High Protein Organic Materials as Fuel and Processes for Making the Same

A process for converting wastes containing hazardous polyfluoro compounds to less hazardous substances comprising the following steps:

• Thermal Reaction Process Steps
• 1) providing a non-auto-combustible organic material as an additive to an existing thermal reaction process, wherein the organic material is a high protein organic material having a protein content of at least 10% on a dry weight basis (DWB);
• 2) mechanically controlling liquid and soluble components from the high protein organic material and polyfluoro contaminated wastes;
• 3) applying heat to dry the organic material and polyfluoro contaminated wastes to control its moisture content in reaction zones of the process;
• 4) pulverizing the high protein organic material to obtain a reduced particle size of the high protein organic material,
• wherein the thermal reaction steps of 2) mechanically removing liquid and soluble components from the high protein organic material and combustion components, 3) applying heat to dry the organic material and combustion components to control its moisture content and, 4) pulverizing the high protein organic material to reduce the high protein organic material, may occur in any order;
• 5) separating particles of the high protein organic material during a thermal processing phase to inhibit their cohesion into an integrated mass by spraying the particles into a thermal reaction chamber;
• 6) optionally, controlling a moisture content of the various reaction zones of the thermal reaction chamber;
• 7) introducing steam or water in a controlled manner into the various reaction zones of the thermal reaction chamber to enhance thermal degradation characteristics of the high protein organic material;
• 8) allowing protein thermal decomposition by-products to react with polyfluoro compounds, carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H+), oxygen, nitrogen oxides (NOX), mineral free radicals within the thermal reaction chamber to form water (H2O), hydrogen fluoride (HF), sequestered fluorine mineral compounds, carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2);
• wherein protein thermal decomposition by-products remaining after or produced during the thermal reactions include ammonium, nitrogenous hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides (SOX), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen ions (H+), hydroxide ions (OH−), ozone (O3) carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), nitrogen free radicals, nitrogen cations, nitrogen anions, oxygen free radicals, hydrogen free radicals, carbon free radicals, silicone free radicals, sulfur free radicals, phosphorous free radicals, metal free radicals and salts comprising metal cations, wherein the metal cations comprise at least one of calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, silica, manganese, aluminum, titanium, iron, magnesium, sulfur, strontium, ammonium, lithium, rubidium, cesium, radium, zirconium, mercury, silver, copper, nickel, chromium, cobalt, vanadium, scandium, boron, gallium, platinum, cadmium, molybdenum, tantalum, palladium, gold, tin, lead, bismuth, cerium, beryllium, and barium in the combustion gasses;
• 9) controlling protein thermal decomposition by-products produced during combustion within the thermal reaction chamber including nitrogen oxide (NOX) production, carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxide (SOX) production, hydrogen ion (H+) production, hydroxide ion (OH−) production, ozone (O3) production, nitrogen free radicals, nitrogen cations, nitrogen anions, oxygen free radicals, hydrogen free radicals, carbon free radicals, silicone free radicals, sulfur free radicals, phosphorous free radicals, metal free radicals comprising metal cations, wherein the metal cations comprise at least one of calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, silica, manganese, aluminum, titanium, iron, magnesium, sulfur, strontium, ammonium, lithium, rubidium, cesium, radium, zirconium, mercury, silver, copper, nickel, chromium, cobalt, vanadium, scandium, boron, gallium, platinum, cadmium, molybdenum, tantalum, palladium, gold, tin, lead, bismuth, cerium beryllium, and barium;
• 10) thermally reacting the processed non-auto-combustible high protein organic material or using it as an additive to an existing thermal process used to destroy polyfluoro compounds and destroying polyfluoro compound impurities which may be present or may be added within the processed non-auto-combustible high protein organic material in the thermal reaction chamber at a temperature of less than 1,400° C. and/or adding polyfluoro compounds as an additive to a traditional fuel within the thermal reaction chamber to be destroyed with the combustion of non-auto-combustible high protein organic material at a temperature of less than 1,400° C., wherein the protein thermal decomposition by-products function as a reactive species to destroy polyfluoro compounds to degrade hazardous polyfluoro compounds into less hazardous substances.