Gasification of post-consumer tires and solid fossil fuels to produce organic compounds

Abstract

Tires are co-fed into a solid fossil fuel such as coal and fed into an entrained flow partial oxidation gasifier. High concentrations of solids and tires in the solids stream can be stably obtained without significant impact on the feedstock stream stability and pumpability. A consistent quality of syngas can be continuously produced while stably operating the gasifier and avoiding the high tar generation of waste gasifiers and without impacting the operations of the gasifier. The subsequent syngas produced from this material can be used to produce a wide range of chemicals.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A process for producing an organic compound from a syngas composition comprising:
 a. charging an oxidant and a feedstock composition comprising post-consumer recycled materials and a solid fossil fuel to a gasification zone comprising a gasifier; wherein said post-consumer recycle material comprises post-consumer tires;   b. gasifying the feedstock composition together with the oxidant in said gasification zone of a gasifier to produce said syngas composition; and   c. producing said organic compound from said syngas composition.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein said organic compound comprises at least one substituent; and wherein said substituent comprises an acetyl functional group. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 2  wherein the feedstock composition comprises coal. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to any one of  claim 3 , wherein the feedstock composition comprises a liquid slurry; wherein said liquid slurry comprises coal and post-consumer recycled materials chosen from recycled tires, recycled plastic or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The process according to any one of  claim 4 , wherein gasifying said feedstock composition occurs in the presence of oxygen. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to one of  claim 5  wherein said organic compound is any chemical that has a syngas composition as an intermediate. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to any one of  claim 6  wherein said organic compound comprises acetic acid, methanol, methyl acetate, acetate, acetic anhydride, C2-C5 oxygenated compounds, formaldehyde, dimethyl ether, MTBE (Methyl tert-butyl ether), oxo products, aldehydes, or isobutene. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to any one of  claim 1  wherein said organic compound comprises acetic acid, methanol, methyl acetate, acetate, acetic anhydride, C2-C5 oxygenated compounds, formaldehyde, dimethyl ether, MTBE, oxo products, aldehydes, or isobutene. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to any one of  claim 8  wherein said organic compound comprises at least one selected from acetic acid, methanol, methyl acetate, acetate, or acetic anhydride. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 9  wherein said post-consumer tires comprise at least 70 wt. % truck and/or bus tires, based on the weight of the tires used in the feedstock composition. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 10  wherein said post-consumer tires do not receive a thermal treatment prior to their introduction into the gasification zone or their introduction to one or more components of a feedstock composition, wherein the thermal treatment is to subject the tires to a temperature above 58° C. 
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 11 , wherein no part of the feedstock composition is torrefied, and no part of the solids in the feedstock composition were torrefied prior to their use in the feedstock composition. 
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 12 , wherein the post-consumer tires are pre-ground prior to addition to the fossil fuel(s) to produce pre-ground tires. 
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 13 , wherein the average content of minerals, metals and elements other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur, in the pre-ground tires is at least 0.5 wt. 
     
     
         15 . The process according to  claim 12 , wherein the average content of minerals, metals and elements other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur, in the pre-ground tires is at least 0.5 wt. %, and in each case does not exceed 5 wt. %. 
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the average content of minerals, metals and elements other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur, in the pre-ground tires is at least 0.8 wt. %, and in each case does not exceed 5 wt. %. 
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the post-consumer tires are pre-ground prior to addition to the fossil fuel(s) to produce pre-ground tires. 
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 2 , wherein the post-consumer tires are pre-ground prior to addition to the fossil fuel(s) to produce pre-ground tires. 
     
     
         19 . The process according to one of  claim 1  wherein said organic compound is any chemical that has a syngas composition as an intermediate. 
     
     
         20 . The process according to one of  claim 2  wherein said organic compound is any chemical that has a syngas composition as an intermediate.