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Title: Fossil fuel and hydrocarbon conversion using hydrogen-rich plasmas. Topical report February 1994--February 1995

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/208289· OSTI ID:208289

Experiments were made on use of H and CH plasmas for converting waste materials and heavy oils to H-rich transportation fuels. Batch and continuous experiments were conducted with an industrial microwave generator and a commercial microwave oven. A continuously circulating reactor was constructed for conducting experiments on flowing oils. Experiments on decomposition of scrap tires showed that microwave plasmas can be used to decompose scrap tires into potentially useful liquid products. In a batch experiment using a commercial microwave oven, about 20% of the tire was converted to liquid products in about 9 minutes. Methane was decomposed in a microwave plasma to yield a liquid products composed of various compound types; GC/MS analyses identified unsaturated compounds including benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, methyl and ethyl naphthalene, small amounts of larger aromatic rings, and olefinic compounds. Experiments on a crude oil in a continuously flowing reactor showed that distillate materials are produced using H and CH plasmas. Also, the recycle oils had an overall carbon aromaticity lower than that of starting feed material, indicating that some hydrogenation and methanation had taken place in the recycle oils.

Research Organization:
Western Research Inst., Laramie, WY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
FC21-93MC30126
OSTI ID:
208289
Report Number(s):
DOE/MC/30126-5104; ON: DE96000635
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Feb 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English