The hydrothermal processing of municipal-waste-plastics-derived fuel oil (kerosene fraction; Cl
content = 62 ppm, N content = 1150 ppm) under sub- and supercritical conditions has been
investigated so as to demonstrate the possible use of water and aqueous solutions of metal salts
and hydroxides for the dechlorination and denitrogenation of the fuel oil. The hydrothermal
processing was carried out in a small SUS316 stainless steel batch reactor under nitrogen
atmosphere. Although the two reactions took place in water, they proceeded much more readily
under basic conditions, especially in aqueous solutions of alkaline metal hydroxides. That is,
the nitrogen content in the product oil decreased to 297 ppm upon processing with water for 15
min at 425 °C, whereas it decreased to 49 ppm when 0.10 mol/L NaOH was used instead of
water at 375 °C. Under these hydrothermal conditions, the chlorine content in the product oil
was always nearly 0 ppm. Organic acids such as benzoic acid and phthalic acid in the fuel oil
could also be removed.
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