Method and apparatus for microwave dissociation of organic compounds

A process for reducing an organic-containing material into lower molecular weight gaseous hydrocarbons, liquid hydrocarbons and solid carbon constituents, said process comprising:

• feeding a sample of said organic-containing material into an infeed system, wherein said infeed system contains a non-flammable blanketing purge gas;
• transferring said material into at least one microwave applicator containing said purge gas in a pressurized state above local atmospheric pressure to insure that no air migrates into said microwave applicator which might cause a fire or explosion hazard;
• exposing said material in said microwave applicator to at least two sources of microwaves from at least a pair of divaricated waveguide assemblies for a period of time sufficient to volumetrically reduce said material into said constituents, a frequency of said microwaves between approximately 894 MHz and approximately 1000 MHz and without an external heat source,
• said microwaves entering said at least one applicator being in non-parallel alignment to each other by using unequal lengths of waveguide between said sources of said microwaves and said at least one applicator;
• said microwaves entering said at least one applicator through at least one applicator diffuser matrix for each divaricated waveguide, said matrix comprising at least four essentially parallel beveled entry channels;
• and
• collecting byproduct constituents from said organic-containing material.