1.1.   The purpose of the installation

The plant is designed to convert plastics into liquid fuels or polymer wax.

1.2.   The installation is classified under PKWiU number 29.56.25-90.00

Containerized plant for converting plastics into polymer wax and a cooperative containerized plant consisting of a wax gasifier and a combined heat and power   unit were designed to of converting plastics into a product that can be easily stored and transportable, and converted into fuels or electricity.

Thus constructed, the device is dedicated to be installed wherever there is a lack of readily available electricity.

1.3.   Technical data

The volume of input processed by the plant from 5500 to 6000 kg/h*

• The volume of production of fuels or wax after filtration, assuming a water content in the input of 0.5% (losses on filtration - from 5% to 10%):

• ON/Wax - 2200 l/h
• Gasoline - 375 l/h
• hydrogen - 120-140 kg/day

Supply voltage: 240/400 V

Frequency: 50 Hz

Installed power: 98 kW (depending on additional equipment) Monthly electricity consumption: 68,000 kWh

Recommended height of the production hall: min. 8,5 m Recommended production hall area for PCP700: min. 24 x 35 m Recommended batch storage area: min. 24 x 20 m

Capacity of process water cooling system: 2,5 m³

The average consumption of water used in the process is about 4,000 liters per month and is related to climatic conditions.

*The capacity factor given is related to the type of plastics being processed and the degree of their contamination.

The drawings below show the installation in plan view.

Figure 01: Top view of the installation.


Figure 02: Side view of the installation

Figure 03: Top view of the storage tank station, filter assembly and process tanks.

Figure 04: Side view of the tank station, filters and process tanks. The primary processing unit for plastic waste is the catalytic reactor.

1.4.   Description of the operation of the installation

The basic processing unit for plastic granulates or re-granulates is a catalytic reactor. At the entrance of the reactor there is an automatic feeding and dosing system for hydraulically driven plastics. The feedstock to the batching system is fed mechanically using screw feeders. The feedstock is fed into the reactor after the atmospheric air is pumped out of the feedstock. Inside the reactor, the feedstock is heated and then melted and subjected to the cracking process. The melted plastics are further heated until degradation occurs at temperatures as low as about 200°C. The end of the process occurs at about 410°C.

The flue gas, after giving up heat in the exchangers, escapes to the outside through a flue pipe. The polymer wax formed in the process is led out of the reactor by a screw conveyor to the wax filter. The reactor is connected to the filter by a hydraulically driven gate valve. The gate valve allows all filter maintenance to be performed without shutting down the reactor. The filter is equipped with a screw conveyor system for continuous or periodic wax removal

Two tubular heat exchangers are built into the system of each reactor. The first of them heats the thermal oil the second one takes the heat from the flue gas lowering its temperature to a maximum of 140 degrees Celsius. In the cracking process, in addition to the wax fraction, a certain amount of light fractions is generated, which after leaving the reactor go to the cooler package, after leaving which they are fed through a dust removal and cleaning filter, a dehumidifier and a distributor into the burners of the reactor or the burners of the water evaporation column. The liquid wax is led out by a screw conveyor to the wax filter. The liquid wax is received from the wax filter by a linear wax pump driven by an electric motor. The wax is pumped to the granulator buffer tank via a pipeline with a temperature stabilized pipeline jacket.

The wax granulation unit is built with a pipeline that transports liquid wax from the wax filter to the granulator buffer tank.

Liquid wax is drawn from the granulator's buffer tank and transported to the plant's module B. The liquid wax taken from the granulator buffer tank of module A is free of water and most impurities, and is therefore an excellent polymer feedstock for the catalytic cracking process taking place in module B of the plant. The granulator buffer tank of module A has the capacity to receive the wax from the two processing reactors. The buffer tank has a heating jaket with thermal oil flowing through it, ensuring that the required temperature levels of the wax inside the tank are maintained. From the tank, the wax, via a cooler, is fed to the pelletizing head or pumped to Module B for further processing. The wax droplets flowing out of the head move by gravity

In the water bath of the wax cooling ramp. The cooled and hardened wax granules are fed into big-bags or storage silos via a screw conveyor.

The polymer wax produced at the plant is used as an additive to modify bituminous masses, can be used in energy processes or converted into activated carbon or liquid fuels. One of the products produced at the plant can be paraffin wax for the manufacture of candles and candles.

The operation of module B of the plant is carried out in parallel with module A. Liquid wax at a temperature of about 360°C is taken from the buffer tank of the wax granulation system of module A and fed through pipelines with temperature stabilized by thermal oil to the catalytic reactor of module B. The hot wax taken from the buffer tank is free of water and most solid impurities. It makes a good material for catalytic cracking occurring in module B.

The wax cracking reactor has a design similar to wax production reactors. Module B is equipped with a tower-tube plant for distillation of hydrocarbon fractions. The final product of        Module B's operation     is hydrocarbon fractions with an adjustable and adjustable boiling point. For example, it can be a diesel fraction and a gasoline fraction.

The hydrocarbon fractions produced are subjected to further processes including purification of from impurities and are supplemented with additives to provide them with parameters that comply with liquid fuel standards.

The installation has a container design and can be built from four to twelve 40" containers:

• Container with reactor that converts plastic waste into polymer wax:

- can work independently converting plastics into fuel or an additive to fossil fuels increasing their calorific value and reducing environmentally harmful emissions including carbon dioxide emissions,

• Container for purification and separation of the generator gas generated in the depolymerization of plastic waste and separation of the generator gas generated in the wax gasification plant,
• Wax storage container (fuel buffer),
• A container  containing  a  wax  gasifier  and  a  cogeneration  generator with an output voltage The wax gasification plant simultaneously provides a source of gas to power the burners operating in the reactor that converts waste into waxes, which reduces the cost of wax production and makes the unit virtually independent of external fuels.

A  functional  diagram  including  the  system  for  wax  production,  transport and  storage  is  shown  in  the  figure  below.  The  final  product  obtained by the technological process goes under the trade name DEPOL 40 and is a polymeric wax with high energy properties.


Figure 05: An illustrative functional diagram of the system.

The energy contained in the wax can be stored and stored for any length of time without losing any of its qualities, the transportation of wax is completely safe for the environment, wax does not pollute water, soil and air.

The tested product - polymer wax - is a good material for the production of composite fuels, improving the properties of the base fuel. The compatibility of physicochemical characteristics with typical thermal coal allows to use the mechanical properties of the wax without leaving a clear trace in the combustion products of the composite fuel.

A sample of wax obtained from the processing of polyolefin plastics with potential for use in energy processes was tested. All tests carried out were performed at the Central Measurement and Research Laboratory Sp., z o.o., an accredited testing laboratory in accordance with PN-ISO 17025:2009 (accreditation certificate AB 300). The scope of AB 300 accreditation includes, among others, testing of solid fuels, biomass and alternative fuels. The data obtained testify of many desirable characteristics:

• low total moisture content (0.6%),
• average ash content (8.6%),
• high calorific value (38-40.8 kJ/g),
• Low emission rate (70.1 MgCO2/TJ),
• low sulfur content (0.15%),
• Ash fusibility similar to that of coal ash,
• low content of basic oxides, e., sodium oxide and potassium oxide.

The feedstock processed by the described technology does not require an in-depth analysis constituting about the percentage of particular groups of waste plastics from the polyolefin group. They can be mixed in any proportions. Therefore, it can be assumed that polyethylene (PE) AND polypropylene (PP) are used for technological processes.

Plastics used as raw material in the catalytic decomposition process must meet the following requirements:

• moisture content of the raw material - not more than 5% by weight of the batch,
• mineral impurities (sand, dust, glass, small metal elements) - not more than 5% of the cartridge weight,

The technological process used makes it possible to process plastics of any color. The proportion of mixing polypropylene with polyethylene is also not limited.

The raw material requirement for a two-reactor plant is 2,000 to 2,200 tons per month.

We are able to guarantee receipt of the final product practically in any quantity that can be produced. Collection of the product is carried out by specialized vehicles and is arranged by the buyer.

General requirements for the object in which the installation is planned to be founded.

The facility should consist of the following parts:

• A hall fulfilling a production function with a height of 8.5m, where the installation will be founded
• roofed hall serving as a warehouse for raw materials with dimensions of 24x20m
• hall serving as a product storage and filtration hall with dimensions of 23x17m
• social rooms for the crew

The facility as a whole must be equipped with a lightning protection system at the stage of installation taking into account the equipment to be installed.

It will be the responsibility of the owner of the installation to develop and agree with the authorized services on fire protection instructions.

The facility, due to its products and storage volumes, is not classified as a facility with an increased risk of industrial accidents according to the classification and guidelines of the SAWESCO Directive.

The offered production technology is based on continuous operation, but it is necessary to carry out cyclic maintenance and cleaning. These procedures should be carried out every 6-7 days (their frequency depends on the purity of the batch). Their duration is on average 12 hours.

However, it may differ from the above depending on the quality of the raw material used and the way the process is carried out. It is estimated that on an annual basis, 25 days should be allocated for maintenance procedures. Detailed information on the operation of the device is included in the operation and maintenance manual supplied with the installation.

THE MANUFACTURER OF THE PLANT GUARANTEES ACCESS TO SPARE PARTS AS WELL AS SERVICE DURING THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF EXLPOATATION OF THE PROCESS LINE.

 7.1.   Noise Emissions

With a properly conducted technological process, regularly and carefully carried out maintenance work, the installation for recycling by catalytic cracking of plastic waste will emit noise at the level of 55dB(A) for daytime and 45dB(A) for nighttime. Taking into account the assumed operating time, the range of acoustic impact of the plant in operation will be determined by the 45dB(A) isophone.

7.2.   Other impacts

The installation supplier declares that:

• The installation maintains the permissible emissions of substances and energy into the environment,
• the amount of hazardous substances used do not qualify the plant as a facility with the possibility of a major industrial accident, according to the interpretation of the Regulation of  the  Minister  of  Economy  of  April  9,  2002  on  the  types and quantities of hazardous substances, the presence of which in a plant determines to qualify it as a plant of increased risk or high risk of a serious industrial accident - Journal of Laws No. 58 dated May 17, 2002, item 535,
• The adopted technology meets environmental protection requirements from the standpoint of air protection, emissions to the water environment, and protection of the soil and water environment, as well as noise protection.

Analysis of the technology's impact on the state of clean air shows that there will be no above-normal impact on the state of clean air from organized emission sources.

It is recommended that the technological staff should consist of 3 groups of workers consisting of each 4 people in three-shift operation, with the indication that each of them should have its own foreman. This means that the installation consisting of three reactors should have 12 employees, while the installation consisting of two reactors should have 8 direct employees.

For practical reasons, it is recommended to employ 1 employee responsible for administrative matters and 1 employee responsible for logistics including the purchase of raw material and disposal of the final product.

It is recommended that at least 1 person on each shift be certified as a forklift operator and certified as a torch operator. On the other hand, each employee must undergo, certified specialized training in the technological process conducted by the plant supplier.

It is recommended that at least one employee from each 4-person team have at least basic knowledge to operate electrical equipment.

The manager of the process line is obliged to provide the health and safety training required during employment, as well as to comply with any requirements mandated by applicable health and safety regulations at the facility.

Before starting work, each of the plant's operating personnel is obliged to familiarize themselves with the rules:

• safe operation of the installation on the basis of Operation and maintenance manual,
• operation of electrical equipment,
• emergency first aid,
• emergency response and evacuation