Liquefaction and partial oxidation of plastic materials

A process for the non-hazardous disposal of a solid organic plastic material containing hazardous non-combustible inorganic matter, consisting essentially of:

• a) granulating the solid organic plastic material;
• b) partially liquefying the granulated plastic material at a temperature of about 400.degree. F. to about 495.degree. F. and a pressure of about 150 psig to about 750 psig while said plastic material is in contact with a pumpable hydrocarbonaceous liquid solvent in the amount of about 1 to 5 parts by weight of said hydrocarbonaceous liquid solvent per part by weight of plastic material, until a pumpable slurry is produced which contains separated inorganic material, unseparated inorganic material, solubilized plastic and unsolubilized plastic;
• c) removing the separated inorganic material from said pumpable slurry;
• and
• d) reacting the remainder of the pumpable slurry containing the unseparated inorganic material with a free-oxygen containing gas by partial oxidation to produce a gas comprising CO and H.sub.2, and a nontoxic slag.