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

这个i-Corps项目更广泛的影响/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的方法，石化行业可以将其转化为新的聚合物树脂。这项新技术将给塑料回收行业带来革命性的变化，并允许塑料材料的闭环流动。该工艺技术将改进材料回收设施(MRF)中的聚乙烯(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的50%以上。拟议的进程是模块化的，占地面积小，因此可以在广泛的范围内部署，为不同人口规模的市政当局提供服务。这个过程的产品可能会引起石化公司的极大兴趣，他们正在寻找塑料回收和循环经济的解决方案。该项目将探索翻译，以帮助市政，县和州达到更高的强制回收率的PE和PP塑料。这个i-Corps项目的基础是开发一种新的废塑料回收工艺，该工艺将使烯烃塑料、聚乙烯和聚丙烯实现循环经济，并为解决全球废塑料问题做出贡献。拟议技术的设计将多种功能结合到每个处理单元中，从而提高了能源效率和节省了成本。该技术基于反应器中高温下的快速转化，并对分子转化机制进行了精确控制。此外，该过程可能会产生一系列化学产品，如单体、芳香中间体和燃料范围的液体产品，以替代石油石脑油、柴油、喷气和汽油。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.