How to turn plastic waste into diesel fuel cheaply

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Babataku, you need to closely monitor the temperature to know at what stage your distillation is at. I have been distilling WMO for a few weeks now. I find my unit takes about 4 hours to extract the full load, so you may not have waited long. What did you find in the retort when you were done? You might find this forum on distilling WMO of more help:
http://beyondbiodiesel.org/forum/index.php?board=19.0

[Babataku]

Hello ;
WMO is the easiest / qucikist to pyrolyse provided it is heated upto a temperature range 350-400 celcius .

What went wrong in your system .
1) Without temperature indicators it's not possible to know where you are heading .
My guess is that you were just heating/boiling WMO , it never reached the Pyrolysis temperature .
I have seen WMO recycling companies using WMO as there heat transfer oil .
Meaning they heat it AROUND 200 celcius only & transfer heat for many days.

2) After complete pyrolysis of WMO only 2-5% carbon Ash should be left in your reactor, nothing else .
I guess when you open-up your reactor after cooling-off you will find most of your WMO still present in the reactor .

3) Was the LID of your reactor Insulated/covered with glass wool ???



ASAD FAROOQUI

Hi Asad,

Thanks for the comments. I opened the retort and yes I still have about 22-23Ltrs of WMO remaining. I underestimated the heat required to get to 400deg celc...

I am giing to get a new temp controller and I will also cut into half the retort to reduce its size. Im sure a 25ltr tank with 15ltr oil load should be easier to heat. correct? I really want to use charcoal as my heat source...but if turns to be difficult then I will have to try electricity which is not reliable here in Africa.

Insulation I used an empty drum coated with a layer of clay...my lid is just a simple threaded pipe and threaded plug to close of. I intend to work with wmo so I dont really need a big opening. maybe for cleaning only.

I didn't get any leaks, or maybe its because I didn't heat enough...

[Babataku]

Babataku, you need to closely monitor the temperature to know at what stage your distillation is at. I have been distilling WMO for a few weeks now. I find my unit takes about 4 hours to extract the full load, so you may not have waited long. What did you find in the retort when you were done? You might find this forum on distilling WMO of more help:
http://beyondbiodiesel.org/forum/index.php?board=19.0

thanks for the comments beyond biodiesel...

I think I didn't heat enough...the gasses were a bit strong and was not sure if I was heading in the right direction thats why i had to stop. i got abt 23ltrs of wmo in my tank, it just boiled. a few questions for you since you are also working with WMO.

1. Are you getting strong gasses from your process?? gasoline like smell?

2. How big is your unit? how much heating power are you using if electricity?

3. What color is the final diesel that you are getting?? and how is the quality? performance?

hope to get a response from you and all experienced on this forum..

[Beyond Biodiesel]

thanks for the comments beyond biodiesel...

I think I didn't heat enough...the gasses were a bit strong and was not sure if I was heading in the right direction thats why i had to stop. i got abt 23ltrs of wmo in my tank, it just boiled. a few questions for you since you are also working with WMO.

In the long run I think it is wise to fuel the retort with the cheapest fuel available, which in most cases is going to be wood, or waste oil, or coal. However, control is the problem with such fuels; whereas electricity is easy to control with a PID controller. So, I am working with electricity until I understand the process of distilling WMO and pyrolysis of plastics, and other hydro carbons.

1. Are you getting strong gasses from your process?? gasoline like smell?

I get some smell from the vent pipe of my WMO disitllation unit; however, I have a water trap and after that an ice trap, so I am trapping most of the hydrocarbons from kerosene to gasoline.

2. How big is your unit? how much heating power are you using if electricity?

I started with a 6 qt/L pressure cooker, and then upgraded to a 12 qt/L pressure cooker, then just installed a 21qt/L pressure cooker as my retorts.

I heated the 6 and 12 qt/L pressure cookers with a 1KW electric frying pan. It took about an hour to get the 6 qt/L pressure cooker to 400F (226c) which gets all of the diesel, kerosene and gasoline out of my waste solvent samples.

3. What color is the final diesel that you are getting?? and how is the quality? performance?

I have extracted about 10 gallons (40L) of diesel fuel, kerosene and gasoline from 30 gallons of waste solvent. I have not yet run it on my engine, because I make fuel in 25 gallon (100L) batches. So, give me another few days and I will make fuel and run it on my engine. The largest amount I have extracted so far from any of my runs was nearly 8L. My condensate ranges in color from clear to yellow/amber. The heavier the fraction, the darker is comes out. Here is a photo of the condensate I extracted from a recent 3-gallon (12L) batch run.

The far left is gasoline, middle 4 are kerosene, far right 2 diesel fuel

Here is a link to the forum where I have been posting my process and results

[Babataku]

I have extracted about 10 gallons (40L) of diesel fuel, kerosene and gasoline from 30 gallons of waste solvent. I have not yet run it on my engine, because I make fuel in 25 gallon (100L) batches. So, give me another few days and I will make fuel and run it on my engine. The largest amount I have extracted so far from any of my runs was nearly 8L. My condensate ranges in color from clear to yellow/amber. The heavier the fraction, the darker is comes out. Here is a photo of the condensate I extracted from a recent 3-gallon (12L) batch run.

The far left is gasoline, middle 4 are kerosene, far right 2 diesel fuel

Here is a link to the forum where I have been posting my process and results[/QUOTE]

I hope you can post your results soon. in the meantime are these pictures from Waste Motor Oil or Waste solvents? they seem to be very clear and not dark at all

[Babataku]

Impressive results

beyond biodiesel,

Your results are pretty impressive from the color side...I was expecting much darker fuel, a deep yellow to brown result.

are you using 100% Waste Motor Oil or Waste Solvents?

is the result from your setup similar to the concept discussed in this forum or you added a vacuum concept??

if I can get such clear diesel range from waste engine motor oil I would pleased...

[Beyond Biodiesel]

beyond biodiesel,

Your results are pretty impressive from the color side...I was expecting much darker fuel, a deep yellow to brown result.

are you using 100% Waste Motor Oil or Waste Solvents?

I have been working with mostly waste 2-stroke engine fuel, which was contaminated with WMO. I just wanted to work with the light fractions at first to make sure my condensers of the light end were working properly. It turned out I needed to make a number of adjustments; however, I am now condensing the light fractions down to gasoline very well. I have reduced the 30 gallons of waste 2-stroke engine fuel down to about 10 gallons of gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel, as the image upthread shows; and, 10 gallons of thicker residues which are mostly WMO. I have about 10 gallons more to distill, which will get distilled today and tomorrow. I generally distill 5 gallons of waste fuels per day now.

is the result from your setup similar to the concept discussed in this forum or you added a vacuum concept??

if I can get such clear diesel range from waste engine motor oil I would pleased...

I do not believe that the light color of my fuel samples is due to the fact that I am indeed using vacuum distillation. I have noticed that the fuel samples do get darker the heavier they get, so I expect that when I start working at higher temperatures, then the heavier fractions are likely to be darker. I should have samples of distillate of heavier fractions to examine by the end of next week.

My distillation system is all solar powered, and it has been cloudy and rainy for the last 2 days here. But, it is sunny today, so I plan to make another run in an hour when the solar gain picks up; and I plan to make runs of at least 5 gallon batches every day until the next cloudy day comes along.

[thissideup]

more pics

Got a little more done, mainly on the condenser drum. I will not be separating my fractions at this time.

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Good setup thissideup

beyond biodiesel,

Your results are pretty impressive from the color side...I was expecting much darker fuel, a deep yellow to brown result.

My heavier fractions do get darker. This is a sample that I extracted yesterday when I took my system up another 100F (50c).

[huntpeter]

Pyrolysis process is a successful way to convert the waste plastic into the diseal. There are also some industries those provide polystrene recycling and plastic recycling service to convert the plastic in to fuel.

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Urgent warning and need for advice!!

OK folks, this is my 3rd day distilling a sample of WMO, and when I get to 560-600F (300-315c) a clear colorless gas is emitted from my distillation unit, which is extremely toxic. I cannot quite describe the smell, because it is a new smell to me. It has a kind of petroleum smell, but the fumes, even in low concentrations, is a powerful eye and lung irritant. The sting from the gas is sharp, like chlorine gas, and there is some chlorine gas like odor. Afterwords there is a pineapple-like smell.

Mustard gas, which was used during WWI, has a distinctive smell which was reported to be like a mixture of pineapple and pepper. When the gas arrived at the Allied front-trenches soldiers began to complain about pains in the chest and a burning sensation in their throat. These are similar symptoms I am experiencing, but my eyes burn as well.

Elemental fluorine is highly toxic. Above a concentration of 25 ppm, fluorine causes significant irritation while attacking the eyes, respiratory tract, lungs, liver and kidneys. At a concentration of 100 ppm, human eyes and noses are seriously damaged.

So, anyone who is distilling or cracking hydrocarbons needs to be aware that there might be a release of extremely toxic compounds of either chlorine or fluorine gas, and be prepared to deal with that release.

My solution has been to turn off the heat, and retreat indoors, as my distillation system is outdoors. Before this morning's attempt to work with this feed stock, I also piped the exhaust 40 feet away and passed it through 2 pleated cellulose filters on the way, thinking at first that it was just uncondensed hydrocarbons, but, even at that distance it drove me indoors again. I am now convinced that some fraction is boiling at about 560-600F (300-315c), then cracking and releasing this toxic gas.

[Babataku]

Urgent warning and need for advice!!

OK folks, this is my 3rd day distilling a sample of WMO, and when I get to 560-600F (300-315c) a clear colorless gas is emitted from my distillation unit, which is extremely toxic. I cannot quite describe the smell, because it is a new smell to me. It has a kind of petroleum smell, but the fumes, even in low concentrations, is a powerful eye and lung irritant. The sting from the gas is sharp, like chlorine gas, and there is some chlorine gas like odor. Afterwords there is a pineapple-like smell.

Mustard gas, which was used during WWI, has a distinctive smell which was reported to be like a mixture of pineapple and pepper. When the gas arrived at the Allied front-trenches soldiers began to complain about pains in the chest and a burning sensation in their throat. These are similar symptoms I am experiencing, but my eyes burn as well.

Elemental fluorine is highly toxic. Above a concentration of 25 ppm, fluorine causes significant irritation while attacking the eyes, respiratory tract, lungs, liver and kidneys. At a concentration of 100 ppm, human eyes and noses are seriously damaged.

So, anyone who is distilling or cracking hydrocarbons needs to be aware that there might be a release of extremely toxic compounds of either chlorine or fluorine gas, and be prepared to deal with that release.

My solution has been to turn off the heat, and retreat indoors, as my distillation system is outdoors. Before this morning's attempt to work with this feed stock, I also piped the exhaust 40 feet away and passed it through 2 pleated cellulose filters on the way, thinking at first that it was just uncondensed hydrocarbons, but, even at that distance it drove me indoors again. I am now convinced that some fraction is boiling at about 560-600F (300-315c), then cracking and releasing this toxic gas.

I also experienced some strong smelling gas which is a bit difficult to describe but in my case it was similar to gasoline. I am working with WMO.

on my 2nd run I cranked up my temperature and the gas was released again for a while then it dispeared as temperature increased inside my retort. unfortunately I do not have a temp controller as mine was faulty from the box and waiting for a replacement which will take about 2weeks.

my conclusion which needs further tests is: you need to heat your feedstock past a certain temperature quickly I guess past 300 -315 deg celc, after that the gas stops being released...

do you have a flare to try and burn the gas off?

[imakebiodiesel]

Modern synthetic oils, which are being used increasingly these days, contain both chlorine and fluorine compounds which can be very dangerous. The smell and symptoms you describe suggest elemental chlorine. This is very nasty but providing no tissue damage has occurred then you will recover completely. However chlorinated compounds such dioxins have the same smell but are much more persistent. A sign of dioxin poisoning is acne on the face,armpits and groin area. If this appears seek medical attention.

[kaguar]

I`ve been cracking WMO for years and the bad smell you are getting comes from H2S. It is a well documented issue, nothing new here. H2S is released when WMO is heated above 300C. Solution? Just google for `h2s scavangers/filters` and you will be surprised how easily it could be removed from the gas mixture.

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Thanks folks for the comments and suggestions.

I also experienced some strong smelling gas which is a bit difficult to describe but in my case it was similar to gasoline. I am working with WMO.

on my 2nd run I cranked up my temperature and the gas was released again for a while then it dispeared as temperature increased inside my retort. unfortunately I do not have a temp controller as mine was faulty from the box and waiting for a replacement which will take about 2weeks.

my conclusion which needs further tests is: you need to heat your feedstock past a certain temperature quickly I guess past 300 -315 deg celc, after that the gas stops being released...

do you have a flare to try and burn the gas off?

I think in this case you do not have enough trapping, packing and cooling to condense your light fractions. I found if you want gasoline then it is going to take an ice trap, and kerosene requires a water condenser, otherwise you are throwing away perfectly good fuel.

Modern synthetic oils, which are being used increasingly these days, contain both chlorine and fluorine compounds which can be very dangerous. The smell and symptoms you describe suggest elemental chlorine. This is very nasty but providing no tissue damage has occurred then you will recover completely. However chlorinated compounds such dioxins have the same smell but are much more persistent. A sign of dioxin poisoning is acne on the face,armpits and groin area. If this appears seek medical attention.

I had not thought of Modern synthetic oils as a source for this clearly chlorine-based toxic fume. I did find that running it through 40 feet of hose and another filter that the offensive fumes were still very strong, so I know it is not the lack of condensing my fluid stream.

Yesterday I got very dizzy for hours after the run, and I felt miserable all night. So, this morning I drained the offensive source waste oil out of my retort, and put fresh WMO in, then I ran the unit up to 800F (426c). I did notice traces of the offensive smell from yesterday, but I think it was just coming from traces of the original waste oil left my distillation unit.

Running the exhaust 40 feet away, and bubbling it in water all, and adding a fan near the unit, I am sure helped.

I`ve been cracking WMO for years and the bad smell you are getting comes from H2S. It is a well documented issue, nothing new here. H2S is released when WMO is heated above 300C. Solution? Just google for `h2s scavangers/filters` and you will be surprised how easily it could be removed from the gas mixture.

I am familiar with H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide), while Hydrogen Sulfide is an expected release from distilling petroleum distillates, and it is mildly toxic, compared to chlorine gas, it was definitely not what my distillation unit was emitting for the last 2 days, which was making me sick.

While I was against the bubbler in the beginning, I am now a staunch supporter of using it, for one major reason, that is chlorine gas and related compounds are hyrdofilic, which means they have a strong attraction to water, so running the exhaust through a bubbler means that any chlorine gas released during pyrolysis and distillation is likely to be absorbed by the water.

However, it is also worth keeping in mind that the bubble water must be exchanged regularly, because bubbling chlorine gas through water will make hydrochloric acid. So, I ran the water from my water jacketed cooling lines to a bucket where put the end of the exhaust line Here is a pic.