How to make gasoline from garbage?

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

There are many interesting things in this world that we pass by without even noticing. Familiar objects can sparkle with other colors if you look at them from a different angle. Take, for example, gasoline. According to most, it can only be made from oil. Knowledgeable people can add coal, synthesis gas to this, and it is even possible to get gasoline from garbage. Each of these options is attractive in its own way and deserves consideration. But attention will be paid only to the last of them.

Introduction

First of all, there is the question of source materials. The most suitable for this business are plastic bottles and plastic. Although almost everything that oxidizes can be used as garbage. Cigarette butts, paper, household waste - all carbon-containing raw materials can be used to produce fuel. Since we are interested in how to create gasoline fromgarbage at home, then we will not delve too deeply into the topic and consider the simplest option.

How is this possible?

In general, not only gasoline can be created from carbon-containing raw materials. Heat, gas, synthetic fuel - there are many options. But to master the topic, it is better to concentrate on the "plastic-gasoline" bundle. Why is this possible? As all educated people know, plastic is made from recycled oil. In other words, if you have a plastic bottle in your hands, then this is just a solid, necessary raw material. But few people think about it. How are they treated after use? Usually the bottles are just thrown away. And by the way, they are made of high quality plastic (after all, they are intended for use in the food industry), which, as already mentioned, is made from oil. That is, the material necessary to obtain a decent result changes its shape. But if you look at the chemical indicators, it is still suitable for making fuel.

Basic chemical processes

What is the above information for? How will it help to get gasoline from garbage? So, we already know that plastic is hard oil. Gasoline from it can be obtained by distillation. In scientific terms, it is necessary to carry out a chemical reaction of pyrolysis. Drawing parallels, this is the case with the distillation of mash into moonshine. Get high-quality gasoline from garbage at home withhigher octane will be difficult. But the fuel can be used for burning, refueling a chainsaw, lawn mower, motorcycle, car.

How does pyrolysis work?

First of all, you must always take care of safety. Remember - its rules are written in the blood of those who ignored them. You also need to be concerned about the environment. Pyrolysis is a distillation process that goes with plastic without oxygen and under the influence of temperature. What needs to be done for this? The plastic is placed in a container, which is then heated. During this process, gas is released. Further along the tube it rises to the refrigerator. Condensation occurs. The gas turns into a liquid, namely fuel. This is how a waste-to-gasoline plant works. As well as in industrial plants, several fractions can be obtained in this way. These are gasoline, diesel fuel, sorbent and something similar to fuel oil.

Use of fuel

So we looked at the easiest option on how to make gasoline from garbage. But whatever negative consequences arise in the future, a number of features should be mentioned. So, it is necessary to ensure that a pure substance is obtained. It is very good if there is a certain knowledge in chemistry. This applies to the flow of the process itself, the preparation of equipment and many other points. After all, it may happen that the final product will negatively affect the performance of the engine and force you to turn to the services of repairmen more often. Good to getin this way the A-92 is easy. However, it should be noted that this limitation is not always present. So, if there is a desire to refuel a new motorcycle, then the quality of the fuel must be monitored. For mowers, you can lower the requirements. And if it comes to obtaining thermal or electrical energy, then the main thing here is that the resulting substance burns - everything else is secondary.

Industrial machinery

Mainly de alt with how to do it yourself. Garbage gasoline is of interest not only to individual enthusiasts and scientists, but also to industrialists. And although now this direction is not big, it is gradually developing. A feature of industrial plants is the large volume of processing, as well as the fact that they are aimed at environmentally friendly activities. That is, carbon-containing waste is not released into the environment, but is used to obtain material values. In addition, industrial installations can be used for the treatment of water bodies, wastewater, and land reclamation. The output is synthetic motor fuel, heat, electricity, technical and distilled water.

Other approaches to achieve the goal

Finding enough plastic, let alone plastic bottles, can be problematic. Therefore, it is relevant to use other available options with the source material. But no matter what you choose, you will always have to work with synthesis gas. What else can be used asstarting material for obtaining fuel? These include: garbage, firewood, leaves, pallets, peat, nut shells, chaff, straw, corn kernels, sunflower stalks, weeds, reeds, reeds, coal (brown / stone / wood), old tires, medical waste, dry manure of birds and animals and much more. True, if there is a desire to make a universal installation, then it needs to be finalized.

Improved unit

Processing garbage into gasoline from virtually any feedstock requires the creation of two separate processing reactors, and that's not counting the place where the synthesis gas will be released. As a rule, it is designated as a gas generator. The resulting product is then transferred to the first reactor. It should have a copper-zinc-aluminum catalyst. Thanks to him, the gas turns into dimethyl ether. The liquid is then transferred to a second reactor. Its feature is the presence of a zeolite catalyst. And already the output is A-92. If you meet all the technical requirements, then it will be even cleaner than at a gas station. From ten kilograms of garbage you can get a liter of 92nd gasoline.

Environmental

If a violation of technology is allowed (for example, there is no tightness), then the production of gasoline from garbage will not go according to plan. So, at the very first stage it will be difficult to release gas. In later stages there is a risk of fumes poisoning. If the technology and safety precautions are observed, then the installation as waste will generate only neutral ash, in which there will be no poisons. However, it does not generate smoke. He is allturns into synthesis gas. After passing the catalysts, it turns into dimethyl ether and gasoline. Separately, it is worth mentioning the high-temperature decomposition of garbage, which is expressed in the so-called two-second rule. What is it about? The most dangerous poisons (furans and dioxins) will not be destroyed unless they are heated to 1250 degrees Celsius and held in that position for a period of two seconds. By the way, incinerators and waste disposal plants cannot always overcome the barrier even at 900 degrees. While the use of a gas generator allows you to reach the mark of 1600. Thanks to this, the smoke turns into a combustible gas. And the installation is more environmentally friendly than conventional methods.

Starting the mining process

If you want to try to create gasoline on the stream, then you can wish good luck. It should be noted that this is not such an unsuccessful case as it might seem at first glance. But let's talk about everything in order. Initially, it is necessary to select the source material and work out the technology for it. What to choose? You can use plastic bottles. But upon careful analysis, it becomes clear that they are problematic to collect. In addition, you will have to pay for raw materials.

What can act as a worthy alternative? For example, car tires. They are much easier to find. In addition, they have a negative value. In other words, the owners pay extra to have used tires recycled. And what do we get as a result? Collecting a ton of tires is easier than as many plastic bottles. Moreover, for thempay extra. But the benefits don't end there. Thus, tire pyrolysis can be carried out without a catalyst. Whereas with plastic this will not work. In this case, the presence of a catalyst is mandatory. True, in the case of tires, pyrolysis oil is obtained, which must be brought to high-quality fuel.

Produced from industrial waste

The production of gasoline from garbage should not be considered exclusively in a domestic way. For example, on an industrial scale, this can be done from coal, as well as dumps that are obtained in mines from their extraction. The first option involves gasification and has been known for a long time. The most cited use case is the behavior of Nazi Germany during World War II. Then there was a significant need for fuel with a modest amount of oil. To meet such requests, a decision was made to actively use coal gasification technology. After the end of the war, the emphasis shifted to oil as an easier solution to process and apply. But as the price of black gold rose, research in this area also intensified. Moreover, the calculation is not always based on the use of exclusively basic raw materials.

The second life of industrial waste

What is this for? When the same coal mines are worked out, there is always a certain proportion of unused raw materials that are piled up. And this has been the case for decades. Very often, local residents use this, additionally sorting out dumps. For example, in the Donbass, a situation is common when coal mine waste is moved to heat a room for valuable raw materials. But this can be done not only by individuals in terms of satisfying their own needs. Quite popular is the industrial sorting of dumps with the release of the raw materials contained in it. It should be noted that this is not such an unattractive business as it might seem at first glance. So, when it comes to a well-organized sorting of dumps, then usually we are talking about making millions in profits. From this point of view, the places near the coal mines are a real treasure trove. Raw materials from dumps can be used both as fuel and as material for further transformation.

Conclusion

That's all the general information you need to know about how gasoline is produced from garbage. If there is a desire to independently try your hand in this field, then the data provided should be enough to decide in which direction to move and what to work with. Of course, the most desirable is the raw material containing a significant part of the carbon component. Although there may be some problems at the implementation stage. For example, the purchase of tires for their subsequent distillation into gasoline is limited by the amount of used material that the population has on hand. As the scope expands, more knowledge and skills will be required. And don't forget about safety. It's one thing to get a liter or two of fuel, and quitethe other is to operate on an industrial scale, measuring the final product in tons.