A process for treating the organic fraction of solid waste material with acid at an elevated temperature to form an embrittled material reducible to a powdered fuel having a caloric value and weight (on a dry basis) essentially equivalent to the waste material from which it was formed. The density of the fuel may be materially increased over that of the original waste material without the expenditure of excessive energy such as would be required in the grinding of untreated waste. The resulting fuel can be used alone or in combination with other fuels including fossil fuels in gas, liquid or solid form.
In a process for treating the organic fraction of solid waste and cellulosic material with acid to form an embrittled material reducible to a powdered material, increased embrittlement and grinding efficiency are obtained by including an embrittlement additive with the acid. The embrittlement additive is a quaternary ammonium compound. Increased efficiency is evidenced by a decrease in embrittlement temperature and an increase in the amount of embrittled material which will pass through a 40 mesh screen after grinding. The resulting product has a wide variety of uses including as a fuel, a fuel in combination with other fuels, as a building material and as a chemical feed stock, among other things.
The instant invention relates to a method of converting the solid organic fraction of solid waste into a powdered fuel which comprises heating said solid organic fraction in an inert atmosphere for a time and at a temperature sufficient to embrittle said solid organic fraction without causing substantial decomposition, pyrolysis, or dry weight loss of said solid organic fraction, comminuting said embrittled solid organic fraction to a powder which is less than a predetermined particle size, and recovering said powder. The inert atmosphere will comprise less than 1% by weight oxygen and is preferably a mixture of carbon oxides and nitrogen. The embrittling process takes place at a temperature of at least 125.degree. C., preferably from 150.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. and said embrittled solid organic fraction is preferably comminuted to a predetermined particle size of less than 10 mesh.
A continuous process for the combustion of solid fuels in the presence of strong sulfuric acid under conditions such that oxides of nitrogen are not formed and oxides of sulfur and particles of ash are effectively prevented from contaminating the gaseous products released to the atmosphere.
The instant invention relates to a method of converting the solid organic fraction of solid waste into a powdered fuel which comprises heating said solid organic fraction in the presence of formaldehyde for a time and at a temperature sufficient to embrittle said solid organic fraction, comminuting said embrittled solid organic fraction to a powder which is less than a predetermined particle size, and recovering said powder. The solid organic fraction may be separated from the solid waste prior to treatment by the process of this invention or alternatively the solid waste can be treated by the method of this invention and the embrittled organic fraction separated therefrom. Formaldehyde may be added to the solid organic fraction as an aqueous solution, a gas, or solid, e.g. as paraformaldehyde. The embrittling process takes place at a temperature of at least 125.degree. C., preferably from 150.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. and said embrittled solid organic fraction is preferably comminuted to a predetermined particle size of less than 10 mesh.
Equipment and method for treating solid waste in which a non-oxidizing atmosphere is provided through which the shredded solid waste falls freely, unsupported and non-contacted, to prevent fusion of the plastics with each other, with other materials in the solid waste, or with the walls or components in the treating equipment. The unique atmosphere also allows a high treatment temperature to accelerate the debonding of fibrous combustible matter and fusion of the plastics into dense particles for substantially complete separation and recovery of plastics from the lighter fibrous but non-fusible combustible matter through gas classification during the free fall. This same atmosphere also produces a clean, unoxidized, homogeneous, storageable and highly combustible fuel derived from the fibrous combustible matter.
