Feedstock Parametric Study

A significant area of purchaser support is the Feedstock Parametric Study. The purpose of the study is to process a specific feedstock under optimal conditions to maximize project, product and process goals and objectives. Conrad Industries will expend the resources necessary to confirm and ensure project success.

Protocol and Objectives:

** Correlate project, process and economics

**Project goals: environment, regulatory, liability/opportunity

**Product goals: sampling and analysis protocol / analytical requirements / characterization and composition of gas, liquid, solids / quality and marketability

**Process goals: performance measurement / through put / ease of operation / material balance / yield maximization

**Determine process limitations and extraordinary advantages

**Understand depolymerization chemistry under the objective conditions

** Process Optimization Process optimization involves the manipulation of (T)thru-put(feedrate), (T)temperature(severity), (T)turbulence and residence (T)time. The process heat transfer rate is dependent upon the interaction of the four "T's". All of the four "T's" can be controlled. Temperature is controlled through fuel and air adjustments to the burner system. Feedrate is controlled by adjusting the speed of the feeder. Turbulence and residence time are controlled by adjusting the rotational speed and direction of the feedstock conveying auger inside the reaction vessel. Each of the 4 “T’s” can be changed at will, but each are inextricably connected and any changes require a process stabilization period to attain steady state conditions. The process is continually monitored and operating parameters are recorded, analyzed and combined with our operating experience to determine the degree and direction of future change.

**Operational
Process Safety Management
Material handling / feedstock preparation - pelletize, shred, dry / storage
Neutralization/isolation/capture of chemical impurities
Mechanical operability
Input and output effect relationships
Training protocol

**Environmental Safety and Health
Industrial Hygiene
Fugitive / stack emissions
Residuals treatment, storage and disposal
Regulatory permitting and operating requirements - air, solid waste, stormwater etc.
Chemical reactions and chemical compatibility's

**Engineering
Specific feedstock accommodation - infeed / process / outfeed
Effect of feedstock on equipment life cycle
Location, size of sampling/testing ports
Necessity, location, type of corrosion coupons
All project equipment's physical integration control/interlock/safety
Management and utilization of process heat
Process Safety Management Hazard Evaluations.
Specialized maintenance equipment and procedures required due to equipment modifications and additions.
Verify commercial scale up design data and process performance

**Feedstock Characterization
MSDS
Source information / where, when, how, by whom collected, representative sample
Appropriate chemical or mechanical analysis to verify:
-- Physical property characteristics / uniformity / moisture content
-- Chemical property concentrations