Patent ID: 8020499

Claim:
An apparatus for continuous pyrolysis of carbonizable plastic and rubber materials, the apparatus comprising: at least two earlier-stage reaction chambers and a later-stage reaction chamber, said earlier-stage reaction chambers being adapted to receive said carbonizable plastic and rubber materials at near atmospheric pressure for undergoing a first pyrolysis thereof, said later-stage reaction chamber being adapted to receive said materials after treatment within said earlier-stage reaction chambers for a subsequent pyrolysis thereof, said apparatus having means for directing gaseous pyrolysis products generated in said later-stage reaction chamber to at least two different destinations, and having means adapted to direct gaseous pyrolysis products from said earlier-stage reaction chambers to a first destination and gaseous pyrolysis products from said later-stage reaction chamber to two different destinations, wherein the means for directing gaseous pyrolysis products generated in said later-stage reaction chamber is a three-outlet valve adapted to selectively direct said gaseous pyrolysis products generated in said later-stage reaction chamber to one of three different destinations, and, wherein said three-outlet valve is used to selectively direct said gaseous pyrolysis products generated in said later-stage reaction chamber to one of: a burner for providing heat to at least one of said reaction chambers; at least one of said earlier-stage reaction chambers without condensing said gaseous pyrolysis products; and, a means for condensing said gaseous pyrolysis products to form a pyrolysis oil.