Pre-ground plastics of small particle size not more than 2 mm are co-fed into a solid fossil fuel fed entrained flow partial oxidation gasifier. High solids concentrations in the feedstock stream can be obtained without significant impact on the feedstock stream stability and pumpability. A consistent quality of syngas can be continuously produced, including generation of carbon dioxide and a carbon monoxide/hydrogen ratio while stably operating the gasifier and avoiding the high tar generation of fluidized bed or fixed bed waste gasifiers and without impacting the operations of the gasifier. The subsequent syngas produced from this material can be used to produce a wide range of chemicals.

Pre-ground plastics of small particle size not more than 2 mm are co-fed into a solid fossil fuel fed entrained flow partial oxidation gasifier. High solids concentrations in the feedstock stream can be obtained without significant impact on the feedstock stream stability and pumpability. A consistent quality of syngas can be continuously produced, including generation of carbon dioxide and a carbon monoxide/hydrogen ratio while stably operating the gasifier and avoiding the high tar generation of fluidized bed or fixed bed waste gasifiers and without impacting the operations of the gasifier. The subsequent syngas produced from this material can be used to produce a wide range of chemicals.

Processes for producing high biogenic concentration Fischer-Tropsch liquids derived from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (MSW) feedstock that contains a relatively high concentration of biogenic carbon (derived from plants) and a relatively low concentration of non-biogenic carbon (derived from fossil sources) wherein the biogenic content of the Fischer-Tropsch liquids is the same as the biogenic content of the feedstock.

The invention present provides a method (and suitable apparatus) to convert biomass to ethanol, comprising gasifying the biomass to produce raw syngas; feeding the raw syngas to an acid-gas removal unit to remove at least some CO.sub.2 and produce a conditioned syngas stream; feeding the conditioned syngas stream to a fermentor to biologically convert the syngas to ethanol; capturing a tail gas from an exit of the fermentor, wherein the tail gas comprises at least CO.sub.2 and unconverted CO or H.sub.2; and recycling a first portion of the tail gas to the fermentor and/or a second portion of the tail gas to the acid-gas removal unit. This invention allows for increased syngas conversion to ethanol, improved process efficiency, and better overall biorefinery economics for conversion of biomass to ethanol.

The invention provides for the integration of a gas fermentation process with a gasification process whereby effluent downstream from the gas fermentation process is recycled to the gasification process. The invention is capable of recycling one or more effluents including biogas generated from a wastewater treatment process, tail-gas generated from the fermentation process, unused syngas generated by the gasification process, microbial biomass generated from the fermentation process, microbial biomass generated from a wastewater treatment process, crude ethanol from the product recovery process, fusel oil from the product recovery process, microbial biomass depleted water, wastewater generated from the fermentation process, and clarified water from a wastewater treatment process to a gasification process.

Methods and systems are provided for making gasoline. The method includes converting a resid-containing feed to a first fuel gas and a fluid coke in a fluidized bed reactor; gasifying the fluid coke with steam and air to produce a second fuel gas, said second fuel gas comprising a syngas; contacting the first fuel gas with a first conversion catalyst under first effective conversion conditions to form an effluent comprising C.sub.5+ hydrocarbon compounds; and converting the syngas to gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons by converting the syngas to a methanol intermediate product.

Carbon-containing materials, such as biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) or coal are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels, carboxylic acids and equivalents thereof (e.g., esters and salts). For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol, butanol or organic acids (e.g., acetic or lactic acid), salts of organic acids or mixtures thereof. If desired, organic acids can be converted into alcohols, such as by first converting the acid, salt or mixtures of the acid and its salt to an ester, and then hydrogenating the formed ester. Acetogens or homoacetogens which are capable of utilizing a syngas from a thermochemical conversion of coal or biomass can be utilized to produce the desired product.

The invention present provides a method (and suitable apparatus) to convert biomass to ethanol, comprising gasifying the biomass to produce raw syngas; feeding the raw syngas to an acid-gas removal unit to remove at least some CO.sub.2 and produce a conditioned syngas stream; feeding the conditioned syngas stream to a fermentor to biologically convert the syngas to ethanol; capturing a tail gas from an exit of the fermentor, wherein the tail gas comprises at least CO.sub.2 and unconverted CO or H.sub.2; and recycling a first portion of the tail gas to the fermentor and/or a second portion of the tail gas to the acid-gas removal unit. This invention allows for increased syngas conversion to ethanol, improved process efficiency, and better overall biorefinery economics for conversion of biomass to ethanol.

The invention relates to a process for preparing a paraffin product from a carbonaceous feedstock. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a gaseous mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen from a carbonaceous feedstock, performing a Fischer-Tropsch reaction and subjecting at least part of an off gas obtained from the Fischer-Tropsch reaction to fermentation.

A method of processing a first material including an oil source, and a second material including a medium. The method includes mixing the first material and the second material to provide a blended feedstock mixture including predetermined respective proportions of the first material and the second material, and also including water. The blended feedstock mixture is heated in a pre-distillation process and is further heated in a distiller to at least partially crack and vaporize the oil source, to provide atmospheric gas oil and vacuum gas oil from the oil source, coked medium material including carbon-heavy hydrocarbons and sand, and a first barren hot medium material. The coked medium material is heated in a gasifier to provide a second barren hot medium material and syngas. Heat energy from certain products resulting from such heating is transferred to the blended feedstock mixture.