Cellulose ester compositions derived from recycled plastic content syngas

Abstract

A process for preparing a recycle cellulose ester and a recycle cellulose ester composition and articles made with such recycle cellulose esters comprising at least one cellulose ester having at least one substituent on an anhydroglucose unit (AU) derived from recycled plastic content syngas are provided. The recycled plastic content syngas can be obtained by gasifying feedstocks containing a solid fossil fuel such as coal, a plastic, and water. The plastic can be post-consumer or postindustrial plastic.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A process for preparing a recycle cellulose ester (Recycle CE) comprising: (1) preparing a recycled plastic content syngas in a synthesis gas operation by gasifying a feedstock containing a solid fossil fuel source and at least some content of recycled plastics; (2) using the recycled plastic content syngas as a feedstock in a reaction scheme to produce at least one cellulose reactant for preparing a Recycle CE; and (3) reacting said at least one cellulose reactant to prepare at least one Recycle CE. 
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cellulose reactant is chosen from acetic acid, acetic anhydride, propionic acid, butyric acid, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one Recycle CE is chosen from cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose diacetate (CDA), cellulose triacetate (CTA), cellulose butyrate (CB), cellulose propionate (CP), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP), or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the reaction scheme to produce at least one cellulose reactant comprises one or more of the following reactions: (1) converting said recycled plastic content syngas to methanol; (2) reacting said methanol to produce acetic acid; (3) reacting said methanol and/or said acetic acid to produce methyl acetate; and (4) reacting said methyl acetate and/or said methanol to produce acetic anhydride. 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 4 , wherein the reaction scheme to produce at least one cellulose reactant comprises all of reactions (1) through (4). 
     
     
         6 . A cellulose ester composition comprising at least one cellulose ester prepared according to  claim 1 , wherein said cellulose ester has at least one substituent on an anhydroglucose unit (AGU) derived from recycled plastic content syngas. 
     
     
         7 . The cellulose ester composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the substituent is a combination of acetyl and propionyl functional groups, or a combination of acetyl and butyryl functional groups. 
     
     
         8 . The cellulose ester composition according to  claim 6 , wherein said at least one substituent is an acetyl functional group, and wherein the Recycle CE is cellulose di-acetate (CDA) or cellulose tri-acetate (CTA). 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the gasification feedstock comprises a liquid slurry that comprises coal and recycled plastics; and wherein the gasification process comprises gasifying said gasification feedstock in the presence of oxygen. 
     
     
         10 . An article comprising the cellulose ester composition according to  claim 6 . 
     
     
         11 . The article according to  claim 10 , wherein the article is a textile fabric. 
     
     
         12 . The article according to  claim 10 , wherein the article is a staple fiber, wherein the Recycle CE comprises cellulose acetate. 
     
     
         13 . An integrated process for preparing a Recycle CE which comprises the processing steps of: (1) preparing a recycled plastic content syngas in a synthesis gas operation utilizing a feedstock that contains a solid fossil fuel source and at least some content of recycled plastics; (2) preparing at least one chemical intermediate from said syngas; (3) reacting said chemical intermediate in a reaction scheme to prepare at least one cellulose reactant for preparing a Recycle CE, and/or selecting said chemical intermediate to be at least one cellulose reactant for preparing a Recycle CE; and (4) reacting said at least one cellulose reactant to prepare said Recycle CE; wherein said Recycle CE comprises at least one substituent on an anhydroglucose unit (AGU) derived from recycled plastic content syngas. 
     
     
         14 . The integrated process according to  claim 13 , wherein the processing steps (1) to (4) are carried out in a system that is in fluid and/or gaseous communication. 
     
     
         15 . The integrated process according to  claim 13 , wherein the recycled plastic content syngas is prepared by a process comprising:
 a. charging an oxidant and a feedstock composition to a gasification zone within a gasifier, said feedstock composition comprising a solid fossil fuel and up to 25 wt. %, or up to 20 wt. %, or up 15 wt. %, or up to 12 wt. %, or up to 10 wt. %, or up to 7 wt. %, or up to 5 wt. %, or less than 5 wt. % recycle plastics based on the weights of solids in the feedstock composition;   b. gasifying the feedstock composition together with the oxidant in a gasification zone to produce a syngas composition; and   c. discharging at least a portion of the syngas composition from the gasifier;   
       wherein the gasifier is an entrained flow gasifier. 
     
     
         16 . The integrated process according to  claim 13 , wherein the recycled plastic content syngas is prepared by a process comprising:
 a. charging an oxidant and a feedstock slurry composition to a gasification zone within a gasifier, said feedstock slurry composition comprising recycle plastics, a solid fossil fuel, and water, wherein either (i) the amount of plastics is up to 25 wt. %, or up to 20 wt. %, or up 15 wt. %, or up to 12 wt. %, or up to 10 wt. %, or up to 7 wt. %, or up to 5 wt. %, or less than 5 wt. % based on the weight of the solids in the feedstock slurry or (ii) 90 wt. % of the plastics have a particle size in the largest dimension of not more than 2 mm;   b. gasifying the feedstock composition together with the oxidant in a gasification zone to produce a syngas composition; and   c. discharging at least a portion of the syngas composition from the gasifier,    wherein at least one of the following conditions is present:
 (i) gasification within the gasification zone is conducted at a temperature of at least 1000° C., or 
 (ii) the pressure within the gasification zone greater than 2.7 MPa, or 
 (iii) the feedstock composition is a slurry, or 
 (iv) no steam is introduced to the gasifier that flows into the gasification zone, or 
 (v) the recycle plastics are pre-ground such that at least 90% of the particles have a particle size of less than 2 mm, or 
 (vi) the tar yield is less than 4 wt. %, or 
 (vii) the gasifier contains no membrane wall in the gasification zone, or 
 (viii) a combination of two or more of the above conditions. 
   
     
     
         17 . The integrated process according to  claim 13 , wherein the feedstock is in the form of a feedstock slurry composition comprising recycle plastics, a solid fossil fuel, and water, wherein the recycle plastics have a particle size of not more than 2 mm, and the solid fossil fuel in the feedstock composition has a particle size of less than 2 mm, the solids content in the slurry is at least 62 wt. % (or at least 65 wt. %, or at least 68 wt. %, or at least 69 wt. %, or at least 70 wt. %), the amount of recycle plastics present in the feedstock stream slurry composition is 0.1 wt. % and either up to 25 wt. %, or up to 20 wt. %, or up 15 wt. %, or up to 12 wt. %, or up to 10 wt. %, or up to 7 wt. %, or up to 5 wt. %, or less than 5 wt. % based on the weight of all solids, and the water is at least 20 wt. % based on the weight of the feedstock slurry composition, and wherein either:
 a. the slurry is stable as determined by having an initial viscosity of 100,000 cP or less at 5 minutes, or 10 minutes, or 15 minutes, or 20 minutes, or 25 minutes, or even for 30 minutes using a Brookfield R/S Rheometer equipped with V80-40 vane operating at a shear rate of 1.83/s or a Brookfield viscometer with an LV-2 spindle rotating at a rate of 0.5 rpm, measured at ambient conditions; or   b. the slurry is pumpable as determined by having a viscosity of less than 30,000 cP, or 25,000 cP or less, or not more than 23,000 cP, or not more than 20,000 cP, or not more than 18,000 cP, or not more than 15,000 cP, or not more than 13,000 cP, after mixing to obtain a homogeneous distribution of solids throughout the slurry and using a Brookfield R/S Rheometer equipped with V80-40 vane operating at a shear rate of 1.83/s or a Brookfield viscometer with an LV-2 spindle rotating at a rate of 0.5 rpm Brookfield R/S Rheometer equipped with V80-40 vane operating at a shear rate of 1.83/s or a Brookfield viscometer with an LV-2 spindle rotating at a rate of 0.5 rpm Brookfield R/S Rheometer equipped with V80-40 vane operating at a shear rate of 1.83/s or a Brookfield viscometer with an LV-2 spindle rotating at a rate of 0.5 rpm, measured at ambient conditions, or   c. both.   
     
     
         18 . The integrated process according to  claim 13 , wherein the amount of plastics present in the feedstock stream is from 0.1 wt. % to less than 25 wt. %, based on the weight of all solids; and wherein at least 80 wt. % of all feedstock other than solid fossil fuels in the feedstock stream fed to the gasifier is plastics. 
     
     
         19 . The integrated process according to  claim 13 , wherein the feedstock comprises recycled plastic of a type chosen from acrylobutadienestyrene (ABS), cellulosics, epoxy, polyamides, phenolic resins, polyacetal, polycarbonates, polyesters, high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, crosslinked polyethylene, polyphenylene-based alloys, polypropylene and copolymers thereof, other polyolefins, polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), polytetrafluoroethylene, styrenic containing polymers, polyurethane, vinyl-based polymers, styrene acrylonitrile, thermoplastic elastomers other than tires, thermosetting polymers, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The integrated process according to  claim 13 , wherein the Recycle CE is biodegradable.