Systems and methods for removal of halogenated contaminants from pyrolysis oil by inert gas purging

A system for treating a pyrolysis oil to remove halogenated contaminants, the system comprising:

• a storage vessel containing a pyrolysis oil with halogenated contaminants maintained at ambient temperatures and equipped with a first inlet for receiving an inert gas stream, a first outlet for discharging a halogen-enriched inert gas stream, and a second outlet connected to and in fluid communication with a second inlet of a reactor, the halogen-enriched inert gas stream being produced along with a first dehalogenated pyrolysis oil from interactions between the inert gas stream and the pyrolysis oil, and the first dehalogenated pyrolysis oil containing at least twenty weight percent less of the halogenated contaminants as compared to the pyrolysis oil, wherein the halogenated contaminants include organic chloride contaminants;
• the reactor equipped with the second inlet to receive the first dehalogenated pyrolysis oil, a third inlet to receive water, a mixing element to mix the first dehalogenated pyrolysis oil and the water, and a third outlet connected to and in fluid communication with a fourth inlet of a separator;
• and
• the separator equipped with the fourth inlet to receive a mixture of the first dehalogenated pyrolysis oil and the water from the third outlet, the separator being operated to separate the mixture of the first dehalogenated pyrolysis oil and the water to produce a halogen-enriched water stream and a second dehalogenated pyrolysis oil containing at least twenty weight percent less of the halogenated contaminants as compared to the first dehalogenated pyrolysis oil.