Process and apparatus for converting polymers into products

A method for treating polymeric material to produce hydrocarbon products, the method comprising:

• generating a reaction mixture comprising a synthetic polymeric material and an aqueous solvent;
• treating the reaction mixture in a reactor apparatus at a reaction temperature and a reaction pressure over a period of time suitable for conversion of all or a portion of the synthetic polymeric material present in the reaction mixture into a liquid product stream, wherein the liquid product stream is at a temperature of at least 350° C. and a pressure of at least 180 bar;
• depressurising the liquid product stream in a flash vessel, thereby vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid product stream to generate a vapor comprising constituent parts of hydrocarbon products, steam, and gas;
• and
• injecting steam, superheated steam or supercritical water into the flash vessel to vaporize any remaining portion of the liquid product stream in the flash vessel to generate a vapor comprising constituent parts of hydrocarbon products, steam and gas;
• wherein:
• the depressurising comprises reducing the pressure of the liquid product stream to less than 25 bar in the flash vessel, and
• wherein the vaporizing provides energy to facilitate fractionation of the vapor into the constituent parts;
• and collecting the fractionated vapor.