Production of value-added products from solid waste heavy hydrocarbons

该项目将开发技术， 数百万吨富含碳的固体废物，如低级煤褐煤和石油焦（石油焦），在加拿大大量存在。这些碳氢化合物最常用于产生热量和电力，这两者都是产生大量温室气体排放（GHG）的燃烧应用。此外，由于高碳和杂质（氮、硫等），由于这些原料中的碳含量较高，与使用天然气等其他化石燃料相比，其最终用途对温室气体的影响更为严重。 在这个项目中，我们引入了一种称为氧裂解的技术，这是一种在水基介质中同时发生的两种反应的组合，用于将这些原料转化为非燃烧应用的有用化学品。此外，与从褐煤和其他废含碳原料生产这些化学品的现有技术相比，所提出的方法中的CO2排放可以忽略不计。该技术是一种具有成本效益的技术，因为它在低压和低温下进行，并且有利于生产作为散装肥料应用的腐植酸类似物。 拟议的研究将在实验室规模上优化和扩大这项技术。 长期目标是开发一种能够可靠地从低级煤中生产高产量腐殖酸的方法，同时回收该方法中使用的水。 这从固体废物中产生产品，并减少空气排放中的污染物。高效的氧裂解工艺具有i）提供腐殖酸用于随后的销售的潜力; ii）使加拿大处于从低煤阶煤生产腐殖酸的全球市场的领先地位。HQP将获得工艺设计和先进化学反应技术方面的经验，这些经验也适用于石油和天然气工业的渣油原料。

This project will develop technology for potentially monetizing millions of tons of carbon rich solid waste like low rank-coal lignite and petroleum coke (Petcoke) that are abundantly available in Canada. These hydrocarbons are most commonly used for generating heat and power, both of which are combustion applications generating significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Additionally, because of the high carbon and impurities (nitrogen, sulphur etc.) content in these feedstocks, their end-use GHG impact is more severe compared with using other fossil fuels such as natural gas. In this project, we are introducing a technology called oxy-cracking, a combination of two reactions taking place simultaneously in a water-based medium, for converting these feedstocks into useful chemicals for non-combustion application. Additionally, the CO2 emissions in the proposed process are negligible compared with the incumbent technology for producing these chemicals from lignite and other waste carbonaceous feedstocks. This technology is a cost-effective technique as it takes place at low pressures and temperatures and favors the production of humic acid analogs that find application as bulk fertilizers. The proposed research will optimize and scale up this technology at a lab scale. The long term goal is to develop a process capable of reliably producing high yields for humic acids from low rank-coals, while recycling back the water used in the process. This generates a product from a solid waste and reduces the pollutants in the air emissions. Efficient oxy-cracking process has the potential to i) provide humic acids for subsequent sale; ii) position Canada well to lead the global marketplace for humic acids production from low rank-coals. HQPs will gain experience in process design and advanced chemical reaction techniques that are also applicable to residual feedstocks of oil and gas industry.