System and method for pyrolysis

A method for processing a material, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a pre-processing module, the material;
• mechanically stressing and heating, by the pre-processing module, the received material, wherein the received material is heated to less than or equal to 375° C. by the pre-processing module;
• outputting, by the pre-processing module, the mechanically stressed and heated material;
• receiving, by a pyrolysis module, from the pre-processing module, the mechanically stressed and heated material;
• and
• performing, by the pyrolysis module, a pyrolysis process on the received mechanically stressed and heated material, thereby to produce one or more pyrolysis products, wherein the pyrolysis process comprises heating the material received from the pre-processing module to greater than or equal to 450° C., and wherein:
• the pre-processing module comprises:
• a pre-processing chamber comprising a first inlet and a first outlet;
• and
• a plurality of rotors located within the pre-processing chamber;
• the plurality of rotors comprises at least one pair of rotors arranged at least partially side-by-side, the rotors of the at least one pair of rotors having substantially parallel axes of rotation;
• the rotors of the at least one pair of rotors are configured to be simultaneously rotated thereby to subject the material within the pre-processing chamber to mechanical stresses;
• the first inlet is disposed directly above the at least one pair of rotors and is configured for introduction of the material into the pre-processing chamber by gravity in a direction substantially perpendicular to the substantially parallel axes of rotation;
• and
• the first outlet is disposed directly below the at least one pair of rotors and is configured for expulsion of the mechanically stressed material from the pre-processing chamber by gravity in the direction substantially perpendicular to the substantially parallel axes of rotation.