I-Corps: Process Intensification in a Multi-Product Waste Polyolefin Refinery

该I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发一种低成本和高能效的混合废塑料转化为中间产品，石化行业可以将其转化为新的聚合物树脂。这项新技术将彻底改变塑料回收行业，并将允许闭环塑料材料流。 该工艺技术将改善材料回收设施（MRF）中聚乙烯（PE）和聚丙烯（PP）塑料的回收，这一点意义重大，因为PE和PP占全球塑料产量和消费后废物产生量的50%以上。 拟议的程序是模块化的，占地面积小，因此可以在各种规模上部署，为不同人口规模的城市服务。这一过程的产品可能会引起正在寻求塑料回收和循环经济解决方案的石化公司的极大兴趣。 该项目将探索翻译，以帮助市政当局，县和州实现更高的PE和PP塑料强制回收率。 该I-Corps项目基于一种新型废塑料回收工艺的开发，该工艺将实现烯烃塑料、聚乙烯和聚丙烯的循环经济，并为解决全球废塑料问题做出贡献。该技术的设计将多种功能结合到每个处理单元中，提高了能源效率并节省了成本。该技术基于在反应器中在高温下的快速转化，并对分子转化机制进行精确控制。此外，该工艺还可以产生一系列化学产品，如单体、芳香族中间体和燃料范围内的液体产品，以替代石脑油、柴油、喷气发动机和汽油。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a low-cost and energy-efficient conversion of mixed waste plastics into an intermediate product that the petrochemical industry can convert into new polymer resin. This new technology will revolutionize the plastics recycling industry and will allow for closed-loop plastic material flows. The process technology will improve recycling of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plastics from materials recovery facilities (MRFs), significant because PE and PP comprise over 50% of global plastics production and post-consumer waste generation. The proposed process is modular and small footprint so that it may be deployed over a wide range of scales to serve municipalities of various population sizes. The products from this process may be of great interest to petrochemical firms who are seeking solutions to recycling and a circular economy for plastics. This project will explore translation to help municipalities, counties, and states achieve higher mandated recycle rates for PE and PP plastics. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a novel waste plastics recycling process that will enable a circular economy for olefin plastics, polyethylene and polypropylene, and contribute to the solution of the global waste plastics problem. The design of the proposed technology combines multiple functions into each process unit, increasing energy efficiency and cost savings. The technology is based on rapid conversion at elevated temperature in a reactor with precise control over the molecular conversion mechanisms. In addition, the process may generate a range of chemical products, such as monomers, aromatic intermediates, and fuel-range liquid products substituting for petroleum naphtha, diesel, jet, and gasoline.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.