Process for recycling heterogeneous waste

A process for producing methanol from heterogeneous waste comprising the steps of:

• subjecting the heterogeneous waste to pyrolysis to produce a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide;
• sensing the ratio of hydrogen and carbon monoxide within said synthesis gas;
• adjusting the ratio of said hydrogen and carbon monoxide components of said synthesis gas to a ratio of approximately 1.95:1 to 2.0:1 molecules of hydrogen per molecule of carbon monoxide;
• and
• presenting said adjusted synthesis gas to a liquid phase methanol reactor for producing methanol.

A process for producing a synthesis gas suitable for the production of methanol or methanol and dimethyl ether, said process comprising the steps of:

• introducing oxygen and a heterogeneous material containing carbon to a gasifier wherein said gasifier generates therefrom a raw synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the gasifier;
• measuring the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide in said raw synthesis gas;
• separating said raw synthesis gas into a first stream and a second stream;
• feeding said first stream to a shift reactor to product a shifted gas stream comprising of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and
• combining the shifted gas stream with the second stream forming a mixed synthesis gas stream having a desired ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide suitable for the production of methanol.

A process for recycling heterogeneous waste comprising the steps of:

• subjecting the heterogeneous waste to pyrolysis to produce a synthesis gas stream comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen and a molten pyrolysis product stream comprising at least a mineral material and a metallic material;
• converting said molten pyrolysis product stream to a plurality of useful solid materials by:
• allowing said molten pyrolysis product stream to gravitationally segregate into metallic portion and a mineral portion;
• quenching said metallic portion of said molten pyrolysis product stream to form a ferric alloy, said ferric alloy being suitable for use in the production of steel;
• quenching said mineral portion of said molten pyrolysis product stream to form a vitreous material, said vitreous material being suitable for use as an abrasive;
• and
• converting said gaseous pyrolysis product stream into at least one useful chemical by:
• sensing the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide of said synthesis gas stream;
• in response to said sensed ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide of said synthesis gas stream, separating said synthesis gas stream into a first stream and a second stream;
• introducing said first stream into a shift reactor, said shift reactor increasing the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide of said first stream to produce a shifted gas stream;
• mixing said shifted gas stream with said second stream to produce a mixed synthesis gas stream, said mixed synthesis gas stream having a desired ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide;
• and
• converting said mixed synthesis gas to at least one commercial grade chemical.