GASIFORMING(TM) process – Process for the production of syngas from pretreated plastic wastes
Description. The GASIFORMING™ process exploits thermal/catalytic treatments to transform the mix of plastic wastes (end-of-life wastes) into hydrogen (and CO2) and then into methanol/DME. It is significantly less impacting than other plastics wastes gasification processes in terms of CO2 production thanks to milder conditions and reduced shift action. It has the peculiarity to minimize the solid residues after the thermal treatment as well as to provide a high H2/CO ratio in the produced syngas so as to favor the synthesis to advanced biofuels.
Applicants: Politecnico di Milano, INSTM
Inventors: Flavio Manenti (Politecnico), Maurizio Masi (Politecnico), Sergio Miele (INSTM), Enrica Bargiacchi (INSTM)
Priority: IT201900013239A·2019-07-29 – Application: IT201900013239A·2019-07-29 – Publication: IT201900013239A1·2021-01-29; Published as: WO2021019433A1
Ownership: Politecnico di Milano (50%), INSTM (50%) – TRL: 7 to 9 (KoM 03.2021 – End 06.2022)
IP status: (1) Exclusive license agreement for Italy 2021-2036 to ACEA SpA, Plant Target: demo-scale plant operating in Q2/2022 and 15 kt/y of methanol operating in Q2/2023 (site: Ancona); (2) International agreement with exclusion of Italy with Techint E&C ltd for Basic Engineering Design Package, Construction and Commissioning
Picture: the demo-scale plant adopted for validation
PLASBREAKER(TM) process – New process to convert plastic wastes into lube bases and hydrogen
Description. The PLASTBREAKER™ process exploits mild thermal treatments to transform the mix of plastic wastes (end-of-life wastes) into slightly hydrofinished lubricants and hydrogen. It is significantly less impacting than other plastics wastes gasification processes in terms of CO2 production thanks to milder conditions and its less severe conditions allow a full integration with concentrating solar technologies. It has its best application when combined with hydrofinishing plants to improve lubricant quality.
Applicants: Politecnico di Milano
Inventors: Flavio Manenti
Priority: 2019
Ownership: Politecnico di Milano (100%) – TRL: 9
IP status: ongoing industrialization with Itelyum Regeneration (leader in hydrofinishing processes) with definition of Basic Engineering Design Package for the first industrial plant at Pieve Fissiraga (LO)
Picture. Demo-scale unit for de-halogenation step of PLASBREAKER(TM) process
BIGSQUID(TM) process – A versatile plant for converting biogas into high added value chemicals
Description. New modular/compact unit to convert biogas into bio-methanol. It is consituted by 4 sections: the filtration and compression, the thermocatalytic conversion (picture), the synthesis, and the purification. A biogas plant of 1 MWe is produces the biogas and burns it in engine for electric power generation. After the combustion, about 8’000 t/y of CO2 are released back to the atmosphere. the BIGSQUID(TM) process tecnology is able to sequestrate and converting almost all the CO2 into advanced biofuels. An option of the technology is the achievement of self-consistency in electric and thermal energy supply. It is engineered for 0.4 MWe equivalent and 1.0 MWe equivalent plants.
Applicant: Politecnico di Milano
Inventor: Flavio Manenti
Priority: IT201700073797A·2017-06-30 – Application: IB2018054895W·2018-07-02 – Publication: WO2019003213A1·2019-01-03
Ownership: 80% Politecnico di Milano; 20% FAT SpA (Autonomous Tobacco Farm) – TRL: 9
IP status: 1 demo-scale plant; 5 kt/y plant in operation since 2021; 2 plants in construction.
Picture: construction phase at Città di Castello (PG). (Courtesy of Fattoria Autonoma Tabacchi)
RECS(TM) process – High performance conversion of biogas into dimethyl ether
Description. New reactor and process for organic exothermal syntheses. Special application for methanol and dimethyl ether productions. The catalyst is not fully filling the tubes, but it achieves a certain level; accordingly, the level of boiling feed water fed at the shell side isapproaching the catalyst level within the tubes. During the operations, a part of vaporized steam will condense on the outer tubes and form a film. Such a zone is adopted as feedstock preheater. This proprietary equipment is integrated in dedicated processes for methanol and dimethyl ether synthesis.
Applicant: Politecnico di Milano
Inventor: Flavio Manenti
Priority: 2019
Ownership: originally, 100% Politecnico di Milano; in 2021, 75% transferred to INSTM; in 2022, exclusive industrialization agreement with Techint E&C ltd. – TRL: 7
IP status: Basic Engineering Design Package for demo-scale plant ready by Q2/2022
De-6(TM) – Plant for regeneration of waste oils
Description. New reactor and process for organic exothermal syntheses. Special application for methanol and dimethyl ether productions. The catalyst is not fully filling the tubes, but it achieves a certain level; accordingly, the level of boiling feed water fed at the shell side isapproaching the catalyst level within the tubes. During the operations, a part of vaporized steam will condense on the outer tubes and form a film. Such a zone is adopted as feedstock preheater. This proprietary equipment is integrated in dedicated processes for methanol and dimethyl ether synthesis.
Applicant: Itelyum Regeneration
Inventors: Francesco Gallo (Itelyum), Danilo De Arcangelis (Itelyum), Daniele Previtali (Politecnico), Maurizio Giusti (Itelyum), Alessandro Quaglia (Itelyum), Flavio Manenti (Politecnico)
Priority: IB2018058950W·2018-11-14; IT201700133760A·2017-11-22 – Application: EP18816229A·2018-11-14 – Publication: EP3714026A1·2020-09-30 – Published as: EP3714026A1; WO2019102308A1
Ownership: totally transferred, 100% Itelyum Regeneration – TRL: 9
IP status: 9 kt/y plant operating since 2019
Picture: operating plant (courtesy of Itelyum Regeneration)
Concentrating solar catalytic reactor
Description. Totally transparent reactor, to be fully invested by the solar radiation and activated for its whole volume to perform catalytic conversions. The reactor consists of a solar concentrator such as the linear-parabolic toughs, a transparent receiver resisting to medium-high temperatures, a transparent catalyst deposed on transparent support. Catalyst is generated by means of nanometric deposition techniques to get the transparency. The reactor is very active for air/water purification, e.g. VOC conversion on TiO2-based photoactive catalysts, but also in case of traditional endothermic synthesis.
Applicants: Politecnico di Milano, University of Milan
Inventors: Flavio Manenti (Politecnico), Carlo Pirola (UMilan), Claudia Bianchi (UMilan)
Priority: IT201700001505A·2017-01-09 – Application: IT201700001505A·2017-01-09 – Publication: IT201700001505A1·2018-07-09 – Published as: WO2018127562A1
Ownership: Politecnico di Milano (50%), University of Milan (50%) – TRL: 3
IP status: conceptual phase
Picture. concept.
New process for enriching air
Description. Enriching air (in oxygen) by exploiting Henry coeffieint gap between oxygen and nitrogen/argon. The process is adsorbing air in water under pressure and releasing humid enriched air (30 to 32%v in oxygen). The system consists of a pump. a packed column and a vessel for small amount of enriched air.
Applicants: Politecnico di Milano, University of Milan
Inventors: Flavio Manenti (Politecnico), Carlo Pirola (UMilan)
Priority: ITLO20130002A·2013-04-04 – Application: ITLO20130002A·2013-04-04 – Publication: ITLO20130002A1·2014-10-05 – Published as: ITLO20130002A1; WO2014161713A1
Ownership: Politecnico di Milano (50%), University of Milan (50%) – TRL: 5
IP status: scaling up phase
Picture. Bench-scale plant for air enrichment.