Methods and systems for co-feeding waste plastics into a refinery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11939532-B2
Application number	US-202318101528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2023
Priority date	Jan 25, 2022
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

The present application provides a method and a system for recycling a polymer. The method includes introducing polymer into a primary melting extruder, producing a polymer melt that is combined with a fluid oil to at least partially dissolve the polymer melt. A secondary mixing extruder mixes these to form a polymer solution that is introduced into a refinery oil stream, producing a polymer-comprising oil stream, which is fed into a refinery process unit. The system includes a primary melting extruder for forming a polymer melt from polymer. A secondary mixing extruder receives the polymer melt. One or more hydrocarbon inflow conduits for providing a fluid oil to the primary melting extruder and/or the secondary mixing extruder are configured to form a polymer solution from the fluid oil and the polymer melt. There is a feed system outlet for feeding the polymer solution to a refinery oil stream.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for recycling a polymer comprising:
introducing the polymer into a primary melting extruder to produce a polymer melt;
mixing the polymer melt combined with a fluid oil in a secondary mixing extruder to form a polymer solution of the polymer dissolved in the fluid oil;
introducing the polymer solution into a refinery oil stream to produce a polymer-comprising oil stream; and
feeding the polymer-comprising oil stream into a refinery process unit.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer melt is combined with a fluid oil to at least partially dissolve the polymer melt into the fluid oil in the primary melting extruder and/or the secondary mixing extruder.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of: waste plastic polymers, recycled polymers, virgin polymers, or a combination thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the refinery process unit is selected from the group consisting of: a delayed coking unit, a fluid catalytic cracking unit, a visbreaking unit, and a hydrocracking unit.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid oil is introduced into the primary melting extruder downstream of the polymer entering the primary melting extruder.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid oil is introduced at a plurality of locations.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: removing a volatile contaminant from the polymer, the polymer melt, the polymer solution, or combinations thereof, wherein the volatile contaminant is selected from the group consisting of: water, air, oxygen, HCl, and volatile silicon compounds.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of polymer in the polymer solution is from about 0.01% to about 99.99%.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, polybutadiene, ethylene-vinyl acetate polymer, polystyrene, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) polymer, co-polymers, and mixtures thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises at least one polymer contaminant selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, or combinations thereof.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: adding an HCl neutralizing agent to at least one of the polymer, the polymer melt, the polymer solution, or combinations thereof.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: removing an insoluble component from the polymer melt or the polymer solution.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer has a physical form selected from the group consisting of: granules, powder, crushed chunks, slurry, films, melt, fines, shavings, chips, pellets, flakes, nurdles, scraps, and mixtures thereof.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid oil is selected from the group consisting of: crude oil, vacuum residue, atmospheric residue, vacuum gas oil (VGO), heavy mineral oil, and residual oils.

15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: mixing the polymer melt or the polymer solution in a mixing device.

Assignees

• Braskem Sa

Inventors

• Peguin Robson Pablo Sobradiel
• Krupinski Steven Michael
• Soucy Kevin Richard
• Xie Jiahan
• Miró Neto Cid
• Jiménez Roberto Osorio

Classifications

• C10G1/10 Primary

  from rubber or rubber waste · CPC title

• B01F21/02

  Methods · CPC title

• B01F21/30

  Workflow diagrams or layout of plants, e.g. flow charts; Details of workflow diagrams or layout of plants, e.g. controlling means · CPC title

• B01F21/401

  Molten solids · CPC title

• B01F33/821

  with consecutive receptacles · CPC title