A process for extracting fuel products from waste rubber, comprising the steps of subjecting the waste rubber to pyrolysis to produce a pyrolysis vapour, subjecting the pyrolysis vapour to a condensation step to produce a pyrolytic oil having a boiling point range of 45-400° C. and a flash point below 25° C., and then subjecting the pyrolytic oil to a vacuum steam stripping step so as to recover a fraction having a flash point of at least 40° C. but no higher than 55° C., a boiling point range starting at 100° C. or higher, a density at 15° C. of less than 990 kg/m.sup.3, a total acid number TAN of up to 12, a styrene content of less than 7000 ppm, and an organic halogen (as Cl) content of less than 50 ppm.

A process and a plant for purifying a crude gas stream containing sulfur components and hydrocarbons by gas scrubbing using a scrubbing medium which is selective for sulfur components in an absorption column. Heavy hydrocarbons and heavy mercaptans are removed from the crude gas in a lower section of the absorption column and the resulting, loaded scrubbing medium stream is fed separately from the other loaded scrubbing medium streams to a hot regeneration column. A vapor stream enriched in water, hydrocarbons and sulfur components is obtained as overhead product from the hot regeneration column and this stream is cooled to below its dew point and is separated in a gas-liquid-liquid phase separation apparatus. The resulting, organic liquid phase contains heavy hydrocarbons and heavy mercaptans and can thus be discharged from the process or the plant, as a result of which accumulation thereof in the scrubbing medium is prevented.

A process for treating effluent streams in a renewable transportation fuel production process is described. One or more of the sour water stream and an acid gas stream are treated directly in thermal oxidation section. The process allows the elimination or size reduction of a sour water stripper unit, waste water treatment plant, and sulfur recovery unit.

Methods of controlling hydrogen sulfide concentration of a biogas occupying an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) containing a submerged membrane are disclosed herein. Methods of controlling dissolved sulfide concentration of a mixed liquor within the AnMBR are disclosed. The methods include directing wastewater containing sulfur and a chemical oxygen demand (COD) to an AnMBR, withdrawing at least a fraction of the biogas from the AnMBR, directing a pre-determined amount of the withdrawn biogas to a scrubber, directing a remainder of the withdrawn biogas to a gas distributor, and directing the scrubbed biogas to the AnMBR. Systems for treating wastewater having sulfur and COD are disclosed. The systems include an AnMBR, a scouring gas closed loop, a scrubber, and a control mechanism for directing biogas to the scrubber and to a gas distributor. Methods of retrofitting a system for treating wastewater having sulfur and COD are disclosed.

A method of processing raw coal using activation agents (e.g., solvents and extractants) in a high shear reactor, which creates high shearing forces to break apart the coal and selectively extract and remove contaminants such as ash, sulfur, and other heavy metal impurities resulting in clean, high caloric-value coal.

Solvent consumption in supercritical ethanol, propanol or butanol treatment of either refined pre-extracted lignin or comparatively impure lignin-rich solid residual from hydrothermally pretreated lignocellulosic biomass can be minimized by conducting the reaction at very high loading of lignin to solvent. Comparatively impure, crude lignin-rich solid residual can be directly converted by supercritical alcohol treatment to significantly diesel-soluble lignin oil without requirement for pre-extraction or pre-solubilisation of lignin or for added reaction promoters such as catalysts, hydrogen donor co-solvents, acids, based or H2 gas. O:C ratio of product oil can readily be obtained using crude lignin residual in such a process at levels 0.20 or lower.

A treatment composition for remediating for remediating H.sub.2S, CO.sub.2 and other contaminant(s) in a fluid mixture of contaminated liquids and gasses comprising: a hydrocarbon based liquid; and at least one hydroxide compound dispersed or dissolved into the hydrocarbon based liquid. The at least one hydroxide compound dispersed or dissolved into the hydrocarbon based liquid constitutes 30-50 wt % of the treatment composition, the at least one hydroxide compound includes at least one of potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, and a pH of the treatment composition is in a range of 13-14.0.

A non-aqueous solvent system configured to remove acidic gas from a gas stream comprises a solution formed of a chemical absorption component and a physical absorption component. The chemical absorption component includes a nitrogenous base, wherein the nitrogenous base has a structure such that it reacts with a portion of the acidic gas. The physical absorption component includes an organic diluent that is non-reactive with the acidic gas and that has a structure such that it absorbs a portion of the acidic gas at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. The solvent system has a solubility with water of less than about 10 g of solvent per 100 mL of water.

A process for cleaning and beneficiating biomass is described which may allow removal of entrained salts and light volatiles from biomass materials. The process may also minimize energy use through capturing steam and flue gases for re-use. The process may generally comprise the following steps: prewashing and/or preheating a biomass, pressurizing the biomass in a steam explosion vessel, rapidly depressurizing the steam explosion vessel, releasing the steam from the steam explosion vessel entrained with fine lignin-enriched particles into a cyclone-type gas expansion vessel, routing the steam from the gas expansion vessel to the input hopper, subjecting the biomass to a second washing step, mechanically removing a portion of the water from the biomass, and evaporatively heating the biomass.

A treatment composition for remediating for remediating H.sub.2S and other contaminant(s) in contaminated gasses comprising: an aqueous hydroxide solution containing at least one hydroxide compound at a collective concentration of 35-55 weight percent of the aqueous hydroxide solution; at least one organic acid selected from the group consisting of fulvic acid and humic acid; and a chelating agent, wherein the aqueous hydroxide solution constitutes at least 80 wt % of the treatment composition, the at least one organic acid constitutes 0.1-3 wt % of the treatment composition, the chelating agent constitutes 0.1-6 wt % of the treatment composition, and a pH of the treatment composition is at least 12.0.