The invention relates to the use of engineered fuel feedstocks to control the emission of sulfur-based, chlorine-based, nitrogen-based, or mercury-based pollutants, such as SO.sub.2, SO.sub.3, H.sub.2SO.sub.4, NO, NO.sub.2, HCl, and Hg that are generated during the combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal. Disclosed are novel engineered fuel feedstocks, feedstocks produced by the described processes, methods of making the fuel feedstocks, methods of producing energy from the fuel feedstocks, and methods of generating electricity from the fuel feedstocks.

Ultra-clean char and ultra-clean gaseous hydrocarbons are produced from a carbon-based feedstock to generate maximum efficiency uniform heat and/or electricity in a clean environmentally friendly process. The ultra-clean char and ultra-clean gaseous hydrocarbon streams are produced by pyrolizing organic matter, such as coal or pet coke or any other carbon-based material including land, sea, plastics and industrial waste. The pyrolized organic matter may be combusted in the presence of oxygen to produce heat, which can be used to generate electricity in a conventional boiler/generator system. Further, pyrolized organic matter can be combusted in the presence of carbon dioxide and further processed to produce various hydrocarbons. In other embodiments, the ultra-clean post-combustion ash may be subjected to an extraction process for capturing valuable rare earth elements.

Apparatus for processing waste-derived cellulose fibre into carbon char comprises an autoclave for treating waste with steam to produce processed material. The processed material includes cellulose fibre and plastics. The apparatus also includes a drying system for drying the cellulose fibre, and a torrefying unit for torrefying the dried cellulose fibre to produce carbon char. Thermal conversion means for thermally converting either said plastics or said VOCs provides heat for at least one of the autoclave, the drying system and the torrefying unit.

A process and system for producing an engineered fuel product that meets customer specifications for composition and combustion characteristics is provided. The engineered fuel product is preferably a high-BTU, alternative fuel that burns cleaner than coal or petroleum coke (petcoke) and has significantly reduced NOx, SO.sub.2 and GHG emissions.

Disclosed are novel engineered fuel feed stocks, feed stocks produced by the described processes, and methods of making the fuel feed stocks. Components derived from processed MSW waste streams can be used to make such feed stocks which are substantially free of glass, metals, grit and noncombustibles. These feed stocks are useful for a variety of purposes including as gasification and combustion fuels.

The invention relates to a method to produce powdery alternative fuel by milling pellets, which pellets are produced by: (i) providing waste material comprising one or more thermoplastic material(s) of more than 40%, based on the total dry weight of the waste and one or more cellulosic material(s) of more than 30%, based on the total dry weight of the waste, wherein the waste has a particle size distribution with more than 80 wt % larger than 5 mm and more than 95 wt % smaller than 60 mm, having a water content of about 8 wt % or less; (ii) subjecting the waste material through a pelletiser with holes between 4-8 mm, and a length ratio of more than 10, such that the output temperature is about 85? C. or lower, (iii) subjecting the pellets through a second pelletiser with holes between 2 and 8 mm, and a length ratio of more than 14, such that the output temperature is about 110? C. or higher; (iv) to provide pellets, (v) and the pellets are cooled to a temperature of about 30? C. or lower. The powdery alternative fuel can be transported in bulk and through blowing lines.

A method of enhancing the carbon content of a carbon-containing material, which includes loading a chamber with a carbon-containing material, evacuating air from the chamber, introducing an inert gas into the chamber, and heating sequentially the chamber at three or more different temperature phases each for a duration of time such that the weight percentage of the carbon in the treated carbon-containing material is increased by 20% or higher, as compared to the untreated carbon-containing material. Further disclosed is a system for performing this method.

The invention relates to the use of engineered fuel feedstocks to control the emission of sulfur-based, chlorine-based, nitrogen-based, or mercury-based pollutants, such as SO.sub.2, SO.sub.3, H.sub.2SO.sub.4, NO, NO.sub.2, HCl, and Hg that are generated during the combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal. Disclosed are novel engineered fuel feedstocks, feedstocks produced by the described processes, methods of making the fuel feedstocks, methods of producing energy from the fuel feedstocks, and methods of generating electricity from the fuel feedstocks.

Systems and methods for processing and sorting a municipal solid waste stream are described herein. A system can include a processing sub-system configured to receive a municipal solid waste stream and to remove the non-processable waste, a processing apparatus configured and disposed to receive constituents of the municipal solid waste stream from the processing sub-system and reduce the size of the constituents of the waste stream to an average particle size of less than about inch, and separators configured to sort the waste stream into constituents based on density.

The application relates to a Ramjet solid fuel having an ignition temperature of less than 400 C., the fuel comprising a bis-(ethylene oxy) methane polysulfide polymer (BMPP) and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), the copolymer having a BMPP/HTPB weight ratio of from 1/3 to 3/1; and the fuel comprising at least 85 weight % copolymer. The BMPP comprises from 5 to 8 weight percent mercaptan. Furthermore, the BMPP is selected from

HS(RSS).sub.aCH.sub.2CH((SSR).sub.cCSH)CH.sub.2(SSR).sub.bSHa) where R=(CH.sub.2).sub.2OCH.sub.2O(CH.sub.2).sub.2 and a+b+c<7; and

H(SC.sub.2H.sub.4OCH.sub.2OC.sub.2H4S).sub.nH where n=7.b)