Thermal depolymerization
The May 2003 issue of Discover Magazine has an amazing article on thermal depolymerization entitled “Anything into Oil.” The upcoming waste disposal procedure can convert virtually anything into “high-quality oil, clean-burning gas, and purified minerals.” Thermal depolymerization won’t solve the global warming problem since it still releases carbon into the atmosphere.
However, the output isn’t very high and this technique is possibly a great way to reduce the landfills across the globe. Even hazardous agents such as anthrax can be run through a thermal depolymerization plant. It will still end up as oil, gas, and minerals. The plants will take quite some time to build but Changing World Technologies definitely has a great solution to waste build-up.
10 comments
(5 years, 6 months ago)
Regarding your comment about global warming, and introduction of greenhouse gases (CO2) into the atmosphere:
The only thing that increases the overall amount of carbon in the earth’s carbon cycle is introduction of carbon from sources which were not previously participating in the carbon cycle. For example: digging up fossil fuels, and putting their carbon into the carbon cycle by burning them or turning them into fertilizer.
Thermal depolymerization does not introduce new carbon into the carbon cycle. The carbon it introduces into the air comes from the waste products fed to the thermal depolymerization plant (call them turkeys). Those turkeys got their carbon from eating plants. Those plants got their carbon by extracting carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide. This is the “carbon cycle” I’m referring to.
Other things can increase the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, without increasing the overall amount of carbon in the carbon cycle. Reduction in the amount of carbon being used by plants leaves more carbon in the atmosphere.
(5 years ago)
The danger of this is that we would run out of food, because a whole turkey would be more valuable as fuel than food. SUV’s for the rich, No food for the poor.
(4 years, 12 months ago)
It appears that this process will work with any material that is largely organic (carbon-based). That includes agricultural waste (corn husks), human and animal waste (sewage), plastics, paper, and nearly everything we flush down the toilet or send to the landfill (except glass and metal, which are valuable recyclables themselves). According to this article:
“…a 175lb (79kg) man could, theoretically, yield 38lb of oil, 7lb of gas, 7lb of minerals and carbon and 123lb of sterilised water. More practically, 100lb (45kg) of sewage becomes 26lb (11kg) of oil, 9lb of gas, 8lb of minerals and carbon and 57lb of water. Medical waste, generally regard as tricky to dispose of, is particularly valuable - its equivalent yields are 65, 10, 5 and 20.”
So, not only is there is no need to use tasty and nutritious whole turkeys to fuel this process (though the unneeded turkey waste parts that result from a turkey processing plant make an ideal fuel), there is such a wide array and vast quantity of potential fuels available that turkeys could never be more valuable as fuel than as food.
But then again, people once said “We’ll never run out of old-growth trees to cut…” Well, ok. Old growth trees are good to have around, and sewage and trash is not. If we get to a point where there’s a shortage of sewage or trash, I think we’ll be better off.
(4 years, 10 months ago)
killjoy is an idiot who needs to stop posting on websites… they aren’t using whole turkeys… they are using waste like feathers and heads…. numbskull…
this could change the world…
i’d like to know more about different outputs for different inputs… I’ve read a little bit (if you put in tires you get varying amounts of oil, gas, minerals and water than if you use soybeans)….
I know that hemp is supposed to be fantastic for creating oils and I’d be interested to know what the byproducts of TDP’d hemp plants would be!
(4 years, 10 months ago)
I agree, killjoy needs to be sterilized. And before someone starts yaping about greenhouse gases, the only CO2 being released is the CO2 that was already in the atmosphere that the plants used to grow that the chicken ate. As long as we convert non-petrolium products into fuel, no net increase in CO2. If solid carbon is generated from a non-petrolium feedstock, a net reduction of atmospheric CO2 would result.
The plastic bottles and tires and similar petroleum based stuff would ultimately increase atmospheric CO2 as they wern’t originaly going to be burned.
(4 years, 9 months ago)
could the CO2 be converted into CO and burned as process fuel lessening harmful emmissions?
(4 years, 9 months ago)
Killjoy is an idiot they are not using whole turkeys you moron, killjoy should be killed. ha.,
(4 years, 8 months ago)
Well, killjoy is just slightly misguided, he needs to understand the real cost of food.
turkey(any meat, really) is like $2/pound, minimum.
gasoline is $2 a GALLON. a gallon is several pounds, about 6 if I recall.
Compare a gallon of vegatable oil to a gallon of diesel. Fuel prices would have to rise significantly before they overtake food.
(3 years, 11 months ago)
Uh… Killjoy, THAT MAKES NO SENSE! they will be using the ****py stuff that is the Turkey waste! like guts, feathers, stuff like that!
(3 years, 9 months ago)
From what I know poor people eat more than just turkeys….killjoy. And anyways whos going to want to deliver the turkeys to the poor if oil becomes extremely exspenive. Think a little bit more next time before you comment….killjoy