A US company has invented a microwave/machine that can, when the right frequencies are used, and under a vacuum, can extract oil out of plastics and
rubber.
Giant microwave turns plastic back to oil
A US company is taking plastics recycling to another level – turning them back into the oil they were made from, and gas.
All that is needed, claims Global Resource Corporation (GRC), is a finely tuned microwave and – hey presto! – a mix of materials that were made
from oil can be reduced back to oil and combustible gas (and a few leftovers).
Key to GRC’s process is a machine that uses 1200 different frequencies within the microwave range, which act on specific hydrocarbon materials. As
the material is zapped at the appropriate wavelength, part of the hydrocarbons that make up the plastic and rubber in the material are broken down
into diesel oil and combustible gas.
Similarly, running
9.1 kilograms of ground-up tyres through the Hawk-10
produces 4.54 litres of diesel oil, 1.42 cubic metres of
combustible gas, 1 kg of steel and 3.40 kg of carbon black, Meddick says.
Imagine how much oil can be extracted from these products that are being dumped into the landfills now. Hope this catches on and starts being used at
landfills and recycling centers, or maybe even a mandatory recycling process.
[edit on 8/7/07 by Keyhole]
