# US 2018/0022925 A1 · Carbon black generating system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2018/0022925 A1
- Document ID: US20180022925A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/548,346
- Filed: 2016-02-01
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-03
- Assignees: Monolith Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Monolith Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Ned J. HARDMAN; Roscoe W. TAYLOR; Robert J. HANSON; Peter L. JOHNSON
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022925A1

## CPC

- C09C 1/485: {Preparation involving the use of a plasma or of an electric arc}
- B01J 19/088: {giving rise to electric discharges (for heating purposes H05B7/00; for the production of ozone C01B13/11, H01T19/00)}
- B01J 2219/0809: employing two or more electrodes
- B01J 2219/0869: Feeding or evacuating the reactor
- B01J 2219/0871: Heating or cooling of the reactor
- B01J 2219/0875: Gas
- B01J 2219/0898: Hot plasma
- C01P 2006/12: Surface area
- C01P 2006/19: Oil-absorption capacity, e.g. DBP values
- C09C: TREATMENT OF INORGANIC MATERIALS, OTHER THAN FIBROUS FILLERS, TO ENHANCE THEIR PIGMENTING OR FILLING PROPERTIES (treatment of materials specially adapted to enhance their filling properties in mortars, concrete or artificial stone C04B14/00, C04B18/00, C04B20/00); PREPARATION OF CARBON BLACK {; PREPARATION OF INORGANIC MATERIALS WHICH ARE NO SINGLE CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS AND WHICH ARE MAINLY USED AS PIGMENTS OR FILLERS}
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C01P: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

## Abstract

Apparatus and process for the continuous production of carbon black or carbon containing compounds. The process is performed by converting a carbon containing feedstock, including generating a plasma gas with electrical energy, accelerating the plasma gas through a nozzle, whose diameter is narrowing in the direction of the plasma gas, guiding the plasma gas into a reaction area where feedstock is injected under conditions generated by aerodynamic and electromagnetic forces, including intense rapid mixing between the plasma gas and feedstock occurs. There is no significant recirculation of feedstock into the plasma chamber, and the reaction zone does not immediately come into contact with any contact surfaces. The products of reaction are cooled, and the carbon black or carbon containing compounds are separated from the other reaction products.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An enclosed particle generating reactor comprising a plasma generating section containing one or more sets of plasma generating electrodes, connected to a reactor section containing hydrocarbon injectors, the interior dimension of the reactor section being reduced by at least 10% downstream from the plasma generating electrodes, and the hydrocarbon injectors being either at the point of maximum reactor size reduction or further downstream from the plasma generating electrodes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The reactor of claim 1, wherein the interior dimension of the reactor section is reduced by at least 20% downstream from the plasma generating electrodes

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The reactor of claim 1, wherein the interior dimension of the reactor section is reduced by at least 30% downstream from the plasma generating electrodes

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The reactor of claim 1, wherein the interior dimension of the reactor section is reduced by at least 40% downstream from the plasma generating electrodes

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The reactor of claim 1, additionally containing one or more of a heat exchanger connected to the reactor, a filter connected to the heat exchanger, a degas apparatus connected to the filter, a pelletizer connected to the degas apparatus, a binder mixing tank connected to the pelletizer, and a dryer connected to the pelletizer.

### Claim 6

A method of making carbon black particles in an enclosed particle generating reactor, comprising generating a plasma comprising at least 60% by volume hydrogen with plasma generating electrodes in a reactor, reducing the interior dimension of the reactor by at least 10% downstream of the plasma generating electrodes, and injecting hydrocarbon either at the point of maximum reactor size reduction or further downstream from the plasma generating electrodes to form carbon black particles.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1, 6)

The method of claim 6, reactor of claim 1, wherein the interior dimension of the reactor section is reduced by at least 20% downstream from the plasma generating electrodes

### Claim 8 (depends on 1, 6)

The method of claim 6, reactor of claim 1, wherein the interior dimension of the reactor section is reduced by at least 30% downstream from the plasma generating electrodes

### Claim 9 (depends on 1, 6)

The method of claim 6, reactor of claim 1, wherein the interior dimension of the reactor section is reduced by at least 40% downstream from the plasma generating electrodes

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein at least 50% of the heat generated by the plasma as measured in Joules is transferred to the hydrocarbon in 500 milliseconds or less

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the hydrocarbon is fed at a rate of greater than 200 kg/hr based on carbon particle product mass.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the yield of carbon black based on total hydrocarbon injected into the reactor is greater than 80% as measured by moles of product carbon vs. moles of reactant carbon.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the injected hydrocarbon is cracked such that at least 80% by moles of the hydrogen originally chemically attached through covalent bonds to the hydrocarbon is now homoatomically bonded as diatomic hydrogen

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the hydrocarbon is subjected to at least about 1000° C. but no more than about 3500° C. in the reactor by the heat generated from the plasma.

### Claim 15 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the electrodes are consumed at a rate of production of more than about 70 tons of carbon black per cubic meter of electrode.

### Claim 16 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, additionally including the use of a rotating arc discharge created through the application of a magnetic field to the electrodes of about 20 millitesla to about 100 millitesla.

### Claim 17 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the capacity of the reactor is greater than 3 kilotons/year, the flow rate of the hydrogen is at least 500 Nm3/hr (normal cubic meter/hour) and the flow rate of hydrocarbon is at least 675 Nm3/hr.

### Claim 18 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the hydrocarbon is methane, ethane, or propane or mixtures thereof.

### Claim 19 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the carbon black produced contains a high concentration of combustible gasses in its pores, which are subsequently removed by replacement with inert gas, thereby rendering the carbon black safe to process in downstream equipment.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the concentration of combustible gasses is greater than 30% by volume on a dry basis.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the carbon black produced is discharged into an upward flowing stream of inert gas causing the combustible gasses contained in the pores to diffuse into the inert gas.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein changes in absolute pressure are used to replace the combustible gasses with inert gas.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the combustible gasses are removed by changes in temperature.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen.

### Claim 25 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the inert gas is a noble gas.

### Claim 26 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the inert gas is steam.

### Claim 27 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the inert gas is carbon dioxide.

### Claim 28 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the inert gas is a mixture of two or more of noble gases, nitrogen, steam, and/or carbon dioxide.

### Claim 29 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the plasma comprises greater than 70% H2 by volume and includes at least one or more of the gasses of HCN, CH4, C2H4, C2H2, CO, benzene, or polyaromatic hydrocarbon, at a level of at least 1 ppm.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29, wherein the polyaromatic hydrocarbon is naphthalene and/or anthracene.

### Claim 31 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the carbon black particles produced are produced in admixture with an effluent stream of hot gas which exits the reactor into contact with a heat exchanger that reduces the thermal energy of the effluent stream of gasses and carbon black by greater than 5000 kJ/kg of carbon black.

### Claim 32 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the carbon black particles produced are produced in an admixture of an effluent stream of hot gas which exits the reactor into contact with a heat exchanger, and is subsequently passed through a filter which allows more than 50% of the gas to pass through, capturing substantially all of the carbon black particles on the filter.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32, wherein at least about 98% by weight of the carbon black particles are captured on the filter.

### Claim 34 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the carbon black particles produced are produced in an admixture of an effluent stream of hot gas containing combustible gas which exits the reactor into contact with a heat exchanger, and is subsequently passed through a filter, capturing substantially all of the carbon black particles on the filter, and the gas subsequently passes through a degas apparatus where the amount of combustible gas is reduced to less than 10% by volume.

### Claim 35 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32, wherein the combustible gas is hydrogen.

### Claim 36 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the carbon black particles produced are produced in an admixture of an effluent stream of hot gas containing combustible gas, which exits the reactor into contact with a heat exchanger, and the admixture subsequently passed through a filter, capturing substantially all of the carbon black particles on the filter, and the carbon black with residual gas subsequently passes through a degas apparatus where the amount of combustible gas is reduced to less than 10% by volume, and the carbon particles are subsequently mixed with water with a binder and then formed into pellets, followed by removal of the majority of the water in a dryer.

### Claim 37 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the plasma is generated using AC electrodes.

### Claim 38 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the plasma is generated using inductive heating.

### Claim 39 (depends on 6)

Carbon black particles made according to the process of claim 6, having a WSP of between about 0 and about 5 mJ/m2, and containing less than about 0.4% by weight hydrogen, and less than about 0.5% by weight oxygen.

### Claim 40 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the electrodes are concentrically arranged and the ratio of surface areas degradation of inner and outer electrode stays constant during plasma generation.