System for recycling plastics
One embodiment of a method of recycling a plastic material includes heating a plastic material in a treatment chamber in incremental steps through a series of graduated temperature set points wherein each graduated temperature set point corresponds to a vaporization temperature of an individual by-product of said plastic material, and pulling a vacuum of inert gas on the treatment chamber at each temperature set point to selectively remove an individual by-product corresponding to the temperature set point.
1. A system for recycling plastic material, comprising:
a treatment chamber containing a material comprising plastic to be recycled;
a heating system that heats said treatment chamber to a temperature that results in pyrolytic cracking of said plastic;
a vacuum system that pulls a vacuum on said treatment chamber and removes vapor from said treatment chamber, wherein said vapor comprises pyrolyzed inorganic species and gaseous organic species resulting from said pyrolytic cracking of said plastic;
a control system including computer operable instructions that control said heating system to heat said chamber in incremental steps through a series of graduated temperature set points;
a vapor treatment vessel connected to said treatment chamber, said vapor treatment vessel including a vapor exit port, wherein said vapor treatment vessel comprises a reflux heat exchanger; and
a fume scrubber connected to said vapor treatment vessel, wherein said fume scrubber comprises a pH adjusted or buffered aqueous media, and said vapor generated as a result of said pyrolytic cracking of said plastic is directly contacted by the aqueous media within said fume scrubber, resulting in condensation of gaseous organic species contained within said vapor.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensing system that detects an amount of a plurality of gaseous products contained within said vapor generated as a result of said pyrolytic cracking of said plastic pulled by said vacuum system from said treatment chamber, wherein said control system automatically controls said heating system based on information received by said control system from said sensing system.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein said sensing system detects when an amount of a first gaseous product pulled by said vacuum system from said treatment chamber falls below a predetermined first value, and wherein said control system thereafter controls said heating system to heat said treatment chamber from a first predetermined temperature to a second predetermined temperature.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said sensing system detects when an amount of a second gaseous product pulled by said vacuum system from said treatment chamber falls below a predetermined second value, and wherein said control system thereafter controls said heating system to heat said treatment chamber from said second predetermined temperature to a third predetermined temperature.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said heating system comprises a gas manifold that heats ambient air and a duct system that circulates said heated ambient air around said treatment chamber.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said fume scrubber is connected to said vapor exit port of said vapor treatment vessel.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said fume scrubber separates chlorine and bromine from an oil end product.
8. A system for recycling plastic material, comprising:
a treatment chamber containing a material comprising plastic to be recycled;
a heating system that heats said treatment chamber to a temperature that results in pyrolytic cracking of said plastic;
a vacuum system that pulls a vacuum on said treatment chamber and removes vapor from said treatment chamber, wherein said vapor comprises pyrolyzed inorganic species and gaseous organic species resulting from said pyrolytic cracking of said plastic;
a control system including computer operable instructions that control said heating system to heat said chamber in incremental steps through a series of graduated temperature set points; and
a vapor treatment system connected to said treatment chamber, said vapor treatment system configured to condense hydrocarbons contained within said vapor generated as a result of said pyrolytic cracking of said plastic and comprising a fume scrubber wherein said fume scrubber comprises a pH adjusted or buffered aqueous media, and said vapor generated as a result of said pyrolytic cracking of said plastic is directly contacted by the aqueous media within said fume scrubber, resulting in condensation of gaseous organic species contained within said vapor.
9. A system for recycling plastic material, comprising:
a treatment chamber containing a material comprising plastic to be recycled;
a heating system that heats said treatment chamber to a temperature that results in pyrolytic cracking of said plastic;
a vacuum system that pulls a vacuum on said treatment chamber and removes vapor from said treatment chamber, wherein said vapor comprises pyrolyzed inorganic species and gaseous organic species resulting from said pyrolytic cracking of said plastic;
a control system including computer operable instructions that control said heating system; and
a vapor treatment system connected to said treatment chamber, said vapor treatment system comprising a fume scrubber comprising a pH adjusted or buffered aqueous media, wherein said fume scrubber is configured such that, said vapor resulting from said pyrolytic cracking of said plastic is directly contacted by the aqueous media within said fume scrubber, resulting in condensation of gaseous organic species contained within said vapor.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control system generates computer operable instructions that control said heating system to heat said chamber in incremental steps through a series of graduated temperature set points.
11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a sensing system that detects an amount of a plurality of gaseous products pulled by said vacuum system from said treatment chamber, wherein said control system automatically controls said heating system based on information received by said control system from said sensing system.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein said sensing system detects when an amount of a first gaseous product pulled by said vacuum system from said treatment chamber falls below a predetermined first value, and wherein said control system thereafter controls said heating system to heat said treatment chamber from a first predetermined temperature to a second predetermined temperature.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said sensing system detects when an amount of a second gaseous product pulled by said vacuum system from said treatment chamber falls below a predetermined second value, and wherein said control system thereafter controls said heating system to heat said treatment chamber from said second predetermined temperature to a third predetermined temperature.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein said heating system comprises a gas manifold that heats ambient air and a duct system that circulates said heated ambient air around said treatment chamber.