Talk:Thermal depolymerization

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WikiProject Energy (Rated B-class, High-importance)
WikiProject Polymers

Not just for oil[edit]

Thermal depolymerization is not just usable to get oil. According to Discover (magazine), modified versions of the process can be used to produce different minerals that can also be sold. For example, you can create hydrochloric acid from Polyvinyl chloride using a very similar process. Template:Unknown2

This article conflates TDP and TCP[edit]

As far as I can tell from external sources, Thermal Depolymerization (TDP) is the general term for the class of processes this article covers, and "Thermal Conversion Process" (TCP) is a proprietary name used by Changing World Technologies and related companies (including Renewable Energy Solutions a.k.a. RES-Energy, their joint venture with ConAgra/Butterball) for their particular version of TDP. I think this article often mistakenly uses the terms interchangeably. Also, in contrast to what the "Similar Processes" section says, TCP is not limited to manure and vegetable waste; the Carthage plant uses it for turkey offal, and the CWT website says it can be used to convert tires, plastics, etc.

Sorry to complain and not fix, I just feel like a lot of changes would be needed to fix this, and I'm not familiar enough with the subject to feel like I can do a good job of fixing these errors. —Preceding unsigned comment added by (talkcontribs)

Limitations[edit] states: "The process only breaks long molecular chains into shorter ones, so small molecules such as carbon dioxide or methane cannot be converted to oil through this process." TDP is not a process for creating polymers; it simply breaks polymers into small sections. Neither CO2 nor methane is a polymer (methane is a monomer).

Yours sincerely

Alan Erskine —Preceding unsigned comment added by (talk) 01:29, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

  • How do the statement in the page and what you're saying differ? Do you simply want more detail?--E8 (talk) 02:51, 14 May 2011 (UTC)
  • I agree with Alan. The text's implication is odd. Perhaps a better substitute would be: "The process is limited to creating oil by breaking long polymer chains down into shorter ones. It cannot assemble simple monomers such as carbon dioxide or methane into polymers."--JeffMDavidson 19:59, 23 October 2012 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by JeffMDavidson (talkcontribs)

Limitations, comment 2[edit]

Under Limitations (, it states: "However, the methane in the feedstock is recovered and burned to heat the water that is an essential part of the process." Methane is only one of the gases produced and is only a small part of that. The gas is more like producer gas (also known as 'Town Gas').

Yours sincerely

Alan Erskine —Preceding unsigned comment added by (talk) 01:32, 14 May 2011 (UTC)