Environmentally acceptable process for disposing of scrap plastic materials

A process for disposing of scrap plastic material comprising:

• (1) mixing together the following materials to produce a pumpable slurry having a total solids content of about 30-70 weight % and a minimum HHV of about 4500 BTU/lb. of slurry:
• (a) solid carbonaceous plastic-containing scrap material comprising a form thereof selected from the group consisting of sheets, extruded shapes, moldings, reinforced plastics, and foamed plastics, wherein said solid carbonaceous plastic-containing scrap material comprises at least about 25 weight percent of the pumpable slurry, and is formed into particulate solid carbonaceous plastic-containing scrap material having a maximum particle dimension of about 1/4 inch and contains associated inorganic matter comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of titania, talc, clays, alumina, glass, barium sulfate, and barium carbonate;
• compounds of Sn, Co, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, B;
• and steel, nickel, aluminum, brass and copper metal;
• (b) aluminosilicate-containing material having noncombustible constituents that have an ash fusion temperature in a reducing atmosphere of less than about 2400.degree. F.;
• wherein said aluminosilicate containing material is selected from the group consisting of coal, coal mine tailings, coal ash, illite clay, volcanic ash, and mixtures thereof;
• and wherein said aluminosilicate-containing material is characterized by the following:
• A. a maximum particle size of ASTM E11-70 Sieve Designation Standard 1.70 mm;
• B. a weight ratio of noncombustible constituents in said aluminosilicate-containing material to the inorganic matter in said particulate solid carbonaceous plastic-containing scrap material of at least 1 to 1;
• and
• C. a mole ratio SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 in the range of about 1.5/1 to 20/1;
• and
• (c) a liquid slurrying medium selected from the group consisting of water, liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel, and mixtures thereof;
• and (2) reacting said pumpable slurry from (1) with a free-oxygen containing gas and with or without a supplemental temperature moderator in free-flow unobstructed downflowing vertical partial oxidation gas generator in a reducing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of about 1800.degree. F. to 3500.degree. F., a weight ratio of H.sub.2 O to carbon in the feed in the range of about 0.2 to 3.0, an atomic ratio of free-oxygen to carbon in the feed in the range of about 0.8 to 1.4, and a dwell time in the range of about 1 to 15 seconds to produce synthesis gas, reducing gas, or fuel gas;
• and wherein said inorganic matter in said particulate solid carbonaceous plastic-containing scrap material in (1)(a) is safely captured by said noncombustible constituents in said aluminosilicate-containing material from (1)(b) to produce nonhazardous slag.