Apparatus, method and catalyst for processing hydrocarbons for recycling

1. A method of processing hydrocarbons for recycling, without using hydrogen gas, comprising the steps of:

a) removing water from a mixture of solid and/or liquid hydrocarbons by heating;

b) subsequent to a), further heating the mixture in a chamber in the absence of air and the water, to gasify or vapourise at least some of the hydrocarbons into hydrocarbon gas;

c) subsequent to b), reacting in a downstream reactor or conduit connected to the chamber, the hydrocarbon gas with a catalyst to reduce chain lengths of hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon gas and produce hydrocarbon products; wherein the catalyst includes or is prepared from a transition metal or transition metal salt, and a carbide, in which the catalyst is suitable for breaking down higher molecular weight hydrocarbons into lower molecular weight hydrocarbons, the catalyst comprising a zirconium sulfate, and a carbide where the weight ratio of zirconium sulfate to carbide is from about 2:3 to 3:2, the zirconium sulfate and the carbide being coated on a bead to provide a catalytic bead; and

d) collecting or conveying the hydrocarbon products for use in liquid or gas form.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the transition metal salt is independently selected from a group comprising: a zirconium salt, a metal sulphate, and zirconium sulphate.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the carbide is independently selected from a group comprising: titanium carbide; tungsten carbide; niobium carbide; calcium carbide; molybdenum carbide; silicon carbide.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which step (a) includes:

i) heating the solid and/or liquid hydrocarbons for a period of time in a first reactor or conduit, to convert at least some lower molecular weight hydrocarbons into a first hydrocarbon gas;

ii) heating the solid and/or liquid hydrocarbons remaining from step (i) for a longer period of time in the first reactor or conduit, or in a second reactor or conduit, to convert at least some of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons into a second hydrocarbon gas.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which one or both of:

the hydrocarbons in step (a) are heated to a temperature in the range 320 to 460° C.; and

the reactor or conduit in step (b) is at a temperature between about 320 to 460° C.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the reactor or conduit in step (b) is at a temperature between about 380 to 420° C.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which heating the hydrocarbons during step (a) provides one or more melt seals at an entrance to the chamber.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which step (c) includes at least one of:

condensing at least some of the hydrocarbon products into one or more liquid products at room temperature and atmospheric pressure; and

transferring the hydrocarbon products to a container or burning the hydrocarbon products to power a device such as a generator.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the solid and/or liquid hydrocarbons are independently selected to include one or more of the following:

two or more different plastics or polyolefins, optionally also including one or more styrenes;

lubricating oil;

synthetic oil;

mineral oil;

engine oil.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which during heating in step (a) the hydrocarbons are mixed by at least one lobed element for evenly heating the hydrocarbon mixture.