Patent ID: 8328991

Claim:
A process for thermally processing organic material comprising the steps of: A. providing in a processing vessel, a chamber containing feedstock comprised of organic material and at least one additive which is non-inert to the organic material; B. heating a bottom portion of the chamber to heat the feedstock to a pyrolytic state for producing a horizontal thermal layer within the feedstock which thermally decomposes organic material into carbon as the non-inert additive reacts with the organic material to break down tars and paraffins into less complex hydrocarbon chains; C. directing vapor downwardly through the feedstock while discharging volatile organic gases from a lower portion of the chamber and out of the vessel as the feedstock is being thermally decomposed by the thermal layer; D. prior to complete thermal decomposition of the feedstock, reversing the direction of vapor flow within the feedstock, wherein the vapor flows upwardly through the feedstock while the volatile gases are discharged from an upper portion of the chamber and out of the vessel; E. controlling pressure and vapor flow within the chamber during step D to regulate vertical movement of the thermal layer within the feedstock for controlling the extent of thermal decomposition of the feedstock; and F. following a prescribed extent of thermal decomposition of the feedstock, terminating the process.