Thermal depolymerization (TDP) is a process for the reduction of complex organic materials (usually waste products of various sorts, often known as biomass) into light crude oil. It mimics the natural geological processes thought to be involved in the production of fossil fuels. Under pressure and heat, long chain polymers of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon decompose into short-chain petroleum hydrocarbons with a maximum length of around 18 carbons. Organic material or organic matter is informally used to denote a material that originated as a living organism; most such materials contain carbon and are capable of decay. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Biomass is organic non-fossil material, collectively. ... Nodding donkey pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Petroleum (from Greek petra – rock and oleum – oil), crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history and the processes that shape it. ... Coal rail cars in Ashtabula, Ohio Fossil fuels, also known as mineral fuels, are hydrocarbon-containing natural resources such as coal, oil and natural gas. ... Polymer is a generic term used to describe a very long molecule consisting of structural units and repeating units connected by covalent chemical bonds. ... General Name, Symbol, Number hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 1. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... General Name, Symbol, Number carbon, C, 6 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 14, 2, p Appearance black (graphite) colorless (diamond) Atomic mass 12. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Petroleum (from Greek petra – rock and elaion – oil or Latin oleum – oil ), crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold or Texas Tea, is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid. ... In chemistry, a hydrocarbon is a cleaning solution consisting only of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). ...

Similar processes

Thermal depolymerization is sometimes mistaken for similar processes:

• Thermochemical conversion (TCC) is limited to the changing of manure to crude oil.
• Thermal conversion process (TCP) is limited to the changing of manure and vegetable waste to crude oil.

Thermal depolymerization can change many carbon-based materials into crude oil and methane, and is not limited to manure or vegetable waste.

History

Thermal depolymerization is similar to the geological processes that produced the fossil fuels used today, except that the technological process occurs in a timeframe measured in hours. Until recently, the human-designed processes were not efficient enough to serve as a practical source of fuel—more energy was required than was produced. The hour (symbol: h) is a unit of time. ... This article is about modern humans. ...

A new approach that exceeded break-even was developed by Illinois microbiologist Paul Baskis in the 1980s and refined over the next 15 years. The technology was finally developed for commercial use in 1996 by Changing World Technologies. Brian Appel (CEO of Changing World Technologies) took the technology in 2001 and expanded and changed it into TCP and has applied for a patent. A Thermal Depolymerization demonstration plant was completed in 1999 in Philadelphia by Thermal Depolymerization, LLC, and the first full-scale commercial plant was constructed in Carthage, Missouri, about 100 yards (100 m) from ConAgra Foods' massive Butterball turkey plant, where it is expected to process about 200 tons of turkey waste into 500 barrels (21,000 US gallons or 80 m³) of oil per day. The breakeven point in economics is the point at which cost or expenses and income are equal _ there is no net loss or gain, one has broken even. The point at which a firm or other economic entity breaks even is equal to its fixed costs divided by its... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 25th 149,998 km² 340 km 629 km 4. ... Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are unicellular or cell-cluster microscopic organisms. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... Carthage is a city located in Jasper County, Missouri. ... This article is about the unit of measure known as the yard. ... The Metre (or Meter) is the base fundamental unit of length in the metric measurement system as defined originally by the French Academy of Sciences during the French Revolutionary–Napoleonic war era, and subsequently adopted by various successive International Standards Committees as the utility, elegance, and self-consistency of the... ConAgra Foods, Inc. ... Butterball is a brand of turkey and other poultry products produced by ConAgra Foods, Inc. ... The word ton or tonne is derived from the Old English tunne, and ultimately from the Old French tonne, and referred originally to a large cask with a capacity of 252 wine gallons, which holds approximately 2100 pounds of water. ... The barrel is the name of several units of measurement. ... The gallon (abbr. ...

Theory and process

Previous methods to create hydrocarbons from depolymerization expend a lot of energy to remove water from the materials. This hydrous pyrolysis method instead uses water to improve the heating process and contribute hydrogen from water to the reactions. A girl in a swimming pool full of water Water (from the Old English waeter; c. ... Hydrous pyrolysis refers to the chemical processes which take place when material is heated to high temperatures in the presence of water. ...

The feedstock material is first ground into small chunks, and mixed with water if it is especially dry. It is then fed into a reaction chamber where it is heated to around 250 °C and subjected to 600 lbf/in² (4 MPa) for approximately 15 minutes, after which the pressure is rapidly released to boil off most of the water. The result is a mix of crude hydrocarbons and solid minerals, which are separated out. The hydrocarbons are sent to a second-stage reactor where they are heated to 500 °C, further breaking down the longer chains, and the resulting mix of hydrocarbons is then distilled in a manner similar to conventional oil refining. A feedstock is a petrochemical used as a raw material to be fed into a machine or processing plant. ... A degree Celsius (°C) is a unit of temperature named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701-1744), who first proposed a similar system in 1742. ... MPA is a TLA (three-letter acronym) that may mean: MasterPaulAnne Macedonian Press Agency Marine Protected Area Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark MPA) Master of Public Administration Master of Public Affairs Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics Medical-Psychological Assessment Mid-atlantic Pagan Alliance Motion Picture Association Music Publishers... Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ... View of the Shell/Valero Martinez oil refinery An oil refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into useful petroleum products. ...

Working with turkey offal as the feedstock, the process proved to have yield efficiencies of approximately 85%; in other words, the energy contained in the end products of the process is 85% of the energy contained in the inputs to the process (most notably the energy content of the feedstock, but also including electricity for pumps and natural gas for heating). Alternatively, if one considers the energy content of the feedstock to be free (i.e., waste material from some other process), one could consider the energy efficiency of the process to be 560% (85 units of energy made available for 15 units of energy consumed). The company claims that 15 to 20% of feedstock energy is used to provide energy for the plant. The remaining energy is available in the converted product. Higher efficiencies may be possible with drier and more carbon-rich feedstocks, such as waste plastic. Offal is the entrails and internal organs of a butchered animal. ... Plastic covers a range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products. ...

By comparison, the current processes used to produce ethanol and biodiesel from agricultural sources have energy efficiencies in the 320% range when the energy used to produce the feedstocks is considered (in this case, usually sugar cane, corn, soybeans and the like). As these energy efficiencies include the energy cost to produce the feedstock and the above TDP energy efficiency does not, these values are not directly comparable. The use of alcohol as a fuel for internal combustion engines, either alone or in combination with other fuels, has been given much attention mostly because of its possible environmental and long-term economical advantages over fossil fuels. ... Biodiesel sample Biodiesel refers to diesel-equivalent biofuel usually made from vegetable oils or animal fats. ... Species Ref: ITIS 42058 as of 2004-05-05 Sugarcane is one of six species of a tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Family Poaceae) having stout fibrous jointed stalks whose sap at one time was the primary source of sugar. ... Binomial name Zea mays L. Maize (Zea mays ssp. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...

The process breaks down almost all materials that are fed into it. TDP even efficiently breaks down many types of hazardous materials, such as poisons and difficult-to-destroy biological agents such as prions. The skull and crossbones symbol traditionally used to label a poisonous substance. ... A prion (pronounced pree-on) — short for proteinaceous infectious particle — is a unique type of infectious agent, as it is made only of protein. ...

Feedstocks and outputs with thermal depolymerization

Carthage plant products

The yield from one ton of turkey waste is 600 pounds petroleum, 100 pounds butane/methane, and 60 pounds minerals. In addition, the water is recycled back into the system for reuse.

The Carthage, MO plant produces API 40+, a high value crude oil comparable to diesel fuel. It contains light and heavy naphthas, a kerosene, and a gas oil fraction, with essentially no heavy fuel oils, tars, asphaltenes, or waxes present. Naphtha is a group of various volatile flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixtures used primarily as feedstocks in refineries for the reforming process and in the petrochemical industry for the production of olefins in steam crackers. ... Russian kerosene lamp Kerosene or paraffin oil (British English, not to be confused with the waxy solid also called paraffin) is a colorless flammable hydrocarbon liquid. ... Kerosene, gas oil, paraffin (not the waxy solid of that name) is a colorless flammable hydrocarbon liquid. ...

The fixed carbon solids produced by the TDP process have multiple uses as a filter, a fuel source and a fertilizer. It can be used as activated carbon in wastewater treatement, as a fertilizer, or as a fuel similar to coal. Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by any anthropogenic influence. ... Coal is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ...

Limitations

The process only breaks long molecules into shorter ones. Longer molecules are not created, so short molecules such as carbon dioxide or methane cannot be converted to oil through this process. The process can break down organic poisons, due to breaking chemical bonds and destroying the molecular shape needed for the poison's activity. It is highly effective at killing pathogens, specifically including prions. It can also safely remove heavy metals from the samples by converting them from their ionized or organometallic forms to their stable oxides which can be safely separated from the other products. However, it cannot remove radioactivity from radioactive waste which would require transmuting elements, which chemical reactions cannot do. Carbon dioxide is an atmospheric gas comprised of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... R-phrases S-phrases , , , Flash point −188°C Autoignition temperature 537°C Explosive limits 5–15% Supplementary data page Structure and properties Thermodynamic data Spectral data UV, IR, NMR, MS Related compounds Related alkanes Ethane Propane Related compounds Methanol Chloromethane Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in... A prion (pronounced pree-on) — short for proteinaceous infectious particle — is a unique type of infectious agent, as it is made only of protein. ... The term heavy metal may have various more general or more specific meanings. ...

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in 2001 there were 229 million tons of municipal solid waste, or 4.4 pounds generated per day per person in the USA. ^[2] Industrial facilities in the USA create 7.6 billion tons of industrial wastes each year and, as a whole, the USA creates over 12 billion tons of total waste^[3]. EPA redirects here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Many agricultural and animal wastes could be processed, but many of these are already used as fertilizer, animal feed, and in some cases as feedstock for papermills or as boiler fuel.

Current status

According to a recent article by Fortune Magazine, the Carthage plant is currently producing about 400 barrels per day of crude oil. This oil is being refined as No. 2 (a standard grade oil which is used for diesel and gasoline) and No. 4 (a lower grade oil used in industrial heating).

Reports in 2004 claimed that the facility was selling products at 10% below the price of equivalent oil, but its production costs were low enough that the plant produced a profit. At the time it was paying for turkey waste. The plant has consumed 270 tons of turkey offal (the full output of the turkey processing plant) and 20 tons of egg production waste daily. In April 2005 the plant was reported to be running at a loss.

Price and design changes

Reports from 2005 summarized some economic setbacks which the Carthage plant encountered since its planning stages. It was thought that concern over mad cow disease would prevent the use of turkey waste and other animal products as cattle feed, and thus this waste would be free. As it turns out, turkey waste may still be used as feed in the United States, so that the facility must purchase that feed stock at a cost of $30 to $40 per ton, adding $15 to $20 per barrel to the cost of the oil. Final cost, as of January 2005, was $80/barrel ($1.90/gal).

The above cost of production also excludes the operating cost of the thermal oxidizer and scrubber added in May 2005 in response to odor complaints (see below).

A biofuel tax credit of roughly $1 per US gallon (26 ¢/L) on production costs was not available because the oil produced did not meet the definition of "biodiesel" according to the relevant American tax legislation. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 specifically added thermal depolymerization to a $1 renewable diesel credit, which became effective at the end of 2005. It has been suggested that Energy Policy Act of 2005 Vote be merged into this article or section. ...

Company expansion

The company has explored expansion in three states but is presently examining projects in Europe, and is being considered as an alternative means for sewage treatment in the United States.

Smell complaints

The pilot plant in Carthage, Missouri was temporarily shut down due to smell complaints, but was soon restarted when it was discovered that many of the smells were not actually generated by the plant^[4]. Furthermore, the plant agreed to install an enhanced thermal oxidizer and to upgrade its air scrubber system under a court order^[5]. Since the plant is located only four blocks from the tourist-attracting town center, this has strained relations with the mayor and citizens of Carthage. A scrubber is an industrial pollution control device, usually installed on the exhaust chimneys of large furnaces, but may also be used on any number of other air exhaust systems. ...

According to a company spokeswoman, the plant has received complaints even on days when it is not operating. She also contends that the odors may not have been produced by their facility, which is located near several other agricultural processing plants^[6].

As of December 29, 2005, the plant was ordered by the state governor to shut down once again over allegations of foul odors as reported by MSNBC^[7].

As of March 7, 2006, the plant has begun limited test runs to validate it has resolved the odor issue.^[8].

References

1. ↑ "A PONA classification of the TDP 40 oil is shown below in Table 2.[..]The oil classification is useful for predicting fuel performance when used in combustion, e.g. as a diesel fuel replacement. The classification is also a useful prediction for fuel refiners or blenders in determining product distribution in a refinery or specialty chemical plant." Converting turkey offal into bio-derived hydrocarbons oil (pdf) (Accessed February 9, 2006)
2. ↑ "In 2003, U.S. residents, businesses, and institutions produced more than 236 million tons Chart: 2001 Total Waste Generationof MSW[Minicipal solid waste], which is approximately 4.5 pounds of waste per person per day." Municipal Solid Waste - Basic Facts
3. ↑ "According to an old survey, the Agency estimates that 7.6 billion tons of industrial wastes from 60,000 businesses are generated. Most of these wastes are in the form of waste waters (97%)." Industrial Waste Management - Frequent Questions
4. ↑ Reported by the Kansas City Star, April 12, 2005. The Kansas City Star website has since archived this article: Kansas City: Search results
5. ↑ In the circuit court of Jasper country, Missouri, at Carthage
   "The company said it has finished installation of a thermal oxidizer and upgraded odor scrubber system that were ordered as part of a consent agreement with the city and the Missouri attorney general's office." City questions RES
6. ↑ "A plant spokeswoman, Julie Gelfand, tells the Pitch that repeated odor complaints have been lodged on days when the plant wasn't in operation or when wind conditions were inconsistent with the complaints." Fowl & Crude
7. ↑ "A foul-smelling plant that turns turkey byproducts into fuel oil was ordered closed by the governor Wednesday until the company finds a way to clear the air." Turkey-oil plant closed due to foul odors
8. ↑ "An experimental plant that turns turkey byproducts into fuel oil can resume normal operations for 15 days to test whether new equipment solves a problem with bad smells that prompted the state to shut it down in December. [1]

• Brad Lemley (May 2003). Anything Into Oil. (external link, US$1.00 toll) Discover.
• Brad Lemley (July 2004). Anything Into Oil. (Update) (external link, free for now) Discover.
• Brad Lemley (April 2006). Anything Into Oil. (Further Update) (external link) Discover.
• Yuanhui Zhang, Ph.D., P.E. (PI), Gerald Riskowski, Ph.D., P.E., Ted Funk, Ph.D., P.E. (1999). Thermochemical Conversion of Swine Manure to Produce Fuel and Reduce Waste. University of Illinois.
• Stefan Lovgren (July 2, 2004) Pig Manure Converted to Crude Oil National Geographic write up about the above paper.
• Andrew Kantor (January 22, 2004). CyberSpeak: Killing germs, reducing waste, making oil. USA Today.
• Theo Asir (December 1, 2003). Depolymerization Field Observation Report (observation of Carthage, Missouri plant).
• Mark Kawar (May 9, 2003). From trash to black gold. Omaha World Herald.
• Res-Energy (Accessed 2004). RES Plant Daily Output (PDF, 32.5kb). Renewable Environmental Solutions.
• Fortune Magazine Article (February 2005) update on the Changing World Technologies plant.
• Innovative turkey-to-oil plant eats money, spits out fowl odor, By Karen Dillon, Kansas City Star, 4/12/05. (fee required for archived material)

February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Changing World Technologies
• Renewable Environmental Solutions
• Discussion of various aspects, including energy efficiency