Patent ID: 7048832

Claim:
A system for extracting usable hydrocarbon fuel pre-products from plastic material, comprising: a process chamber for receiving said plastic material, said plastic material having been heated until said fuel pre-products are in a liquid form; a heater for heating said process chamber to a substantially constant temperature, whereby said fuel pre-products are converted to gaseous hydrocarbon fuel products; and a vacuum system in continuous communication with said process chamber such that said process chamber is maintained at a negative relative pressure whereby said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel products are extracted from said liquid fuel pre-products by reducing a vapor pressure of said fuel products, thereby promoting off-gassing from said liquid fuel pre-products, wherein said process chamber has a continuous feed, said plastic material is received at a first end, said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel components are removed through said vacuum system and a remainder of said plastic material is ejected at a second end, and said process chamber further comprises an auger for feeding said plastic material through said process chamber; an auger housing for enclosing said auger; and a drive system coupled to said auger for rotating said auger to feed said plastic material through said process chamber and a portion of said auger is included in a melting chamber for heating said fuel pre-products to produce said liquid fuel pre-products prior to introduction to said process chamber, said melting chamber auger portion being heated to a lower temperature than a temperature of the process chamber auger portion.