Thermofuel process catalytic converter/reaction tower

In the Thermofuel process the first reaction occurs in the pyrolysis chamber where the plastic is thermally pyrolyzed, causing random scission of carbon chain lengths. While secondary reactions occur in the catalytic converter (i.e. catalyst tower) where shorter carbon chains are reformed and further cracking of longer carbon chains occnrs such... 

The core technology of the Thermofuel process is the catalytic reaction tower (or catalytic converter, Figure 15.7). The catalytic reaction tower contains a system of plates made from a special catalytic metal alloy. The metal plates are positioned so that the hot pyrolytic gases must travel a tortuous path, in order to maximize contact area and time. The catalyst chamber is heated to 220°C using the exhaust gases (not pyrolysis gases) from the furnace of the pyrolysis chamber. 

Figure 15.6 Process flow for commercial pyrolysis plant (Thermofuel ) for converting waste plastics into diesel fuel. The plastic is heated to 375-425°C and the pyrolysis vapours are catalytically cracked and then selectively condensed. Note that the pyrolysis vessel is purged with nitrogen gas and that the hot pyrolytic vapours pass from the pyrolysis vessel to the catalytic reaction tower where they are cracked and reformed to give a high-purity diesel stream. (Reproduced by permission of Ozmotech Pty Ltd)...

Ozmotech have developed a Thermofuel process whereby waste plastic is converted into diesel by thermal degradation in the absence of oxygen. In this process the plastic waste is first melted and then cracked in a stainless steel chamber at a temperature of 350-425°C under inert gas (nitrogen). The catalytic reaction tower is designed in such a way that hot pyrolytic gases take a spiral or zigzag path to maximize contact area and time with the metal catalyst. The metal catalyst cracks hydrocarbon chains longer than C25 and reforms chains shorter than Ce. This leads to the formation of saturated alkanes. 

---

See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

---