Process and reactor for microwave cracking of plastic materials
First Claim
1. A method of converting polymer hydrocarbon waste to burnable sources of energy comprising admixing said polymer hydrocarbon waste with a sensitizer and subjecting the polymer hydrocarbon waste-sensitizer combination to exposure to microwave energy.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process of activated cracking of high molecular organic waste material which includes confining the organic waste material in a reactor space as a mixture with a pulverized electrically conducting material (sensitizer) and/or catalysts and/or “upgrading agents” and treating this mixture by microwave or radio frequency electro-magnetic radiation. Organic waste materials include hydrocarbons or their derivatives, polymers or plastic materials and shredded rubber. The shredded rubber can be the source of the sensitizer and/or catalyst material as it is rich in carbon and other metallic species. This sensitizer can also consist of pulverized coke or pyrolytically carbonized organic feedstock and/or highly dispersed metals and/or other inorganic materials with high dielectric loss which absorb microwave or radio frequency energy.
-
Citations
19 Claims
- 1. A method of converting polymer hydrocarbon waste to burnable sources of energy comprising admixing said polymer hydrocarbon waste with a sensitizer and subjecting the polymer hydrocarbon waste-sensitizer combination to exposure to microwave energy.
- 18. A method of converting solid polymer hydrocarbon waste to burnable sources of energy comprising heating said solid polymer hydrocarbon waste, admixing a sensitizer with said heated polymer hydrocarbon waste to substantially uniformly disperse said sensitizer therein, extruding said polymer hydrocarbon waste-sensitizer combination and subjecting said extruded polymer hydrocarbon waste-sensitizer combination to microwave energy of sufficient duration and power to break down said polymer hydrocarbon waste to reduce its molecular weight.
Specification