Machine converts plastic into oil

This could be huge. 8)

The machine produced in various sizes, for both industrial and home uses, can easily transform a kilogram of plastic waste into a liter of oil, using about 1 kilowatt of electricity but without emitting CO2 in the process. The machine uses a temperature controlling electric heater instead of flames, processing anything from polyethylene or polystyrene to polypropylene (numbers 2-4). Comment: 1 kg of plastic produces one liter of oil, which costs $1.50. This process uses only about 1 kilowatt of electricity, which costs less than 20 cents!

Man Invents Machine To Convert Plastic Into Oil

http://www.flixxy.com/plastic-to-oil-brochure.pdf

 

Not too sure about his math. That liter of oil is not free.... it is still oil from the Middle East that was transported, processed and turned into plastic.... then more energy is input to turn it back into oil. Not sure how much less energy is used just to recycle plastic into more plastic containers instead of using more oil. You need to look at the whole cradle to grave process for that molocule of oil. Plus, if the electricity used is from fossil fuels, then it is not CO2 free.

I can understand if it cuts oil consuption by just using plastic that would otherwise end up in a land fill or river in undeveloped countries. Not all bad for sure.

 

Nice idea for reducing landfills.

 

I agree with powerman, and if you read the brochure it states that the off gas is transformed into "harmless" h2o and CO2
i thought the whole idea of recycling is cut the CO2 emission.
imho it is a small incentive not to throw plastic in landfill or out in nature and a way to get some nickel hunters to go after the flying bags (same concept of money for soda cans)

 

Good points - but I still think it has a lot of merit as stated by 2in10 - and hardly any new technology is perfect out of the gates, it would become more efficient in time if history is any indication.

 

Cool. If they'll invent a machine that makes beer from empty beer cans and bottles - I'm buying 1

 

Well if you look at plastic as a resource it has value. Yet it is already a resource as a recyclable plastic for more plastic. Great if it was going to a land fill, but it should be going to be recycled to begin with. Turning it back to oil and burning it is just destroying what it took energy and resouces to make. Again, if people look at it as a fuel for them that's great if they keep more plastic out of a land fill. Yet it seems that those places shown as disater areas probably don't have a ton of electricity around for that. I don't know. Just an opinion as to what is best to use plastic for.

What I do question though is the claim that turning back to oil and burning it reduces CO2 80% as compared to just burning the plastic..... I find that hard to swallow.

 

Invinte a machine to make gas get ride of foreign oil. Well the govern't would have to ok it.

 

like that is going to happin lol

 

what would be cool is if the oil it created was in turn burned inside the device as furl to heat and convert the rest of the plastic into oil...

gotta say I could have come up with a better name than beh!

Also, I find it somewhat humorous that 3 of it's uses are for experimenting, teaching, and demonstrations... It's not really selling the idea that it has practical uses...

I'd put my money into it though, if say, you could run a diesel car motor off of the oil. A handful of people could practically fuel their cars for free or cheap....