Fuel from Plastic

[cosworth151]

I heard this on NPR's Morning Edition this morning. A start-up company in Niagara Falls, New York is producing ready to use #6 fuel oil from recycled plastic. They take thousands of pounds of shredded milk jugs, water bottles and grocery bags and turn them directly into fuel. They can produce fuel that sells for about $100 a gallon barrel at a cost of $10 per gallon barrel.

Sadly, they've run into an odd problem. They're product has been labelled a "green" fuel. #6 fuel oil is used in almost exclusively in industry. Industry seems to shy away from anything labelled "green."

It sounds like a wonderful idea, I hope they pull it off.

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/19/147506525/startup-converts-plastic-to-oil-and-finds-a-niche

[Jericoke]

Part of the problem we have rising oil prices is that most oil is used for making plastics, not powering automobiles.

As the consumer culture continues to favour disposable items, and bulky packaging, the price of oil continues to go up, even if every single automobile switchs to running on smiles.

It's only naturaly that the biggest consumer of oil can be turned back into oil.  I hope that this process can be expanded.  Then we might be able to pay for gas with empty Coke bottles

[Ian]

"They can produce fuel that sells for about $100 a gallon at a cost of $10 a gallon."

Ain't $100 a gallon a bit dear Cos, or am I missing something ?

[cosworth151]

Sorry, my mistake. Both of those prices were per barrel.

Hey, it's Monday morning! 

[Ian]

Hehe Cos, we all have Monday mornings like that sometimes. 

[Jericoke]

"They can produce fuel that sells for about $100 a gallon at a cost of $10 a gallon."

Ain't $100 a gallon a bit dear Cos, or am I missing something ?

Figured that was the European price... 

[lkjohnson1950]

If they can produce it for $10 a barrel, they could sell it for 50 making a tidy profit. At that price industry should sit up and take notice.

[Scott]

"They can produce fuel that sells for about $100 a gallon at a cost of $10 a gallon."

Ain't $100 a gallon a bit dear Cos, or am I missing something ?

Figured that was the European price... 

Ian wouldn't know...he lives in Britain...nothing like Europe.   

[Ian]

Hehe Scott.   

[Jericoke]

If they can produce it for $10 a barrel, they could sell it for 50 making a tidy profit. At that price industry should sit up and take notice.

I dunno.  I wouldn't want to mess with OPEC.

Besides, why make $50 when you can make $100?  'tis the American Way.

[lkjohnson1950]

It would overcome any resistance to it being a "green" product. No one would care how green it was if it cost 1/2 as much.

[John S]

If they can produce it for $10 a barrel, they could sell it for 50 making a tidy profit. At that price industry should sit up and take notice.

I dunno.  I wouldn't want to mess with OPEC.

Besides, why make $50 when you can make $100?  'tis the American Way.

I think No 6 oil is virtually the bottom of the barrel so to speak, it's part of the residual left after refining crude for petrol, diesel, kerosene, etc., so it's the refiners rather than OPEC the plastic converters are up against. It's really only fit for fueling ships as it can only be used after it's heated to well over 220 degrees Fahrenheit before combustion, also it needs to be stored at about to 100 degrees or it becomes difficult to pump.

No 6 oil also gives off large quantities of sulphur dioxide and much more carbon dioxide than natural gas when burnt, it's now considered uneconomic for electricity generation and a lot of other industrial engines.



  
 

[Dare]

If they can produce it for $10 a barrel, they could sell it for 50 making a tidy profit. At that price industry should sit up and take notice.

I dunno.  I wouldn't want to mess with OPEC.

Besides, why make $50 when you can make $100?  'tis the American Way.

No the American way is to provide food,money,and housing to immigrants
and give American's that work nada

Works in the UK too,right Ian?

[Ian]

Sure does Dare, and perfectly too. By the way, what's "nada" ?

[cosworth151]

There's no penalty for carbon dioxide over here, and I doubt that there will be much sulfur in this product. Since a more highly refined petroleum was used to produce the plastic, the sulfur would already be gone. #6 fuel oil is a common industrial fuel over here.