MX2008005026A - Process of conversion of organic and non-organic waste materials into useful products - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to the conversion of waste and low- value materials into useful products in reliable purities in a cost-effective and energy-efficient manner. More specifially, the invention provides processes that can handle mixed streams of various feedstocks, e.g. shredder residue, offal, animal manures, municipal sewage sludge, tires, and plastics, that otherwise have little commercial value, to useful products 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, according to processes based on thermal or catalytic cracking. The invention further comprises an apparatus for performing a multi-stage process of converting waste materials into useful materials, and at least one oil product that arises from the process. Useful products can also be obtained or derived from materials diverted at different points of the process.

Description

PROCESS OF CONVERSION OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC WASTE MATERIALS IN USEFUL PRODUCTS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to the processing of waste or low value materials to form useful products. More specifically, the invention relates to a process and apparatus for converting industrial, agricultural and other waste or low value materials containing carbon-based compounds to commercially useful products such as fuel oil, fertilizer and specialty organic chemicals. . The invention also reduces the potential for environmental contamination arising from inorganic waste streams.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has been recognized for a long time that much of the waste materials generated by human society can, in the end, be disintegrated into a small number of simple organic materials that have their own intrinsic value. The ability to implement such a transformation in an energy efficient manner and on a sufficiently large scale would be a tremendous benefit to society. REF .: 192317 Most of the existing materials, as well as most of the synthetic organic substances used in domestic and commercial applications, comprise carbon-based polymers of various compositions. Under appropriate conditions, most such materials, including wood, coal, plastics, tires, and animal waste - will disintegrate into a mixture of gaseous products, oils, and coal. Materials such as agricultural waste materials may also contain inorganic substances that disintegrate into mineral products. Almost all of these products, whether organic or inorganic, can enjoy new lives in a range of beneficial and often lucrative applications. Not only is the principle of creating useful materials from otherwise useless waste: the recycling of waste materials is of fundamental importance to the way in which the growing human population will face greater challenges in the century 21. Two major challenges facing humanity are to cope with a finite supply of materials and energy, and with a reduction in the growing threat to the environment from global warming. Of course, an idea that is rapidly gaining acceptance is that the recycling of carbon-based materials from within the biosphere instead of introducing new sources of carbon from underground oil, natural gas and coal deposits could mitigate the warming global. Today, industries that produce large volumes of waste materials that comprise mainly organic materials, face enormous challenges in the disposal and storage of these wastes, as well as the conversion of these for maximum beneficial use. A case in point, the food processing industry around the world generates billions of kilograms of organically rich waste per year. These wastes are associated with the processing of animal and plant products, and include processing waste from turkeys, fish, poultry, pigs and livestock, and agricultural waste. The food processing industry continues to grow and its members face significant economic and environmental pressures to do something productive with their waste materials. Such waste materials give rise to a number of critical problems. The generation of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane through landfills, land application or indigestion of food waste, without any other benefit, is a problem of this type. Ideally, the food industry should adopt efficient and economical ways to manage waste without discharging odorous or objectionable contaminants.

More recently, the cost of storing useless by-products in many areas is growing in significance. Since the types of waste materials that can be fed to agricultural products are becoming increasingly regulated. For example, following the BSE / CJD alarms in Europe, many waste materials are simply being stored, pending an appropriate destination. Clearly, there is an additional urgent need to find an acceptable means to process and use such materials cleanly. Preferably, a way to convert food processing waste into high value, useful products needs to be found. An additional impulse to seek treatment alternatives is the combined enforcement of waste water discharge regulations and the scaling of drainage overloads. The food processing industry should look for low-cost technologies to provide pre-treatment or complete treatment of its wastewater and solid (wet) waste. Historically, food processing facilities located within or adjacent to municipalities have relied on local public property treatment works (POTWs) to treat wastewater disposal. Increasingly, this option is becoming less available, as a result of more rigorous enforcement. The pressure to comply with the discharge permits for waste water has increased. The decrease in federal permits for the construction of new and updated POTWs also means that this option is less attractive. In this way, the food processing industry is being increasingly pressured to consider more effective ways of disposing of its inedible products. Bioaccumulation of persistent chemicals such as dioxins and the potential for the spread of life-threatening diseases such as Crazy Cow Disease (BSE) is another threat to food processors and similarly to food consumers. . This threat is greatly exacerbated by the feedback of food processing residues to farm animals. Food processors need economic solutions to break this cycle. The treatment of industrial waste, namely waste from crushers, likewise presents another challenge. While most of the components of end-of-life automobiles, domestic and commercial appliances, can be recycled, reused or recovered, a significant portion is left in the crushing process and finds its way to the landfill. The disposal of waste from crushers is made more difficult by the toxic materials found, for example, cadmium, lead, mercury, and other heavy metals. Due to the limited amount of space available for use in the landfill and the increasing costs of hazardous waste disposal, an alternative solution is necessary. The automotive and recycling industries are currently under pressure to consider ways to optimize shredder waste in a low-cost, energy-efficient way. In addition, authorities responsible for municipal and regional sewers are requiring industries to reduce their demand for organic biochemical oxygen (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and the loading of solids into sewers. Due to the high concentrations of BOD typically found in wastewater from high-strength food processes, with high levels of suspended solids, ammonia and protein compounds, the food processing industry is under additional scrutiny. Food processing facilities need low-cost and application-specific treatment technologies to manage their wastewater and solid waste effectively.

Similar problems are multiplied, amplified and augmented in many different ways across other industries. For example, the generation of foul-smelling air emissions associated with service provision plants - which convert animal wastes by heat to fats and proteins - is one such problem. Another is the land application of municipal biosolids that contain high concentrations of pathogens. There have been various procedures developed to process used waste tires, that is, from trucks and passenger vehicles, into useful products that include fuels, petroleum oils, carbon, fuel gases and food materials for the manufacture of tires and other rubber products. Typically, these schemes involve heating and dissolving the tires in solvents. Some of the schemes attempt to de-vulcanize the tire rubber, for example, by breaking the sulfur bonds connecting the constituent polymers along their lengths. Others try to depolymerize the rubber material. The depolymerization breaks the long chain polymers into a composition of smaller subunits with greater fluidity and greater utility, such as fuel oil. Some schemes involve the use of water under conditions near or above its critical point (~ 224.9 kg / cm2 (3,200 psi) and ~ 370 ° C) in which water can be an effective solvent for and reactive with the material of tire feeding. However, such schemes are inefficient in energy by virtue of the amount of energy necessary to achieve supercritical conditions. The processing to supercritical conditions is also not low cost since it requires superalloy operation equipment, expensive. A number of organic materials have been considered for the dissolution of the tire material to form a heavy oil or a devulcanized rubber product. Existing schemes that operate in modest conditions (<14.06 kg / cm2) (<200 psi)) generally produce heavy contaminated products, while those that use lighter solvents produce better products, but also require a more expensive solvent or higher operating pressure (> 140.6 kg / cm2 (> 2,000 psi)) or both. In addition, most schemes use a solvent to dissolve the tire material are not economical due to the loss of a certain fraction of the solvent during the process and the cost associated with the reconstitution of the solvent, even in cases where they can be practiced. recovery and reuse of the solvent. Aerobic and anaerobic digesters have been used in wastewater treatment plants to treat municipal pipe sludge. There are a number of problems associated with its use. The basic principle behind its operation is that biologically rich materials are directed to large maintenance vessels that contain bacteria that digest biological materials. Typically, the dissolved solids are directed to an aerobic digester, and the suspended solids are directed to an anaerobic digester. Once the nutritional food materials are depleted, the microbes can no longer be sustainable and die. The final product of the digestion period is an achievement that contains dead bacteria and that must be discarded in a certain way. A problem with the resulting material is that it still contains pathogens. Problems with the entire process, in general, include that the retention times in the digester containers can be as long as 17 days, and that the operating conditions are difficult to maintain. For example, the relatively large container (typically with a diameter of 6-9 meters (20-30 feet) in diameter) is usually maintained above 29.5 ° C (85 ° F) and in some cases above 50 ° C ( 122 ° F). All disposal technologies currently available for industries, particularly the food processing industry, have significant inconvenient limitations that provide an incentive to look for alternative processes. This applies to technologies in addition to the use of existing POTWs. In particular, four types of procedures, land disposal, landfills, compost, land application), biotreatment, traditional thermal oxidation treatments such as incineration / combustion, and pyrolysis / gasification, all have separate drawbacks. Disadvantages for land disposal include: high hauling or transportation costs, significant potential for land water contamination by leaching, and exposure of area residents to high concentrations of hazardous pollutants (such as pathogens in the case of land application).

Landfills produce gases that can create air pollution problems, including the generation of greenhouse gases. Biotreatment of waste also has its disadvantages. The process is difficult to control and its operation is equally difficult to verify. What also works the process, depends largely on whether an adequate air flow, for example an oxygenation medium, is provided to the soil where aerobic bacteria are involved. In addition, bacteria that may have been developed to consume specific compounds, when placed in the soil, will activate alternative enzymatic systems to consume the most readily available compounds. The drawbacks associated with older incineration or combustion units include the need to add equipment or components to meet increasing air pollution emission standards. It may also take more time to obtain air discharge permits for incinerators than for other technologies, due to significant problems in the community regarding incineration. In addition, the waste treatment in the exhaust medium that treats large volumes of gas, so that a very large plant equipment is required. The feedstock is also low in calorific value. Some incinerators are not compatible with solid fuels or solid waste, as these materials will begin to oxidize too high in the kiln. Conversely, the high moisture content in the feed materials is also a problem because during the incineration or combustion the water is vaporized and eliminated - a process that requires approximately 555.55 kilocalories / kilogram (Kcal / kg) (1,000 Btu / pound) of vaporized water. This represents very large heat / energy losses for the system. The last category of technique used pyrolysis / gasification - is attractive because, contrary to the other mentioned, it tries to convert the waste into usable materials, such as oils and coal. Of primary interest in the ways to implement the disintegration of waste materials, is to find a means to control the composition of the resulting products, while minimizing the amount of energy necessary to effect disintegration. In general, the methods of pyrolysis, and gasification used in the past were aimed at disintegrating the waste materials and a one-stage process, but it has been found that a simple stage offers inadequate control over the purity and composition of the products. final. The pyrolyzers have been used to disintegrate organic materials to gas, oils and tar and carbonaceous materials. A pyrolyzer allows the heating of organic materials at high temperatures, ~ 400-500 ° C, but has poor energy efficiency and gives little control over the composition of the resulting materials. In particular, most waste materials - especially those that are original from agricultural sources - contain up to 50% water. To effect disintegration, pyrolyzers in the art could heat the water to boiling using a process that demands a lot of energy. In addition, a pyrolysis chamber is typically large in size to maximize performance. However, the use of a large chamber also has unfortunate side effects of generating significant temperature gradients throughout the chamber resulting in uneven heating of poor quality or impure waste materials and final products. The gasifiers have been used to achieve a partial combustion of the waste materials. In essence, a gas - usually air, oxygen or steam - is passed over the waste materials in an amount that is insufficient to oxidize all the combustible material. In this way, some products of combustion such as C02, H20, CO, H2 and light hydrocarbons are produced, and the heat generated converts the remaining waste materials into oils, gases, and carbonaceous material. The gases produced will contain some of the incoming gases, but any gases that are produced are too bulky to be stored, and must be used immediately or transported in pipeline to a place where they can be used. The gasifiers also suffer from some of the same drawbacks as pyrolyzers, for example, high energy consumption in the water content of vaporization of the waste material. The products of the pyrolysis and gasification methods also tend to contain unacceptably high levels of impurities. In particular, materials containing sulfur and chlorine in the waste materials give rise, respectively, to sulfur-containing compounds such as mercaptans, and organic chlorides in the resulting final products. Typically, chlorinated hydrocarbons at levels of 1-2 ppm can be tolerated in hydrocarbon oils, but neither gasification nor pyrolysis methods can guarantee such a low level with any reliability. In addition, the pyrolysis and gasification methods have low efficiencies, typically around 30%. One reason for this is that the products are not optimal in terms of calorific content. Another reason is that a single-stage process can not quickly produce materials in a form from which the energy can be efficiently handled and recycled in the process. For example, it is difficult to capture thermal energy in the solid products that are produced and re-directed to it to assist in the heating of the reaction vessel. As detailed above, the pyrolysis / gasification methods suffer in various ways. The oil product is generally rich in undesirable components of high viscosity such as tar and asphalt. The pyrolysis and gasification processes have poor heat transfer properties and consequently do not heat up uniformly. Therefore, final products vary greatly in number with little of the quantity or quality sufficient for economic recovery. Wet feed materials require significant energy to vaporize and represent large energy losses to the system, since water is released as a gas in the pile. In summary, pyrolysis / gasification has a high overall operating cost, is capital intensive, and produces some by-products of no value or limited value. Although there have been many variants of the pyrolysis and gasification methods, all of which have suffered from widely similar drawbacks, a recent advance has allowed significant increases in processing efficiency. For example, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,269,947, 5,360,553 and 5,543,061 describe the systems that replace the single-stage process of the previous methods with a two-stage process. In a Hydrolysis Stage (often referred to as the "wet" stage), the waste materials are subjected to heat around 200-250 ° C, and about 20-120 atmospheres of pressure. In preferred embodiments, the waste materials are subjected to a pressure of about 50 atmospheres. Under such conditions, the water content of the waste material hydrolyzes much of the biopolymers such as fats and proteins, which may be present to form a mixture of oils. In a second stage (often called the "dry" stage), the mixture is vaporized instantaneously at a low pressure, during which about half of the water is removed as steam. The mixture is further heated to evaporate the remaining water, while the final mixture disintegrates into gaseous products, oil and coal. The main breakthrough of these two-stage methods, was to allow the generation of higher quality and more useful mixtures of oils than any previous single-stage process. However, the products of such methods still suffer from contamination problems, from materials such as sulfur and chlorine containing compounds, and the need to evaporate a significant portion of the water still involves the substantial energy penalty. Thus, the previous two-step methods have been difficult to become commercially viable. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of processing low value wastes and products to produce useful materials in reliable purities and compositions, at acceptable material and operating cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to the processing of waste materials and of low value. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods for converting waste and low-value materials to useful products of impurities and reliable compositions, at acceptable cost, without producing malodorous emissions, and with high energy efficiency. In particular, the method of the invention comprises a process that converts various feedstocks that otherwise have little value or commercial use, into useful materials such as gas, oil, specialty chemicals (such as fatty acids), fertilizers and carbon solids. The invention further comprises an apparatus for performing a multi-step process of converting waste materials into useful materials, and at least one oil product arising from the process. The apparatus and process of the present invention are particularly applicable to the processing of organic and inorganic wastes, leftovers from poultry (such as turkeys, chickens, ostriches), cattle, pork, fish and other waste materials such as waste from crushers. , animal excrement, grease, vegetable oil and municipal pipe sludge, as well as tires and plastics. In a general overview, a process according to the present invention submits to a properly prepared feed material, to heat and pressure, separates the various components of the resulting feed, then further applies heat and pressure, to one or more of those components . Various materials that are produced at different points in the process of the present invention can be recycled and used to play other roles within the process of the present invention. The present invention further includes an apparatus for converting a feedstock into at least one useful material, comprising: a preparation unit, including a suspension device for creating a suspension of the feedstock from the feedstock; a container communicating with the feed material preparation unit for receiving the suspension of a feed material from the feed material preparation unit, feed equipment such as a pump and a heat exchanger, configured to pressurize and heating the suspension to produce a hot suspension; a reactor Hydrolysis Stage which communicates with the container for receiving the hot suspension, the reactor of the Hydrolysis Stage configured to subject the hot suspension to an increased first temperature and an increased first pressure, to produce a reacted feed comprising at least one solid product reacted, at least one liquid product reacted, and water; at least one separation unit communicating with the reactor of the Hydrolysis Step to receive at least one solid product, at least one liquid product and water, the unit is configured to separate at least one reacted solid product, water; and at least one liquid product reacted; and an Oil Finishing Stage reactor that communicates with the separation unit to receive at least one reacted liquid product, the Oil Finishing Stage reactor is configured to subject at least one reacted liquid product to a second increased temperature and , optionally, a second increased pressure, whereby at least one reacted liquid product is converted to at least one useful material. The present invention further comprises a fuel oil manufactured by a process wherein the process comprises: separating a suspension from a carbon-containing feedstock; the reaction of the suspension in a Hydrolysis Step to produce a reacted feed comprising at least one reacted solid product, at least one liquid product reacted, and water; the separation of at least one reacted solid product, water and at least one reacted liquid product from the reacted feed; the conversion of at least one liquid product reacted in the fuel oil, in a second reaction. The present invention also provides an apparatus for converting an organic liquor to a mixture of hydrocarbons and carbon solids comprising: a heater for heating the organic liquor whereby a mixture of liquid and vaporized oil is produced; a reactor to convert the mixture of vaporized liquid and oil into carbon solids and a mixture of hydrocarbons and gases; a first cooler to accept carbon solids; and a second cooler to accept the mixture of hydrocarbons and gases. The present invention further includes an apparatus comprising: a heated vessel having an inlet and an outlet; a first hot auger or propeller having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet and the outlet are configured and are of suitable dimensions to allow a higher pressure to be applied in the first borehole, the first inlet of the auger communicates with the outlet of the container; a fluid-solid separator that communicates with the first outlet of the auger, the separator having a first outlet for liquids and gases and a second outlet for solids, and a second auger that communicates with the solids, the second auger provides cooling of the solids. The present invention further includes a process for converting an organic liquor into a mixture of hydrocarbons and carbon solids, comprising: heating the organic liquor, whereby a mixture of liquid and vaporized oil is produced; the conversion of the mixture of liquid and vaporized oil into carbon solids, and a mixture of hydrocarbons and gases; and the separation of carbon solids from the mixture of hydrocarbons and gases. The present invention also provides the processes for producing a fuel from a feedstock, comprising: preparing a suspension from the feedstock; subjecting the suspension to a depolymerization process to form a composition comprising at least one inorganic material and a liquid mixture; the separation of at least one inorganic material from the liquid mixture; and the derivation of a fuel from the liquid mixture. The present invention further provides a process for producing a fertilizer from the feedstock, comprising: preparing a suspension from a feedstock; heating the suspension to a temperature sufficient to depolymerize the feedstock in a composition comprising at least one inorganic material and a liquid mixture; the separation of at least one inorganic material from the liquid mixture; and the derivation of a fertilizer from the liquid mixture. The present invention further provides a process for producing a feed from a feed product, comprising: preparing a suspension from feedstock; heating the suspension to a temperature sufficient to depolymerize the feedstock in a composition that includes at least one inorganic material and a liquid mixture; the separation of at least one inorganic material from the liquid mixture; and the derivation of a food from the liquid mixture. The invention also provides a process for converting the waste of grinders to oil, comprising: dissolving the waste of the grinder in a solvent, preparing a slurry from the waste of the grinder; the reaction of the suspension with water in a hydrolysis step to produce a reacted feed comprising at least one reacted solid; the product, at least one liquid product reacted; the separation of at least one reacted solid product, water, and at least one liquid product reacted from the reacted feed; the conversion of at least one liquid product reacted in oil, in a second reaction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 shows a flow chart of a general process according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a diagram of the apparatuses used in carrying out a process of the present invention; Figure 3 shows a flow diagram of a preparation of a Hydrolysis Step reaction of a process of the present invention; Figure 4 shows a flow diagram of a second separation of a process of the present invention; Figure 5 shows a flow diagram of an Oil Finishing Step reaction of a process of the present invention; Figure 6 shows an apparatus for carrying out an Oil Finishing Step of the process of the present invention; Figure 7 shows an apparatus for separating fine suspended solids from a fluid; and Figures 8A and 8B show the use, respectively, of an Oil Finishing Stage reactor and a cooler / condenser, with a process according to the present invention; Figure 9 shows the relationship between the viscosity and the shear rate of a feedstock at various temperatures; Figure 10 shows a flow chart of a process of the present invention, as applied to the conversion of waste from a shredder; Figure 11 describes one embodiment of a depolymerization reactor and the separation unit; Figure 12 discloses a laboratory-scale test apparatus used for the present invention; Figure 13 describes a sample of the waste of the disposer; Figure 14 describes the residual fractions of grinder of various sizes; Figure 15 describes the depolymerization products of a process according to the present invention, as it is applied to the waste of the grinder; Figure 16 shows the intermediate products of a process according to the present invention; Fig. 17 discloses a hydrolyzed intermediate oil, produced using the grinder waste as raw feed material; Figure 18 describes various starting materials, intermediates and end products of a process of the present invention; Figure 19 describes some disintegrated, distilled oil products, exemplary that can be produced using the process of the present invention; Figure 20 shows a disintegration of various chemical products found in the disintegration of combustible gas from a process of the present invention, as applied to a waste of grinder; Figure 21 is a graph showing the run-to-run consistency of a process of the present invention, based on the yields of the Hydrolysis Step for five runs; Figure 22 is a diagram that traces the conversion of the dried organic material into various materials and gases through the depolymerization, hydrolysis and oil finishing steps of the process according to the present invention; Fig. 23 is a diagram of the material balance for a process of the present invention as applied to the waste of the grinder; Figure 24 describes how water is used and recycled in a process of the present invention; Figure 25 is a diagram of the movement of water in an apparatus designed according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The process of the present invention is directed to producing one or more useful materials from low value or waste materials, generated by the company in domestic, large, or ordinary practices, or from commercial operations. Typically, the process of the present invention is applied to waste materials, or to other low value products, eg, fat, which contain a substantial proportion of organic materials. However, the present invention can be applied to convert other products, not normally considered of low value, to higher value products. Organic materials are those commonly known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. In particular, for use with the present invention, organic materials are those materials whose constituent elements include carbon in combination with one or more other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus, and halogen elements, in particular fluoro, chlorine, bromine and iodine. For the purposes of the present invention, organic materials also include carbon-containing compounds in combination with elements such as arsenic, selenium and silicon, as well as salts of organic molecules and complexes of organic molecules with metals such as, but not limited to, magnesium, mercury, iron, zinc, chromium, copper, lead, aluminum and tin. Many organic materials used with the present invention come from biological sources and comprise proteins, lipids, starches, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, cellulose, lignin and chitin, as well as whole cells. Other organic materials for use with the present invention have synthetic or man-made origin such as plastics and other petroleum products. In the process of the present invention, heat and pressure are applied to a feedstock at levels capable of breaking the long molecular chains of the feedstock. In this way, the feedstock is disintegrated at the molecular level to one or more constituent materials. In the process, the feedstock is transformed from one of low cost value to a beneficial value, or significant cost reduction, or of higher value. Importantly, the process is also capable of destroying pathogens that may be present in the feeding material. The basic process of the present invention is designed to potentially handle any scrap or low value product, including: by-products of the manufacture and distribution of food such as turkey waste, fryer oils, corn cobs, rice husks, scrap waste, last press edible oils, such as canola, soy, palm, coconut, colza seed, cottonseed, corn, or olive oil, and other oils, food processing waste , and waste from the shellfish industry, by-product of paper and other manufacturing of the wood industry, such as cellulose and lignin by-products, and pulp pulp effluents; garden waste, such as leaves and grass clippings; tires; shredder waste; Plastic bottles; sediments dredged in bays; post-consumer plastics and electronic products, such as old computers; municipal solid waste; oil refinery waste; industrial sludge; bagasse algae; grinding waste; black liquor; coal mining refinery waste; sands with flee tar; shale oil; drilling mud; cotton waste; agricultural processing waste such as animal manure; infectious medical waste; biological pathogens; and even materials such as anthrax spores that could be used to make biological weapons. It should be understood that the above list of materials is not an exhaustive list. In the previous list, bagasse is a byproduct of sugarcane processing, and black liquor is a byproduct of chemical pulp pulp resulting from the dissolution of wood chips, releasing lignin, and releasing the fibers to give rise to a solution of lignin and cellulose. The waste materials for use with the present invention are typically by-products or final products of other industrial processes, commercial preparations, and domestic or municipal uses, which typically have no other immediate use and / or are ordinarily discarded. Low value products can similarly be by-products or final products of other industrial processes, commercial preparations and domestic or municipal uses, but not typically materials that have very low resale value and / or require some additional processing to be converted to something use. When used with the processes of the present invention, waste and low value products are typically referred to as feedstocks or as raw feed. It should also be understood that the raw feed used with the process of the present invention may comprise waste and / or low value products from a number of sources, and from a number of different types. For example, food processing waste could be combined with agricultural processing waste, if convenient, and simultaneously processed. Other exemplary raw feedstocks for use with the present invention include municipal pipe slurry, mixed plastics (including polyvinyl chloride ("PVC")) as can be obtained from a municipal recycling bin and tires.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is found in vinyl coatings and plastic plumbing pipes. PVC contains about 55% by weight of chlorine and thus has a propensity to give rise to dangerous compounds containing chlorine, when degraded. For example, the combustion of PVC produces dioxins, which are some of the most toxic compounds known. One benefit of using water early in the process of the present invention is that the hydrogen ions in the water combine with the chloride ions from the PVC to produce solubilized products such as hydrochloric acid, a relatively benign and industrially valuable chemical that is useful for cleaners and solvents. The tires are typically obtained from vehicles such as automobiles, buses, trucks, aircraft, and other mass transit vehicles, as well as military vehicles and other commercial vehicles. When the process of the present invention is applied to the tires, a portion of the oil produced is preferably recycled at the inlet to help dissolve the tires in the incoming feed material. Crusher waste (SR) is the remaining material after the ferrous materials have been recovered from crushed or dismantled vehicles, white goods, consumer items, etc.

Without the benefit of the present invention, such materials will typically go to a landfill. Examples of "white goods" include washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, stoves, air conditioners, water heaters; the term, as used herein, also encompasses any apparatus that can be saved for its metal content. The components and the elemental composition of two SR samples, as determined by the sample analysis, are described below.

Sample 1 Sample 2 The above data is provided solely to illustrate the types of materials that can be found in a given simple SR sample and not to be considered as limiting the applications for the present invention. Depending on its origin, the composition of the waste material of the disposer can vary from sample to sample. For example, SR may comprise fragments of plastic, rubber, glass, cloth, paints, wood, foams, fines, elastomers, residual metals, etc., of different sizes as shown in Figure 14. SR is from old television equipment and refrigerators, for example, this probably contains heavy metals or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a dangerous mixture of chlorinated compounds. Other toxic components potentially found in SR include polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are commonly used, flame retardants and chemically similar to PCBs, and phthalates, which are found in PVC, an important component in manufacturing Of automobiles. The process of the present invention can handle and process a feed material of low-value, mixed waste materials, without the need to preclassify the material in pure streams. In addition, the process of the invention can hydrolyze oxygen / chlorine bonds in PVC and transfer metals and halides to water. As with hydrolysis of PVC, hydrogen ions in water combine with halide ions, for example, Br and Cl to produce relatively benign chemicals. Toxic chemicals, for example, PCBs, PBDEs, that could otherwise leach out of the SR are destroyed in the process, producing oil that is free of such contaminants and other debris. The characteristics of two batches of disintegrated SR oil products are given in the following tables. Yet another advantage of the present invention is its ability to effectively handle and process materials of heterogeneous size and composition. The need for particle size adjustment and particle reduction is avoided by the depolymerization step of the process, the mechanism of which will be evident from the following description. When the process of the present invention is applied to the SR, a portion of the oil produced is preferably recycled at the inlet to help dissolve the SR in the incoming feed material. A scheme of the process as applied to the SR is described in Figure 10. The raw feed material is subjected to a preparation step 110 a depolymerization or "melting step", followed by mechanical separation whereby the solids are removed mix. The depolymerization reduces the organic material in solid SR to a liquid, thereby enabling the separation of metal objects and other solid organic materials as well as the improved contact of the organic material with water and the subsequent hydrolysis step. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the de-polymerization occurs at temperatures in the range of about 365 ° C (690 ° F) to about 418 ° C (785 ° F), more preferably in the range of about 371 ° C (700 ° C) F) to about 413 ° C (775 ° F), most preferably in the range of about 382 ° C (720 ° F) to about 399 ° C (750 ° F). The resulting mixture is then subjected to a step of hydrolysis equivalent to the Step of Hydrolysis 120 described herein. Hydrolysis of the chlorinated and / or brominated organic materials in the mixture breaks the carbon-halide bond and transfers the halide to the aqueous phase, effectively destroying compounds such as PCBs. The hydrolysis also allows the transfer of metal ions to the aqueous phase, making the resulting oil essentially free of contamination. Preferred embodiments of the invention, hydrolysis occurs at temperatures in the range of about 221 ° C (430 ° F) to about 266 ° C (510 ° F), more preferably in the range of about 227 ° C (440 ° F) ) to about 260 ° C (500 ° F), most preferably in the range of about 232 ° C (450 ° F) to about 249 ° C (480 ° F). The reacted feed produced then undergoes a thermal and mechanical separation step. In a process similar to delayed coking, the hydrolysis oil is heated to approximately 500 ° C. The heat transfer to the oil is fast and isothermal and only the "dry" organic oil is heated to the final temperature. The fuel oil or organic liquor 500 obtained therefrom is fed to an Oil Finishing Stage for finishing. The fuel gas 146, the carbon solids 142 or the oil 144 can be produced by coking the organic liquor either on site or in a refinery. Alternatively, a hydrocarbon oil with similar constituents as a # 4 diesel oil can be produced with minimal processing at the site. The characteristics of two different batches of oil products disintegrated from the process as applied to SR are given below.

Lot 1 Lot 2 The high energy efficiency is achieved in the process of the present invention through the exchange of countercurrent heat. The main volume of the energy is used to heat the liquid water; the water vaporized instantaneously in the hydrolysis generates steam, which is separated and diverted to the preheated incoming feed. As illustrated by the schemes in Figure 24, and in Figure 25, the water vaporized instantaneously during the hydrolysis step is thus recycled. Given the variant chemical composition of the raw feed, the energy efficiency can vary from run to run. However, using tests conducted with multiple runs, the energy efficiency of the process was determined as approximately 91% as detailed in the following table. A temperature of 482 ° C (900 ° F) was selected for these runs, as this is much more suitable for the process and shows that high energy efficiency can be achieved even when the mixture is heated to extremely high temperatures.

Energy efficiency of the process applied to SR Organic heating value: ~ 8,333.2 kcal / kg (• 15,000 Btu / lb Mix 50:50 with water has Cp of ~ 0.416 kcal / kg 0.75 Btu / lb Heat at 482 ° C (900 ° C) F): 375 kcal / kg (675 Btu / lb) of mixture (0.722 kcal / kg (1.30 Btu / lb) of oil) Efficiency = 100% - (1,350 / 15,000)) = 91% In addition, the apparatus of the present invention can be constructed using commercially available parts. The handling of the initial raw material can be done using mobile bottom trays, conventional conveyors by auger or propeller and / or bucket elevators, under environmental conditions. Vibrating screens can be used for fine scraping to remove loose dust and debris if desired. The powerful depolymerization step also eliminates any need for additional size adjustment of the particles, from gross feeding. As will be apparent from the following description, the temperatures and pressures commonly used in current commercial applications, eg, 399 ° C (750 ° F), 10.54 kg / cm2 (150 psig), are more than adequate to depolymerize the material stupid. The designs of the depolymerization reactors can therefore be implemented using existing simple technologies, for example, by batch or flow through the lined reactors, since relatively low pressures have been used in the current process. Easily accessible devices such as vibrating maya, single and double screw presses, and off-rack centrifugal machines may also be analyzed to effect separation of depolymerization. Likewise, post-hydrolysis processing can be performed using commercially available devices and processes, such as steam recompression / distillation, calcination, fluidized bed systems, and desalination and centrifugation separation units. The waste and low value materials processed by the embodiments of the present invention are generally converted to three types of useful materials, all of which are valuable and are not intrinsically harmful to the environment: high quality oil, clean combustion gases; and purified solids that include minerals, and carbon solids that can be used as fuels, fertilizers or raw materials for manufacturing. In addition, various collateral streams are produced during the process of the present invention, including in some cases concentrates similar to "fish solubles". Typically, the useful materials are considered those that have a higher economic value than the waste materials, low value or others that served as the feed material. Such useful materials may have, for example, a higher calorific content, or they may have a wider range of applications than the feed material from which they were derived. The process of the present invention comprises a number of stages, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows, in profile, the main characteristics of one embodiment of the process of the present invention. Figure 2 shows an exemplary apparatus 200 for carrying out a process according to the present invention. The raw feed 100, shown in Figure 1, can potentially be any waste material or low value organic and / or inorganic stream.

Preferably, the raw feed contains a substantial amount of carbon-containing material. The raw feed 100 is subjected to a preparation step 110. One aspect of the preparation step is to reduce the size of the raw feed using pulping or other milling technologies to a suitable size for pumping. The preparation step may comprise one or more steps, and may comprise the addition of materials to, or the "driving of the materials out of the raw feed, and results in a suspension 112 which is passed to a Hydrolysis Step 120. The suspension may involve the addition of water (or other suitable fluid) to the raw feed 100, depending on its initial water content.The use of a suspension is beneficial because of wet milling, as in the preparation stage. , reduces friction and energy consumption, and because a suspension can be easily transferred by pumps from one vessel to another, suitable suspension devices include: a pulper, an in-line shredder or a macerator. of steam and gases 121 is removed from the preparation stage 110. The bone and other inorganic mineral material is an integral part of the animals and of the animal waste. n the form of proteins, fat and carbohydrates is physically and chemically linked to this inorganic mineral material, making it difficult to process the organic material into valuable products, unless the two are separated. Accordingly, in step 114, the suspension undergoes a depolymerization step, in which it is heated to a temperature between 135 ° C (275 ° F) and 193 ° C (380 ° F), more preferably in the range of 135 ° C (275 ° F) and 163 ° C (325 ° F) and even more preferably in the range of 149 ° C (300 ° F) and 163 ° C (325 ° F), in order to separate the material inorganic, such as bone or other solid matter, of the organic constituents. Those of skill in the art will recognize that the composition of organic and inorganic matter will differ from batch to batch, depending on the nature of the feed materials used. The bone material 116 is only intended to illustrate the type of inorganic matter provided in some embodiments of the invention. In cases where the waste from crushers, tires, plastics or rubber, for example, constitute raw feed, the inorganic material will probably not comprise bone material. The depolymerization step, also referred to as heating step 114, takes place for at least 15 minutes, and preferably for 45 minutes. The heating time depends on the temperature, with as few as 15 minutes required at higher temperatures, and more than one hour at lower temperatures in the range. Heating at such temperatures dramatically decreases the total viscosity of the suspension and is consistent with a hydrolysis of the protein material in the feed material into its constituent blocks of amino acids or di- and tri-peptides-so that the physical and chemical bonds with the mineral matter they are broken. Such a reduction in viscosity allows the separation of bound insoluble solids, such as bone material 116 comprising unwanted mineral matter and pulverized bone from the suspension, thereby producing a liquid mixture 118 which subsequently enters the Hydrolysis Stage. . The mineral matter that is separated in this stage comprises mainly bone material in powder and in particles as well as some amount of minerals coming from the sand, the soil or other contaminants that have entered the feeding material. The separation of the mineral material from the remaining material can be achieved by gravity separation or can use another family separation apparatus for a person of ordinary skill in the art, such as a liquid / solid centrifuge., a mesh or a filter. The separated mineral matter can thus be used as a mineral fertilizer. The separated mineral matter is preferably free of organic material, although in practice the amount proceeds through the separation process. The liquid mixture 118 arising from the separation typically comprises an oily phase containing fats and carbohydrates, and an aqueous phase in which the amino acids and small peptides obtained from the degradation of the proteins are dissolved. The liquid mixture may further comprise some insoluble materials including some minerals and some peptides that have not been disintegrated. In light of the above, the composition of the liquid mixture is such that it can be diverted from the hydrolysis line 120 and applied directly for use or in a concentrated form as a food, fertilizer, fuel or other products. In some embodiments of the invention, the concentrated liquid mixture may find application as a boiler or motor fuel, or be subjected to further processing, for example, as in an oil refinery. In some embodiments of the invention that employ hydrocarbon-based feedstocks, for example, waste plastics, rubber, used tires, etc., an organic solvent can be combined with the raw material 100 to maximize the organic fraction of the Feeding material and with this increase the performance of the liquid mixture usable. As would be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, the depolymerization step 114 could also find application for other processes, such as animal production, in which the animal waste containing bone and mineral matter is crushed to form other usable materials. In general, the application of heat between 135 ° C (275 ° F) and 193 ° C (380 ° F), preferably between 135 ° C (275 ° F) and 163 ° C (325 ° F) and even more preferably between 149 ° C (300 ° F) and 163 ° C (325 ° F), such a feeding material will consist of a more efficient separation of the organic matter from the bone and the mineral than what has been possible up to now. Such a process will facilitate the separation of bone and mineral matter from the rest of the feed material and will lead to a purer organic portion, as well as the reduction of the amount of organic material that is discarded through being coupled or linked to a unusable mineral matter. Accordingly, the present invention further includes a process for using animal body parts containing organic matter bound to insoluble solids, comprising: the preparation of a suspension of animal body parts; heating the suspension to between 135 ° C (275 ° F) and 193 ° C (380 ° F), preferably between 135 ° C (275 ° F) and 163 ° C (325 ° F) and even more preferably between 149 ° C (300 ° F) and 163 ° C (325 ° F) to produce a liquid mixture and insoluble material; and the removal of bone material. It should be noted that previously existing processes for animal products typically do not heat the feed material at such a high temperature and generally only hot at temperatures below 100C (212 ° F). In addition, previously existing processes for animal products typically generate two batches of products: meat and bone meal in one batch, and fat in a second batch. In contrast, the process of the present invention generates two batches of different constituents: the solid material, which contains mainly bone, is entirely separate and can be used for example as a mineral fertilizer; and a liquid portion which itself comprises a separate oil portion that can be used to create fatty acids and an aqueous portion (containing amino acids dissolved in water) that can be used as a supply of animal feed. In a Hydrolysis Step 120, the suspension is subjected to increased heat and pressure where the suspension undergoes a hydrolysis step, also called a Hydrolysis Step reaction. Such conditions of heat and pressure lead to the disintegration of the cellular structure of the biological components of the suspension, to release constituent molecules such as proteins, fats, nucleic acids and carbohydrates. In addition, many polymeric organic materials are hydrolyzed by water, suspension to mixtures of simpler organic products. In particular, fats can be partially divided to give buoyant organic materials such as fatty acids (containing carboxylic acid groups), and water-soluble glycerols (for example, molecules containing 3 hydroxyl groups). The proteins are typically disintegrated into simpler polypeptides, peptides and constituent amino acids. Carbohydrates are mainly broken down into simpler sugars soluble in water. Oxygen and chlorine bonds in plastics such as PET and PVC are also broken in the hydrolysis stage. The presence of water in the Hydrolysis Step is especially advantageous because it helps transfer heat to the feed material. It should be understood that the terms react, react, and reaction, when used in conjunction with the embodiments of the present invention, can encompass many different types of chemical changes. In particular, the term reaction may encompass a chemical change that arises from the combination or association of two or more species that give rise to one or more products, and may encompass other types of decompositions or conversions that involve the disintegration or transformation of a species simple, as it is induced by temperature, pressure or electromagnetic radiation impact conditions, and may also encompass transformations involving a solvent, such as hydrolysis. It should be further understood that the term "reaction," or "react" is used in the present to describe a process, or a step in a process, then more than one chemical change may be occurring simultaneously.Thus, a reaction may involve simultaneously a hydrolysis and a decomposition, for example A mixture of vapor and gaseous products 126 is typically released from the suspension in the Hydrolysis Step 120. The reacted feed 122 resulting from the Hydrolysis Step typically consists of a mixture of reacted solids and a mixture of reacted liquid products.These various products are typically characterized as an oily phase, an aqueous phase and a wet mineral phase.The aqueous phase and the oily phase typically contain various dissolved organic materials.The mixture of steam and gases 126 produced in the Hydrolysis Stage 120, it is preferably separated by a condenser, and the steam is used to preheat the incoming suspension. The reacted feed 122 is then subjected to a separation step 130 in which a further mixture of steam and gases 132 is removed, and a mixture of minerals 134 or other solid materials is separated. Preferably, the solid materials obtained in this step do not comprise carbon solids, unless the carbon solid is present in the input feedstock. The separation stage 130 may comprise more than one individual separation. The separation stage 130 may comprise more than one individual separation. In some embodiments of the invention, the solid materials may undergo further processing in a calciner to burn any residual organic material therefrom and to be calcined. Other materials generated at various process points described herein, for example, concentrated non-condensable gas, solid inorganic material 116, and aqueous concentrated fuel can likewise be fed to the calciner for further processing. In some embodiments of the invention, the calciner serves dual functions in the production of calcined solids and the production of hot oil and / or hot steam for use in a variety of applications. For example, hot steam can be used to supply a steam turbine, for example, in power plants and other industrial and manufacturing contexts. The waste material from separation step 130 consists of a mixture of liquid products including produced water 138 (water with soluble materials) and an organic liquor 500. Organic liquor 500 is typically a liquid containing a mixture of species that they contain carbon such as the liquid products reacted from the Hydrolysis Stage. Preferably, most of the produced water 138 is separated, and a liquid product such as organic liquor 500 is directed to an Oil Finishing Stage 140. In this way, the organic liquor preferably comprises a liquid product reacted and separated from the water and in most cases also separated from the reacted solid product. The produced water 138 contains numerous compounds that include materials containing sulfur and chlorine and is preferably deviated to the concentration 139. It is desirable to separate such compounds and, in preferred embodiments, the concentration gives rise to a condensate 151 (whose purity is usually better than that of municipal wastewater) and a concentrate 153 (which in many cases can be used as an organic fuel or a liquid fertilizer similar to fish solubles). Some organic liquor 500 can be diverted to an optional separation 137 to form specialty organic chemicals 143 such as fatty acids or amino acids, for example, by fractional distillation of the organic liquor. The residual fractions, fractionated liquor 145, often referred to as "heavy liquor" comprising fractions that are not useful as specialty chemicals, can be redirected back to the Oil Finishing Stage 140. When the feed material is drainage mud At the municipal level, the reacted feed 122 from the reaction of the Hydrolysis Step typically comprises produced water, a solid matrix of organic or inorganic material, and a small amount of organic liquor. The water produced from the municipal sewage sludge is then diverted for concentration, to form a product that finds application as a fertilizer. In an Oil Finishing Stage 140, also known as an "oil finish", organic liquor 500 is subjected to conditions where it undergoes a second reaction. The second reaction may involve one or more processes known in the art, such as simple dehydration, distillation for fatty acids, thermal disintegration, catalytic disintegration, sludge removal, etc. It is also possible that the organic liquor contains a certain amount of reacted solid product which is also passed to the Oil Finishing Stage. Together, the organic liquor and the reacted solid product can be referred to as a solid matrix. In the second reaction, the organic liquor is converted to a mixture of useful materials that usually includes carbon solids 142, and a mixture of hydrocarbons that is typically released as hydrocarbon vapor and gases 148. Such conversion may involve a decomposition of one or more materials in the organic liquor. Suitable conditions in the Oil Finishing Stage typically use temperatures that are high with respect to the Hydrolysis Stage, and use pressures that are reduced with respect to the Hydrolysis Step. The Oil Finishing Stage typically does not involve the use of added water. A number of different apparatuses may be employed to perform the Oil Finishing Stage, as further described herein. The carbon solids 142 are typically coke-like, for example, usually hard carbonaceous materials with a high calorific value, suitable for use as a fuel. Carbon solids 142 preferably contain few, if any, non-combustible materials that typically result from the incineration of carbon-containing materials in an oxygen deficient atmosphere. The mineral content of the carbon solids 142 is preferably less than 10% by weight, more preferably less than 5% by weight, still more preferably less than 2% by weight, and most preferably less than 1% by weight. Where carbon 142 solids contain minerals, they can also be described as a carbon-mineral matrix.

The hydrocarbon vapor and gases 148 are referred to as "bio-derived hydrocarbons" as long as the biological material is the feedstock for the process of the present invention. Steam and hydrocarbon gases can be variously referred to as "tire derivatives", "rubber derivatives" or "plastic derivatives", if the raw feed material comprises tires, rubber or plastics, respectively. The gases and hydrocarbon vapor 148 typically comprise hydrocarbon gases, possibly with some impurities in traces of non-hydrocarbon gases. The hydrocarbon gases include gases such as, fuel gas 146; The hydrocarbon vapors can be easily condensed to liquids or oils 144 such as the lighter constituents of diesel oil # 2. A person of ordinary skill in the art understands that a diesel oil 2 is an oil with a relatively low viscosity or density. When the feed material is municipal drainage mud, the solid products from the Oil Finishing Stage typically comprise a mixture of hydrocarbon oils, fuel gas, or a mixture of minerals with carbon, in solid form. It should be understood that the operating parameters of the process of the present invention can be adjusted in one or more cases in order to accommodate different types of raw feed materials. For example, in the context of gross feeding such as turkey waste, the main components are animal fats, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals. In this way, the balance of the main components can determine some aspects of the operating conditions of the present invention. In addition, the temperature ranges of the first and the reactors of the Oil Finishing Stage can be controlled to produce specific products, thereby maximizing the economic value that can be obtained from the performance of various products. An apparatus 200 for carrying out a process according to the present invention is shown in Figure 2. Based on the teachings of the present invention, the assembly of the various components of the apparatus 200 could be within the capacity of a person of ordinary experience in the technique of process engineering or chemical engineering. Accordingly, such technical details could be familiar to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and are omitted from the present disclosure. In addition, as discussed herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art would be able to substitute various pieces of the apparatus for individual pieces found in Figure 2, and perform the process of the present invention.

The preparation of the feed material and suspension thereof can be carried out in a feeding material preparation apparatus 210. After preparing the feed and suspending the feed, the suspension is passed to a low-pressure ventilated vessel 220, referred to as a feed storage tank. Preferably, the feed is subjected to heating in or before the feed storage tank, to produce a hot suspension which is optionally pressurized before entering the reactor of the Hydrolysis Step. Such heating and pressurization typically occur in equipment comprising a container for holding the suspension, a pump for increasing the pressure of the suspension and a heat exchanger for heating the suspension. Typically, conditions of approximately 60 ° C (140 ° F) and 0.0703 kg / cm2 (1 PSI) are employed to maintain the feed suspension in a liquid state, and to limit biological activity. In a preferred embodiment, the feed storage tank comprises a first tank and a second tank. In such a preferred embodiment, the first tank is heated to a temperature of about 60 ° C (140 ° F) and subjected to a pressure of about 0.0703 kg / cm2 (1 p.s.i.). Such conditions in the first tank effectively give rise to a cessation of biological activity. In an exemplary embodiment, such a first tank can have a capacity of approximately 3,785,400 liters (1,000,000 gallons); in this way, for a performance of 378.5-567.8 liters per minute (100-150 gallons per minute), the effective residence time of the tank is approximately 700 minutes. The second tank in such a mode can be maintained at a temperature of about 149 ° C (300 ° F) and subject to the contents at a pressure of up to about 7.03 kg / cm2 (100 psi) and subject the contents to a pressure of up to approximately 7.03 kg / cm2 (100 psi). The pressure is generally slightly above the saturation pressure of the mixture at a given temperature. For example, the saturation pressure of the mixture is from 4.64 kg / cm2 (60 p.s.i) to approximately 150 ° C (approximately 300 ° F). The conditions in the second tank are typically severe enough to disintegrate the protein materials in the suspension, to loosen the suspension, and to eliminate the ammonia. The capacity of the second tank is typically less than that of the first tank, and can be as small as 9,463.5 liters (2,500 gallons). Thus, in one embodiment, a flow rate of approximately 151.4 liters (40 gallons) per minute gives a residence time of approximately one hour in the second tank. Longer, preferred residence times for particular feedstocks, eg, several hours in the second tank, can be achieved with lower flow rates. The Hydrolysis Step of the present invention is carried out in a reactor 230 of the Hydrolysis Stage, which preferably comprises a multi-chamber vessel, so that there is a narrow distribution of residence times of the materials constituting the suspension. In an alternative embodiment, the reactor of the Hydrolysis Stage can also be a reactor with auger or helix. Preferably, the container is equipped with separating screens and a stirrer monitored by multiple vanes which can simultaneously stir the suspension in each of the chambers. In a preferred embodiment, there are four chambers in such a container. In another preferred embodiment, the heating of the suspension takes place in several stages in front of this container. The instantaneous evaporation of feed reacted after the Hydrolysis Step can be achieved in an instantaneous evaporation vessel 240 (a "second stage separator") with a vent. Preferably, the pressure in the evaporation vessel 240 is considerably less than that in the reactor 230 of the Hydrolysis Step. In one embodiment, the pressure in the flash vessel is approximately 21.9 kg / cm2 (300 psi), where the pressure in the Hydrolysis Stage reactor is about 42.18 kg / cm2 (600 psi). Various equipment can be used to achieve the various separations of the second stage of the feed leaving reactor 230 of the Hydrolysis Stage. Preferably, such separations provide a mixture of steam and gases 132, organic liquor 500, minerals 134, and water produced with solubles 138. Steam and gases 132 are preferably diverted back to the preparation step to assist with heating of the feed. The separation of organic liquor minerals and water can be achieved with centrifuges, hydrocyclones or with static tank. The drying of the minerals 134 can be accomplished with, for example, a drying oven or other mineral dryer such as a "ring" dryer (not shown in Figure 2). (In an alternative embodiment, separation can be facilitated by the addition of a chemical to break the emulsion). The water produced with solubles 138, resulting from the separation of the organic liquor from the water, can be concentrated in an evaporator 250, of a type that is typically available in the industry. The organic liquor 500 that has been separated from the minerals and water may be contained in an organic liquor retention vessel 252 prior to transfer to reactor 260 of the Oil Finishing Stage. Such a holding container can be an ordinary storage container as is typically used in the industry. In exemplary embodiments of the invention, something or the entire portion of the organic liquor 500 can be diverted to give one or more specialty chemicals. Typically, this involves the subjection of organic liquor to fractional distillation. The organic liquor that is subjected to fractional distillation is typically distilled to a distillation column 254. The organic liquor can be subjected to an acid wash to separate the trace amino acids before passing it to the distillation column. The most volatile materials from organic liquor, such as fatty acids, are distilled and collected. Any heavier materials such as non-volatilized fats and fat derivatives that are found at the bottom of the distillation column, are passed over the reactor 260 of the Oil Finishing Stage. In other exemplary embodiments of the invention, some or the entire portion of the organic liquor 500 is biased to a carboxylic oil. The carboxylic oil can be used directly as a source of adaptable fuel, for example, in a boiler, heater or motor. In some embodiments of the invention, the carboxylic oil is subjected to further processing, for example, as in an oil refinery. Alternatively, the carboxylic oil can be further processed or purified via filtration and / or centrifugation before use. For example, carboxylic oil can undergo hydrotreatment, a process commonly used in petroleum refineries to remove nitrogen and sulfur from crude oil oils, to produce a fuel that burns more cleanly, since the presence of nitrogen and sulfur they can lead to the formation of NOx and SOx during combustion. As illustrated in the examples section, the carboxylic oil provided by the present invention is low in sulfur contents, typically <; 0.2% and therefore requires the minimum amount of hydrogen for hydrotreating purposes.

The ease of depuration of the carboxylic oil is also attributed to the low nitrogen content, most of which exists in the form of an amine instead of a heterocyclic ring. Various feeding materials can be used to generate usable carboxylic oil at this point in the process. Feeding materials comprising fat / bait, eg, animal fats, oil / soybean seeds, canola, trap grease and a protein source, are preferred to maximize the yield of usable carboxylic oil. Suitable materials for this process include, but are not limited to, animal waste, plant waste, waste and low value streams (DDG) from ethanol production facilities. The organic liquor coming from the second stage separation can also be passed to the reactor 260 of the Oil Finishing Stage where a second reaction takes place in which the organic liquor is converted to one or more useful materials such as oil, and carbon solids 142. Oil leaving the Oil Finishing Stage reactor may be subjected to further separation in a separator 270, to produce oil 144 and fuel gas 146. The separation may comprise the condensation of the oil in various steps, and deflecting it towards storage 280 of oil in a storage container. The carbon solids 142 coming from the Oil Finishing Stage reactor are cooled and can also be stored, or further heated and then treated to activate them according to the methods that are known according to a person of ordinary skill in the art. . For example, the carbon solids can be heated in an additional reactor, and can be activated by the injection of superheated steam. As discussed hereinabove, exemplary raw feed materials include waste materials from the food processing and agricultural industries. Such waste materials may comprise animal parts such as wings, bones, feathers, organs, skin, heads, blood and necks, soft tissue, nails and hair. The typical animal parts are those found in turkey waste and remnants of carcasses from traces. Other waste materials from the food processing industry that are suitable for processing with the methods of the present invention include unused fat from fast food establishments such as hamburger franchises, and materials such as air flotation sludge. dissolved ("DAF") from food processing plants. Agricultural waste materials can include manure or animal waste from sheep, pigs and cows, and also other materials such as chicken litter and crop residues. In an exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figures 3-5, raw waste 100 is a by-product of food processing such as turkey waste. As shown in Figure 3, a raw feed 100 is initially subjected to the preparation and suspension 110 to produce a feed suspension 112, accompanied by steam and gases 121. The suspension 112 can be transferred to the storage 320 of feed in a tank of feed storage ("FST" or homogenizer) via a heat exchanger 114 where it is heated to disintegrate the protein material that is bonded to the bones and other hard body parts in the mixture. For feed material such as food processing waste or municipal sewage sludge, heating for such purpose is at a temperature between 135 ° C (275 ° F) and 193 ° C (380 ° F), preferably between 135 ° C (275 ° F) and 163 ° C (325 ° F) and even more preferably between 149 ° C (300 ° F) and 163 ° C (325 ° F). Heating in the range of 149 ° C (300 ° F) and 163 ° C (325 ° F) should preferably be about one hour. The result of such heating is to decrease the viscosity of the suspension, biologically inactivate the contents, and produce a mixture of mineral materials (including powdered and particulate bone) and a liquid mixture. In step 310, the insoluble solids comprising the minerals and bone material 116 are separated from the liquid mixture 118, for example, by gravity separation or by liquid / solid centrifugation or sieving or filtration. The liquid mixture, which comprises a mixture of water and water-insoluble organic components, and some trace minerals, is cooled and directed to the feed storage tank 320 ("FST" or homogenizer). The contents are heated to 135 ° C-138 ° C (275 ° F-280 ° F) in the FST and subjected to a pressure of approximately 3.51 kg / cm2 (50 psi) in order to produce 322 conditioned feed, a feed relatively homogeneous suitable to pass to the reactor of Hydrolysis Stage. During feed storage, steam and gaseous impurities 338 are preferably vented to 336. Thus, an advantage of the present invention is that degassing occurs in the FST to remove unwanted gaseous impurities early in the general process of the present invention. The feed suspension 112 may remain in the feed storage 320 for any convenient time until it is timely to be further processed by the methods of the present invention. Preferably, the FST supplies a constant feed stream to a high pressure suspension pump which pressurizes the feed and transports it to the reactor of the Hydrolysis Stage. In a preferred embodiment, the feed suspension 112 can remain in a large storage tank for any convenient time until it is timely to be further processed by the methods of the present invention. For gross feedstocks containing significant amounts of ammonia (NH3), such as turkey waste, it is advantageous to remove the free ammonia, either during preparation 110, in which case it is a vapor and gas component 121, or during storage 320, where it is ventilated together with steam and gaseous impurities 338. A source of ammonia is the disintegration of uric acid found in the residual amounts of urine that are present in the aggregates of the body parts of the body. animals. The ammonia removal methods are within the knowledge of a person skilled in the art, and include, but are not limited to, the separation of the urine content prior to suspension, the use of enzymatic degradation, and the application of heat. . In addition, the ammonia can be converted by acidification to a salt such as an ammonium sulfate, an ammonium phosphate. In a preferred embodiment, the FST comprises two vessels maintained at different conditions. The first container of this performs the storage paper; the second vessel effects the disintegration of proteins, and releases ammonia. The conditioned feed suspension 322 emerging from the feed storage 320 is subjected to a Hydrolysis Step 330, wherein the water content in the conditioned feed suspension 322 effects a hydrolysis of many of the biopolymers present. Sufficient agitation (provided by mixers and / or re-circulation devices) is provided so that the solids are kept in suspension. The Hydrolysis Step typically takes from about 5 to about 60 minutes. The output of the Hydrolysis Step is a reacted feed 122. Typically, steam and gas 339 are also released from the Hydrolysis Step. In the hydrolysis step 330, some degassing takes place in which the partial removal of the nitrogen and sulfur compounds occurs, and the deamination and decarboxylation reactions take place, in which significant amounts of proteins also dissociate into products such as ammonia and potentially carbon dioxide. In practice, for the process of the present invention, the decarboxylation reactions are undesired because the products, other than carbon dioxide, are amines that tend to be soluble in water and volatile. Thus, in general, the deamination reactions are preferred to the decarboxylation reactions, and the reacted liquid products obtained from the Hydrolysis Step typically include carboxylic acids when the feedstock includes material, such as proteins and fats. Accordingly, since decarboxylation reactions typically occur at higher temperatures than deaminations, the Hydrolysis Step is preferably run at the lowest possible temperature at which the fat molecules are divided. As an alternative, the pH in the hydrolysis step can be displaced by the addition of acid, whereby the decarboxylation reactions are promoted. The elimination of the nitrogen and sulfur compounds in this stage, and the pre-preheating stage, prevents the formation of organic nitrogen compounds, ammonia, and various sulfur compounds that can become undesirable components of the resulting bio-derived hydrocarbons if they are allowed to carry to be processed through certain types of reactor of the Oil Finishing Stage. Typical conditions for carrying out the Hydrolysis Step in this example are from 150 ° C to 330 ° C, but preferably around 250 ° C, and at a pressure of about 50 atmospheres, or approximately 42.18 kg / cm2 (600 psi), as it can be obtained in a Hydrolysis Stage reactor. In general, the pressure in the reactor Hydrolysis Stage is in the range of 20-120 atmospheres. The total preheating and the heating time in the Hydrolysis Step is about 120 minutes. Such conditions can be varied according to the feeds that are going to be used. In one aspect of the present invention, as applied to the PVC-containing feedstocks, the operating temperature in the Hydrolysis Step is sufficiently high, and is followed by washing steps, so that the products which are removed are eliminated. they contain chlorine. In general, the hydrolysis step is carried out at temperatures in the range of about 150 ° C to about 330 ° C, so that at least one of the following three transformations can be achieved. First, the proteins are degraded to the individual amino acid residues of which they are composed. This can be achieved by hydrolysis of the peptide amide bond between each pair of amino acid residues in the protein backbone, at temperatures in the range of about 150-220 ° C. Second, the fat molecules can be disintegrated to fatty acid molecules, a process that can occur in the range of 200-290 ° C. Fats are hydrolyzed to divide the triglycerides, to form free fatty acids and glycerol. Third, deamination and decarboxylation of amino acids can occur in the Hydrolysis Step. The carboxylic acid groups, if left to proceed to the reactor of the Oil Finishing Stage, still bound to their respective amino acid portions, will all be converted to hydrocarbons at relatively mild operating conditions. In addition, there may be some amino acids that are deaminated, a process that typically occurs in the temperature range of 210 to 320 ° C. Thus, in the Hydrolysis Step alone, virtually all the protein present in the suspension will be converted to amino acids at relatively low operating temperatures of the Hydrolysis Stage. In addition, the degree of deamination of the amino acid can be controlled by a judicious choice of operating temperature in the Hydrolysis Step. As could be understood by a person skilled in the art, the effective conditions under which the reactor is run in the Hydrolysis Stage will vary according to the feed material used. For example, animal leftovers typically use a Hydrolysis Stage temperature in the range of about 200 ° C to about 250 ° C. Municipal sewage sludge typically uses an ambient temperature of the Hydrolysis Stage in the range of about 170 ° C to about 250 ° C. A feed material comprising mixed plastics typically uses a Hydrolysis Step temperature in the range of about 200 ° C to about 250 ° C. The tires typically use a Hydrolysis Stage temperature in the range of about 250 ° C to about 400 ° C. A typical operating condition for the processing of tires in the reactor of the hydrolysis stage of the process of the present invention, would be at 275 ° C and 21.1 kg / cm2 (300 psi), with a solvent to pyrol ratio of 1: 1. or less in weight. Such processing pressure for a given temperature is much lower than those reported in other methods of tire processing and is therefore more economical. The Hydrolysis Stage of tire processing may also involve water for the removal of materials that contain elements such as chlorine. Preferably, such materials are almost completely removed under normal operating conditions. The material of the tire, the solvent and the water can be mixed together for the Hydrolysis Step, or the tire can be contacted with the solvent and the water sequentially. The pressure in the Hydrolysis Stage reactor is typically chosen to be close to the saturation pressure of the water at the operating temperature in question. The saturation pressure is the pressure that needs to be applied at a given temperature to prevent the water from boiling, and also depends on the presence and quantity of other gases in the purified food suspension. The total pressure in the reactor is greater than the vapor pressure of the water in the suspension mixture, so that the water does not need to boil. The pressure is preferably in the range of 45 to 55 atmospheres, may be in the range of 40 to 60 atmospheres, and may also be in the range of 30 to 70 atmospheres. Typically, the pressure is adjusted by amounts up to, and in the range of 0 to 7.03 kg / cm2 (0 to 100 psi) above saturation, so that unwanted gases can be vented 336 from the preparation food, food storage or the Hydrolysis Stage reactor. An advantage of the present invention is that the ventilation during the preparation of food 110, the storage 320 of the food and the Hydrolysis Stage allows gaseous impurities such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, and gases that contain sulfur, are eliminated. Typically, the Hydrolysis Step 330 gives rise to sulfur-containing gases from the disintegration of the sulfur-containing portions in the various biomaterials. A major source of sulfur is protein molecules, many of which have sulfur bridges between cysteine residues. Sulfur-containing gases are typically hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and mercaptans (alkyl sulfur compounds) such as ethyl mercaptan. In addition, some salts such as calcium sulfide (CaS) can be produced, and these are normally separated during the subsequent stages. After the Hydrolysis Step, the reacted feed 122 typically comprising at least one reacted liquid product, and at least one reacted solid product and water, vaporizes instantaneously to 340 at a lower pressure, and is allowed to release excess heat. again towards the heating stages before the Hydrolysis Stage. Typically, flash vaporization is achieved through multiple pressure reductions, preferably in two to three stages. The effect of instantaneous vaporization is ventilated by the vapor and remaining gases 132 associated with the reactive feed. Dehydration by means of depressurization is efficient because the water is removed without using heat. The effective use of excess heat is known as heat recovery, and represents an additional advancement of the process of the present invention. The fact that the Hydrolysis Stage uses water, which can be ventilated as steam, along with other gases 339, lends itself to efficient energy recovery. Water and steam are effective in heat exchange and can be redirected to the heating stages prior to the Hydrolysis Stage using one or more condensers. The capacitors are very compact and promote efficiency. In this way, the steam and gases 132 vented from the reacted feed 122 are also preferably used to assist in the heating of the inlet feed and in the maintenance of the temperature of the Hydrolysis Step, thereby reducing the loss of process energy of the present invention. Steam and gases 339 may also be passed to one or more heat exchangers placed prior to, or after storage 320 of the feed. The steam can also be directly injected back into the input feed 100 in some cases. Preferably, the vapor and gases 339 from the Hydrolysis Step 330 are combined with steam and gases 132 before passing to the heat exchanger 114. In the heat exchanger 114, the vapor and gases are separated from each other. Most of the steam condenses to give a condensate 151. Preferably, this condensate is again directed to combine with the "produced water" that results from the later stages of the process of the present invention, described hereinafter. Small, residual quantities of vapor are vented together with the gases. Preferably, these vented gases are combined with other gases that are produced by the later stages of the process of the present invention to give combustible gases. After the reacting feed has been vaporized instantaneously 340, and the heat has been recovered, the intermediate feed 400 typically comprises at least one reacted liquid product, at least one reacted solid product, and water. At least one liquid product reacted is typically a constituent of an organic liquor; at least one reacted solid product typically comprises minerals. The intermediate feed is preferably substantially free of gaseous products. Figure 4 shows a sequence of separations that is applied to the intermediate feed. This is yet another advantage of the process of the present invention that the intermediate feed resulting from the Hydrolysis Step is subjected to one or more separation steps that remove minerals and water prior to processing in the Oil Finishing Step reaction. The separation stage uses separation equipment such as centrifuges, hydrocyclones, distillation columns, filtration devices and sieves, and can also use distillation to remove very fine carbon solids from an intermediate feed 400. In general, the reduction in Additional pressure recovers more steam, and facilitates solid / liquid separation to recover minerals and other solids. Intermediate feed 400, which typically comprises organic liquor, water and minerals is preferably subjected to a first separation 410 which removes most of the minerals 412 and produces a mixture of organic liquor and water 414 which is low in ash. Such separation is characterized as a solid / liquid separation and can be achieved with a first centrifuge or via a solid / liquid separation device, for example by mechanical or non-mechanical methods such as gravity settlement. The minerals 412 that are separated are typically moist and are thus subjected to a drying step 420 before moving to a dry mineral store 430. The drying step typically takes place under normal atmospheric conditions. The resulting dry minerals can find considerable commercial application as a soil remedy or other industrial precursor. The organic liquor / water mixture 414 is subjected to a second separation 440 to remove the water and leave the organic liquor 500. Such a second separation can be achieved by using a second liquid / liquid centrifuge (or other separation device). The differences in gravity allow centrifugal separation of produced water and organic liquor. The produced water 138 that is removed contains significant amounts of small, dissolved organic molecules, such as glycerol and some water-soluble amino acids that are derived from the disintegration of the proteins. The water produced also typically includes chloride impurities. The separation of such impurities prior to the reaction of the Oil Finishing Stage represents an additional benefit of the present invention because the latter products are not so contaminated. The produced water 138 can be subjected to concentration 139, such as by evaporation, producing a condensate of water 151 that can be recycled within the process of the present invention, and a concentrate 153 which is dispensed to a concentrate store 460. Evaporation is typically achieved by applying a slight vacuum. The concentrate, which mainly comprises a suspension of amino acids, glycerol, and potentially ammonium salts such as ammonium sulfate or ammonium phosphate, will typically have commercial value, for example, as fertilizers known as "fish solubles" that are solid in stores. of domestic garden. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to a separation step comprising two steps. Nor is the present invention limited by the order in which any separation steps are carried out. Thus, it is consistent with the present invention whether the separation of the intermediate feed 400 in products such as organic liquor, minerals and water occurs in a single step or in more than two steps. In addition, the minerals may, in some cases, be left in organic feed by design, and their separation from it does not need to occur prior to the processing of the Oil Finishing Stage. When tires are processed with one embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the organic liquor can be used as a final product which is a devulcanized tire feeding material for the manufacture of rubber products. Figure 5 shows a step of the process of the present invention wherein the organic liquor 500 resulting from a separation step of Figure 4 is subjected to an Oil Finishing Stage 140 to produce one or more useful products. The organic liquor 500 ordinarily goes to a holding vessel before being further processed. It could be understood by a person skilled in the art that the exact distribution of the products obtained from the Oil Finishing Stage 140 will vary according to the conditions employed in the Oil Finishing Stage, including the type of apparatus used. for this. For example, in some reactions of the Oil Finishing Stage, the predominant product is hydrocarbon vapor and gases 148, with very little or no carbon solids. A portion, or all of the organic liquor 500 may be optionally directed for processing after the Oil Finishing Stage 140 to produce one or more specialty chemicals 143. According to such optional process, some desired portion of organic liquor 500 it is typically subjected to a separation process such as fractional distillation 510 or reacted with a compound such as alcohol to form another compound, as would be understood by a person skilled in the art. Such a separation process generates specialty chemicals 143, and leaves behind a fractionated liquor 145, often referred to as a "heavy liquor", which comprises higher molecular weight organic molecules such as triglyceride oils. The fractionated liquor 145 can be redirected to the Oil Finishing Stage 140 for processing in a manner similar to the organic liquor 500. The specialty chemicals 143 are typically organic compounds such as fatty acids, fatty acid esters, acid amides fatty acids, or a range of amino acids. Preferably, the specialty chemicals 143 are fatty acids. More preferably, the specialty chemicals 143 are fatty acids in the range of 12 to 20 carbon atoms. Even more preferably, the specialty chemicals 143 are fatty acids in the range of 16 to 20 carbon atoms. When the specialty chemicals 143 are fatty acid amides and fatty acid ester, these are typically formed by the reaction with fatty acids.

Specialty chemicals 143 that result from a feed material such as turkey leftovers can find application as lubricants and coatings and paints. In the Oil Finish Stage 140, the water content of organic liquor 500 is almost zero, so that the conditions of the Oil Finishing Stage are such that the remaining organic molecules are mainly disintegrated by the application of a high temperature , instead of by excess hydrolysis, or added steam or water. Typical conditions for carrying out the Oil Finishing Stage are about 400 ° C as can be obtained in the Oil Finishing Stage reactor, or other container. The optimum temperature will vary according to the general reaction conditions. The Oil Finishing Stage typically takes from about 5 minutes to about 120 minutes, although the precise time will vary according to the type of reactor used. In practice, the various phases of spent liquor vary the amounts of time in the Oil Finishing Stage reactor. For example, vapors pass through relatively quickly, and liquids take more time. The output from the Oil Finishing Stage comprises, separately, a mixture of vapor and hydrocarbon gases 148, where the non-hydrocarbon gases can include carbon dioxide CO, and nitrogen and sulfur containing compounds, and carbon solids 142. The carbon solids 142 preferably resemble high quality coke. The mixture of vapor and hydrocarbon gases 148 typically contains oil vapor. The conditions of the Oil Finishing Stage are preferably selected to optimize the purity of the carbon solids 142, as well as the mixture of the gases and hydrocarbon vapor 148. The rapid quenching of the hot vapors, such as the steam mixture and hydrocarbon gases 148, stop the reactions and minimize the carbonization formation after the Oil Finishing Stage. In a preferred embodiment, the rapid quenching of the vapors can be accomplished by directing the vapors to a drum filled with water or by multiple shut-off steps using thermal fluids and cooling media. Where such multiple shutdown steps are employed, it is advantageous to take multiple cuts (diesel (gas oil), gasoline, etc.) from the oil so that the various fractions can be diverted for separate commercial applications. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the oil or petroleum vapor may be quenched in the presence of organic input liquor, thereby also facilitating energy recovery. In general, the Oil Finishing Stage is carried out at temperatures in the range of about 310 ° C to about 510 ° C, so that at least one of the following two transformations can be carried out. First, fatty acids are disintegrated into hydrocarbons. This can be achieved by removing the carboxyl group from each fatty acid molecule at temperatures in the range of about 316-400 ° C. Second, the hydrocarbon molecules themselves are "cracked or disintegrated" to form a distribution of molecules of lower molecular weights, a process that can occur in the 450-510 ° C range. Typically, however, the disintegration of the hydrocarbon occurs at temperatures above 480 ° C. Preferably, the Oil Finishing Stage is carried out at a temperature higher than that for the hydrolysis step. It could be understood that the temperatures described herein, applicable to the Oil Finishing Stage could be varied without departing significantly from the principles of the present invention. For example, the Oil Finishing Stage can be efficiently carried out in the temperature range of approximately 300-525 ° C., as well as in the range of 400-600 ° C. In some embodiments, the reactor temperature of the Oil Finishing Stage is between about 400 ° C and about 510 ° C. In addition, in at least one embodiment, the reactor of the Oil Finishing Stage is slightly pressurized, at a pressure between about 1.05 kg / cm2 (15 psig) and about 4.92 kg / cm2 (70 psig), for example, of about 1.05 kg / cm2 (15 psi) above atmospheric pressure, up to approximately 4.92 kg / cm2 (70 psi) above atmospheric pressure. Preferably, the pressure in the Oil Finishing Stage reactor is less than that in the reactor of the Hydrolysis Step. Any carbon solids 142 that are generated from the Oil Finishing Stage are typically first passed to a carbon solids cooler 630, where the carbon is allowed to lose its residual heat. After cooling, the carbon solids 142 are passed to a carbon store 540 and can be sold for a number of useful applications. For example, carbon can be sold as an "amendment or soil remedy" for use in domestic horticulture, because many of the bacteria in the soil need a carbon source. In particular, the carbon that is produced is of similar quality to many forms of "activated carbon" and can thus also find application as a material to absorb vapor emissions in automobiles, or for use in domestic water filters. In addition carbon, due to its level of purity, can find application as a solid fuel, such as coal, but without the disadvantage of producing harmful emissions that arise from the combustion of contaminants typically found in coal products. Also, many environmental toxic materials can be neutralized in a soil matrix by the use of a carbon additive such as the carbon solids resulting from the process of the present invention. Instead of, or in addition to, the carbon solids 142, a useful product generated by the process of the present invention may be clean coal carbon. Clean coal is generated when gross feed is raw coal. It has been found that the fine coal products produced by the process of the present invention are advantageously more free of contaminants containing sulfur and chlorine than the gross coal typically available. These properties of the coal generated by the process of the present invention make it particularly attractive as a source of clean ignition fuel. The mixture of gases and hydrocarbon vapor 148 produced by the Oil Finishing Stage reactor is typically directed towards a cooler / condenser 850 which separates the mixture into fuel gas 146 and a hydrocarbon oil 144. Gas-fuel 146 has calorific value and by itself it can be redistributed internally within the process of the present invention for purposes of providing energy for heating in various stages or it can be used to produce electrical energy or other forms of energy for external or internal use. The oil or oil 144 typically comprises hydrocarbons whose carbon chains have 20 or fewer carbon atoms. In this regard, the mixture resembles the lighter components of a fuel oil such as a grade # 2 diesel oil. Such a product is also commercially salable. It should be understood, however, that the precise composition of the oil 144 depends on the feedstock, and also on the reaction conditions of the Oil Finishing Stage. In this way, the oil may comprise paraffins, α-olefins, and aromatic materials, as well as saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons. For example, the composition of the oil obtained when the feedstock is composed of tires is different from the composition obtained when the feedstock is turkey waste. It has been found that the oil resulting from the feed materials that have a high fat content is rich in olefins, and di-olefins. If not desired, such olefins can be removed from the oil by resaturation or by various separation methods familiar to a person skilled in the art. When the raw feedstock is tires, it has been found that the final stage oil obtained from the hydrocarbon oil 144 - in this case hydrocarbons derived from the tires - is a superior solvent for the tires compared to other solvents currently used in the art. . Following a general principle of chemistry that "the similar dissolves to the similar" since the final stage oil comes from the tires, its chemical nature is similar to the original tires and thus it is a good solvent for them. When the raw feed used with the process of the present invention comprises tires, at least some of the hydrocarbons derived from the tires are redirected to the input raw feed to assist with the dissolution thereof before or during the preparation of a suspension. Typically, hydrocarbons derived from tires have a boiling range of about 100 ° C to about 350 ° C. In a preferred embodiment, the hydrocarbons derived from the tires are heated before application to the tires. In yet another embodiment, the hydrocarbons derived from the tires are applied to the tires and the mixture is heated to a temperature between approximately 200 ° C and 350 ° C. The use of the final stage oil product eliminates the recurring costs of other solvents, and the amounts of reconstitution thereof. In various embodiments of the present invention, the complete spectrum of constituents of the final stage oil, or only a portion of these constituents, are used to dissolve tires. Preferably, all hydrocarbons derived from tires are redirected to the raw input feed. In yet another embodiment, only the final stage heavy oil product is redirected in this way. If a portion of the constituents is used, separation of the solvent into parts can take place during the final stage processing or the first stage processing. The use of the final oil product as a solvent makes the process of the present invention much more economical than other processes. Because of this oil will ordinarily not be available for the first batch of tires to be processed at any given time, yet another solvent can be additionally employed to assist with the initial disintegration of the tires. Such a solvent is toluene; others are known to a person skilled in the art. When raw feed is municipal drainage mud, it is preferable to facilitate the separation of organic material from inorganic materials. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, some of the hydrocarbon oil 144, in this case bio-derived hydrocarbons, are again directed to the crude feed or to the product of the Hydrolysis Step, in order to assist with the flotation of the material. In other embodiments, materials such as trap grease, as obtained from fast food outlets for example, may be used. The principle behind the flotation of the material is that a material that is lighter than water is introduced to the raw feed, or the product of the Hydrolysis Stage, to help with the flotation of organic materials heavier than water, which facilitates the separation of organic materials from inorganic ones. The result is a sludge that is easier to centrifuge than might otherwise be the case. An additional advantage of the process of the present invention is that all products are free of DNA and of pathogens. That is, they are free of pathological materials that are derived from animal cells, bacteria, viruses or prions. Such materials do not survive the process of the present invention intact. This is an important result because there is no risk of using any of the products of the process of the present invention in agricultural applications where there could be a danger that such molecules could be re-introduced into the food chain. An apparatus for converting the reacted liquid product from the separation step, such as an organic liquor, into a mixture of hydrocarbons and carbon solids, is a suitable Oil Finishing Stage reactor, for use with the process of present invention. As shown in Figure 6, a preferred Oil Finishing Stage reactor 600 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a heater 610 for heating the organic liquor, whereby a mixture of vaporized liquid and oil is produced; a reactor 620 for converting the liquid mixture and the vaporized oil to carbon solids 142, and a mixture of hydrocarbon gases and vapors 148; a first cooler 630 for accepting carbon solids 142; and a second cooler 640 for accepting hydrocarbon vapor and gases. The reactor 600 in the Oil Finishing Stage may further comprise a fluid-solid separator 624 which communicates with the reactor 620 to separate the hydrocarbon gases and vapor 148 from the carbon solids 142. The heater 610 is preferably efficient and compact, comprising a large number of internal tubes that give rise to a large surface area for heat exchange. The heater 610 is typically a "heater on". The heater 610 typically has an inlet for accepting organic liquor and steam 602, and an outlet for directing the organic liquor / hot steam mixture to the reactor 620. The steam 602 in an amount of approximately 2 to 5% by weight accompanies the organic liquor as it enters the heater 610. Such amount of steam helps uniform heating and prevents the constitution of residue on the internal part of the heater. In a preferred embodiment, one or more pre-heaters are used to heat the organic liquor 500 before being mixed with steam and / or transferred to the heater 610. The pressure for the Oil Finishing Stage is imparted by a pump system after the storage 500. The reactor 620 preferably comprises at least one hot auger or auger, and has an inlet and an outlet configured, respectively, to accept a hot mixture of vaporized liquid and oil from the heater 610, and to direct the carbon solids and a mixture of hydrocarbons and gases to a solid-fluid separator. The hot mixture of vaporized liquid and oil with steam, it is passed to reactor 620 where it is divided into carbon solids, and a mixture of hydrocarbon gases preferably containing oil and fuel gas constituents. Typically, the carbon solids produced represent approximately 10% by weight of the vaporized liquid and oil mixture. In other embodiments, depending on the constituents of the raw feed material, the carbon solids produced are between about 5% and about 20% by weight of the vaporized liquid and oil mixture. In some embodiments of the present invention, to avoid the formation of excess carbon solids in reactor 620, the amount of processed feedstock is adjusted. An auger is suitable for producing carbon solids in a hydrocarbon mixture because it allows control of the residence time and temperature of the incoming organic liquor, and because it allows the efficient separation of carbon solids and volatile products . Preferably, the dimensions of the bit are selected so that the purity of the resulting hydrocarbon mixture and the carbon solids is optimized. For example, the cross-sectional diameter of the auger determines primarily the flow velocity of the vapors through it. Preferably, the flow velocity is not so high so that steam is carried from side to side with the vapors to produce a mixture of impure hydrocarbons. The residence time of the hot mixture of organic liquor, the vapors and the steam, as it reacts, also determines the size of the bit. Preferably, the Oil Finishing Stage reactor is capable of processing at least 1,000 tons of organic liquor per day. Preferably, the Oil Finish Stage reactor 600 includes a fluid-solid separator that communicates with the outlet of the reactor 620. The fluid-solid separator preferably has a first outlet for hydrocarbons and gases, and a second outlet for solids of carbon. Some of the fuel gas from the hydrocarbon and gas mixture is preferably directed back to the heater 610 and burned to help maintain the temperature in the heater, thereby promoting the full efficiency of the process of the present invention. The carbon solids - often at a temperature as high as about 500 ° C - are directed to a first cooler, the carbon solids cooler 630, which is preferably a cooling auger that communicates with the reactor through an air securing device, or optionally the fluid-solid separator. In some embodiments of the present invention, more than one cooling auger 630 may be employed. It is preferable to introduce water 632 to the cooler 630 of carbon solids, to assist with the cooling process. The carbon solids are transferred to a finished product storage system 650, optionally via a transfer auger or some other transportation device such as a bag lifter 654 or to another heater / reactor to activate the carbon solids. The second cooler 640 for accepting the hydrocarbon vapor mixture and gases preferably comprises a carbon particle separator to remove any residual carbon solids and return them to reactor 620. The preferred Oil Finishing Stage reactor in Figure 6 is advantageous because the auger allows the thermal disintegration of the hydrocarbons of the hot organic liquor which is carried continuously, without the expected accumulation of carbon solids, which is normally associated with disintegration. Other devices, such as the "delayed cokers" used in petrochemical refinery, are known to a person skilled in the art to achieve thermal disintegration of the hydrocarbons and achieve disintegration on a much larger scale than the reactor. Figure 6, but accompanies the disintegration with an accumulation of carbon solids on the inside of the walls of the reactor. This accumulation needs to be eliminated periodically, requiring significant time out or even replacement of a reactor vessel. However, such apparatuses could be considered viable to carry out the reaction of the Oil Finishing Stage of the present invention, depending on prevailing economic conditions. A delayed coker could retard a different distribution of products from the reactor of Figure 6. For example, a delayed coker will initially decarboxylate the fatty acid molecules to give hydrocarbons which will then subsequently disintegrate to yield shorter chain hydrocarbons. In addition to a delayed coker apparatus, the reaction of the Oil Finishing Stage of the present invention can also be achieved with other apparatus suitably adapted for it. Examples of suitable apparatus and processes can be found in Chemistry of Petrochemi cal Processes, 2nd Ed., S. Matar and LF Hatch (Gulf Professional Publishing, 2001), particularly in Chapter 3. Suitable processes are typically of two types , thermal, such as is achieved with a hydrotreater, or a catalytic disintegrator such as that carried out with a fluidized catalytic disintegrator. The thermal conversion processes include, mainly, coking processes, viscosity breaking and vapor disintegration. Coking processes are typically applied to heavier fractions, such as those with high asphaltene contents. The coking processes produce hydrocarbon gases, predominantly of a highly unsaturated nature, disintegrated naphtha, intermediate distillates and coke. The gaseous and liquid components are typically subjected to hydrotreatment to saturate and de-sulfur the various products. The basic reactions underlying thermal disintegration are based on the hemolytic fission of carbon-carbon bonds to produce pairs of alkyl radicals. Each alkyl radical tends to either disintegrate further, yielding an alkene, or subtract a hydrogen atom from another hydrocarbon, whereby another alkyl radical is produced. The reaction products, in general, tend not to be branched hydrocarbons, mainly because the alkyl radicals themselves are not isomerized. There are two main types of thermal disintegration processes: delayed coking and fluid coking. In delayed coking, the reactor system has a short contact time heater, connected to a large drum that soaks the pre-heated feed batches. The vapors coming from the upper part of the drum are diverted to a fractionator for the separation into gases, naphtha, kerosene, and gaseous oil. Operating conditions are typically 1.75-2.11 kg / cm2 (25-30 psi) at 480-500 ° C. The improved performance of the liquid product can be obtained by operating at lower pressures such as at 1.05 kg / cm2 (15 psi). High temperature conditions produce more coke and gas but less liquid product. Although the quality of coke is ultimately determined by the quality of the feed, it can also be subject to variations in drum size, heating rate, soaking time, pressure, and final reaction temperature. When the drum is filled with coke, the flow of the batch feed is diverted to a second drum, so that the first drum can be emptied or "decoked". Typically, the decoking of a drum can be carried out with a system of hydraulic jets that direct the water with at least a pressure of 210.9 kg / cm2 (3,000 pis) towards the coke. A person skilled in the art is able to implement a delayed coker apparatus to carry out the reaction of the Oil Finishing Step of the present invention. In fluid coking, the coke produced is used to ignite the disintegration reaction. The fluid coke is produced by spraying the hot feed onto the previously formed coke particles in a fluidized bed reactor. The temperature of the reactor is typically 520 ° C. This process has one main drawback since it does not reduce the sulfur content of the coke. A variant of fluid coking, known as "Flexicoking" (Flexicoking), is preferred because it uses gasification of the coke in conjunction with fluid coking. The implementation of a fluid coke and a flexicoquization apparatus for performing the Oil Finishing Step reaction of the present invention is within the skill of a person skilled in the art. The breaking of the viscosity is a mild process applied to highly viscous feeds that thermally disintegrate, such as those containing waxy materials, to form less viscous product mixtures. Typically, the breaking of the viscosity uses a temperature of 450 ° C and short heating times. This would be usefully employed in the present invention in situations where the organic liquor from the separation step is particularly viscous. The catalytic processes for converting hydrocarbon mixtures include many different processes familiar to a person skilled in the art. Examples include catalytic reforming (especially as applied to naphtha), catalytic disintegration, hydrodisintegration, hydrodealkylation, isomerization, alkylation, and polymerization. Some hydrotreating processes also referred to herein, employ one or more catalysts. Each of these catalytic processes, and apparatuses therefor, can be adapted by a person skilled in the art to achieve the reaction of the Oil Finishing Stage of the present invention.

The catalytic disintegration is particularly suitable for carrying out the reaction of the Oil Finishing Step of the present invention. Catalytic disintegration breaks down the lower value reserves to produce light and intermediate distillates of higher value, as well as light hydrocarbon gases. The typical catalysts used in the catalytic disintegration are synthetic amorphous silica-alumina, with or without zeolites. Since these catalysts promote the isomerization reactions to form the carbonium ion during the reactions, and since the carbonium ions tend to undergo rapid spontaneous rearrangements, but are also longer-lived and are therefore more selective in their reactivity, the Product distribution tends to have more branched hydrocarbons and few unsaturated products than those obtained from thermal disintegration. This is beneficial, since branched products tend to improve the octane number of the hydrocarbon mixture produced, and because saturated products tend to be more stable than their unsaturated counterparts. Catalytic disintegration typically employs a fluid bed or, less commonly, a moving bed. In a fluidized bed process, the preheated feed enters a reactor accompanied by a hot regenerated catalyst. The catalyst is used as a highly porous powder. The conditions in the reactor are typically 450-520 ° C, and a pressure of about 0.703-1.406 kg / cm2 (10-20 psig). The fluidized catalytic disintegrators typically produce light unsaturated hydrocarbons (3 to 5 carbon atoms), gasoline with high octane numbers, gaseous oils, and tar. The gas and gasoline yields are improved by the application of higher temperatures, longer residence times, and a higher catalyst / oil ratio. It is also consistent with the present invention that the Oil Finishing Stage can be achieved with "deep catalytic disintegration". This method is advantageous because it produces a high yield of light unsaturated hydrocarbons. In the moving bed processes, the catalyst is in the form of hot spheres which descend by gravity through the feed to a regeneration zone of the catalyst. This method produces a mixture of saturated and unsaturated light hydrocarbon gases, and a gasoline product that is rich in aromatic and branched paraffins. Additionally, the reaction of the Oil Finishing Stage of the present invention can employ a hydrodeintegration process, which is essentially a catalytic disintegration in the presence of hydrogen. This process gives predominantly saturated hydrocarbon products. Other additional methods for carrying out the reaction of the Oil Finishing Step of the present invention have been described in "Liquid hydrocarbon fules from biomass", D. C. Elliott, and G. F. Schiefelbein, Amer.

Chem. Soc. Div. Fuel Chem. Preprints, 34, 1160-1166, (1989). A modified version of the processes of the present invention can be used to inject steam into underground tar-sand deposits and then refine the deposits in light oils on the surface, making this resource abundant, difficult to access, much more available. The experiments also indicate that the process of the present invention can extract sulfur, mercury, naphtha and olefins - all salable products - from coal, thereby igniting the hottest and cleanest coal. The preheating via the process of the present invention also makes some coals or coals more friable, so that less energy is required to crush them before combustion in power generating plants. For some feedstocks, the process of the present invention employs a device for separating fine suspended solids from a fluid, as part of the preparation stage of the feeding. In addition, many other industrial and commercial applications require suspended solids to be separated from a liquid. Figure 7 illustrates a separation device 700 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is useful for such separations. Yet another example of an application that requires the separation of a solid suspension is the separation of red and white blood cells from whole blood. When the size of the suspended solid particles is large, or their density is significantly different from that of the fluid, there are many different types of devices that can separate them. For example, filters of many different configurations with openings smaller than suspended solid particles can be used for solid material that does not deform significantly under tension. Clarifiers, sedimentation chambers, and simple cyclones can be used effectively when there is a significant density difference between the solid particles and the fluid. As the difference in size or density becomes smaller, active devices that use centrifugal forces can be effective. However, the efficiency of all these separation devices decreases dramatically for very small particle sizes with the deformable material having a density only slightly different from that of the fluid in suspension. With respect to a preferred process of the present invention, an application where the suspended solids are small, deformable, and have small density difference, is the municipal drainage mud (MSS). The material suspended in the MSS consists mainly of cellular material and cell debris from bacteria and typically has dimensions of approximately 1 micrometer. This material is deformable and has an effective density within 10% of those of the aqueous suspension medium. The separation of this solid material from water is a preferred step in the preparation of MSS as a feedstock for the process of the present invention. Such separation can be achieved through the use of centrifuges; however, in a preferred embodiment, the separating device 700 is employed. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable to employ the separation device 700, as illustrated in Figure 7, to separate solid and liquid components from a crude feed such as MSS, before further processing by the methods of the present invention. Such a device may also be applied to other industrial or commercial waste water sludges whose solid particulates are deformable, or whose effective density is within about 10% of that of the liquid phase. The device 700 preferably comprises a housing 702 which contains a rotating assembly 704 mounted in an internal chamber 706 having a frusto-conical shape. The shape of the inner chamber 706 typically comprises a frusto-conical section having a taper angle, with additional sections in the base and / or in the upper part of the truncated cone, which house other parts of the rotatable assembly 704. The housing 702 preferably comprises a bottom 714 of the rotating case and an upper part 716 of the rotating case which are attached to each other, and which enclose the rotary assembly 704. The separation device 700 further comprises an input 710 and a first output 730 communicating with the internal chamber, and a second outlet 750. The inlet 710 allows the introduction of the fluid containing the suspended solids into an annular space 712 between a stationary internal wall 720 of the internal chamber, and the rotating assembly. The rotary assembly comprises a frusto-conical shaped cylinder with a hollow interior, which is preferably made from a rotating bottom 122, connected to a tapered cylindrical wall 724 which itself is connected to a rotating upper part 718. The rotating assembly is concentrically mounted on a longitudinal axis 736 of a hollow spindle 726 that rotates at speeds typically in the range of approximately 1,000 rpm up to about 50,000 r.p.m. In a preferred embodiment for MSS separation, the rotation speed is about 10,000 r.p.m. Preferably, the rotation speed is chosen to minimize chaotic flow. The rotating assembly is tapered so that the effective cross-sectional area decreases as the width narrows. Typically, the taper angle is between about Io and about 10 °. In a preferred embodiment, the taper angle is between about 2o and about 2.5 °, and is even more preferably about 2.25 °. The hollow interior of the rotating assembly communicates with a second outlet 750. Preferably, there is a pressure differential between the inlet 710 and the interior of the separator device 700. Typically, this pressure differential is between approximately 0.21-10.54 kg / cm2 (3 -150 psi) and is controlled by two pumps (not shown in Figure 7). The flow rate for separators of different size will change the scale with the surface area of the rotating cylinder. Preferably, the inlet and the annular void space are configured to provide a flow rate between about 3.78 liters and about 757 liters per minute (1 to about 200 gallons per minute). More preferably, the flow rate is between about 3.78 liters per minute and about 75.70 liters per minute (about 1 and about 20 gallons per minute). Even more preferably, for the handling of MSS, the flow rate is about 37.85 liters per minute (10 gallons per minute). The wall 724 of the rotary assembly is perforated. The pore size in the wall 724 is typically between about 1 and about 200 microns. Preferably, the pore size is about 50 microns. The wall 724 is preferably made of a plastic material such as HDPE or any other material that is non-hygroscopic, to avoid closing the pores during the operation. The fluid and the suspended material flow along the annular passage 712 in a generally axial direction, while a portion of the fluid flows through the perforated rotating wall 724, into the hollow interior 728 of the cylinder. The hollow interior 728 communicates with the hollow spindle 726 through the spindle input 732. It is prevented that most of the suspended particles flow with the fluid through the perforated cylinder, due to the cutting forces and centrifuges on the surface of the rotating cylinder. The rotational speed of the cylinder effectively adjusts the cutting and centrifugal forces on the suspended particles, and thus can be used to control the minimum particle size that can be prevented from following the fluid through the perforated cylinder. Water and particles flowing into the cylinder 728 subsequently flow through the inlet 732 of the spindle towards the center of the hollow spindle 726, and flows towards the outlet 734 of the spindle before being discharged through a second outlet 750 The material in the annular passage 712 follows a spiral flow path tightened in response to the movement of the rotating cylinder. Preferably, the thickness of the annular passage 712 is constant along its length. For some applications, this annular space may vary from the top to the bottom. The variation in the annular space can impart flow conditions near the perforated rotating surface. A first outlet 730 for discharging the fluid stream now concentrated, is provided at the end of the annular passage away from the inlet. The operation of the device of Figure 7 is preferably independent of orientation. In a preferred embodiment, the axis of the tapered cylinder is oriented vertically with the first outlet 730 in the bottom. An advantage of the device of Figure 7 over other separation devices known in the art is that it can process slurries with a wide range of particle characteristics, in particular including those with deformable suspended solids in the size range below 1 micrometer. or those that have densities within 10% of the suspension fluid. In a preferred embodiment, the annular void space and pore size in the wall 724 are configured to separate a slurry of municipal sewage sludge. In some embodiments of the process of the present invention, many such separators are used, in parallel, to achieve the high performance separation of a raw feedstock. It should be understood that the separator 700 described in Figure 7 is not precisely drawn to scale, although the various elements are in approximate proportion to one another. In this way, the separator 700 can be constructed according to ordinary family principles for a person skilled in the art of mechanical engineering and design. In a preferred embodiment, the outer diameter of the rotor bottom 722 is approximately 5 cm (2 inches), and the outer diameter of the upper portion 718 of the rotor is approximately 5.98 cm (2.2 inches). The preferred length of the bottom 714 of the rotor case is between approximately 17.78 cm (7 inches) and approximately 20.32 cm (8 inches). The preferred length of the rotor wall 724 is between approximately 10.16 cm (4 inches) and approximately 15.24 cm (6 inches), and its preferred thickness is preferably constant along its length and is approximately 3.81 cm (1.5 inches) . The preferred diameter of the outlet 730 in conjunction with such a rotor is approximately 20.3 mm (0.8 inches) and the outer diameter of the bottom of the rotor case is preferably approximately 7.62 cm (3 inches). The outer diameter of the upper part of the rotor case is then preferably approximately 10.16 cm (4 inches). The spindle 726 is hollow and preferably has an internal diameter of approximately 6.35 cm (0.25 inches). The external diameter of the spindle 726 may vary along its length and may be between about 12.7 mm (0.25 inches) and about 19.05 mm (0.75 inches). The distance between spindle input 732 and spindle outlet 734 may be approximately 15.24 cm (6 inches) in such a mode. The thickness of the annular passage 712 is preferably from about 1.27 mm (0.05 inches) to about 12.7 mm (0.50 inches). The preferred dimensions presented herein should be taken as a mere illustration and, according to the design choice and the desired performance, a mechanical engineer of ordinary skill in the art would be able to increase or decrease in scale the size of the various 700 separator elements in order to achieve operating efficiency. The complete apparatus for carrying out the process of the present invention is preferably accompanied by a computerized control system comprising simple controllers for valves, pumps and temperatures. The development of such a system is within the capacity of a person of ordinary experience in the technique of computer process control engineering. The apparatus of the present invention can be scaled according to need. For example, plants that handle many thousands of tons of waste per day can be considered, while portable plants that could be transported on the platform of a flatbed truck and that can only handle a ton of waste per day, can also be built. The following examples are provided to illustrate the methods and materials of the present invention, but do not limit the claimed invention.

EXAMPLES Example 1: PILOT PLANT - Crusher Waste Processing A pilot plant has been constructed using apparatuses and processes of the present invention. According to an exemplary application of the pilot plant, the experimental feeding material was crusher waste. Of the 1,360 kg (3000 pounds) of SR material received for this pilot run, 486.26 kg (1072 pounds) of dust / fines were removed and washed with hot water, 324.55 kg (715.5 pounds) of SR free of fine materials, processed through the depolymerization unit, and 545 kg (1212.5 pounds) of free SR of fine materials were maintained for future testing. The SR material free of fine materials was processed through the depolymerization unit together with 36.06 kg (79.5 pounds) of crushed tires and approximately 789.71 kg (1741 pounds) of used motor oil. Samples of various products were sent for analysis to determine the fate of heavy metals and contaminants such as PCBs and chlorine. Based on the results of the comparative sample analyzes, PCBs were found to be reduced by an order of magnitude, from 35-65 ppm to less than 2 ppm. The thermal disintegration of this hydrolyzed oil was performed in laboratory-scale reactors to simulate a typical petroleum refinery process for the production of transportation fuels. The hydrolyzed oil produced by the process of the invention was disintegrated at temperatures close to 500 ° C, similar to the temperatures used in a delayed coker in an oil refinery. The products produced were hydrocarbon fuels, a fuel gas, and a solid carbon product. The distribution of fuel / gas / carbon fractions was 84%, 10% and 6%, respectively. This disintegration generated gasoline, diesel (gas oil) and residual oil hydrocarbons. The distribution of the products from the disintegration was: gasoline (12%); kerosene (38%); diesel (32%); heavy oil (15%); and gas (3%). A sample of the original 1360 kg (3000 pounds) of the SR material was removed for the initial test. To improve the handling of SR material, the remaining SR was then sieved through a vibration screen of 1587 mm (1/16 inch) to remove dust and fines. The SR material contained approximately 486.26 kg (1072 pounds) of dust and fines, constituting approximately 36% of the total sample and 1 and 1/2 times the anticipated amount of the initial sample analysis. The dust and fines removed by sieving were washed with hot water and sent for PCB analysis. A portion of the fine-free remnant material was processed through the pilot-scale depolymerization unit. Another portion was stored for future testing. An amount of 324.55 kg (715.5 pounds) of fine-free SR material was placed in the depolymerization unit.

Depolymerization The feed material for the depolymerization tests consisted of 324.55 kg (715.5 lbs) of fines free SR, which was co-processed with 36.06 kg (79.5 lbs) of waste tires and 789.71 kg (1,741 lbs. ) of low value oil. This was processed in a gel and heavy oil / solids matrix using a depolymerization unit comprised of a 283.9 liter (75 gallon) container capable of operating at temperatures up to 340 ° C (650 ° F) and pressures up to 7.03 kg / cm2 (100 psig). To shift the restriction on the maximum operating temperature to 300 ° C (572 ° F) from the configuration of the particular equipment used in the pilot tests and the operating temperature of the hot oil system, the residence time of the runs was increased to adjust within 8 hours a day. At higher temperatures, the depolymerization process typically takes less than an hour. The heavy oil / solids matrix was washed using diesel fuel as a convenient solvent, producing a 55:45 ratio of extractable gel and unconverted solid material. This extractable gel was combined with the gel easily removed from the depolymerization unit and used as the feed material for the hydrolysis step. Of the 1,150.33 kg (2,536 pounds) of SR-pneumatic-oil feedstock that were processed in the depolymerization unit, 873.18 kg (1,925 pounds) were converted to a low ash gel. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the amount of gel generated from the described process will vary due to a number of factors, for example the duration of the test and the amount of inorganic materials in the raw feed, etc. There were approximately 51.25 kg (113 pounds) of higher vapors and approximately 155.58 kg (343 pounds) of non-convertible solids. As previously noted, 789.71 kg (1741 pounds) of low-value oil was also made to circulate through the SR / pneumatic feed material entering the depolymerization unit to significantly increase the heat transfer rate to the SR / tires and accelerated the warming process. Although the waste motor oil was used in this case, any oil with a low vapor pressure, including recycled oil generated from the process of the present invention, can be employed for the same purpose. To optionally increase the organic fraction of the feedstock and the yield of the final oil, the waste tires were added to the SR sample because of their high organic content. At the end of the depolymerization process, water and gas from the unit were vaporized instantly at atmospheric pressure. The unit was cooled to 93 ° C (200 ° F) before transferring the depolymerized SR to a storage tank. The solid metal and the inorganic objects retained in the depolymerization unit were removed after the liquid had been drained.

Hydrolysis A portable tank and a high-temperature, low-flow positive displacement pump were used to feed the depolymerized SR to two hydrolysis reactors. The reactors were connected to a reception tank through the pressure reduction control valve of the existing pilot plant. The steam from the hydrolysis vapors was condensed and sent to a condensate tank. The hydrolysis runs processed a portion of the depolymerized product. Approximately 362.88 kg (800 pounds) of depolymerized SR / tires / oil, along with 362.88 kg (800 pounds) of engine waste oil to add fluidity to the cold depolymerization product and 408.24 kg (900 pounds) of water were processed through of the hydrolysis step at a rate of 1.36 kg / minute (3 pounds / minute). The mixture was subjected to temperatures in the range of about 227 ° C (440 ° F) to about 260 ° C (500 ° F). After hydrolysis, the oil from the waste of the disposer was vaporized instantaneously and stored in a vaporizing tank. Post-hydrolysis processing included solid / liquid separation to remove residual solid objects such as pieces of wood, and liquid / liquid separation to remove oil from the water. Centrifuges were used for these separations. The almost complete elimination of chloride, bromide and PCBs of the SR / pneumatic feed material in the hydrolysis is shown in the following tables. This shows that the oil produced, and any refined products from this oil, will be virtually free of undesirable PCBs, chloride or other halides.

Separation A decanter and a liquid-liquid centrifuge were used for the post-hydrolysis separation step.

Thermal Disintegration Approximately 10 liters of hydrolyzed oil from the SR was thermally disintegrated in a laboratory-scale reactor at temperatures close to 500 ° C (932 ° F) in 6 runs to produce the hydrocarbon oil, a fuel gas, and a product of solid carbon. A photograph of the laboratory scale thermal disintegration unit is shown in Figure 12. The gas and oil vapor were vented during the reaction in order to maintain a target pressure. The run was completed when the gas evolution stopped, as indicated by a constant gas pressure. The distribution of the oil / gas / coal fractions from the thermal disintegrator was 84%, 10% and 6%, respectively. Distillation of the disintegrated oil by TCP produced 12% light distillate oil, 38% intermediate distillate, 32% diesel, and 15% heavy fuel oil with 3% feed as non-condensable gases.

TCP Liquid Fuels The chemical and physical characteristics of the TCP hydrolysis oil are listed in Table 1 below. The oil product disintegrated by TCP is a renewable diesel similar to conventional diesel fuel. This renewable diesel can be used for a variety of purposes, for example as a direct replacement for diesel fuel or as a mixing component for diesel fuel. The oil disintegrated by TCP can be further distilled in gasoline and other fractions. The chemical and physical characteristics of the oil disintegrated by TCP are listed in Table 2.

Table 1 - Characteristics of the TCP hydrolysis oil from the SR feed material Table 2 - Characteristics of renewable diesel by TCP from the feed material of SR E EMPLO 2: PILOT PLANT - Processing of turkeys A pilot plant has been built using apparatuses and processes of the present invention. The pilot plant can handle approximately seven tons of waste per day.

According to an exemplary application of the pilot plant, the experimental feeding material was scrapped from the turkey processing plant: feathers, bones, skin, blood, fat, viscera. An amount of 4,555.9 kg (10,044 pounds) of this material was placed in the Hydrolysis Stage of the apparatus: a 350 horsepower shredder, which rotates the material in the gray-brown suspension. From there, the material flowed into a series of tanks and tubes that heated and reformed the mixture. Two hours later, a light brown stream of fine oil in vaporization was produced. The oil produced by this process is very light. The longest carbon chains are 20 carbon atoms. The oil produced is similar to a mixture of medium fuel oil, medium gasoline. The process of the present invention has proven to be 85% energy efficient for complex feed materials such as turkey leftovers. This means that for every 0.252 kilocalories (100 B.t.u) (British thermal units) in the feed material entering the plant, only 3.78 kilocalories (15 B.t.u.) are used to run the process. Efficiency is even better for relatively dry materials, such as carbon-heavy or light-moisture raw materials such as plastics.

The Oil Finishing Stage reactor comprises a tank approximately 6 meters (20 feet) high, 90 cm (three feet) wide and strongly insulated and wrapped with electric heating coils. In the Oil Finishing Stage reactor, the feeding material is hydrolyzed by means of heat and pressure. The temperatures and pressures are not very extreme or intense in energy to be produced, because the water helps in the transfer of heat to the feed material. It usually takes only about 15 minutes for this process to occur in the pilot plant. After the organic materials are heated and partially depolymerized in the reactor vessel, a second stage begins. In this phase, the suspension is lowered to a lower pressure. Rapid depressurization instantly releases approximately half the free water in the suspension. Dehydration via depressurization is much more efficient than heating and boiling water, particularly since no heat is wasted. Water that is "vaporized instantaneously" is sent upward to a tube that leads back to the beginning of the process to heat the incoming process stream. In this second stage, the minerals settle and move towards storage tanks. In turkey waste, these minerals come mainly from bones. The minerals come out as a brown, dry powder, which is rich in calcium and phosphorus. This can be used as a fertilizer because it is well balanced in micro-nutrients. In particular, it has a useful range of micro- and macro-nutrients. Minerals contain the correct amounts of elements such as calcium and phosphorus required for the growth and healthy development of plants. In the pilot plant, the remaining concentrated organic materials flow to an Oil Finishing Stage reactor and are subjected to an Oil Finishing Stage processing, as described hereinabove. The gases resulting from the processing were used at the site in the plant to heat the process of the present invention. Oil and carbon flow into the storage tank as higher value, useful products. Depending on the feed material and the first and the times of processing of the Oil Finishing Stage, the process of the present invention can make other specialty chemicals, which are extracted in various sections of the process. Turkey waste, for example, can make fatty acids for use in soaps, tires, paints and lubricants.

Example 3: Operation plant A full-scale commercial scale facility has been built with additional facilities under development. At maximum capacity, the plant is designed to produce more than 500 barrels of oil per day, some of which can be returned to the system to generate heat to power the system. The oil produced is high quality oil of the same grade as the heating oil # 2. The plant produces approximately 7,944.3 liters (21,000 gallons) of water, which is clean enough to discharge into a municipal drainage system, and is also free of pathological vectors. The plant also produces approximately 25 (25,000 kg) tons of minerals, concentrate and coal.

Example 4: Exemplary Conversions of Waste Materials Table 1 shows the final products, and their proportions, for 45.56 kg (100 pounds) of each of the following waste materials, when these are converted to useful materials using the process of the present invention: Municipal Drainage Waste (comprising 75% drainage sludge and 25% grease trap waste); Tires; Poultry Processing Waste (includes organs, bones, blood, feathers and fat); plastic bottles (comprising a mixture of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) used to make bottles for soft drinks, and high density polyethylene (HDPE), used to make milk containers); paper; medical waste (originating mainly from hospitals and comprising plastic syringes, transfusion bags, gauze, paper wrappers and wet waste); and heavy oil (such as refinery vacuum waste and tar sands). The quantities in Table 1 are in kilograms (pounds).

Table 1 F For paper, the figures are based on pure cellulose; it is estimated that yields for specific paper feedstocks, such as newsprint or office waste paper, could be within 10% of these figures. t The solid from municipal sewage sludge may also contain heavy metals.

It is notorious that yields from processing waste from cattle and pigs are similar to those from poultry processing waste.

Example 5: Removal of contaminants from coal and fine materials with high sulfur content The low-detection mercury analysis was carried out on the gross fine materials, the high sulfur coal, and the products of the sulfur process. present invention applied to each. In each case, the detection limit was 0.01 ppm. From the gross feeding of fine coal products, the mercury level was 0.12 ppm; Mercury was not detectable in the processed coal. From gross coal feed with high sulfur content, the mercury level was 0.02 ppm; again, the mercury was not detectable in the processed coal.

Example 6 Removal of sulfur contaminants from fine coal materials Raw materials not processed contained 1.71% sulfur. The composite coal contained 1.58% sulfur, a 7.6% reduction in fine raw materials. The coal produced by an application of the process of the present invention contained 1.51% sulfur, an 11.6% reduction in raw feed.

Example 7: Removal of sulfur contaminants from coal with high sulfur content Coal or coal with a high content of sulfur, of crude feed, contained 2.34% of sulfur by weight. After one application of the process of the present invention, the resulting solid product contained 2.11% sulfur by weight.

Example 8: Elimination of coal contaminants with low sulfur content Unprocessed coal contained 1.08% sulfur; the carbon obtained from the process of the present invention contained 0. 49% sulfur, a reduction of 54.6%. A very low concentration of sulfur (45 ppm) was also detected in the water produced.

In yet another application of the process of the present invention to the same sample, the carbon contained 0.57% sulfur, a reduction of 47.2%. The gas produced (the gas discharged from the process) from this application contained 0.9% sulfur by weight, illustrating in this way that the sulfur removed ends mainly gaseous products. It is significant that as much as about half of the pollutants containing sulfur can be eliminated when the initial sulfur content is already very low. The process of the present invention is also effective in the removal of mercury. Mercury was essentially absent from the carbon produced by the process of the present invention, where detection levels up to about 10 ppb were possible. Mercury was detected in the water produced at levels of 30 ppb (0.028 ppm), demonstrating that when the mercury is removed from the coal, it is transferred to the water. When the mercury is in the water, it is suitable for safe disposal. The water is purified of hydrocarbons, and concentrated by the use of a vacuum distillation unit. The resulting concentrated mercury water is subjected to silicate crystallization and the resulting highly insoluble silicate crystals could be placed in containers and stored in a hazardous waste site qualified for the storage of toxic metals.

Example 9: Hydrolyzed oil Different oil compositions can be produced from a wide range of organic materials using the process of the present invention. An exemplary fuel was produced using animal waste as feed material and diverted from the process of the invention after the hydrolysis step. The emissions of particulate materials resulting from the use of this fuel are virtually negligible. This fuel provides refiners or mixers with a 40-plus narrow-range renewable fuel from the North American Petroleum Institute (API) that can be used either as an alternative fuel, or a blending component for combustible materials . The final properties of this fuel are shown in Table 2. The test methods specified in the table are designated by an ASTM code (North American Society for Testing Materials).

Table 2 Example 10: Fuel derived from the Liquid Mixture As previously mentioned, the liquid mixture produced by the method can be applied directly to the use or in a concentrated form as a food, fertilizer, fuel or other products. The properties of two fuels derived from the liquid mixture, exemplary of the invention, are shown below in Table 3, where the test methods are designated by an ASTM code (for the standards designated with a prefix "D") or the AOAC code. Each fuel was produced from a gross feed sample comprising animal manure, sludge, and by-products from the manufacture and distribution of food.

Table 3 Example 11: Modality of an Oil Finishing Stage reactor and cooler / condenser Figures 8A and 8B show a schematic embodiment of an apparatus for use with the process of the present invention. Some elements of a preferred Oil Finishing Stage reactor are also shown in Figure 6. Figure 8A shows, schematically, a preferred apparatus for use with the Oil Finishing Stage of the process of the present invention. The organic liquor 500 passes into a storage tank 812. Optionally, the organic liquor and the oil can be directed to a liquid / liquid separator 814 and divided into a first portion of fractionated liquor / oil 816 and a second portion of fractionated liquor / 822 oil, residual. The first portion of fractionated liquor / oil can be directed to the storage of the finished product 818, and distributed as fractionated liqueur / oil 820 that can be recycled or sold. The second portion of fractionated liquor / oil 822 is redirected to one or more pre-heaters 830. Having been heated, the fractionated liquor / oil 822, or the non-separated liquor / oil 500 is passed to a heater 610, preferably accompanied by steam 602 The resulting liquid and vaporized liquor / oil 836 is passed to a reactor 620, such as an auger or propeller, and is separated into hydrocarbon vapor and gases 148, and carbon solids 142. Hydrocarbon vapor and gases 148 are passed to a cooler / condenser 850, which is further described in Figure 8B. Any remaining particulate materials in the oil vapor and gases, such as the residual carbon solids 844, are removed and returned to the reactor 620. The carbon solids 142 are directed through a container for pulverulent solids 846, and towards a cooler 630 of carbon solids, where these are mixed with water 632. The resulting mixture of water and carbon solids is passed through another container for pulverulent solids 854 to a finished product storage system 650. The carbon solids 142 of the final product can be distributed to one or more commercial applications.

For use in conjunction with the apparatus 800 shown in Figure 8A, there is a cooler / condenser 850, shown in Figure 8B. The cooler / condenser 850 facilitates a number of separation cycles wherein a mixture of oil vapor and gases, which may also contain water and particulate materials, is subjected to a number of different separation steps. The hydrocarbon vapor and gases 148 from reactor 620 pass to a separator 842 of carbon particulate material, which separates remaining solid particles such as residual carbon solids 844, and redirects such solids back to reactor 620. hydrocarbon and the gases that emerge from the carbon particulate separator, pass to a steam shut off system 860, implemented according to the general principles that could be understood by a person skilled in the art. From the steam shutdown system, the oil and gases 870 pass to an oil / water / gas separator 872, which further separates the various components such as oil 862, slope oil 876, gas and LPG 874 , and a suspension 881 of oil / coal. The oil 862 passes to an 864 heat exchanger and thereafter to a finished product storage system 866, and is sold as oil 144.

The liquid and gaseous oil gas ("LPG") 874 passes to a condenser 890 that separates the LPG 898 from the other gaseous components. The gas 894 is passed to the super heater 892 to produce a fuel gas 146, which can be distributed to one or more devices as a power source. The LPG 898 is recycled in the following way. First, the LPG 898 is passed through a liquid / solid separator 884, and any residual carbon solids 886 are removed. Then, the separated LPG, mixed with oil separated from the oil / carbon suspension 881, is returned to the separator. 872 oil / water / gas, and additional separation takes place. The cycle in which the gas and the LPG mixture is separated and condensed can be repeated as many times as desired. An oil / solid mixture, typically an oil / coal suspension 881, can also be directed from the oil / water / gas separator 872 to a liquid / solid separator 884 in order to remove the residual carbon solids 886. The separated oil, mixed with LPG, is preferably returned to the oil / water / gas separator for subsequent redirection, as appropriate. Slope oil 876 from oil / water / gas separator 872 is passed to an oil / water separator 878, and water 880 is released, or can be recycled. Oil 882 from the oil / water separator is passed back to the oil / water / gas separator for additional iterations of the separation cycle. The foregoing description is intended to illustrate various aspects of the present invention. The examples presented here are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The invention being now fully described, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that numerous changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. It is noted that in relation to this date the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (29)

1. CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, is claimed as property contained in the following claims: 1. A process for producing a fuel from a feedstock, comprising: preparing a slurry from the feedstock; subjecting the suspension to a depolymerization process to form a composition comprising at least one inorganic material and a liquid mixture; separating at least one inorganic material from the liquid mixture; and deriving a fuel from the liquid mixture.
2. 2. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the feedstock comprises animal manure, sludge, by-products of food manufacturing and distribution, waste plastics, rubber or tires.
3. 3. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the feedstock is a hydrocarbon-based feedstock.
4. 4. The process according to claim 3, characterized in that it also comprises, before the preparation or heating, the addition of an organic solvent to the suspension.
5. 5. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the feedstock is an organic feedstock.
6. 6. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the derivation comprises subjecting the liquid mixture to a thermal conversion process.
7. 7. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the derivation comprises the hydrotreating of the liquid mixture.
8. 8. A fuel oil characterized in that it is produced by the process according to claim 1.
9. 9. A method of fuel injection to a combustion powered device, comprising: energizamiento device with a liquid mixture produced by the process according to claim 1.
10. 10. A process for producing a fertilizer from a feedstock, characterized in that it comprises: the preparation of a suspension from the feedstock; heating the suspension to a temperature sufficient to depolymerize the feedstock in a composition comprising at least one inorganic material and a liquid mixture; separating at least one inorganic material from the liquid mixture; and deriving a fertilizer from the liquid mixture.
11. 11. A method of fertilizing a plant, characterized in that it comprises: applying a fertilizer produced by the process according to claim 10.
12. 12. A process for producing a food from a feedstock, characterized in that it comprises: the preparation of a suspension of the feeding material; heating the suspension to a temperature sufficient to depolymerize the feedstock in a composition comprising at least one inorganic material and a liquid mixture; the separation of at least one inorganic material from the liquid mixture; and the derivation of a food from the liquid mixture.
13. 13. A method for feeding an animal, comprising: providing an animal with a food produced by the process according to claim 12.
14. 14. A conversion process of shredder residue oil, comprising: dissolving of the crusher residue in a solvent; the preparation of a suspension from the waste of the crusher; subjecting the suspension to a depolymerization step to produce a liquid mixture; subjecting the liquid mixture to a hydrolysis step to produce an organic liquor; derive an oil from the organic liquor.
15. 15. The process according to claim 14, characterized in that the depolymerization step takes place at a temperature in the range of about 371 ° C (700 ° F) to about 413 ° C (775 ° F).
16. 16. The process according to claim 14, characterized in that the hydrolysis step takes place at a temperature in the range of about 227 ° C (440 ° F) to about 260 ° C (500 ° F).
17. The process according to claim 14, characterized in that the depolymerization step takes place at a temperature in the range of about 371 ° C (700 ° F) to about 413 ° C (775 ° F) and the hydrolysis step it takes place at a temperature in the range of about 227 ° C (440 ° F) to about 260 ° C (500 ° F).
18. 18. The process according to claim 14, characterized in that the solvent is oil.
19. 19. The process according to claim 14, characterized in that the solvent is oil obtained from the conversion.
20. 20. A process for converting a feed stream comprising the shredder waste and one or more tires into fuel, characterized in that it comprises: the dissolution of a crude stream comprising the waste of grinder and one or more tires in a solvent to produce a suspension; subjecting the suspension to a depolymerization step to produce a liquid mixture; subjecting the liquid mixture to a hydrolysis step to produce an organic liquor; derive an oil from the organic liquor.
21. The process according to claim 20, characterized in that the depolymerization step takes place at a temperature in the range of about 371 ° C (700 ° F) to about 413 ° C (775 ° F).
22. 22. The process according to claim 20, characterized in that the hydrolysis step takes place at a temperature in the range of about 227 ° C (440 ° F) to about 260 ° C (500 ° F).
23. The process according to claim 20, characterized in that the depolymerization step takes place at a temperature in the range of about 371 ° C (700 ° F) to about 413 ° C (775 ° F) and the hydrolysis step it takes place at a temperature in the range of about 227 ° C (440 ° F) to about 260 ° C (500 ° F).
24. 24. The process according to claim 20, characterized in that the solvent is oil.
25. 25. The process according to claim 20, characterized in that the solvent is oil obtained from the conversion.
26. 26. A fuel oil, characterized in that it is applied by the process according to claim 14.
27. 27. A fuel oil, characterized in that it is applied by the process according to claim 20.
28. 28. The process according to claim 1 , characterized in that the derivation comprises: subjecting the liquid mixture to a hydrolysis step to form an organic liquor; turn the organic liquor into a fuel.
29. 29. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the conversion comprises hydrotreating the liquid mixture.