuously from the outlet tube into the sink or waste pipe. Heat the liquid in C gradually, and when it boils, regulate the heat so that the ebullition is not too violent. Collect about 25 cc. in the receiver, D. Test separate portions of this distillate for organic matter, chlorides, sulphates, and calcium compounds. Is organic matter found Is mineral matter found If the liquid in C had contained some volatile substance like alcohol, ammonia, or hydrochloric acid, where would this volatile matter have been at the end of the operation Can water be separated from any solid by distillation Sketch the apparatus used in this experiment. 

According to another process (12) an extract prepared from oak wood, such as is used in making the usual storage vats, is added. The wood, which may be the heart of the larger branches of the trees or the waste obtained in making casks, is disintegrated and submitted to two successive extractions with aqueous alcohol and a final extraction with water. The alcoholic extracts are distilled in vacuo at a low temperature, the residue is added to the aqueous extract, and the mixture is evaporated in vacuo to obtain the extract in the form of a dry solid. 

Ideally, fuel sources for cooking and distilling fuel alcohol would come from solid fuels, such as coal, wood and crop residues. Such practice would minimize the amount of high-quality liquid and gaseous fuels consumed for heating and increase the total quantity of liquid fuels available. Alternative fuels include natural and LP gas and fuel oil alcohol product mined solid fuels (coal, peat, anthracite) crop and forest residues, farm and forest fuel crops and combustible wastes methane gas produced from animal wastes and biomass and solar radiation. 

Nearly 5 million metric tons of citrus peel and pulp waste materials are produced annually In the manufacturing of concentrated citrus juices In Florida. Although these materials are currently processed Into cattle feed, they are rich In polysaccharides and can be considered as a source of dietary fiber. Alcohol-Insoluble solids (AIS) of 3 different fractions of the processing residues discharged from commercial juice manufacturing equipment were analyzed for pectin, easily hydrolyzable polysaccharides, and cellulose. Two varieties of orange and one of grapefruit that are the predominant citrus fruit used in Juice production were included In this study. 

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