Converting plastic back into oil

[cashflyer]

A friend emailed this link to me, and I thought I would throw it to he Plican wolf-pack. A lot of questions come to mind.

Here are the two foremost in my mind:
How much energy is used in the conversion?
What is the residual waste after the conversion?


Man invents machine to convert plastic into oil - YouTube

[sammyg2]

It takes more energy to break down the polymers than you'd ever get back out of it.

Until they come up with more unstable plastics it's a pipe dream.

[cashflyer]

So, should we be using "free energy" like solar and wind power to run large scale plants converting plastic to oil?
Or should we continue to bury the stuff?

Or is pelletizing it and then recycling it new plastic stuff the best way to go?

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

It takes more energy to break down the polymers than you'd ever get back out of it.

Until they come up with more unstable plastics it's a pipe dream.

Can't he use solar energy to produce electricity for the conversion?

Seen this same video a year or two ago, any progress?

At 3:53 in the video is an image showing a power cord extension, I assume part of the boiling liquid part he mentions depends on electricity for the conversion.

[fanaudical]

Several commercial start-ups are working on this and have significant backing. From what I've read in elsewhere, it should be possible to "crack" back to crude with less thermal input than what you get out in recoverables.

One company here in the PNW:

Agilyx

[RWebb]

hire some bacteria to work for you - just be sure to get a written contract with partial interim payments and a performance retainer bond

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

So, should we be using "free energy" like solar and wind power to run large scale plants converting plastic to oil?
Or should we continue to bury the stuff?

Or is pelletizing it and then recycling it new plastic stuff the best way to go?

There is absolutely NOTHING free about "free" energy. No such thing.
It coston average 4 times as much as conventional electricity.

Recycling plastic is also a looser proposition.
it costs more than making new plastic, only certain types of plastic have any recycling value at all, and most plastic bottles that get "recycled" end up on a landfill anyway.

Developing a new type of biodegradable plastic is the answer IMO.

[SteamWolf]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

It takes more energy to break down the polymers than you'd ever get back out of it.

Until they come up with more unstable plastics it's a pipe dream.

This.

However, yes, solar or wind will work fine, in areas where it is viable. The cost of infrastructure and setup would mean it would need to be done on a large scale though.

[RWebb]

a lot depends on how you define "recycling" and which plastic is involved

also, reprocessing energy cost is not the only factor to consider - there are benefits to reducing landfill volumes and pollution from manf. of new plastic; but there is the cost to transport the old material too

right now, markets for PET and HDPE "recycling" (chopping it up and remolding with some adjuncts added; not completely tearing down every polymer bond) are in good shape

[HardDrive]

I've heard there is this amazingly efficient process called 'Don't use so much god damn unneeded packaging'

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by SteamWolf

This.

However, yes, solar or wind will work fine, in areas where it is viable. The cost of infrastructure and setup would mean it would need to be done on a large scale though.

The problem is that "viable" means high conventional energy costs. In the US, solar doesn't make sense in most of the country. The places where it does, the cost of electricity is significantly higher, usually because of poor government regulation.

The exception is a place like Hawaii, where they don't have a ready source fossil fuel. The only alternative solution is small nuclear plants, and too many people freak out about that. Even though they have more nuclear reactors in Pearl than most states!

[M.D. Holloway]

True Sammy - cheaper to pump

[M.D. Holloway]

Use the waste for sump'n else that requires less op $

[john70t]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I've heard there is this amazingly efficient process called 'Don't use so much god damn unneeded packaging'

Just wait 'till you open the fenders I sent you

They are using more corn starch puffs instead of styrofoam these days, but it's instant bad juju when it gets wet.
Cardboard can be recycled.
Plastic? There's a whole island of available fuel, bigger than Texas, just floating out in the pacific killing marine life.