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- Nachgewiesen in: USPTO Patent Grants
- Sprachen: English
- Patent Number: 11814,585
- Publication Date: November 14, 2023
- Appl. No: 17/654085
- Application Filed: March 09, 2022
- Assignees: CHZ Technologies, LLC (Austintown, OH, US)
- Claim: 1. A method for converting an electric and/or electronic waste source to a Clean Fuel Gas source and Char source comprising: inputting an electric and electronic waste source into a thermolysis system to generate a Clean Fuel Gas source and Char source; wherein the thermolysis system comprises at least two reactors, an oil/water separator, an oil/tar cracker, and a gas scrubber; wherein the reactors generate oils and tars; wherein all of the oils and tars are separated in the oil/water separator and gas scrubber, thereafter cracked in the oil/tar cracker, and sent to the secondary reactor to generate the Clean Fuel Gas source; wherein the Clean Fuel Gas source is used for power to a system or application; wherein the Char source contains recoverable metals; and wherein the Clean Fuel Gas source and Char source are substantially-free of halogenated organic compounds and do not contain oils and/or tars.
- Claim: 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electric and electronic waste source is an e-waste source selected from the group consisting of printed wiring boards, thermoplastic materials, flat panel displays, printer cartridges and/or cassettes, and combinations thereof.
- Claim: 3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the reactors has a process temperature of from about 400° C.-800° C.
- Claim: 4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermolysis system provides indirect heat in a system that is free of oxygen.
- Claim: 5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermolysis system has a pressure range from about 10 to about 100 millbar.
- Claim: 6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the waste source is substantially uniform in size having an average diameter of less than 1 inch and the method further comprises an initial step of shredding or grinding the waste source that is larger than 1 inch in diameter.
- Claim: 7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the waste source comprises aromatics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated dibenzodioxins, halogenated dibenzofurans, biphenyls, pyrenes, cadmium, lead, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, chlorofluorocarbons, mercury, nickel, or a combination thereof, and wherein the Clean Fuel Gas source and Char source generated contain less than about 10 ppb of the halogenated organic compounds.
- Claim: 8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the waste source comprises a toxic halogenated organic compound.
- Claim: 9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the waste source is an e-waste source comprising up to 10 wt-% of halogens or halogenated compounds and the method does not generate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated dibenzodioxins, halogenated dibenzofurans, biphenyls, and/or pyrenes.
- Claim: 10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method does not generate any toxic halogenated organic compounds in the process of converting the waste sources to the Char source and Clean Fuel Gas source.
- Claim: 11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Char source is in the form of a metallic state that is fine, flake and/or chip containing valuable electronic metals, rare earth metals, precious metals, glass reinforcement, or a combination thereof, and where the method further comprises an additional step of removing the valuable electronic metals, rare earth metals, precious metals, glass reinforcement, or a combination thereof from the Char source.
- Claim: 12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises separating oil-soluble substances from a gas/vapor mixture following the thermolytic conversion of hydrocarbons in the waste source.
- Claim: 13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the separating is done in the gas scrubber.
- Claim: 14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Char source and the Clean Fuel Gas source are free of halogenated organic compounds, and wherein at least a portion of the Clean Fuel Gas source is used to provide heat for the method.
- Claim: 15. The method of claim 14 , wherein from about 3,000 to 19,000 BTUs per pound of the waste source is generated.
- Claim: 16. A method for converting e-waste sources to a Clean Fuel Gas source and Char source comprising: shredding or grinding an e-waste source to provide a substantially uniform e-waste source having an average diameter of less than 1 inch; providing the uniform e-waste source into a thermolysis system comprising at least one two reactors, an oil/water separator, an oil/tar cracker, and a gas scrubber; wherein at least one of the reactors has a pressure range from about 10 to about 100 millbar and generates oils and tars; wherein the thermolysis system is provided indirect heat that is free of oxygen; wherein all of the oils and tars are separated in the oil/water separator and the gas scrubber, thereafter cracked in the oil/tar cracker, and sent to the secondary reactor to generate the Clean Fuel Gas source; generating a Char source, wherein the Char source is a fine metallic state that is free of halogenated organic compounds and comprises valuable electronic metals, rare earth metals, precious metals, glass reinforcement or a combination thereof; separating the metals, glass reinforcement and/or other materials from the Char source; and generating a Clean Fuel Gas source from the pyrolytic conversion of hydrocarbons in the e-waste source, wherein the Clean Fuel Gas source is free of halogenated organic compounds, and wherein from about 3,000 to 19,000 BTUs per pound of e-waste source is generated as the Clean Fuel Gas source; and providing at least a portion of the Clean Fuel Gas source as an energy source for the method, wherein the Clean Fuel Gas source and Char source do not include tars and/or oils.
- Claim: 17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the e-waste source is selected from the group consisting of printed wiring boards, thermoplastic materials, flat panel displays, printer cartridges and/or cassettes, and combinations thereof, and comprises up to 10 wt-% of halogens or halogenated compounds and the method does not generate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated dibenzodioxins, halogenated dibenzofurans, biphenyls, and/or pyrenes.
- Claim: 18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the e-waste source comprises aromatics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated dibenzodioxins, halogenated dibenzofurans, biphenyls, pyrenes, cadmium, lead, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, chlorofluorocarbons, mercury, nickel, or a combination thereof, and wherein the method does not generate any toxic halogenated organic compounds.
- Claim: 19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises separating oil-soluble substances from a gas/vapor mixture generated from the reactors, the oil/water separator, and/or gas scrubbers following the pyrolytic conversion of hydrocarbons in the e-waste source.
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- Primary Examiner: Miller, Jonathan
- Attorney, Agent or Firm: McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC
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