Patent ID: 8057666

Claim:
A supercritical fluid reaction apparatus for transforming a selected polymeric material flowstream into a plurality of reaction products, comprising, in fluidic series: an extruder; a supercritical fluid reaction zone connected to the extruder and one or more supercritical water flowstreams, the supercritical fluid reaction zone being proximate to a circumferentially positioned heater, with the heater being configured to transfer heat to the selected polymeric material flowstream admixed together with water to supercritical conditions to thereby facilitate chemical reaction so as to yield the plurality of reaction products; and a reaction products separation chamber connected to the supercritical fluid reaction zone, the reaction products separation chamber containing both an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase, and being configured to cool and separate by way of exits portals the plurality of reaction products into two or more reaction product flowstreams, the reaction zone defining a tube extending from the extruder to the chamber, with the water flowstreams connected to the tube separately from the zone and the chamber.