Apparatus and process for the pyrolysis of tires

A reactor for the pyrolysis of fragmented used tires comprising

• (1) an inner, completely sealed reactor liner;
• (2) an outer insulated housing perimetrically enclosing the inner liner and spaced perimetrically therefrom;
• (3) a conveyor enclosed in the inner liner for conveying tire fragments therethrough;
• (4) air lock means for the ingress of reaction ingredients into and the egress of solid reaction products from the inner liner;
• (5) outlets for the egress of gaseous reaction products from the inner liner;
• (6) heating means interposed between the outer housing and the inner liner for heating the inner liner;
• and
• (7) all portions of the reactor exposed to the reaction products are aluminized.

A reactor for the pyrolysis of fragmented used tires comprising

• (1) an inner, completely sealed reactor liner;
• (2) an outer insulated housing perimetrically enclosing the inner liner and spaced perimetrically therefrom;
• (3) a conveyor enclosed in the inner liner for conveying tire fragments therethrough;
• (4) air lock means for the ingress of reaction ingredients into and the egress of solid reaction products from the inner liner;
• (5) outlets for the egress of gaseous reaction products from the inner liner;
• (6) heating means interposed between the outer housing and the inner liner for heating the inner liner;
• and
• (7) the liner is secured to the outer housing at a single location and is otherwise isolated therefrom for independent thermal expansion.

A pyrolysis reactor comprising

• (1) inner and outer housings which are substantially longitudinally coextensive and which are perimetrically spaced apart by a heating zone completely isolated from the interior of the inner housing;
• (2) means located in said heating zone and spaced along the length thereof for heating the inner housing soley by conduction;
• (3) airlock means traversing said heating zone for the ingress of reaction ingredients into and the egress of solid reaction products;
• (4) conduit means opening onto the interior of the inner housing and traversing the outer housing for the egress of gaseous reaction products from the inner housing;
• (5) conveyor means for conveying solid materials through said inner liner between said airlock means;
• and
• (6) all portions of the reactor exposed to either solid or gaseous reaction products are aluminized.

A process for pyrolizing tire fragments comprising

• (1) introducing tire fragments into a reaction chamber while sealing the chamber interior from the ambient atmosphere;
• (2) conveying the fragments through the chamber as a layer of fragments of limited thickness;
• (3) exteriorly heating said chamber to subject the fragments to a maximum temperature of less than about 1600.degree. F.;
• (4) removing evolved gaseous reaction products from the chamber;
• (5) discharging solid reaction products from the chamber without admitting ambient atmosphere into the chamber;
• (6) contacting reaction products only with aluminized surfaces;
• and
• (7) scraping deposited reaction products from at least some of the reaction chamber walls.

A pyrolysis reactor comprising longitudinally coextensive inner and outer housings spaced apart by a heating space extending completely about the perimeter of the inner housing;

• means for introducing material to be pyrolyzed into the inner housing and means for removing pyrolysis products from the inner housing;
• heating means located in aid space to heat the interior of the inner housing to pyrolysis temperature solely by conduction through the inner housing walls;
• means supporting the outer housing in a fixed position;
• and means including rollers carried by columns extending through the outer housing for supporting said inner housing for expansion independently of said outer housing at pyrolysis temperatures.