How to produce crude petroleum from organic wastes by a process called petrolisation

Abstract

The invention provides a process for producing synthetic crude petroleum from carbon compounds-organic wastes in virtue of hydrogenation using two natural catalysts instead of one or many costly industrial catalysts. The process recreates in industry natural conditions of petroleum formation as they existed millions of years ago. Using two natural catalysts, conversion of heterogeneous organic wastes is now not only possible but also profitable because production efficiency of synthetic crude is improved by more than 50%. While recycling unwanted heterogeneous organic wastes, the process has the advantage of producing a valuable product. Doing so, petrolisation is a permanent solution to organic waste problems and a permanent source of valuable crude.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is directed to a process for producing hydrocarbons from carbon compounds contained in organic wastes or matters, in particular, to a process for producing synthetic crude petroleum from heterogeneous organic wastes by catalytic hydrogenation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] There is a steadily increasing demand for technology which is capable of the conversion and recovery of usefull products from discarded and unwanted materials such as solid organic wastes. With the increased environmental emphasis for the conversion and recycle of unwanted and potentially environmentally damaging organic wastes, there is an increased need for improved processes to convert organic wastes to produce synthetic crude petroleum which may then subsequently be used to produce valuable, finished products such as heating oil or diesel. Therefore, those skilled in the art have sought to find feasible and economical techniques to convert solid organic wastes to produce synthetic crude.

[0003] As for the industrial production of synthetic crude petroleum, the first known process is berginisation, from Friedrich Bergius, german chemist, 1921. This technique consists in making synthetic crude petroleum from coal by hydrogenation using an iron catalyst. Research presently being conducted suggests that liquid synthetic crude petroleum produced from carbon compounds-organic wastes could economically meet a much larger energy demand. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,491, Mr. Xing, Oct. 17, 2000, a process is disclosed for producing hydrocarbons from residential trash or waste and/or organic waste materials. In this process, they use an industrial catalyst called SR-1 comprising 5% CHO-1, 20% REY, 30% mercerized zeolite and 45% ZMS-5. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,631, Mr. James, May 9, 2000, a process is disclosed for the conversion of plastic to produce a synthetic crude oil. In this process, they use an industrial catalyst containing amorphous and/or zeolitic components. Many other disclosures describe well known processes like catalytic hydrogenation. Their main differences lie in the choice of catalysts. They adjust the conditions of hydrogenation according to the chosen catalysts. Petrolisation, also, is a process of catalytic hydrogenation but comprising 2 natural catalysts, iron and salt, instead of an industrial one and fitting the conditions of hydrogenation to these natural catalysts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention provides a process for the conversion of carbon compounds-organic wastes to produce a synthetic crude petroleum by hydrogenation with two natural catalysts instead of one industrial catalyst. Petrolisation is a process for recreating in industry natural conditions of crude petroleum formation like mother nature did milions of years ago. Instead of using one or many costly industrial catalysts, the process works with a natural iron catalyst plus a natural salt catalyst. In already known process of hydrogenation, the choice of catalyst is very important: an iron catalyst is suitable for the conversion of coal or homogeneous carbon matters but not efficient enough to produce crude petroleum using heterogeneous carbon compounds-organic wastes as raw materials. The main cause is the presence of humidity or moisture in organic wastes or matters. With salt, the second natural catalyst of the process, petroleum formation efficiency is improved by more than about 50% because salt, NaCl, has the property to retain humidity and to avoid formation of microscopic crystals of oxygen upon the iron catalyst. The salt catalyst chemically helps the iron catalyst in the whole process of hydrogenation using heterogeneous carbon compounds-organic wastes as raw materials to produce synthetic crude petroleum.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005] A method using carbon compounds contained in organic wastes or matters for producing liquid synthetic crude petroleum having the same chemical components as natural crude petroleum is described as follows:

[0006] Preparation of carbon compounds-organic wastes.

[0007] Take carbon compounds-organic waste like domestic wastes, vegetal residues, animal residues, residues from paper, carboard, wood, textile, plastic, rubber, even dry manure, rotting matters, etc. Only inorganic wastes like metal, glass, pottery or concrete are excluded.

[0008] Shred these organic wastes to a size a diameter less than about 10 millimetres.

[0009] Dry these shredded wastes to about 5-15% humidity, preferably to about 10% humidity.

[0010] Take an iron catalyst, FeO, crush it to a size a diameter less than about 1 millimetre. Mix it with shredded and dried wastes in a proportion between about 2%-15% of the total weight, preferably about 5%.

[0011] Take a salt catalyst, NaCl, crush it to a size a diameter less than about 1 millimetre. Mix it with shredded and dried wastes in a proportion between about 2%-15% of the total weight, preferably about 10%.

[0012] Put the prepared wastes in a reactor where they can be heated in an oxygen-free environment.

[0013] Now, the carbon compounds-organic wastes are shredded, dried, mixed with two catalysts, namely FeO and NaCl, and ready for thermolysis and hydrogenation.

[0014] Thermolysis and Hydrogenation

[0015] Manage to have an oxygen-free environment within the reactor.

[0016] Pump hydrogen gas into the reactor till a pressure of about 1500-3000 p.s.i., preferably about 1850 p.s.i., is reached.

[0017] Heat up to about 380° C.-450° C., preferably about 400° C., under a constant hydrogen gas pressure. It Is essential to heat prepared wastes in an oxygen-free environment.

[0018] Maintain these conditions during about 15-60 minutes, preferably about 30 minutes, causing formation of liquid synthetic crude petroleum.

[0019] Extract mixtures of gases, liquids and solids from reactor.

[0020] Repeat process of petrolisation using formed synthetic crude petroleum as raw material.

[0021] Deoxidization

[0022] This repeated petrolisation formed synthetic crude petroleum must be deprived of oxygen using an acid, preferably sulfuric acid, to have the same chemical components as natural crude petroleum. After deoxidization, the process yields about 60% liquid synthetic crude petroleum, 20% reusable gases and/or reusable solids and 20% water and remainings. The whole process of petrolisation is self-sufficient: the process yields 5 times more energy than it consumes.

[0023] MULTIPLE DEPENDENT CLAIM

Claims

1- A method of producing a synthetic crude petroleum having the same chemical components as a natural crude petroleum from thermolysis-hydrogenation-deoxidization of heterogeneous carbon compounds called organic wastes or matters contained within a reactor comprising in combination:

a) shredding the heterogeneous carbon compounds-organic wastes to a size a diameter less than about 10 millimetres,

b) drying the shredded heterogeneous carbon compounds-organic wastes to about 10% humidity,

c) mixing the shredded dried heterogeneous carbon compounds-organic wastes with a size a diameter less than about 1 millimetre FeO-iron catalyst in proportions about 5% of total weight,

d) mixing the shredded dried iron-catalyst-mixed heterogeneous carbon compounds-organic wastes with a size a diameter less than about 1 millimetre NaCl-salt catalyst in proportions about 10% of total weight,

e) injecting hydrogen gas into an oxygen-free reactor under constant pressures about 1850 p.s.i.,

f) heating the shredded dried iron-salt-catalyst-mixed heterogeneous carbon compounds-organic wastes to about 400° C.,

g) thermolysing-hydrogenating the shredded dried iron-salt-catalyst-mixed heterogeneous carbon compounds-organic wastes during about 30 minutes causing formation of a synthetic crude petroleum,

h) repeating the whole process using the formed synthetic crude petroleum as raw material,

i) deoxidizing the repeated petrolisation formed synthetic crude petroleum with a sulfuric acid.