Recycling a used absorbent hygiene product or its components using hydrothermal treatment
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsDimitris Ioannis Collias, Rodrigo Rosati, Stephen Anthony DeRose, Shuji Maeno
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Abstract
Used AHP or its components is converted into low molecular weight hydrocarbons using HTT reactor. These low molecular weight hydrocarbons produce ethylene, propylene, and other chemicals when fed into a steam cracker, which can be used to produce recycled components of the AHP or a fully recycled AHP.
Claims16
A method for recycling a used absorbent hygiene product (used AHP) comprising feeding a stream comprising said used AHP and a mixed plastic waste in a hydrothermal treatment (HTT) reactor operating at an HTT reactor temperature, at an HTT reactor pressure, and for an HTT reactor residence time;
- and producing a liquid product stream, wherein said liquid product stream comprises waste-derived fuel products;
- wherein said HTT reactor temperature is higher than about 400° C.;
- wherein said HTT reactor pressure is higher than about 3 MPa;
- and wherein said HTT reactor residence time is longer than about 30 min.
A method for recycling a used AHP comprising:
- a. size reduction of said used AHP into pieces;
- b. mixing said used AHP pieces with a mixed plastic waste stream to produce a mixed dry stream;
- c. feeding said mixed dry stream to an extruder to produce a melt stream;
- d. providing an aqueous solution;
- e. contacting said melt stream with said aqueous solution to produce a mixed wet stream;
- f. feeding said mixed wet stream in a hydrothermal treatment (HTT) reactor operating at an HTT reactor temperature, at an HTT reactor pressure, and for an HTT reactor residence time;
- g. producing a liquid product stream from said HTT reactor comprising waste-derived fuel products;
- and
- h. depressurizing and cooling said liquid product stream;
- wherein said HTT reactor temperature is higher than about 400° C.;
- wherein said HTT reactor pressure is higher than about 3 MPa;
- and wherein said HTT reactor residence time is longer than about 30 min.
A method for recycling a used AHP comprising feeding a stream comprising said used AHP and mixed plastic waste in a hydrothermal treatment (HTT) reactor operating at an HTT reactor temperature of about 450° C., at an HTT reactor pressure of about 3.4 MPa, and for an HTT reactor residence time of about 45 min;
- and wherein a liquid product stream from said HTT reactor comprises waste-derived fuel products.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.