Recycling and material recovery system and method associated therewith

Abstract

A method of recovering an organic decomposition product from an organic source may include: a) causing an inert gas to flow through the reduction zone from a reduction inlet to a reduction outlet in such a way that pressure in the reduction zone is maintained above ambient pressure of a local environment for the material recovery system and b) applying electromagnetic wave energy to the organic source in the reduction zone via a bifurcated waveguide assembly in the substantial absence of oxygen to produce at least one gaseous organic decomposition product in the reduction zone that is exhausted from the reduction zone along with the inert gas through the reduction outlet. A material recovery system may include a housing with an inert gas inlet, a reduction zone, and a reduction outlet, an inert gas supply, an electromagnetic wave generator, a bifurcated waveguide assembly, and a controller.

1 . A method for recovering at least one organic decomposition product from an organic source in a reduction zone of a material recovery system, the method including:
 a) flowing an inert gas through the reduction zone from a reduction inlet to a reduction outlet to purge the reduction zone and maintain a positive pressure therein; and   b) applying electromagnetic wave energy to the organic source in the reduction zone via a bifurcated waveguide assembly, while maintaining the organic source in a stationary position for at least a portion of the applying, to produce at least one gaseous organic decomposition product in the reduction zone;   exhausting the at least one gaseous organic decomposition product from the reduction zone along with the inert gas through the reduction outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 opening an access port to the reduction zone;   placing the organic source in the reduction zone through the access port; and   closing the access port.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 receiving the organic source at a lock inlet of the material recovery system;   advancing the organic source from the lock inlet through an open lock gate to a lock zone of the material recovery system with an opposing closed reduction gate between the lock zone and the reduction zone;   closing the lock gate;   opening the reduction gate; and   advancing the organic source from the lock zone to the reduction zone through the lock gate.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the organic source is also reduced to at least one solid by-product during the applying in b), the method further including: removing the at least one solid by-product from the material recovery system. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further including: separating the at least one solid by-product into at least first and second solid by-products. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one solid by-product removed from the material recovery system includes at least one of carbon black and steel. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further including:
 stopping the application of the electromagnetic wave energy to the reduction zone;   stopping the application of the inert gas to the reduction zone;   opening an access port to the reduction zone; and   removing the at least one solid by-product from the reduction zone through the access port.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , further including:
 advancing the at least one solid by-product from the reduction zone through an open reduction gate to a lock zone of the material recovery system with an opposing closed lock gate between the lock zone and a lock outlet;   closing the reduction gate;   opening the lock gate; and   removing the at least one solid by-product from the material recovery system through the lock outlet.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 condensing gaseous exhaust from the reduction outlet to form at least one liquid by-product and a residual gaseous by-product; and   separating the at least one liquid by-product from the residual gaseous by-product.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further including: distilling the at least one liquid by-product into at least one of synthetic crude oil, heavy gas oil, lubricating oil, diesel distillate, kerosene, gasoline, and naphtha. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the at least one liquid by-product includes at least one of diesel fuel no. 2, diesel fuel no. 4, and heating oil. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further including: scrubbing the residual gaseous by-product to form at least one fuel gas by-product and a residual waste product. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further including: distilling the at least one fuel gas by-product into at least one of methane gas, ethane gas, propane gas, butane gas, pentane gas, hexane gas, and any corresponding isomer gas. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one fuel gas by-product includes at least one of methane gas, ethane gas, and butane gas. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 reducing a source substance into smaller particles using at least one of a grinding process, a crushing process, and a shredding process;   separating the smaller particles into at least first and second particle types; and   providing a select amount of smaller particles of the first particle type to the reduction zone to serve as the organic source.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first particle type includes crumb rubber and the second particle type includes steel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further including: scrubbing the gaseous exhaust from the reduction outlet to form a residual gaseous mixture and a residual waste product. 
     
     
         18 . The method of claim  19 , further including:
 condensing the residual gaseous mixture to form at least one liquid by-product and a residual gaseous by-product; and   separating the at least one liquid by-product from the residual gaseous by-product.   
     
     
         19 .- 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method for recovery of a by-product from at least one of crushed, shredded, or ground tires, including:
 a) receiving the crushed, shredded, or ground tires in a reduction zone of a system;   b) supplying an inert gas to the reduction zone in a manner that purges the reduction zone and maintains a positive pressure therein with respect to an ambient pressure for the system, initial gaseous content of the reduction zone being exhausted via a reduction outlet during the purging and inert gas being exhausted via the reduction outlet during the maintaining of the positive pressure; and   c) subjecting the reduction zone to electromagnetic wave energy via a bifurcated waveguide assembly while maintaining the crushed, shredded, or ground tires in a stationary position for at least a portion of the subjecting, to reduce the crushed, shredded, or ground tires to at least one gaseous by-product, wherein the gaseous by-product is exhausted with the inert gas via the reduction outlet during the maintaining of the positive pressure, the bifurcated waveguide assembly including at least one portion with a rectangular cross section.   
     
     
         33 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A method for recovering at least one organic decomposition product from at least one of crushed, shredded, or ground tires, the method comprising:
 placing the crushed, shredded, or ground tires in a reduction zone of a material recovery system;   flowing argon through the reduction zone from a reduction inlet to a reduction outlet to purge the reduction zone and maintain a positive pressure therein;   applying electromagnetic wave energy from an electromagnetic wave generator to the reduction zone via a bifurcated waveguide assembly, while maintaining the crushed, shredded, or ground tires in a stationary position for at least a portion of the applying, to yield at least one gaseous organic decomposition product; and   exhausting the at least one gaseous organic decomposition product from the reduction zone along with the inert gas through the reduction outlet.