m4-20_r_szente_l_souza

7/27/2019 M4-20_R_SZENTE_L_SOUZA

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/m4-20rszentelsouza 1/38

R.N. Szente

TSL Environmental CorporationIPT - Technological Research Institute

Plasma Treatment of

Industrial Residues



Plan IPT/TSL

Plasma

Fundamentals

Plasma Torch

Applications

Innovative Applications of Plasma

Industrial Inorganic Residues

Industrial Organic Residues / Hospital Wastes

Contaminated Soil

Multilayer Packaging

Aluminum Recovery

Research & Development



IPTSão Paulo State

Technological Research Institute

It was created 103 years ago

9 Divisions: Mechanical and Electrical Eng.,Chemistry, Civil Eng., Geology, Systems Eng.,

Computer and Communications, Metallurgy,

Forestry, Transports

1,300 employees; 900 researchers / technicians

Technological development, technical certificates



IPTPlasma Group

Started in 1986; Division of Mec. and Electr. Eng.

5 researchers and 3 technicians (full time); 4technicians (part time); graduated students (USP)

Development of technology and processes

Laboratory:

Constructed area - 500 m2

Electrical power - 550 kW



TSL

A Serious Duty to the Environment

TSL is an engineering and technology company, with

almost 20 years experience with the Petroleum and

Petrochemical industries.

TSL has developed several new processes for those and

other industries, including:

Soil Decontamination (thermal desorption, bio remediation,

plasma);

Water / Oil Separation (centrifuge, flotation)

Ultra High Pressure Surface Preparation

Mechanized Cleaning of Petroleum Storage Tanks Lagoons;

Several Processes for Treating Industrial Residues (plasma).



Plasma

Ionized and Dissociated Matter

Main Characteristics:

Electrical conductor

Can be controlled by external electrical and magnetic fields

Macroscopically neutral

AM

I+

e

AA

A

M

M

I

+

e

I+

e

M



Thermal Plasma

3 methods to generate: Laser, High Freq.and Electric Arc

Electric arcs are normally employed for industrial

applications in devices called Plasma torches.

Plasma Torches generate a plasma jet, at typically

15,0000C, using different gases (argon, air, nitrogen,

hydrogen, oxygen, water vapour, etc).

Presently Plasma Torches with efficiencies higher than

90% are available (TSL-IPT developed torches that present

some of the highest efficiencies in the world, above 93 %

for non transfered and above 95 % for transfered arcs .



Plasma Torch

Basic principle:

Two metal electrodes

Electric arc striking between the electrodes

Collisions among the electrons (arc) and the molecules (gas),transferring energy

Ionization and heating of the gas

General characteristics:

Great flexibility in geometry and use of gases

Power level from 1 kW to 20 MW

Temperature - 5.000 to 50.000 0C

Efficiency up to 93 %



Thermal Plasma

Industrial Applications

Environment Thermal plasmas can be employed efficiently to treat

industrial wastes.

The main advantages of using thermal plasmas to treat

environmental problems, such as residues, are:

Clean technology

Complete and final treatment of residues Economically competitive

Easily scale-up from tens to tons of residues treated per hour.



TSL-IPT Innovative Plasma Processes

for Environmental Applications

Inorganic Industrial Residues

Hospital Wastes (Organic Industrial Residues)

Contaminated Soil

Multi-Layer Packaging

Aluminum Recovery



Inorganic IndustrialResidues

Industrial inorganic residues (such as incinerationashes, electroplating sludges, spent catalysts, etc)

commonly contain heavy metals (chrome, zinc, nickel,

barium, cadmium, etc), besides other compounds,

such as silica, alumina, silicates, carbonates, and

others;

Those residues need to be properly treated since they

can cause serious environmental problems; Those residues should not be disposed directly into

common landfills;

Common technologies, such as incineration, cannot be

used for treating those residues.



TSL-IPT Innovative Plasma ProcessInorganic Industrial Residues

TSL-IPT have developed a process, using plasma

technology, to treat industrial inorganic residues.

The process consists in feeding directly theresidues into a plasma reactor, where temperatures

of ~1,600 0 C are maintained using a plasma torch

(operating at 15,000 0 C);

At those temperatures several chemical reactions

and physical transformation of the residues occur.

Two liquid phases are formed inside the reactor:

ceramic and a ferrous phases;



Hospital Wastes

Residues generated by Hospitals, Private Clinics,

Labs, Pharmacies, Drug Industries.

1/3 of the residues - “red bags”.

> 20 % plastic

Humidity between 30 - 60 %

Remaining: organic, metals, ceramic materials.

Industrial organic residues present similar

composition



Hospital Wastes

Traditional Technologies:

Microwave Incineration

Steam Desinfection

Chemical Desinfection



Hospital Wastes

Problems

All traditional processes have limitations in terms

of the material being treated.

All the traditional processes can cause pollution;

None of the traditional processes treat completely

the residues;

All the traditional processes generate residues that

need to be further treated (incineration ashes, non

inert materials, dioxins and furans, particulate

material, leaching of heavy metals, etc).



TSL-IPT Innovative Plasma Process

Hospital Wastes

TSL-IPT developed a process for treating

hospital/medical/pharmaceutical (industrial

organic ) residues.

The material to be treated is placed directly into a

plasma reactor (without any handling or

transformation steps);

Inside the reactor reducing conditions are

maintaing, at high temperatures (above 1,600 0C)

using a plasma torch operating at 15,000 0C;




Hospital Wastes Organic compounds react with oxygen (less than

the stoichiometry amounts), resulting in CO e H2;

The off gases can be burned in a boiler andgenerate steam;

Melting of the inorganic compounds, resulting in

two phases inside the reactor: ferrous and ceramic

phases.

Tapping of the li quid phases, resulting in two

matrixes (ferrous and ceramic) inert and

immediatly reusable.




Hospital Wastes Advantages of the plasma process:

Non toxic off gases:

No dioxins neither furans

No particulate material

Significant reduction of SOx

Complete and final treatment

Two types of by products (inert and reusable):Ceramic matrix

Ferrous matrix

Recovery of the thermal energy of the residues

Clean technology



The Problem...

There are different types of petroleum / organic

contaminated materials.

The contaminated materials include:

Soils from spills (pipeline; storage tanks; trucks; etc)

Sludges generated from cleaning of storage tanks

Cuttings from petroleum exploration

Contaminated soil in general (pesticides, insecticides)




Contaminated Soil

A new plasma process was developed to treat

residues containing hydrocarbons, such as

petroleum/oil contaminated soil, oily sludges,

cuttings and other types of contaminants.

The process is based on the use of a plasma

system, operating at 15,000 0C, that is used to

transfer energy to the materials being treated.

The materials are heated in a controlled ambient,

avoiding the oxidation of the hydrocarbons (no

combustion).




Contaminated Soil

The hydrocarbons initially present in the

materials are recovered in the form of a

light oil. The clean materials (soil, for instance),

without hydrocarbons, can be readily reused

or disposed without any environmentalrisks.

TSL IPT




Contaminated Soil

The developed plasma process has the following

advantages:

Extremely efficient heat transfer between a source at

15,0000

C and the material being treated at 900-1,2000C (forced convection and radiation provides

efficiencies of ~ 80 % compared to ~ 20 % of normal

incineration);

Controlled atmosphere - recovery of oil; Higher operating temperatures are easily obtained.

Nil (or almost nil) gas emission (when it occurs, the off

gases contain only N2 , O2 , Ar, H2O);

Clean technology




Contaminated Soil

Residues: contaminated soils and sludges varying

from 1 to 50 % oil content (in weight);

Material after plasma treatment contained < 0.01%

hydrocarbon content (legal limit to discard is

< 1%);

Recovered of a light oil (diesel type);

Energy consumption: ~ 0.5 kwh/kg

Typical Results




Contaminated Soil

Mobile Plasma Unit

Plasma units developed for treating contaminated soil

(soil contaminated with petroleum, crude oil, gasoline,diesel, etc) can be made mobile.

The units can treat in situ the contaminated materials,avoiding the costs and environmental risks involved intransportation.

Mobile units can be made for 100 kg/h up to 2,000kg/h (after this size semi-mobile units, up to 5 ton/h,can be used).




Multi Layer Packaging

TSL has developed a very unique process for recycling the plastic / aluminum residue.

The developed process is clean and allows therecovery of the plastic and aluminum initially

present in the residue.

In the process, the aluminum is melted andrecovery in the form of ingots;

The plastic (essentially Polyethylene) is recoveredin the form of a paraffinic compound.

Both (alumimum ingot and paraffinic compound)

can be readily commercialized.



Aluminum

Excellent material for packaging - specially for foodindustries (impermeable to oxygen, light, strong,

chemically inert to most food and drink products,

possibility of making thin sheets)

In principle 100 % recyclable

More than 98 % of the beverage cans in the world are

made of aluminum (~3.2 million tons yearly)

Aluminum scrap represents ~2.0 million tons yearly

More than 1 million ton of dross are generated yearly

by the aluminum producers and remelters



Aluminum

30 % of the aluminum produced is recycled

worldwide, this number growing every year. The

reasons for recycling aluminum are:

Significant reduction on energy consumption

(0.7 kWh/kg vs 14 kWh/kg);

Lower impact on the environment (for each new kg of

Al produced 4 kg of residues are generated);

Reduction on the amount of wastes going to landfills;

Keeps the price of aluminum competitive.

R li Al i



Recycling AluminumTraditional Routes

A) Large quantities (> 10,000 ton/year):

Reception of material Separation of ferrous materials

Cleaning Decoating (cans) Remelting Ingot

This route is economically sound for large quantities of

specific material (normally cans); uses gas/oil burners

B) Small - Medium quantities (< 10,000 ton/year):

Reception of material Separation of ferrous materials

Remelting Ingot

This route is used to remelt any type of aluminum material;

it is largely employed in the world (>50%); very flexible

unit; can be installed in more remote areas; gas/oil burners



Recycling Aluminum

Small Unit

Rotary furnaces with gas/oil burners (normally)

Salt (NaCl / KCl) is added to prevent the oxidation

of Aluminum

30 kg of salt per 100 kg of Al produced (average)

Salt is removed prior to tapping and recycled After 3 heats (average) salt is removed and

discarded

Recycling Aluminum



Recycling AluminumSmall Unit- Problems

Discarded salt is potentially harmful to the environm.

It contains heavy metals and needs to be discarded in

industrial landfills.

Use of salt is potentially harmful to the workers close

to the furnace (gases rich in salt vapors).

Salt attacks the equipment (refractory, pipes, need to

be frequently replaced).

Inefficiency of the process in terms of energy (loss to

melt the salt which acts as an insulating material) and

aluminum recovery (oxidation of Al even using salt).




Aluminum recycling

TSL developed a process for recycling aluminum

from dross, beverage cans, scrap;

The process employs similar rotary furnaces (or staticreactors, when it is more convenient); the gas/oil

burners are replaced by a plasma system.

Use of non-oxidizing atmosphere inside the furnace.

No salt (or other compound) is added to the process.

Possibility of continuous operation.

TSL IPT




Aluminum recycling

Advantages of the plasma process:

Clean technology (no residues are generated);

Significant higher energy and aluminum recovery

efficiencies than conventional technologies.

The same reactor can be used for treating different raw

materials (cans, dross, scrap, fine materials).

Considerable lower operating costs.

TSL IPT



TSL-IPT Nickel Recovery

Spent catalysts from petrochemical and chemical industries

contain several different compounds, including alumina

and nickel (high price material).

TSL developed a new process for recovering the nickel

present in the spent catalysts, while generating a totally

inert ceramic matrix as by product.

The process has being already proved in a pilot scale and is

being presently negotiated for a full scale industrial

operation.

TSL IPT



TSL-IPTUsed Batteries; Silicon

TSL is developing a process to recover the lead containedin used car batteries. The traditional process, employing

rotary furnaces with gas/oil burners, is very aggressive to

the environment (that process generates 300 kg of a toxic

residue for each 1.000 kg of lead recovered). The process

being developed is clean and has a higher recovery

efficiency than the traditional process.

TSL is also developing a process for producing solar grade

silicon (to be used in solar panels to generate electricity

from solar energy). The new process should decrease

significantly the costs of production of the solar panels.

m4-20_r_szente_l_souza

Documents