IP Library Granted Patent US 12,728,408
Granted Patent B2
US 12,728,408 · App. 18/699,248 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Catalytic pyrolysis of plastics to produce petrochemical feedstock

Inventors: Wu-Cheng Cheng (Columbia, MD); Robert Hibbard Harding (Woodstock, MD); Alessia Padovani (Baden Wurttemberg, DE); Guang Yuan (Clarksville, MD); Gartzen Lopez Zabalbeitia (Leioa, ES); Martin Olazar Aurrecoechea (Leioa, ES)
Assignees: W.R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.; UNIVERSIDAD DEL PAIS VASCO
B01J29/40B01J35/40C10B53/07C10B57/06C10G1/10C10G2300/1003C10G2400/20C10G2400/30
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,728,408
App. No.
18/699,248
Filed
Apr 5, 2024
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
1771
USPC
585/241
Abstract

The present technology is generally related to the process of converting plastics to olefin and aromatics through pyrolysis, wherein the process of producing at least one or more of olefins and aromatic compounds from a plastic feedstock includes: contacting a plastic feedstock and a catalyst composition at a temperature from about 450° C. to about 650° C. in a conical spouted bed reactor and for a time period sufficient to allow at least a portion of the plastic feedstock to be converted to at least one or more olefins and aromatic compounds and wherein the catalyst composition includes greater than about 40% w/w of ZSM-5, based on the total weight of the catalyst composition.

Claims (31)

1 . A process of producing at least one or more of olefins and aromatic compounds from a plastic feedstock, the process comprising:

contacting a plastic feedstock and a catalyst composition at a temperature from about 450° C. to about 650° C. in a conical spouted bed reactor and for a time period sufficient to allow at least a portion of the plastic feedstock to be converted to at least one or more olefins and aromatic compounds;

wherein the catalyst composition comprises greater than about 40% w/w of ZSM-5, based on the total weight of the catalyst composition;

wherein the at least one or more olefins is selected from ethylene, propylene, and butenes;

wherein the process converts the plastic feedstock to greater than about 20 wt % of propylene.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst composition comprises greater than about 45% w/w of ZSM-5, based on the total weight of the catalyst composition.

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst composition comprises particles having a size ranging from about 0.05 mm to about 5 mm.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst composition comprises from about 5% w/w to about 15% w/w P2O5, based on the total weight of the composition.

5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst composition comprises no greater than about 40% w/w Al2O3, based on the total weight of the composition.

6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the ZSM-5 has a crystallite size of less than about 0.4 microns.

7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst composition is formed by spray drying, extrusion, or a bead forming method.

8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the ZSM-5 is combined with an active matrix within a particle.

9 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the ZSM-5 is combined with an active matrix as a separate particle.

10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the ZSM-5 is combined with one or more zeolites selected from ZSM-11, faujasite, mordenite, and beta.

11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein contacting the plastic feedstock and the catalyst composition is at a temperature of from about 500° C. to about 600° C.

12 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the plastic feedstock comprises at least one of polyolefins, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyamide, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyester, natural and synthetic rubber, tires, filled polymers, composites, plastic alloys, and plastics dissolved in a solvent.

13 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the process converts the plastic feedstock to greater than about 35 wt % of ethylene, propylene, and butenes.

14 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the process converts the plastic feedstock to greater than about 25 wt % of propylene.

15 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one or more aromatic compounds is selected from benzene, toluene, and xylenes.

16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the conical spouted bed reactor comprises a draft tube and a confiner.

17 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the conical spouted bed reactor has a gas inlet opening of D O and a diameter of the cylindrical section of the conical spouted bed reactor of D C ; the confiner has a diameter of D G ; and the draft tube has a distance from the top of the draft tube to the bottom of the draft tube of H G ; wherein H G is from about 3 to about 4×D O .

18 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the conical spouted bed reactor has a gas inlet opening of D O and a diameter of the cylindrical section of the conical spouted bed reactor of D C ; the confiner has a diameter of D G ; and the draft tube has a distance from the top of the draft tube to the bottom of the draft tube of H G ; wherein D G is from about 3×D O to about 0.7 D C .

19 . A process of producing at least one or more of olefins and aromatic compounds from a plastic feedstock, the process comprising:

contacting a plastic feedstock and a catalyst composition at a temperature from about 450° C. to about 650° C. in a conical spouted bed reactor and for a time period sufficient to allow at least a portion of the plastic feedstock to be converted to at least one or more olefins and aromatic compounds;

wherein the catalyst composition comprises greater than about 40% w/w of ZSM-5, based on the total weight of the catalyst composition and;

wherein the ZSM-5 is combined with an active matrix as a separate particle.

20 . A process of producing at least one or more of olefins and aromatic compounds from a plastic feedstock, the process comprising:

contacting a plastic feedstock and a catalyst composition at a temperature from about 450° C. to about 650° C. in a conical spouted bed reactor and for a time period sufficient to allow at least a portion of the plastic feedstock to be converted to at least one or more olefins and aromatic compounds and;

wherein the at least one or more olefins is selected from ethylene, propylene, and butenes;

wherein the process converts the plastic feedstock to greater than about 20 wt % of propylene;

wherein the catalyst composition comprises greater than 50% w/w of ZSM-5, based on the total weight of the catalyst composition and wherein the ZSM-5 is combined with an active matrix as a separate particle.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST SUPPLEMENT NO. 2, RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 072519/0265 Recorded Feb 2, 2026
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
Reel/Frame 074612/0591 →
NOTES SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2026
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.; ADVANCED REFINING TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074532/0229 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 19, 2025
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 072519/0265 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT (SUPPLEMENTAL NO. 2) Recorded Aug 19, 2025
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072497/0481 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Aug 19, 2025
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072520/0653 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 19, 2025
From: W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 072519/0240 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 22, 2024
From: LOPEZ ZABALBEITIA, GARTZEN; OLAZAR AURRECOECHEA, MARTIN
To: UNIVERSIDAD DEL PAIS VASCO
Reel/Frame 067185/0435 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 22, 2024
From: CHENG, WU-CHENG; HARDING, ROBERT HIBBARD; PADOVANI, ALESSIA; YUAN, GUANG
To: W.R. GRACE & CO.-CONN.
Reel/Frame 067185/0390 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63252861 · Oct 6, 2021
Related Publication 20250145895A1 · May 8, 2025
References Cited (17)
US 9447332B2 · Narayanaswamy · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 10654009B1 · Yelvington et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20110207984A1 · Almeida et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20110230690A1 · Tiita et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20140228204A1 · Narayanaswamy et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150175900A1 · Smith · 2015 [cited by examiner]
CN 104583122A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 105102587A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
EP 2161321A2 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2000053548A1 · 2000 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2020204707A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
Elordi, G., Olazar, M., Lopez, G., Amutio, M., Artetxe, M., Aguado, R., Bilbao, J., “Catalytic pyrolysis of HDPE in continuous mode over zeolite catalysts in a conical spouted bed reactor”, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis, 200… [cited by examiner]
Orozco, S., Alvarez, J., Lopez, G., Artetxe, M., Bilbao, J., Olazar, M., “Pyrolysis of plastic wastes in a fountain confined conical spouted bed reactor: Determination of stable operating conditions”, Energy Conversion … [cited by examiner]
Opinion of Examination on TW Appl. No. 111138003, Dtd Feb. 29, 2024. [cited by applicant]
Elordi et al., “Catalytic Pyrolysis of HDPE in Continuous Mode Over Zeolite Catalysts in a Conical Spouted Bed Reactor” J. Anal. Appl. Pyrol., vol. 85, Issue 1-2, pp. 345-351, Nov. 5, 2008. [cited by applicant]
Saldarriaga et al. “Distribution of Cycle Times in Sawdust Conical Spouted Bed Equipped with Fountain Confiner and Draft Tube” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2019, 58, 5, 1932-1940. [cited by applicant]
Estiati et al “Design Factors in Fountain Confined Conical Spouted Beds” Chemical Engineering and Processing—Process Intensification vol. 155, Sep. 2020. [cited by applicant]