TRANSFORMING LOW-VALUE PRODUCTS INTO VALUABLE COMMODITIES

To understand how pyrolysis and gasification work, it’s essential to recognize that both are intermediary thermal processes transforming one state of matter into another. The specific outcomes depend on various factors, including the feedstock, heat, residence time, oxygen levels, and pressure within a specially designed reactor. Both pyrolysis and gasification are effective for breaking down solid materials, such as non-recycled plastics, end-of-life tires, and municipal solid waste, by thermally decomposing the molecular bonds following the laws of thermodynamics.

The fundamental difference between pyrolysis and gasification lies in the presence of oxygen. Pyrolysis produces three types of products: solid, liquid, and gas. For successful pyrolysis, oxygen levels in the reactor must typically be below 1%. In contrast, gasification operates with oxygen levels between 20% and 30%, facilitating syngas production without liquid byproducts and minimal amounts of solids, which are usually vitrified. In practical terms, achieving single-step transformations to finished products with perfect efficiency is quite challenging for both pyrolysis and gasification processes.

When materials are broken down into their core molecular structures, atoms often prefer to recombine in the simplest way possible. Users of these technologies must understand that no two processes are identical, and each usually requires some form of post-processing, which may involve polishing, finishing, or upgrading technology. Sometimes, a third step may be necessary to achieve the desired final product, which depends on the specific pyrolysis or gasification technology (reactor) used.

To learn more about pyrolysis and gasification please visit this section of our website » GO.

To produce high-value products, the outputs from pyrolysis and gasification processes must undergo refining, purification, distillation, and de-agglomeration. After the molecules in the feedstock are broken down, it’s necessary to reorganize them so they can be reassembled or combined into the appropriate structure for producing the desired end products. No commercially viable single-step process can take a mixture of ingredients (which are non-homogenous) and create a product with singular purity, such as pure carbon or a specific chain hydrocarbon. Instead, this multi-step process enables the production of particular end products while maintaining consistency in quality through a continuous production system. This is where science and chemical engineering come into play.

At Klean Industries, we have decades of experience refining various commercial processes to achieve a streamlined, continuous operation known as a system. This combines several steps into a more extensive process. Our team utilizes specialized expertise, advanced technologies, and precise process controls to achieve the desired end-product results.

This section of our website highlights some of the unique features and projects the Klean Team has undertaken over the past six decades. We have designed and built thermal processing plants using unconventional feedstocks, such as non-recycled plastics, scrap tires, municipal solid waste, and the resulting finished products. We are leaders in providing innovative solutions that prioritize alternatives to landfilling and incineration. We believe Klean’s solutions and technologies outperform any other vendors currently on the market.