Material recycling appartus

Abstract

Thermal treatment techniques for recycling are generally very clean but their byproducts include a fine ash that may become entrained in the exhaust air plume as smoke. We therefore disclose a materials recycling apparatus comprising a heat treatment chamber for processing the material at an elevated temperature, the chamber having a vent leading via a heat exchanger to a scrubber comprising a disrupted flow path, at least one spray nozzle directed towards the disrupted flow path, and a supply of liquid (ideally water with a little detergent) to the or each spray nozzle. In this way, the entrained ash can be efficiently removed from the air flow, allowing it to be vented, and the captured ash disposed of via a waste water outlet together with the ash washed from the chamber. The flow path can be disrupted by at least one baffle plate, ideally with the spray nozzle located ahead of the baffle plate(s). Thermal treatment techniques for recycling are generally very clean but their byproducts include a fine ash that may become entrained in the exhaust air plume as smoke. We therefore disclose a materials recycling apparatus comprising a heat treatment chamber for processing the material at an elevated temperature, the chamber having a vent leading via a heat exchanger to a scrubber comprising a disrupted flow path, at least one spray nozzle directed towards the disrupted flow path, and a supply of liquid (ideally water with a little detergent) to the or each spray nozzle. In this way, the entrained ash can be efficiently removed from the air flow, allowing it to be vented, and the captured ash disposed of via a waste water outlet together with the ash washed from the chamber. The flow path can be disrupted by at least one baffle plate, ideally with the spray nozzle located ahead of the baffle plate(s).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.