A methodology for the removal of the harmful components of ash from urban/industrial wastes and sludges from the sewage treatment plants is invented. The harmful components are alkaline metals, chlorine, sulphur, zinc, lead, and chromium. They are removed before the thermochemical conversion and therefore the corrosion problems, scaling/deposition, ash agglomeration, dioxin and furan emissions, alkaline metal, chlorine, sulphur emissions are minimized if not diminished. The emissions of heavy metals such as zinc, lead, copper, and chromium are reduced. The removal is achieved with prepyrolysis/pregasification at 250-320° C. for 5 min to 2 h of urban/industrial wastes and sludges from the sewage treatment plants. Then the prepyrolyzed/pregasified sample is washed with a 0.5%-5% weight basis aqueous calcium acetate and/or magnesium acetate and/or aluminum acetate solution. These acetate salts can be mixed in a proportion of 0% to 100% to form an active salt which is used for the preparation of the aqueous solution.

A methodology for the removal of the harmful components of ash from urban/industrial wastes and sludges from the sewage treatment plants is invented. The harmful components are alkaline metals, chlorine, sulphur, zinc, lead, and chromium. They are removed before the thermochemical conversion and therefore the corrosion problems, scaling/deposition, ash agglomeration, dioxin and furan emissions, alkaline metal, chlorine, sulphur emissions are minimized if not diminished. The emissions of heavy metals such as zinc, lead, copper, and chromium are reduced. The removal is achieved with prepyrolysis/pregasification at 250-320° C. for 5 min to 2 h of urban/industrial wastes and sludges from the sewage treatment plants. Then the prepyrolyzed/pregasified sample is washed with a 0.5%-5% weight basis aqueous calcium acetate and/or magnesium acetate and/or aluminum acetate solution. These acetate salts can be mixed in a proportion of 0% to 100% to form an active salt which is used for the preparation of the aqueous solution.

A plant for refining raw materials containing organic constituents includes a reactor configured to receive raw materials; a furnace configured to receive solids and fuel from the reactor; a return conduit configured to recirculate hot solids generated in the furnace to the reactor; and a sealing device configured to separate an oxidizing atmosphere of the furnace from an atmosphere of the reactor. The sealing device includes: a downpipe disposed between the furnace and the reactor, the downpipe being configured to withdraw a stream of solids from the furnace; a rising pipe disposed near a bottom of the downpipe and branching off there from to a top, the rising pipe being configured to transport a fluidized stream of solids to the reactor; and a conveying gas supply disposed below the rising pipe, the conveying gas supply being configured to fluidize a stream of solids withdrawn from the furnace.

A plant for refining raw materials containing organic constituents includes a reactor configured to receive raw materials; a furnace configured to receive solids and fuel from the reactor; a return conduit configured to recirculate hot solids generated in the furnace to the reactor; and a sealing device configured to separate an oxidizing atmosphere of the furnace from an atmosphere of the reactor. The sealing device includes: a downpipe disposed between the furnace and the reactor, the downpipe being configured to withdraw a stream of solids from the furnace; a rising pipe disposed near a bottom of the downpipe and branching off there from to a top, the rising pipe being configured to transport a fluidized stream of solids to the reactor; and a conveying gas supply disposed below the rising pipe, the conveying gas supply being configured to fluidize a stream of solids withdrawn from the furnace.

A method of modifying a biobased feedstock derived from agricultural resources and specifically from the non-distillate products of fermentation-derived renewable fuel and distilled spirit processes. The pyrolytic modification of biobased feedstocks results in materials that are thermally stable and better suited for subsequent melt processing in a polymer matrix.

The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling product slate of hydrothermal liquefaction by adjusting pH of hydrothermal liquefaction product aqueous phase. The pH of the hydrothermal liquefaction product aqueous phase can be adjusted by heating during hydrothermal liquefaction (110) a mix (30) comprising lignocellulosic feedstock (10) together with acids, alkalis and/or buffers (20) added under aqueous conditions. The method typically comprises separating (120) aqueous phase (53) and oil phase (50), and optionally gas (51) and/or char (52), of the obtained hydrothermal liquefaction product (40). Preferably the separated aqueous phase (53) is recirculated to be mixed 100 with lignocellulosic feedstock (10).

The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling product slate of hydrothermal liquefaction by adjusting pH of hydrothermal liquefaction product aqueous phase. The pH of the hydrothermal liquefaction product aqueous phase can be adjusted by heating during hydrothermal liquefaction (110) a mix (30) comprising lignocellulosic feedstock (10) together with acids, alkalis and/or buffers (20) added under aqueous conditions. The method typically comprises separating (120) aqueous phase (53) and oil phase (50), and optionally gas (51) and/or char (52), of the obtained hydrothermal liquefaction product (40). Preferably the separated aqueous phase (53) is recirculated to be mixed 100 with lignocellulosic feedstock (10).

The disclosure relates to a process for converting lignocellulosic feedstock (10) to renewable product (80), wherein the process comprises the following steps; treating (100) lignocellulosic feedstock (10) with aqueous solution (20) to obtain a mixture (30); heating (110) the mixture (30) of step (a) to a temperature between 290 and 340° C., under a pressure from 90 to 120 bar, to obtain a first product mix (40); separating aqueous phase (53) and oil phase (50), and optionally gas (51) and solids (52), of the first product mix (40) of step (b); and heating (130) the oil phase (50) of step (c) and solvent (60). The heating (130) is optionally followed by fractionation (200) to obtain a light fraction (90) and a heavy fraction (91) and optionally a bottom residue fraction (92) and/or a gaseous fraction.

The disclosure relates to a process for converting lignocellulosic feedstock (10) to renewable product (80), wherein the process comprises the following steps; treating (100) lignocellulosic feedstock (10) with aqueous solution (20) to obtain a mixture (30); heating (110) the mixture (30) of step (a) to a temperature between 290 and 340° C., under a pressure from 90 to 120 bar, to obtain a first product mix (40); separating aqueous phase (53) and oil phase (50), and optionally gas (51) and solids (52), of the first product mix (40) of step (b); and heating (130) the oil phase (50) of step (c) and solvent (60). The heating (130) is optionally followed by fractionation (200) to obtain a light fraction (90) and a heavy fraction (91) and optionally a bottom residue fraction (92) and/or a gaseous fraction.

A process for producing olefins comprising the steps of separating the liquid oil in the fractionator to produce a light oil product; separating the light oil product in the extractor to produce a paraffin fraction stream; increasing a pressure of the paraffin fraction stream in a paraffin pump to produce a pressurized paraffin stream; mixing the pressurized paraffin stream with a pressurized water feed in the water mixer to produce a paraffin-containing water stream; heating the paraffin-containing water stream in the water heater to produce a hot paraffin-water stream, wherein a temperature of the hot paraffin-water stream is greater than 450 deg C, wherein the short chain paraffins are operable to crack at the temperature of the hot paraffin-water stream; mixing the hot paraffin-water stream and the hot feedstock in the feed mixer to produce a mixed feed stream; and introducing the mixed feed stream to the supercritical unit.