This invention relates to a method and apparatus for recycling plastics, electronics, munitions or propellants. In particular, the method comprises reacting a feed stock with a molten aluminum or aluminum alloy bath. The apparatus includes a reaction vessel for carrying out the reaction, as well as other equipment necessary for capturing and removing the reaction products. Further, the process can be used to cogenerate electricity using the excess heat generated by the process.

A system for treating liquids and solutions for separating components thereof, the system including a treatment vessel having a treatment chamber therein, a device for generating a gas-infused liquid under elevated pressure, and a device for stabilizing the gas-infused liquid such that most of the gas infused into the liquid by the device for generating a gas-infused liquid will remain in the liquid if pressure of the liquid is reduced to atmospheric pressure, and for flowing the stabilized gas-infused liquid into the treatment chamber so as to form a liquid layer including the stabilized, gas-infused liquid in the treatment chamber. The treatment vessel includes a discharge port through which some of the stabilized, gas-infused liquid in the liquid layer may be discharged from the treatment vessel, the withdrawn liquid is infused with an additional amount of the gas, again stabilized, and again flown the liquid into the treatment chamber.

A method, system, and device for separating oil from oil sands or oil shale is disclosed. The method includes heating the oil sands, spinning the heated oil sands, confining the sand particles mechanically, and recovering the oil substantially free of the sand. The method can be used without the addition of chemical extraction agents. The system includes a source of centrifugal force, a heat source, a separation device, and a recovery device. The separation device includes a method of confining the sands while allowing the oil to escape, such as through an aperture.

A method of manufacturing a refined pitch includes the steps of providing a pitch and performing a heated blending process thereon to produce a pitch solution; adding an aromatic additive to the pitch solution; adding an aliphatic additive to the pitch solution; performing a quiescent sedimentation process on the pitch solution; and separating a liquid part from the pitch solution. Therefore, the method allows a concentrated mesophase pitch to be manufactured quickly and by heat processing.

Improved systems and processes for forward osmosis water purification or desalination are herein disclosed. According to one embodiment a process for purifying contaminated water is provided wherein a contaminated feed solution stream comprising water and with a first osmotic pressure is passed through a semipermeable membrane to a draw side having a draw solution stream with a second osmotic pressure on a draw side of the semipermeable membrane. The diluted draw solution stream is heated, agglomerated and cooled to produce a cooled single phase water rich stream that is purified to produce a water product stream.

A system for cleaning slurry containing drilling cuttings or drilling fluids may include a slurry sump, separator, screen, liquid tank, surge hopper, and a cleaner. The cleaner may further include a rotary retort furnace which may both dry the slurry to a cake and oxidize any organic matter. The furnace may operate at a temperature of between 1200 F. and 2000 F., inclusively. The cleaning system may recycle the liquid used by returning it to the truck that brought the slurry, or, in the case of drilling fluid, collecting the liquid for use as a fuel source or reconstituting the drilling fluid by mixing the liquid with the cake after heating. The cleaned slurry produced by the system may be suitable for re-use or non-hazardous disposal.

A method of separating heavy water from normal through application of acoustic pressure shock waves to a fluid including heavy water and normal water and recovering separated normal water.

In one embodiment, a concentrically baffled reactor includes an outer housing that defines an interior space, an inlet through which material can be delivered into the interior space, an outlet through which material can be removed from the interior space, and multiple concentric baffles within the interior space that define multiple concentric reactor zones through which the material can sequentially flow to the outlet.

A method of desalinating water through application of acoustic pressure shock waves to a slush to separate ice crystals from brine and recovering desalinated water from the separated ice crystals.

Acoustic pressure shock waves are applied to a membrane in a fluid to prevent attachment of or dislodge biological or solid matter for membrane cleaning or desalination with a membrane.