The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 15, 2022
Filed:
Apr. 05, 2021
Thomas Erik Loop, Seattle, WA (US);
James D. Flynn, Auburn, WA (US);
G. Graham Allan, Kenmore, WA (US);
Thomas Erik Loop, Seattle, WA (US);
James D. Flynn, Auburn, WA (US);
G. Graham Allan, Kenmore, WA (US);
Other;
Abstract
The machinery and methods disclosed herein are based on the use of a specialized extruder configured to continuously convey and plasticize/moltenize selected lignocellulosic biomass and/or waste plastic materials into a novel variable volume tubular reactor, wherein the plasticized/moltenized material undergoes reaction with circumferentially injected supercritical water—thereby yielding valuable simple sugar solutions and/or liquid hydrocarbon mixtures (e.g., 'neodiesel'), both of which are key chemical commodity products. The reaction time may be adjusted by changing the reactor volume. The machinery includes four zones: (1) a feedstock conveyance and plasticization/moltenization zone; (2) a steam generation and manifold distribution zone; (3) a central supercritical water reaction zone; and (4) a pressure let-down and reaction product separation zone. The machinery and methods minimize water usage—thereby enabling the economic utilization of abundant biomass and waste plastics as viable renewable feedstocks for subsequent conversion into alternative liquid transportation fuels and valuable green-chemical products.