Process for distilling solid organic products
A process for treating solid organic materials, especially for recycling treated wood, uses energy provided by hot gases at the bottom of a reactor column to perform a distillation operation which ensures splitting of organic bonds in the material and uses, as the distillation operation progresses, constant control between a first temperature of the hot gases before they are introduced into the lower part of the reactor column and a second temperature of a layer of the material located in an area immediately above the grid of the reactor column. When the first temperature and the second temperature are identical or virtually identical, corresponding to removal of all the organic bonds of the material by evaporation and transport by the hot gases from the bottom to the top of the column, the layer of material at the second temperature is removed in order to collect a material that largely consists of carbon and constitutes a secondary raw material.
1. A process for treating solid organic materials comprising:
introduction of crushed material into a reactor column having a lower part and an upper part;
injection of hot gases with low oxygen content having a temperature of 170° C. to 370° C. into the lower part of the reactor column to heat said material, said material laying on a grid that moves horizontally, wherein said material is cooler in an upper part of said reactor column;
transfer of gases through the reactor column with an exhaust gas recycling circuit incorporating a hot gas generator, burner, supercharger and reinjection of recycled gases;
continual monitoring and comparison of a first temperature of the hot gases before the gases are injected into the lower part of the reactor column and a second temperature of a layer of the material located in an area immediately above the grid of the reactor column; and
collecting mineral material from the lower part of the reactor column by controlling the moving grid when said first temperature and said second temperature are identical or virtually identical;
wherein the combination of oxygen content and temperature deters combustion and promotes distillation in the reactor column.
2. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distillation takes place in a continuous, gradual, alternating cycle that includes phases in which organic molecules are recondensed or reheated and fragmented, said organic molecules becoming increasingly light and being removed from the top of the reactor column.
3. A process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the layer of material is mineralised by:
a) evaporating organic components of the layer;
b) transporting the evaporated organic molecules by the flow of hot gases towards the cooler, upper part of the column;
c) recondensing the evaporated organic molecules;
d) removing the layer of mineral material;
e) adding new material into the reactor column.
4. A process according to claim 3 , wherein exhaust gases from the reactor column are routed to a scrubbing and drying area.
5. The process according to claim 4 , wherein said scrubbed and dried exhaust gases are reinjected into the exhaust gas recycling circuit.
6. A process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising employing a pressure monitoring and control valve located in an exhaust at the upper part of the reactor column.
7. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein thickness of the layer of material is of the order of 5 cm.
8. A process as claimed in claim 1 , applied for recycling of treated wood.
9. A process as claimed in claim 1 , applied to treating of agricultural waste.
10. A process as claimed in claim 1 , applied to treating of organic solids.
11. An apparatus for carrying out the process as claimed in claim 1 , said apparatus comprising a reactor column that includes the following items from the bottom to the top of the column:
a sealed space equipped with a mineral carbonated products removal system,
a hot gas injection system located in the lower part of the reactor column,
a two part grid comprising a lower fixed grid element and an upper moveable grid element to remove the mineral material and bring about a downward flow of the mineral material,
a gas cooling and filtering zone,
a sealed introduction system for crushed solid organic materials located in the upper part of the reactor column,
at the same level as the upper part, a distillation gas exhaust system connected to a gas recycling circuit.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising one or more of:
a) a pressure monitoring and control valve;
b) a temperature monitoring and control system; and
c) a fixed grid element configured to create a fluidized gas bed in a gap between said fixed grid element and said moveable grid element.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said pressure monitoring and control valve is located in the upper part of the column.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said pressure monitoring and control valve monitors a difference in pressure between gas injection and gas exhaust of the column and is able to control the rate of gas injection.
15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said pressure temperature monitoring and control system monitors a difference in temperature between the first temperature and the second temperature and is able to adjust the second temperature.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said grid comprises a fixed component in the lower part of the column and a mobile component located above the fixed component and superimposed so as to define a gap in the form of a fluidised gas bed, and wherein said components each having openings that are circular and oblong, respectively.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said column is tapered and reduces towards its top.
18. The process as claimed in claim 1 , applied to treating poultry droppings.
19. The process of claim 1 wherein said mineral material is comprised of carbon in graphitic form.