Reactor for recovery or recycling of hydrocarbon products from hydrocarbon-containing material by decomposing and gasifying the material in a reactor housing, comprising a gas/particle separator device arranged to separate solid particles accompanying the gas and to return these particles directly to the reactor housing in the opposite direction to axially flowing gasified hydrocarbon products, and/or comprising a rotor shaft with axially running channels which are in flow communication with a coolant, and/or comprising a radial play formed between the periphery of a rotor and the inside of the reactor housing and amounting to at least 3 cm and at most 6 cm.

A pyrolysis oil is produced that has a low level of contaminants such as chlorides and metals. The process that is used is without the use of a hydrotreater but instead has both a pretreatment section to target polyvinyl chloride as well as non-plastics including metals and a secondary chloride removal step to first melt the plastic and remove evolved HCl gas. Adsorbents are used to polish the chloride and metal content to an acceptable level. The pyrolysis oil has a significant olefins content such as 36-56 wt %.

A pyrolysis oil is produced that has a low level of contaminants such as chlorides and metals. The process that is used is without the use of a hydrotreater but instead has both a pretreatment section to target polyvinyl chloride as well as non-plastics including metals and a secondary chloride removal step to first melt the plastic and remove evolved HCl gas. Adsorbents are used to polish the chloride and metal content to an acceptable level. The pyrolysis oil has a significant olefins content such as 36-56 wt %.

Disclosed herein is a hermetically sealed flow-through reactor for non-oxidative thermal degradation of a rubber containing waste into a char product, the reactor having an internal cylindrical surface, and the reactor including: an inlet and an outlet; one or more thermal reaction zones arranged between the inlet and the outlet, wherein each thermal reaction zone is provided with: one or more heating elements controllable to heat the thermal reaction zone to an operating temperature for mediating the non-oxidative thermal degradation of rubber in the rubber containing waste, and one or more gas outlets for withdrawing gas or gases evolved during the non-oxidative thermal degradation of the rubber; and a screw auger located within the reactor, the screw augur configured to rotate in both the forward and reverse directions to agitate and transport the rubber containing waste through the one or more thermal reaction zones in both the forward and reverse directions and to the outlet, wherein flighting on the screw auger tracks the internal cylindrical surface of the reactor in close relationship to minimise or prevent the transport of material through a clearance space between outer edges of the flighting and the internal cylindrical surface of the reactor.

Disclosed herein is a hermetically sealed flow-through reactor for non-oxidative thermal degradation of a rubber containing waste into a char product, the reactor having an internal cylindrical surface, and the reactor including: an inlet and an outlet; one or more thermal reaction zones arranged between the inlet and the outlet, wherein each thermal reaction zone is provided with: one or more heating elements controllable to heat the thermal reaction zone to an operating temperature for mediating the non-oxidative thermal degradation of rubber in the rubber containing waste, and one or more gas outlets for withdrawing gas or gases evolved during the non-oxidative thermal degradation of the rubber; and a screw auger located within the reactor, the screw augur configured to rotate in both the forward and reverse directions to agitate and transport the rubber containing waste through the one or more thermal reaction zones in both the forward and reverse directions and to the outlet, wherein flighting on the screw auger tracks the internal cylindrical surface of the reactor in close relationship to minimise or prevent the transport of material through a clearance space between outer edges of the flighting and the internal cylindrical surface of the reactor.

A process for the non-oxidative thermal degradation of a rubber containing waste including: transporting the rubber containing waste along a horizontal axis of a hermetically sealed cylindrical reactor including: an inlet and an outlet, one or more thermal reaction zones arranged between the inlet and the outlet, wherein each thermal reaction zone is provided with: one or more heating elements controllable to heat the thermal reaction zone to an operating temperature for mediating the non-oxidative thermal degradation of rubber in the rubber containing waste, and one or more gas outlets for withdrawing volatile gas or gases evolved during the non-oxidative thermal degradation of the rubber; and a screw auger located within the reactor, the screw augur configured to rotate in both the forward and reverse directions to agitate and transport the rubber containing waste through the one or more thermal reaction zones in both the forward and reverse directions and to the outlet; heating the rubber containing waste, in the one or more thermal treatment zones, to a temperature above the degradation temperature of rubber for a time sufficient to produce the volatile gas or gases and the char product; operating the screw auger in both the forward and reverse directions to agitate the rubber containing waste within the reactor; and advancing the rubber containing waste along the horizontal axis to the outlet.

A process for the non-oxidative thermal degradation of a rubber containing waste including: transporting the rubber containing waste along a horizontal axis of a hermetically sealed cylindrical reactor including: an inlet and an outlet, one or more thermal reaction zones arranged between the inlet and the outlet, wherein each thermal reaction zone is provided with: one or more heating elements controllable to heat the thermal reaction zone to an operating temperature for mediating the non-oxidative thermal degradation of rubber in the rubber containing waste, and one or more gas outlets for withdrawing volatile gas or gases evolved during the non-oxidative thermal degradation of the rubber; and a screw auger located within the reactor, the screw augur configured to rotate in both the forward and reverse directions to agitate and transport the rubber containing waste through the one or more thermal reaction zones in both the forward and reverse directions and to the outlet; heating the rubber containing waste, in the one or more thermal treatment zones, to a temperature above the degradation temperature of rubber for a time sufficient to produce the volatile gas or gases and the char product; operating the screw auger in both the forward and reverse directions to agitate the rubber containing waste within the reactor; and advancing the rubber containing waste along the horizontal axis to the outlet.

The invention relates to a method for recovering hydrocarbons from plastic wastes, in particular polyolefin-rich waste, by means of purely thermolytic cracking without the use of catalysts, comprising melting the plastic waste in two heating devices (3) and (4), wherein a recycle stream derived from the cracking reactor (5) and purified in a separator system (8, 9) is admixed with the molten plastic waste from the heating device (3). The mixed plastic stream is further heated in the second heating device (4), and from there is guided into the cracking reactor (5), where the plastic materials are cracked, and by means of subsequent distillation are separated into diesel and low boilers. A special entry system allows the prior separation of water and acidic gases, and the saving of inert gas. The invention further relates to a system for carrying out the method.

The invention relates to a method for recovering hydrocarbons from plastic wastes, in particular polyolefin-rich waste, by means of purely thermolytic cracking without the use of catalysts, comprising melting the plastic waste in two heating devices (3) and (4), wherein a recycle stream derived from the cracking reactor (5) and purified in a separator system (8, 9) is admixed with the molten plastic waste from the heating device (3). The mixed plastic stream is further heated in the second heating device (4), and from there is guided into the cracking reactor (5), where the plastic materials are cracked, and by means of subsequent distillation are separated into diesel and low boilers. A special entry system allows the prior separation of water and acidic gases, and the saving of inert gas. The invention further relates to a system for carrying out the method.

A reactor assembly is provided for heating plastic material. The reactor assembly includes: a reactor vessel including a central axis; and an agitator mounted within the reactor vessel. The agitator includes: one or more blade(s) distal from the central axis for mixing contents of the reactor vessel in use; and one or more wearing parts mounted to the blade(s) to extend from the blade(s).