Article

2007-06-26 Science & Technology

Giant microwave turns plastics back to oil

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Posted by lotp 2007-06-26 15:43|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 SWEET!

Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader 2007-06-26 16:08|| 2007-06-26 16:08|| Front Page Top

#2 It looks like the end to the plastic bag problem is in sight.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-06-26 16:16|| 2007-06-26 16:16|| Front Page Top

#3 "...turning them back into (what) they were made from..." Hope they don't overcook it; we could see dinosaurs again if they do

Posted by USN, Ret. 2007-06-26 16:20|| 2007-06-26 16:20|| Front Page Top

#4 I found the latest SEC filings on their website, including their Form 10-KSB for 2006 (which would normally be their annual report, except that in April the original co. merged with GRC, which was a public shell corporation, so it covers April - Dec).

Hmmmm. Really small company whose founder / President lacks much in the way of engineering or chemical training beyond basic undergrad stuff in the early-mid 60s. Business experience in glass recycling, tho. Local CPA firm as auditors.

Claims that tests of the output from tires has the same BTUs/oz as diesel oil. The company "thinks" it might have commercial value as fuel, but hasn't done a complete chemical analysis of the output yet. So it's a bit of a swag to call it 'diesel oil' at this point.

Don't think I'll be looking to purchase stock anytime soon, but it's interesting that they did land a first sale for their equipment.

Posted by lotp 2007-06-26 16:40|| 2007-06-26 16:40|| Front Page Top

#5 What are the energy requirements?

Posted by Rob Crawford">Rob Crawford 2007-06-26 16:41|| 2007-06-26 16:41|| Front Page Top

#6 Unclear - possibly mentioned in their pending patent applications. The article says that when fed all the non-metal stuff from junked cars, the machine produces enough energy to run itself plus other machines.

Posted by lotp 2007-06-26 16:43|| 2007-06-26 16:43|| Front Page Top

#7 Between that and the plasma converter - oh, the humanity, putting all those chicoms out of work.

Posted by anonymous2u 2007-06-26 16:47|| 2007-06-26 16:47|| Front Page Top

#8 According to their 1st qtr 2007 filing, they're negotiating to use an industrial site in Bucks County, PA for a continuous feed tire processing plant. Looking for industrial revenue bonds to finance it.

I don't see any investor money in this thing, VC limited partner fund or private angel money anywhere. It'll be interesting to see if what they have is economically viable and can be patent defended, both.

Posted by lotp 2007-06-26 16:48|| 2007-06-26 16:48|| Front Page Top

#9 "...turning them back into (what) they were made from..." Hope they don't overcook it; we could see dinosaurs again if they do

The world actually ran out of oil a while back. The current stuff you run your car on is actually made by thermal depolymerization of living dinosaurs. There are vast herds in the remoter regions of the world, like the Empty Quarter, or Central Asia... huge schools of plesiosaurs offshore in the gulf or in the North Sea... all caught, chopped up, and fed into the depolymerizers. Finding new sources of oil is really based on finding new dinosaur herds, which is why so much progress is being made in places like sub-saharan Africa.

Posted by Abdominal Snowman 2007-06-26 17:00|| 2007-06-26 17:00|| Front Page Top

#10 So THAT's where all that global warming CO2 is coming from ....

Posted by lotp 2007-06-26 17:11|| 2007-06-26 17:11|| Front Page Top

#11 well, there's a feedback loop. The hotter it gets, the more dinosaur herds there are...

Posted by Abdominal Snowman 2007-06-26 17:35|| 2007-06-26 17:35|| Front Page Top

#12 The current stuff you run your car on is actually made by thermal depolymerization of living dinosaurs

see: Senators from Mass., NY., and CA. and we should be set

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-06-26 18:29|| 2007-06-26 18:29|| Front Page Top

#13 USN, Ret. -- Best laugh all day. Good one.

Posted by jds 2007-06-26 22:05|| 2007-06-26 22:05|| Front Page Top

#14 My oldest son tried a similar experiment the other night. As a family we discovered that while a Philly Cheesesteak can be turned into a coal like briquette by cooking it for 11 minutes and 30 seconds instead of a minute and a half, the smell results are not optimal.

Posted by Super Hose 2007-06-26 22:55|| 2007-06-26 22:55|| Front Page Top

#15 Fun page: Unwise Microwave Experiments:

http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/weird/microexp.html

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-06-26 23:19|| 2007-06-26 23:19|| Front Page Top

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