Technology

Description

The Plastic Waste is heated without Oxygen so that the Polymers are decomposed and gasified into shorter chains of Hydrocarbons. According to WO 2020/008050 the desired Plastic Material is cleaned to a preferred level of Contamination of less than 1 or 2%, its water content is reduced to a level of less than 1%, and it preferably comprises HDPE, LDPE, PP and PS, whereas less desirable plastic types are PET, PVC and ABS. Pyrolysis results in a complex Oil that contains undesirable impurities if left untreated. As a first step, Quantafuel therefore purifies the Pyrolysis Gas by removing Ash and detrimental Impurities such as Chlorine and Sulphur. Part of Quantafuel’s technology is a Two-Stage Catalytic Process in the Gas Phase. The Gas is thereafter condensed and separated into sought-after Oil Fractions through Distillation.^[1],[2]

In the company's 4Q 2019 report (that has meanwhile be taken offline), QUANTAFUEL provides details about the PtL Process as shown in Fig. 1.^[3] 

Pyrolysis yields are about:

• 10% permanent Gases and four different Products
• 10% of an Ash fraction (70 wt-% Carbon)
• 80% of a liquid Fraction:
  • 16 wt-% light fraction (C₆-C₁₂)
  • 56% diesel fraction (C₁₁-C₂₁)
  • 8% heavy fraction (C₂₀-C₂₈)

Figure 1 - Quantafuel conversion of Mixed Polyolefin Waste catalytic PtL Process.^[3]

In a subsequent communication^[4], Quantafuel reports about an overall Oil yield of 68% instead of the 80% claimed in the Q4 2019 report.

References

1. Quantafuel Website, Technology Page, accessed 19th Dec 2020
2. WO 2020/008050 A1, QUANTAFUEL AS, Priority date 6^th Jul 2018, Production of hydrocarbon fuels from waste plastic
3. Quantafuel's 4Q 2019 report (no longer available online)
4. SUSTAINABLE Plastics, Karen Laird, 28^th Mar 2022, Proof of Concept announcement from Norwegian chemical recycler Quantafuel.