Giant Microwave Turns Plastic Back To Oil

New Scientist ^ | 6-26-2007 | Catherine Brahic

[mbraynard]

Excellent.

[HangnJudge]

What is conveniently not mentioned, is that it takes more energy to break these materials down than the usable energy recovered. Now, if these recovered base materals can then be reused to reform new plastics cheaper than it costs to make them from scratch, it may be a worthwhile recycling method which will then reduce oil demands. There are a awfull lot of plastic car parts that could be made into new plastic car parts

Another excellent reason to ramp up nuclear power, recycling tires, reduction in landfill mass. Works for me

[Uncledave]

Renewable Energy Ping

Please Freep Mail me if you'd like on/off

[Calpernia]

This is interesting.

[Rick_Michael]

How much plastic do we have out there, and is it economic-worthy....

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Great. Buy stock in tree seedling companies because it’s going to take a lot of carbon credits to provide the energy.

/sarc.

Slightly more seriously, it’s discrimination against Tree-Americans to not produce as much CO2 as possible! ;^)

Everybody, pitch in, do your part.

[LIConFem]

Giant Microwave?

[SunkenCiv]

Ping!

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

Reclaiming rubber and/or plastic using microwaves is not new. We did this in the 70’s to reclaim cured EPDM rubber waste and re-use it in product. The process used was a significant cost savings - the process cost, including energy requirements, was much less than the cost of the raw materials that would have been required.

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[SunkenCiv]

Try a compact disk in the microwave sometime. S’cool.

The Prophet of Garbage
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/873aae7bf86c0110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html | March 2007 issue | Michael Behar
Posted on 02/16/2007 8:07:13 AM EST by Red Badger
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1785861/posts

[Lazamataz]

I just looked at that special, excerpted on YouTube.

Eeesh.

[AdmSmith]

To everything there is a frequency that excites its molecules best. Just like the 2450MHz frequency magnetron in your kitchen microwave oven which is specific to water (H2O) molecules, GRC’s hydrocarbon specific frequencies are generated by much higher RF klystrons that actually crack the hydrocarbon chain into its characteristic fuels.

If they are working with microwaves and are claiming that the 2.45 GHz magnetron is tuned to water they are ignorant. A microwave oven is heating water due to dielectric heating http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dielectric_heating nothing else.

Here is their patent http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20070131591.html
No, unfortunately, just another waste of money.

[SunkenCiv]

In-situ tuned microwave oil extraction process
Kiamanesh, Anoosh I.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5082054.html