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Re:Smart plastic incineration posited as solution to global ... by sitkack on Sunday August 18, 2019 @07:00PM (#20733501)
Re:Smart plastic incineration posited as solution to global ... by 08-15 on Monday August 19, 2019 @03:57AM (#20735797)
MSO works and TDP was a scam.

TDP was sold by Changing World Technologies as a tech that turns any waste into oil by reacting it with water. A cursory inspection reveals that this cannot work out chemically, and it didn't in practice.

The press releases contained scarce details, but did drop a few hints at what's actually going on: Stuff that can hydrolyse, will hydrolyse. This turns fat into fatty acids and glycerol, and protein into amino acids. The second stage decarboxylated the organic acids. In practice, that means fats became "crude oil", proteins became mixtures of amino compounds, and everything else pretty much remained unchanged. They even made up the bullshit term "fertilizer grade amino acids" to hide the fact that this byproduct was worthless and simply dumped. I suspect, the complaints about smell were caused by the amines in the waste stream.

In summary, TDP never worked, and it was oversold. It's not coming back.

MSO is different. The conditions in a molten carbonate are much harsher, so everything breaks down to simple molecules. Dissolved oxygen radicals can oxidize everything, including carbon black. There is no question whether MSO works, it has been positively evaluated for the destruction of very difficult wastes, including explosives and chlorinated pesticides. The question is whether it can be economical for general mixed wastes.

Re:Smart plastic incineration posited as solution to global ... by sitkack on Monday August 19, 2019 @11:59AM (#20738900)
Interesting, I had not heard of this before. On the surface, I was very much of a fan, for it seamed like it could process a fairly crunchy waste stream. If you have a report from (not just) a government lab on the failures of the process, I would love to read it.
Re:Smart plastic incineration posited as solution to global ... by 08-15 on Monday August 19, 2019 @04:41PM (#20741598)
I'm not aware of any comprehensive report, and it looks as if there is nothing to report on. Had CWT ever turned mixed plastic waste into oil, they wouldn't be bankrupt. But they are, so nobody bothers with their "patented process" anymore.
Re:Smart plastic incineration posited as solution to global ... by carapace on Sunday August 18, 2019 @07:24PM (#20733600)
That's the other one I usually try to mention on threads like this, but last time someone pointed out that the one company pursuing it folded. There may be some ongoing research.

On the other hand my understanding is that MSO is used today actively to deal with e.g. chemical weapons disposal etc.

I'm not qualified to give a detailed answer.

MSO happens at much higher temperatures than TDP but doesn't require pressurization, whereas TPD is essentially a pressure cooker.