Giant Microwave Turns Plastic Back To Oil

New Scientist ^ | 6-26-2007 | Catherine Brahic

[blam]

Giant microwave turns plastic back to oil

17:44 26 June 2007
NewScientist.com news service
Catherine Brahic

A US company is taking plastics recycling to another level – turning them back into the oil they were made from, and gas.

All that is needed, claims Global Resource Corporation (GRC), is a finely tuned microwave and – hey presto! – a mix of materials that were made from oil can be reduced back to oil and combustible gas (and a few leftovers).

Key to GRC’s process is a machine that uses 1200 different frequencies within the microwave range, which act on specific hydrocarbon materials. As the material is zapped at the appropriate wavelength, part of the hydrocarbons that make up the plastic and rubber in the material are broken down into diesel oil and combustible gas.

GRC's machine is called the Hawk-10. Its smaller incarnations look just like an industrial microwave with bits of machinery attached to it. Larger versions resemble a concrete mixer.

"Anything that has a hydrocarbon base will be affected by our process," says Jerry Meddick, director of business development at GRC, based in New Jersey. "We release those hydrocarbon molecules from the material and it then becomes gas and oil."

Whatever does not have a hydrocarbon base is left behind, minus any water it contained as this gets evaporated in the microwave.

Simplified recycling

"Take a piece of copper wiring," says Meddick. "It is encased in plastic – a kind of hydrocarbon material. We release all the hydrocarbons, which strips the casing off the wire." Not only does the process produce fuel in the form of oil and gas, it also makes it easier to extract the copper wire for recycling.

[mbraynard]

Excellent.

[HangnJudge]

What is conveniently not mentioned, is that it takes more energy to break these materials down than the usable energy recovered. Now, if these recovered base materals can then be reused to reform new plastics cheaper than it costs to make them from scratch, it may be a worthwhile recycling method which will then reduce oil demands. There are a awfull lot of plastic car parts that could be made into new plastic car parts

Another excellent reason to ramp up nuclear power, recycling tires, reduction in landfill mass. Works for me

[Uncledave]

Renewable Energy Ping

Please Freep Mail me if you'd like on/off

[Calpernia]

This is interesting.

[Rick_Michael]

How much plastic do we have out there, and is it economic-worthy....

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Great. Buy stock in tree seedling companies because it’s going to take a lot of carbon credits to provide the energy.

/sarc.

Slightly more seriously, it’s discrimination against Tree-Americans to not produce as much CO2 as possible! ;^)

Everybody, pitch in, do your part.

[LIConFem]

Giant Microwave?

[SunkenCiv]

Ping!

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

Reclaiming rubber and/or plastic using microwaves is not new. We did this in the 70’s to reclaim cured EPDM rubber waste and re-use it in product. The process used was a significant cost savings - the process cost, including energy requirements, was much less than the cost of the raw materials that would have been required.

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[SunkenCiv]

Try a compact disk in the microwave sometime. S’cool.

The Prophet of Garbage
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/873aae7bf86c0110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html | March 2007 issue | Michael Behar
Posted on 02/16/2007 8:07:13 AM EST by Red Badger
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1785861/posts

[Lazamataz]

I just looked at that special, excerpted on YouTube.

Eeesh.

[AdmSmith]

To everything there is a frequency that excites its molecules best. Just like the 2450MHz frequency magnetron in your kitchen microwave oven which is specific to water (H2O) molecules, GRC’s hydrocarbon specific frequencies are generated by much higher RF klystrons that actually crack the hydrocarbon chain into its characteristic fuels.

If they are working with microwaves and are claiming that the 2.45 GHz magnetron is tuned to water they are ignorant. A microwave oven is heating water due to dielectric heating http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dielectric_heating nothing else.

Here is their patent http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20070131591.html
No, unfortunately, just another waste of money.

[SunkenCiv]

In-situ tuned microwave oil extraction process
Kiamanesh, Anoosh I.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5082054.html