Use of an organic acid as an embrittling agent for waste

Patent · Tue Dec 15 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5718169

Beers, R C

The instant invention relates to a method of converting the solid organic fraction of solid waste into a powdered fuel. The process involves heating said solid organic fraction in the presence of an organic acid for a time and at a temperature sufficient to embrittle said solid organic fraction, comminuting said embrittled solid organic fraction to a powder which is less than a predetermined particle size, and recovering said powder. The solid organic fraction may be separated from the solid waste prior to treatment by the process of this invention or alternatively the solid waste can be treated by the method of this invention and the embrittled organic fraction separated therefrom. The organic acid may be added to the solid organic fraction as an aqueous solution, a gas, or solid, preferably as an aqueous solution of oxalic acid. The embrittling process takes place at a temperature of at least 125/sup 0/ C, preferably from 150/sup 0/ C to 250/sup 0/C and said embrittled solid organic fraction is preferably comminuted to a predetermined article size of less than 10 mesh.

• Assignee: Occidental Research Corp
• Patent Number(s): US 4305727
• OSTI ID: 5718169
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090400* -- Solid Waste & Wood Fuels-- (-1989)
140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
AGRICULTURAL WASTES
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
COMMINUTION
CONVERSION
DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DISPERSIONS
EMBRITTLEMENT
ENERGY CONVERSION
FUELS
HEATING
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MIXTURES
MUNICIPAL WASTES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC WASTES
OXALIC ACID
PARTICLE SIZE
POWDERS
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
REFUSE DERIVED FUELS
SIZE
SOLUTIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES