Patent ID: 8193403

Claim:
A method of recycling plastic, the method comprising: heating a container that has a plastic feedstock therein so as to effect depolymerization of the plastic feedstock; removing a vapor from the heated container, wherein the vapor comprises a gaseous organic species and a gaseous inorganic species; condensing the gaseous organic species and separating the condensed organic species from the inorganic species by directly contacting the vapor with a pH adjusted solution, wherein the condensed organic species is less dense than water and is hydrophobic, wherein separating the condensed organic species from the inorganic species comprises retaining the condensed organic species and the pH adjusted solution into which the inorganic species has been absorbed in a common tank, and wherein directly contacting the vapor with the pH adjusted solution causes absorption of the inorganic species into the solution; introducing at least a portion of the condensed organic species that has been separated from the inorganic species into a settling tank to permit further additional pH adjusted solution to be separated from the condensed organic species; and returning pH adjusted solution that has separated from the condensed organic species back to the tank.