Integrated process of pyrolysis, electrode anode production and aluminum production and joint plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022228280-A1
Application number	US-202017596000-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 28, 2020
Priority date	Jun 5, 2019
Publication date	Jul 21, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An integrated process contains the following steps of: (i) pyrolysis of hydrocarbons to carbon and hydrogen, (iia) removal of at least a part of the produced carbon in step (i) and at least partly further processing of said carbon into a carbon containing electrode, and (iib) removal of the hydrogen produced in step (i) and at least partly using said hydrogen for providing energy, preferably electric energy or heat, for the electrode production in step (iia). A joint plant is also useful, which contains (a) at least one reactor for a pyrolysis process, (b) at least one reactor for the production of electrodes for an aluminum process, (c) a power plant and/or at least one gas-fired burner, and optionally, (d) at least one reactor for the electrolysis for producing aluminum.

First claim

1 : An integrated process, containing the following:
(i) conducting pyrolysis of hydrocarbons, to produce carbon and hydrogen, (iia) removing at least a part of the carbon produced in (i), and at least partly further processing said carbon into a carbon containing electrode and optionally, using the carbon containing electrode for producing aluminum, (iib) removing the hydrogen produced in (i) and at least partly using said hydrogen for providing energy for the carbon containing electrode production in (iia) and/or for aluminum production.

2 : The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the hydrogen produced in (i) is used to enrich natural gas in burners for providing energy.

3 : The process according to claim 1 , wherein 5 to 30% of natural gas, used as fuel, is replaced by the hydrogen produced in (i).

4 : The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the hydrogen produced in (i) is used for generating electricity to heat the pyrolysis of (i) and/or for smelting cells of the aluminum production.

5 : The process according to claim 1 , wherein 80 to 100 weight-% of the carbon produced in (i) is further processed into the carbon containing electrode.

6 : The process according to claim 1 , wherein a substrate is used for the pyrolysis of (i) as a fixed bed, a moving bed, a fluidized bed, or as entrained flow.

7 : The process according to claim 1 , wherein a density of the carbon produced in (i) is in the range of 1.6 to 2.3 g/cc.

8 : The process according to claim 1 , wherein a particle size of the carbon produced in (i) has at least 50% by weight greater than 0.5 mm.

9 : The process according to claim 1 , wherein a part of the hydrogen produced in (i) is exported to neighboring industrial plants for chemical processes needing hydrogen as a reducing agent.

10 : The process according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon containing electrode produced in (iia) is used for producing aluminum.

11 : The process according to claim 1 , wherein said carbon produced in (i) is further processed into a carbon containing anode.

12 : A joint plant, containing:
(a) a reactor for a pyrolysis process, (b) a reactor for a production of anodes for an aluminum process, (c) a power plant and/or at least one gas-fired burner, and (d) optionally, a reactor for an electrolysis for producing aluminum.

13 : The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
(iii) producing aluminum.

Assignees

• Basf Se
• Thyssenkrupp Ag
• Thyssenkrupp Ind Solutions Ag

Inventors

• Scheiff Frederik
• Leduc Marc
• Kolios Grigorios
• Daloz William
• Bueker Karsten
• Antweiler Nicolai
• Bode Andreas

Classifications

• C25C7/025 Primary

  used in cells for the electrolysis of melts · CPC title

• C01B2203/0266

  containing a decomposition step · CPC title

• C25C3/06

  of aluminium · CPC title

• C01B3/24

  of hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C01B32/05

  Preparation or purification of carbon not covered by groups C01B32/15, C01B32/20, C01B32/25, C01B32/30 · CPC title