Abstract
Every claim Carbotura makes downstream of the Recyclotron™ — reaction-network closure, OmniCrude™ makeup, product-slate economics — inherits its credibility from one document: the certified elemental characterization of the input. This paper presents that characterization. The Southcentral Region municipal feedstock was sampled under ASTM D5231 (200 physical samples, 90% confidence) across a 1,911,223-ton characterization base, and resolved under Rev.4 atom-count discipline: every material class carries an exact, numerically traceable literature citation (JRC EUR 28582 EN as primary reference, with EPA, DOE/NREL, USGS, ISO, CEN, IEC, and UNEP confirmation), the legacy Ash/Metals composite is resolved into named elements (Fe, Al, Cu, Si, Ca, Na, K, Mg, Pb, Zn), high-uncertainty fractions are flagged with explicit ranges, and a per-element uncertainty band is propagated by root-sum-of-squares from feedstock margin of error and elemental reference variance. The result is a complete elemental inventory at three scales (per ton, annual, 30-year) with combined uncertainty of ±2.4% on total mass and ±2.1–2.6% on the mass-dominant elements C, H, and O. The process-model reduction of this dataset (EPA_MSW) — proximate 23.7% moisture / 56.0% volatile matter / 7.5% fixed carbon / 12.8% ash; ultimate (daf) C 59.12 / H 8.08 / O 30.39 / N 1.34 / S 0.28 / Cl 0.79 wt%; LHV 11.0 MJ/kg — is the authoritative feed basis for the ACM-1 platform and for Documents 2 and 3 of this set.
1. Provenance and Certification Basis
- Feedstock source: Southcentral Region Disposed Waste Characterization Study, Appendix F, Table F-4. 200 physical samples; 90% confidence; ASTM D5231; grand total 1,911,223 tons. [certified]
- Primary elemental reference: EU Joint Research Centre — EUR 28582 EN (2017), EUR 30663 EN (2021), JRC112363 (2018) — with table and row citations provided per material class.
- Confirming references: US EPA WARM v15 · DOE/NREL TP-5100-60223 · USGS MCS 2024 · ISO 17225-1:2021 · CEN EN 13454 · IEC 62321 · UNEP e-waste 2009.
- Rev.4 atom-count discipline: (1) explicit JRC table/row citations per material class; (2) Ash/Metals composite resolved into individual elements; (3) high-uncertainty fractions flagged with confidence levels and ranges; (4) uncertainty bands per element propagated from feedstock MOE and elemental reference variance; (5) a data-provenance appendix with formula and US/EU adjustment notes.
Confidence legend: HIGH = ±2–3% combined uncertainty; MEDIUM = ±5–15%; LOW = ±20–50% (trace metals and heterogeneous fractions). Flagged fractions require sub-classification before external sign-off. The document is staged for third-party methodology review by an internationally accredited inspection and certification firm. [certified]
Every value in this document is reproducible from the cited table and row of its public reference plus the certified fractional composition — the property that makes the set auditable by a third-party methodology reviewer without access to any Carbotura-proprietary input. Role within the set: this document governs all input data. Document 2 (§2.3 and Table 2) consumes the EPA_MSW reduction as its feed basis; Document 3 partitions the §3 inventory through the Document 2 stream set. Where a figure appears in more than one document, the value here is governing for inputs.
2. Material Composition
The certified fractional composition reproduces Appendix F, Table F-4 without modification. At the major-category level, six JRC-traceable fractions carry the mass: [certified]
| Fraction | Est. % of feedstock | kg per MT (as-received) | Composition character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organics | 36.2% | 362 | Food waste (14.9%), yard waste, wood, textiles, diapers, animal by-products |
| Paper | 28.1% | 281 | Corrugated (8.1%), mixed recyclable, compostable, non-recyclable grades |
| Plastic | 21.8% | 218 | Films (10.4%), rigids, PET/HDPE containers, EPS, composites |
| Inorganics | 8.5% | 85 | Electronics, carpet, drywall, concrete, C&D, batteries, HHW |
| Metals | 3.1% | 31 | Steel cans, aluminum cans/foil, non-ferrous mix |
| Glass | 2.4% | 24 | Soda-lime containers (clear/green/brown), non-recyclable glass |
Table 1. Major-fraction composition (fines and bulky materials distribute across the categories above in the mass-balance tables). Basis: 200 samples, 90% CI, ASTM D5231. [certified]
Each sub-fraction (46 material classes in total) carries its own dry-basis C/H/O/N/S/Cl/ash composition with an exact JRC table-and-row citation — e.g., corrugated cardboard to EUR 28582 EN §4.2 Table 4.2 row “Corrugated cardboard” (C 44.1, H 6.0, O 44.7 wt% dry), PET to EUR 30663 EN §3.1 Table 3.1 row “PET” at its theoretical molecular composition (C₁₀H₈O₄: C 62.5, H 4.2, O 33.3 wt%). Stoichiometrically certain fractions (gypsum as CaSO₄·2H₂O; soda-lime glass; PET, HDPE, EPS as pure resins) anchor the inventory; heterogeneous fractions (batteries, HHW, mixed C&D) are flagged LOW-confidence with explicit ranges and reviewer guidance. [certified]
3. Master Elemental Inventory
Resolving all 46 material classes through their cited reference chemistry yields the per-element inventory at three scales. Values are central estimates on the as-received basis. [certified]
| Element | kg/MT | MT/yr (146,000 MT/yr scale) | % of feedstock | Primary source fractions | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon (C) | 376.6 | 54,984 | 37.66% | Paper, plastics, organics | HIGH ±2.1% |
| Hydrogen (H) | 77.8 | 11,359 | 7.78% | All fractions + moisture H₂O | HIGH ±2.3% |
| Oxygen (O) | 428.0 | 62,488 | 42.80% | All fractions + moisture H₂O | HIGH ±2.6% |
| Nitrogen (N) | 8.5 | 1,241 | 0.85% | Food waste, grass, nylon | MED ±5.3% |
| Sulfur (S) | 1.77 | 258 | 0.18% | Gypsum, organics, HHW | MED ±8.2% |
| Chlorine (Cl) | 5.05 | 738 | 0.51% | PVC, HHW, textiles | MED ±12.1% |
| Iron (Fe) | 25.0 | 3,650 | 2.50% | Steel cans (97.5% Fe), other ferrous | HIGH ±1.2% |
| Aluminum (Al) | 13.2 | 1,927 | 1.32% | Al cans (98.9%), foil, C&D | HIGH ±1.7% |
| Silicon (Si) | 15.2 | 2,219 | 1.52% | Glass (SiO₂ 73%), concrete | HIGH ±1.6% |
| Calcium (Ca) | 9.7 | 1,416 | 0.97% | Glass, gypsum, organics ash | HIGH ±2.0% |
| Sodium (Na) | 3.85 | 562 | 0.39% | Glass (Na₂O 13%), food waste | HIGH ±3.0% |
| Mg / K / P | 1.11 / 1.54 / 0.88 | 162 / 225 / 128 | 0.35% comb. | Glass, yard/food waste, bone apatite | HIGH–MED |
| Copper (Cu) | 2.25 | 329 | 0.23% | Electronics (PCBs ~15% Cu), non-ferrous | LOW ±20% |
| Lead (Pb) | 1.65 | 241 | 0.17% | Batteries, solder, painted wood, PVC | LOW ±35% |
| Zinc (Zn) | 1.40 | 204 | 0.14% | Alkaline batteries, galvanized metal | LOW ±15% |
| Mn / Ti | 0.33 / 0.16 | 48 / 23 | 0.05% comb. | Steel alloys, TiO₂ pigment | LOW |
| Other trace (Ni, Cr, Sb, As, Cd, Hg, REE…) | ≈3.5 | ≈511 | ≈0.35% | Electronics, batteries, HHW | LOW ±20–50% |
Table 2. Master elemental inventory (CRBT-TBM-001 Rev.4 Tables 4–5), as-received basis, with RSS-propagated uncertainty. 30-year totals scale linearly (e.g., C 1,649,520 MT). [certified]
Ash resolution. Rev.4 resolves the legacy “Ash/Metals” composite into six named components — Fe, Al, Ca+Na+K, Si+Mg+P, and other minerals — using stoichiometric oxide-to-element conversions from the cited JRC tables (e.g., soda-lime glass SiO₂ 73.0% → Si 34.1% of glass mass; steel cans 97.5% Fe; aluminum cans 98.9% Al). Trace-element concentrations by material class (Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Cr, Ni, As, Sb) are tabulated from JRC, EPA, IEC 62321, and UNEP sources, with the non-ferrous and electronics fractions showing the elevated Cu, Pb, Cd, and Sb expected from published WEEE characterization. [certified]
4. The Process-Model Reduction (EPA_MSW) — Authoritative Feed Basis
For process modeling, the 46-class inventory reduces to a bulk feed specification, designated EPA_MSW, which is the authoritative basis for the ACM-1 platform and for Documents 2 and 3 of this set: [verified — characterization basis]
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Proximate — moisture (as-received) | 23.7 wt% |
| Proximate — volatile matter | 56.0 wt% |
| Proximate — fixed carbon | 7.5 wt% |
| Proximate — ash | 12.8 wt% |
| Ultimate (dry-ash-free) — C | 59.12 wt% |
| Ultimate (daf) — H | 8.08 wt% |
| Ultimate (daf) — O | 30.39 wt% |
| Ultimate (daf) — N | 1.34 wt% |
| Ultimate (daf) — S | 0.28 wt% |
| Ultimate (daf) — Cl | 0.79 wt% |
| HHV (as-received) | 12.5 MJ/kg |
| LHV (as-received) | 11.0 MJ/kg |
Table 3. EPA_MSW bulk feed specification. On the 4,166.7 kg/h (100 TPD) fresh-feed basis: 987.5 kg/h moisture + 2,645.9 kg/h daf organic + 533.3 kg/h mineral ash. Consumed directly as the feed column of Document 2, Table 2. [verified]
Reconciliation note. The bulk reduction and the per-element inventory of §3 are two views of one dataset and agree within the propagated uncertainty bands; residual differences (e.g., total C 376.6 kg/MT in the element-by-element roll-up versus 384.6 kg/MT in the model reduction, which additionally books 9.1 kg/MT of ash-resident residual carbon) arise from speciation rounding and from where ash-bound C, S, and Cl are ledgered. Where the two views differ, the EPA_MSW model reduction governs for process calculations; the §3 inventory governs for element-level provenance and uncertainty.
5. Uncertainty Quantification
Rev.4 propagates two independent uncertainty sources per element — the feedstock composition margin of error from the certified study (90% CI) and the inter-laboratory elemental reference variance from JRC validation datasets — combined by root-sum-of-squares:
Combined uncertainty (%) = √(MOE² + Evar²); Low = Central × (1 − Combined/100); High = Central × (1 + Combined/100)
The mass-dominant elements carry the tightest bands: C ±2.1% (368.7–384.5 kg/MT), H ±2.3%, O ±2.6%, with total feedstock mass at ±2.4% (976–1,024 kg per nominal 1,000 kg). Nitrogen meets the 5% accuracy goal at ±5.3%. Chlorine (±12.1%) and the trace metals (±15–50%) fall outside the 5% goal due to compositional heterogeneity in the PVC and HHW fractions — but these elements represent <0.7% of feedstock mass and do not materially affect the total balance. The stated conclusion of the certified study stands: the elemental inventory is adequately precise for capital formation and lender diligence for all commercially significant elements. [certified] The three widest bands — Cl (±12.1%), S (±8.2%), and the LOW-confidence trace metals — are not left as open questions: they are carried forward as ranked targets in the set’s measurement roadmap (Document 2, §12.1).
6. What the Input Pre-Determines Downstream
Because MCR chemistry is atom-conserving (Document 2, §5), the elemental inventory fixes hard ceilings and floors on everything downstream before a single operating decision is made:
- Carbon ceiling: 376.6–384.6 kg/MT of C bounds the combined syngas-carbon and solid-carbon output; the split between them is an operating choice (carbon conversion 65.6–85.6%), not a mass creation.
- Hydrogen floor and the water lever: 77.8 kg/MT of feed H caps feedstock-derived H₂; any hydrogen output beyond it must come from water — which is why steam co-reforming and the fuel-cell water loop are structural features of the flowsheet, not options (Documents 2 §8, 3 §4).
- Metals are conserved: Fe 25.0, Al 13.2, Cu 2.25 kg/MT pass through MCR chemically unchanged; the input inventory is therefore, exactly, the metal product forecast (±the stated bands).
- Acid-gas duty: 5.05 kg/MT Cl and 1.77 kg/MT S (element-ledger view) size the downstream HCl/H₂S capture and salt-handling duty; their MEDIUM confidence (±12.1%, ±8.2%) is why the corresponding sub-ledgers are the first metering targets. [pending]
- Trace and regulatory species: the flagged LOW-confidence fractions (batteries, HHW, WEEE) contribute trace mass but dominate regulatory attention (Pb, Cd, Hg); Rev.4’s explicit ranges and flags are the basis for the fate assignments in Document 3 §6.
References and Data Sources
- CRBT-TBM-001 Rev.4 (March 2026) — Elemental Mass Balance, Southcentral Region waste-classified feedstock. ASTM D5231, 200 samples, 90% CI. [certified basis of this document]
- Southcentral Region Disposed Waste Characterization Study — Appendix F, Table F-4 (fractional composition; 1,911,223 tons).
- JRC EUR 28582 EN (2017), Characterisation of Municipal Solid Waste in the EU — primary elemental reference (Tables 4.1–4.7, cited per material row).
- JRC EUR 30663 EN (2021), Plastic Waste: Composition and Opportunities for Chemical Recycling — plastic sub-fractions (Tables 3.1–3.4).
- JRC112363 (2018) — seasonal variation and moisture benchmarks.
- US EPA WARM v15 (2023); EPA/530-SW-012 (2018) — confirming composition sources (max variance vs JRC: 1.2% on C).
- DOE/NREL TP-5100-60223 — dry-basis moisture correction; biomass elemental analysis procedures.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024 — metal alloy compositions (Fe, Al, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn).
- ASTM D5231-92 (2016); ASTM E1757-01 (2015); ISO 17225-1:2021; CEN EN 13454; IEC 62321 series; UNEP e-waste 2009; Basel Convention technical guidelines.