How to turn plastic waste into diesel fuel cheaply

[imakebiodiesel]

CRMoore, you posed a question on the last page about fines from the catalyst.. In a reactor such as Asads the catalyst never leaves the reactor. In mine the catalyst is in the reflux column and any dust that detaches itself from the blocks should make its way downwards back into the reactor.
I suppose its possible for dust or fines to be carried by the gas flow into the condensers although it has never happened with my outfit.
Any oil produced by this process should be filtered to 5 micron before use anyway which will take care of any fines should they occur.

Asad, inspired by your example I decided to try out an experiment today. I had just loaded my reflux column with my latest catalyst. I filled the reactor with waste plastic, mostly PE and at the last moment I put in 5% bentonite clay on top of the plastic. So this was using both gas phase and liquid phase catalyst.
I immediately noticed a difference. Normally it takes about 4 litres before my catalyst fully activates. The first 4 litres are cloudy and darken overnight and then a stable, lemon coloured fuel flows after that. This time within 1/2 a litre the fuel had cleared and lovely sparkling fuel flowed for the whole batch. I know from experience that in my reactor bentonite alone would not have achieved that rapid result, either in liquid or gas phase but the combination really worked.
I have just invested in a ubblehode viscometer which is a very useful tool if a bit fragile and expensive. My fuel taken from a single condenser has exactly the same viscosity as kerosene which was what I was hoping for. Viscosity is a very important quality in an oil meant for use in a heating burner.
I also found that a blend of 30% my plastic derived fuel and 70% biodiesel produces a mixture with exactly the same viscosity as ordinary diesel. I shall be trying some in my car over the next few days.

Beyond Biodiesel, I dont want to be rude, and I think everyone here on the forum will agree that we have been very patient, but please stop talking rubbish. If you believe that catalysts do not contribute significantly to the cracking of plastics to fuel then do it yourself and show us where we are going wrong, until then just confine your opinions to what you know something about.

[Asad Farooqui]

CLAY catalyst

Asad, inspired by your example I decided to try out an experiment today. I had just loaded my reflux column with my latest catalyst. I filled the reactor with waste plastic, mostly PE and at the last moment I put in 5% bentonite clay on top of the plastic. So this was using both gas phase and liquid phase catalyst.
I immediately noticed a difference. Normally it takes about 4 litres before my catalyst fully activates. The first 4 litres are cloudy and darken overnight and then a stable, lemon coloured fuel flows after that. This time within 1/2 a litre the fuel had cleared and lovely sparkling fuel flowed for the whole batch. I know from experience that in my reactor bentonite alone would not have achieved that rapid result, either in liquid or gas phase but the combination really worked.

Hello IMBD ;
Iam very Glad to know that you & others on this forum will benefit from the clay catalyst topic I started, Infact I have to push the forum community to please open your MIND don't shut them down & keep On the good work of
experimenting .
This is just the tip of the Ice-berg, there are amazing things forum community will discover once they start experimenting .

I would suggest you to try Feuller's earth (FE) you may find a more light colored fuel . In my experience FE is more effective .
Also activate the clay before using it & tel me what happens ???

I Also notice the plastic like smell of the fuel decreased a bit, specially in PE , PP after few days darkens a lot & smell gets stronger day by day .

Also Try 10% of clay mixed thoroughly with PE, NOT put it on top of the waste plastic.

Lastly I would like to know how your car performed on this clay based PE-Diesel ?

[otpadnoulje]

Thanks Asad Farooqui! Nice of you!

One more question, please!!


How to activate clay?

[Asad Farooqui]

CLAY catalyst

Thanks Asad Farooqui! Nice of you!

One more question, please!!

How to activate clay?

Hello ;
Read again my last weeks articles carefully , the details are already there .

[otpadnoulje]

Hello ;
Read again my last weeks articles carefully , the details are already there .

Sorry, Asad!
I went through this whole year. I have not found anything

[imakebiodiesel]

Otpadnoulje, Asad mentioned heating the clay up to 400C before use in order to activate it. Clay has a unique ability to trap water between its plate shaped particles. Its this quality that makes clay hold its shape when air dried. However no amount of air drying will remove that trapped water. Heating to 400C not only removes the water but the escaping steam rips apart the structure of the clay exposing more surface to act as catalyst sites. This can also be done by using a strong acid such as Sulphuric but heating is easier safer and faster.
Asad do you still uses a reflux column or do you direct the vapours straight to the condensers?

[Asad Farooqui]

Reflux

Otpadnoulje, Asad mentioned heating the clay up to 400C before use in order to activate it. Clay has a unique ability to trap water between its plate shaped particles. Its this quality that makes clay hold its shape when air dried. However no amount of air drying will remove that trapped water. Heating to 400C not only removes the water but the escaping steam rips apart the structure of the clay exposing more surface to act as catalyst sites. This can also be done by using a strong acid such as Sulphuric but heating is easier safer and faster.
Asad do you still uses a reflux column or do you direct the vapours straight to the condensers?

IMBD ;
Thanks for explaining the activation of clays.
It looks you are doing your homework well . Keep up the good work .

Reflux cloumn I use just to make sure that the heacy oil fraction around 400-350 celcius are fed-baxk in the reactor .

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Otpadnoulje, Asad mentioned heating the clay up to 400C before use in order to activate it. Clay has a unique ability to trap water between its plate shaped particles. Its this quality that makes clay hold its shape when air dried. However no amount of air drying will remove that trapped water. Heating to 400C not only removes the water but the escaping steam rips apart the structure of the clay exposing more surface to act as catalyst sites. This can also be done by using a strong acid such as Sulphuric but heating is easier safer and faster.
Asad do you still uses a reflux column or do you direct the vapours straight to the condensers?

While working at Chevron Research in their cat cracking lab we always kept our zeolite catalysts on a steam table to keep it free of water. Most catalysts are hydroscopic, meaning they grab water out of the atmosphere. However, there was no effort to "activate" them by taking them to 400c prior to use. We just loaded them into the reactor and away we went.

Sorry that some people do not appreciate my ability to read research reports, nor my experience of using catalysts in the lab for cracking petroleum.

[imakebiodiesel]

I did another batch today to confirm my findings and this one went just as well. I noticed that the first half litre was a bit cloudy and after an hour a thin layer of a dark liquid had settled to the bottom. By the way it moved it looked like water so I sprinkled in a small amount of super absorbent polymer into it and sure enough the polymer granules swelled up immediately, confirming that it was water. The waste plastic I used was very dry so I believe that this water came from the bentonite. Activation by heat would avoid this.
The naming of clays can be very confusing. Bentonite can be classified into Sodium bentonite, used in the oil industry and as cat litter for its water absorption qualities. Its cheap and plentiful and has weak ion exchange/catalytic properties.
Calcium bentonite also known as fullers earth and sometimes montmorillonite because it contains a lot of this. It is less absorbent of water but more absorbent of oil, has higher ion exchange/catalyst properties, is more expensive but is probably more what we are looking for.
Potassium bentonite is rare and Ive no experience with it.
Sometimes suppliers will call sodium bentonite fullers earth so that they can ask a higher price.

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Asad, inspired by your example I decided to try out an experiment today. I had just loaded my reflux column with my latest catalyst. I filled the reactor with waste plastic, mostly PE and at the last moment I put in 5% bentonite clay on top of the plastic. So this was using both gas phase and liquid phase catalyst.
I immediately noticed a difference. Normally it takes about 4 litres before my catalyst fully activates. The first 4 litres are cloudy and darken overnight and then a stable, lemon coloured fuel flows after that. This time within 1/2 a litre the fuel had cleared and lovely sparkling fuel flowed for the whole batch. I know from experience that in my reactor bentonite alone would not have achieved that rapid result, either in liquid or gas phase but the combination really worked.

So, how large is your pyrolysis unit? How many litters of fuel do you get out of a batch? Knowing how much you get will tell us how effective your various catalyst experiments are.

I have just invested in a ubblehode viscometer which is a very useful tool if a bit fragile and expensive. My fuel taken from a single condenser has exactly the same viscosity as kerosene which was what I was hoping for. Viscosity is a very important quality in an oil meant for use in a heating burner.

As a blender of waste oils with solvents, such as gasoline (petrol), to make diesel fuel I found measuring the viscosity of my resulting blends has been very useful. So I ended up purchasing two different viscometers. First I purchased a visgage, which I found to be too complicated to use in the field. And, it does not cover the range of diesel fuel.

I then purchased a set of viscups and I am very happy with them.

I also purchased a set of hydrometers to help in characterizing my fuel blends. I find them very useful and easiest to use in the field.

I also found that a blend of 30% my plastic derived fuel and 70% biodiesel produces a mixture with exactly the same viscosity as ordinary diesel. I shall be trying some in my car over the next few days.

This is very useful information. Have you tried just blending your light fractions directly with waste oils instead of using the intermediate step of making biodiesel out of your WVO?

... I believe that this water came from the bentonite. Activation by heat would avoid this...

Except you can drive off the water at only 100c, you do not have to take any catalyst up to 400c just to get rid of the water in the catalyst matrix.

[otpadnoulje]

[QUOTE=imakebiodiesel;205657]Otpadnoulje, Asad mentioned heating the clay up to 400C before use QUOTE]

Thanks, Asad and IMB!

How long time should i heat clay at 400C.

Thanks!

[Asad Farooqui]

insumentation

So I ended up purchasing two different viscometers.

I then purchased a set of viscups and I am very happy with them.

I also purchased a set of hydrometers to help in characterizing my fuel blends.

Except you can drive off the water at only 100c, you do not have to take any catalyst up to 400c just to get rid of the water in the catalyst matrix.

Hello ;
YES, The above mentioned instruments are very useful .

I would like to ADD an instrument which can indicate the moisture/water content of the liquid fuel ???
Even small traces of water content in the fuel will be destructive for the Injectors of the vehicle .

Taking any catalyst to high temperature has a full scientific reason .
Even all the Synthetic-Zeolite made are calcinated around 500-700 celcius .
Iam quite sure that even the Zeolite you used at CISCO would be from a big-supplier , definitely calcinated , as it is a standard procedure .
I have seen a very nice video on youtube, of a zeolite catalyst manufacturer having TWO multi-million dollar plants. They also follow this rule .

[imakebiodiesel]

You are right, water is one of the most destructive contaminants in diesel type fuel. A couple of years ago I invented the carbide manometer, a simple cheap device that measures the water content in fuel. It is accurate to about 10 parts per million (ppm). I made the design open source and its now used world wide by biodiesel producers, large and small. It costs about 25 euro to assemble. If you follow the link below you will see how it works. The design in the article uses a plastic cup because I was initially worried about the pressure but in fact a glass screw top jar as used for honey or jam works better and is perfectly safe.

My test reactor processes 1 kg of waste plastic at a time. I am in the middle of constructing a larger 80kg unit at the moment.
In my last full test of a catalyst. I processed 11 kg of plastic in 11 batches before the 200gms of catalyst stopped working, ie the fuel darkened and waxed slightly. Im confident that the larger processor will work much better as each time I refill the small unit fresh oxygen gets into the retort.
My yield per batch was an average of 1120ml of liquid fuel and 46 gms of residual char. The weight of the liquid fuel is 873 grams so that leaves 80 grams of gas.
The liquid fuel contains 60% diesel, 40% kerosene and 10% petrol. Without any separation it works perfectly, and burns cleanly in a kerosene home heating burner. I have separated the heavy fraction and run my Skoda 1.9 litre diesel car on it. On the smoke particle test it performs better than normal diesel.

In Europe many recent model diesel cars use optical sensors so black diesel will not work. In addition using waste motor oil as a fuel in any appliance that does not have type approval carries a fine of 5000euro. The regulations controlling emissions of dioxin and toxic metals are very strict here and I believe rightly so.

[imakebiodiesel]

In my last post the percentage of kerosene should have read 30%.

[imakebiodiesel]

I forgot to include the link to the carbide manometer. Here it is
Carbide Manometer | Quality Testing