Process For Conversion of Organic, Waste, or Low-Value Materials into Useful Products

Abstract

The present invention addresses the processing of waste and low-value products to produce useful materials in reliable purities and compositions, at acceptable cost, without producing malodorous emissions, and with high energy efficiency. In particular, the invention comprises a multi-stage process that converts various feedstocks such as offal, animal manures, municipal sewage sludge, tires, and plastics, that otherwise have little commercial value, to useful materials including gas, oil, specialty chemicals, and carbon solids. The process subjects the feedstock to heat and pressure, separates out various components, then further applies heat and pressure to one or more of those components. Various materials produced at different points in the process may be recycled and used to play other roles within the process. The invention further comprises an apparatus for performing a multi-stage process of converting waste products into useful materials, and at least one oil product that arises from the process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for converting a carbon-containing feedstock into at least one useful material, comprising:
 a pre-treatment unit for producing a heated slurry from the feedstock;   a first stage reactor communicating with said vessel to receive said heated slurry, said first stage reactor configured to subject said heated slurry to a first increased temperature and a first increased pressure to produce a reacted feed that comprises at least one reacted solid product, at least one reacted liquid product, and water;   at least one second stage separation unit communicating with the first stage reactor to receive the at least one solid product, at least one liquid product, and water, said unit configured to separate out said at least one reacted solid product, said water, and said at least one reacted liquid product; and   a third stage reactor communicating with the separation unit to receive said at least one reacted liquid product, said third stage reactor configured to subject the at least one reacted liquid product to a second increased pressure and a second increased temperature, thereby converting the at least one reacted liquid product to at least one useful material.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-treatment unit comprises:
 a feedstock preparation unit, including a slurrying device to create a feedstock slurry from the feedstock;   a vessel communicating with the feedstock preparation unit to receive the feedstock slurry from said feedstock preparation unit, a pump configured to pressurize said slurry, and a heat exchanger configured to heat said slurry, to produce the heated slurry.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first increased pressure is about 20-120 atmospheres. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said pressure is about 50 atmospheres. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said first reaction takes place at a temperature in the range about 150° C. to about 330° C. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first stage reactor additionally drives off steam that is redirected to the feedstock preparation unit. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a unit for receiving a portion of the at least one reacted liquid product and converting said portion into at least one specialty chemical. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second increased temperature is between about 400° C. and about 600° C., and the second increased pressure is about 15 to about 50 psi above atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , configured to accept a feedstock comprising rubber materials. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , configured to accept a feedstock comprising food processing waste. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , configured to accept a feedstock comprising mixed plastics. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , configured to accept a feedstock comprising municipal sewage sludge. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a storage unit for the at least one useful material. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one useful material comprises carbon solids. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one useful material comprises a mixture of carboxylic oil or hydrocarbons including a fuel oil.