A pyrolyser may include a rotary kiln configured to pyrolyse feedstock material received therein. The pyrolyser may also include a heating vessel surrounding the rotary kiln and defining a heating chamber for hot gases. The pyrolyser may further include an agitator disposed within the heating chamber. The agitator may be configured to agitate the hot gases. The agitator may be rotatable with the rotary kiln.

A pyrolysis process is incorporated with a pyrolysis furnace in the process. The pyrolysis furnace comprises an upper screw and a lower screw juxtaposed to the upper screw to smoothen the thermal cracking process, with each blade helically formed on the screw shaft being notched in the periphery of the screw blade to form a plurality of bifurcated fins on the blade, such that besides the conveying of feedstock in the screw as driven by the blade, the bifurcated fins may serve as agitating elements, thereby simultaneously conveying the feedstock and agitating the feedstock for increasing the production efficiency of the pyrolysis.

Described herein is an apparatus (10), system (300) and method for pyrolysing and combusting a material. One described embodiment provides an apparatus (10) comprising one or more crucibles (50, 51) for receiving a material to be pyrolysed and combusted therein and one or more heating tubes (100-210) disposed in proximity to the crucible(s) (50, 51). The or each heating tube (100-210) is configured for receiving byproduct(s) produced during pyrolysis and combustion of the material within the crucible(s) (50, 51) and pyrolising and combusting the byproduct(s) to produce flue gas from the byproduct(s). The flue gas produced within the heating tube(s) (100-210) are mixed with a hydroxy gas.

Materials recycling processes that include a combustion stage can operate very efficiently, but can produce exhaust gases that are high in carbon monoxide and the like. We describe a treatment unit which comprises a chamber for receiving the material, a heat source for (preferably) heat-treating the material and for initiating combustion, and a gas outlet from the chamber, which allows the gas that is exhausted via the outlet to be supplied to the air inlet of an associated boiler unit, with the air inlet and a separate fuel inlet feeding a burner for combusting fuel from the fuel inlet in air from the air inlet in order to heat a transfer fluid. In this way, the unburnt elements of the gas expelled from the chamber are included in the combustion process of the boiler unit and fully combusted. A corresponding method is also disclosed.