Waste Recycling Technologies for Environment Protection Piotr Grzybowski, Ph.D. Eng. Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology p.grzybowski@ichip.pw.edu.pl Europe House, 17 Feb 2017

Natural Materials, feedstock „Ther is no real recycling until adequate technology is applied”. Two idealistic sustainable development models: 1) 2) Products Products Natural Materials, feedstock Wastes Materials, feedstock Wastes Natural degradation

1. Fuel form Polyolefins Thermal cracking of polymeric waste (Hydro - cracking) (Catalytical – cracking ) - Polyethylene , PE, HDPE, LDPE ( plastic bags, containers, bottles, fertilizers bags, agriculture foils etc.) Polipropylene, PP ( foils, packages ) Liquid fuels, efficiency app. 85% Oil and gasoline fractions, app. 1:1 Gases (non condensing), app. 5%-10% Charcoal / cox, app. 5%-10%

poliethylene chain: CH3-. -CH2-(CH2)n-CH2- poliethylene chain: CH3-...-CH2-(CH2)n-CH2-....-CH3 where n= 4000 – 40 000 cracking products: - gases, C1-C4 - liquids, C5-C19 - solids (wax), C20- C40

Thermal cracking of polyolefins : - Requires special type of pyrolytical reactor. - Available various types of cracking process. - Products fractions and products efficiencies depend on cracking reactor type, process type and parameters of the process. Part of the products (gases) can be used for the reactor heating. In Poland arise app 500 000 T/year of PE/PP wastes (population: 38 mln)

2. PET bottles recycling PET : Poly-Ethylene-Terephthalate is made of : Ethylene glycol: HO-C2H4-OH, and Terephthalic acid: C8H6O4 (or: Purified Terephthalic Acid – PTA) PTA

Polish Technology (patented): converting of PET waste into initial substrates: PTA and Glycol. 1000 kg PET → 323 kg Glycol + 865 kg PTA ( PTA: 600 USD/T; Glycol: 500-1000 USD/T ) Technology is profitable in European conditions. Enables processing of waste PET without initial separation from other impurities (caps, labels, other polimers, paper etc.) No need to segregate the colours of the PET waste. waste PET PTA Glycol

3. Waste biomass composting and earthworms production. a) construction of a composting plant close to a big city for treatment of kitchen waste, green wastes and formation of compost b) construction of earthworms farm for animal tissue production for manufacturing a feed for fish and/or chicken

4. Waste tyres and rubber recycling Tyre:. - rubber, 45% 4. Waste tyres and rubber recycling Tyre: - rubber, 45% - carbon black, 22% - metal, 25% - zinc oxide, 2% - sulphur, 1% - additives, 5 % a) Shredding and the reuse of rubber scaps - fresh rubber additive - asphalt additive b) Pyrolysis of waste rubber (tyres) - liquid fuel, gas - metal

5. Recycling waste from tanning industry. There is a technology for complete recovery of chromium from the so called „wet blue” (3%-4% Cr) and converting of the proteinic remainings into a nitrogenous fertilizer. „Wet-blue” leather scraps, blue due to tanning with the use of chromium salts.

6. Inductrial catalysts recycling Contain heavy metals: Cu, Ni, Zn, Fe, Mn, Pt, Pd, Mo, V, Co and other Require special treatment, transportation, storage and are clasified as toxic / dangerous wastes Various types of the catalist require different treatment. Mostly the metalic fraction is washed off and separated. Only the inert / ceramic reaminings are dumped or further utilized.

7. Air purification in poultry farms. Actions: Indoor air dust reduction Elimination of ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) Heat recuperation Benefits: Wellness of the animals Increase of the productivity Heating costs reduction Odour reduction

8. Fish industry waste Biogas production Composting Oil separation Fertilizers for agriculture Animal food production Maggots production (full life cycle of some flies only 10 days! )

9. Waste cellulosic material into slurry fuel waste pyrolysis (app. 400°C ) → charcoal milling (below 40 μm) → stable water suspension formation = slurry fuel (heating oil, diesel engine oil) Waste type: Wastes from wood industry Mulch City green wastes Building Industry Wastes Old funiture Seaweeds Cardboard / waste paper Compost Organic agricultural wastes Fig. from: Wikipedia 1 T of dry wood can give 750 kg of slurry fuel (60%).

( e.g. 50 m3.day – requires 1000 hectars of land for spreading ) 10. Manure treatment and utilization Problem for industrial farms where it is collected and removed from the sheds, ( e.g. 50 m3.day – requires 1000 hectars of land for spreading ) Composting with green wastes Biogas production Deammonification (ammonia liberation) Drying and burning (costs ?) Natural fertilizer

Thank you Any type (most) of the waste can be transfered into usable products. Wastes can be often clasified as raw chemical material. Many waste treatment technologies are profitable. New technologies for waste treatment still need to compete with cheap landfilling. Small – medium waste treatment plants can give 20k-100k $ pure profits/month by investment costs app 2 mln $. Thank you