Material processing system

Abstract

A material processing system comprising a pre-treatment vessel 130 arranged to melt and / or fluidise a material, a reactor 140 configured to receive the material and heat it so as to produce vapours and a column 150 for receiving the vapours and separating the capours into a plurality of component products. Preferably there is contained a catalyst chamber 144 between the reactor and the column, the chamber comprising a catalyst. Preferably the reactor is configured to operate at a temperature of over 300 ℃ and the pre-treatment vessel above 150 ℃. Preferably the material processing system is a plastic processing system.

Description

Field of the invention The present invention relates to a material processing system, in particular a system for processing plastic (e.g. to produce fuel). The invention further relates to methods and apparatuses for processing material as well as systems, methods, and apparatuses for generating electricity (e.g. using the fuel). Background to the Disclosure Plastic is used in many different products, many of which have a limited lifespan. This leads to substantial amounts of waste that, at the present time, are often sent to landfills. It is desirable to process plastic waste in a manner that produces a useful output so as to reduce the environmental impact of such waste. Summary of the Disclosure According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, there is described a material processing system, comprising: a pre-treatment vessel arranged to melt and / or fluidise material; a reactor arranged to receive material from the pre-treatment vessel and to heat the material so as to produce vapours; and a column for receiving the vapours from the reactor and separating the vapours into a plurality of component products. Preferably, the system comprises a connector between the column and the pre-treatment vessel to enable the transfer of one or more of the component products from the column to the pre-treatment vessel. Preferably, the connector is arranged to enable the transfer of heavy products (e.g. paraffin) to the pre-treatment vessel. Preferably, the system comprises a pump for transferring component products from the column to the pre-treatment vessel. Preferably, the system comprises a shredder for breaking a piece of material into smaller pieces. Preferably, the shredder is arranged to provide the smaller pieces of material to the pre-treatment vessel. Preferably, the system comprises a hopper for providing material to the pre-treatment vessel. Preferably, the hopper is located between a / the shredder and the pre-treatment vessel. Preferably, the hopper comprises a cyclone separator. Preferably, the cyclone separator is arranged so that solid and liquid material passes through the hopper into the pre-treatment vessel and gas exits the hopper through an upper aperture of the hopper. Preferably, the system comprises a vibrating device. Preferably, the vibrating device is arranged to vibrate one or more of: the hopper; the pre-treatment vessel; and a mixer of the pre-treatment vessel. Preferably, the vibrating device is arranged to vibrate both of the hopper and the pretreatment vessel. Preferably, the hopper is arranged to transfer material to the pre-treatment vessel under the force of gravity. Preferably, the hopper is mounted to another component of the system using flexible structures, e.g. springs. Preferably, the pre-treatment vessel is arranged to transfer material to the reactor under the force of gravity. Preferably, the system comprises a mixer. Preferably, the mixer is located between the pretreatment vessel and the reactor. Preferably, the system comprises the mixer comprises a screw, preferably an Archimedes screw. Preferably, the system comprises the mixer comprises one or more holes. Preferably, the holes are arranged to enable the passage of gas upwards through the mixer as liquid and / or solid material moves downwards through the mixer. Preferably, the mixer comprises one or more scrapers, the scrapers being arranged to force material in the pre-treatment vessel through the stirrer. Preferably, the system comprises a connector, preferably a kinked tube and / or a one-way valve, located between the pre-treatment vessel and the reactor, the connector being arranged to prevent the transfer of gases from the reactor into the pre-treatment vessel. Preferably, the system comprises a gas inlet for introducing a gas, e.g. an inert gas, into the pre-treatment vessel. Preferably, the gas inlet is located towards the bottom of the pretreatment vessel. Preferably, the system comprises a catalyst chamber located between the reactor and the column, the catalyst chamber comprising a catalyst. Preferably, the system comprises a reactivation circuit, wherein the reactivation circuit is arranged to blow hot air: into the catalyst chamber; and / or over the catalyst; and / or into the reactor. Preferably, the system comprises a heating structure. Preferably, the heating structure is arranged to heat one or more of: the reactor; the pre-treatment vessel; the column and the reactivation circuit. Preferably, the system comprises a heat transfer structure arranged to transfer heat from the heating structure first to the reactor and thereafter to the pre-treatment vessel and / or the reactivation circuit. Preferably, the reactor is configured to operate at a higher temperature than the pretreatment vessel. Preferably, the heating structure is arranged to heat the reactor to a higher temperature than the pre-treatment vessel. Preferably, the reactor is arranged to operate at a temperature that is greater than a boiling and / or vaporization temperature of plastic. Preferably, the reactor is arranged to operate at a temperature of greater than 300°C. Preferably, the pre-treatment vessel is arranged to operate at a temperature that is greater than a melting temperature of plastic. Preferably, the pre-treatment vessel is arranged to operate at a temperature of greater than 150°C. Preferably, the pre-treatment vessel is arranged to operate at a temperature of less than 300°C. Preferably, the heating structure is arranged to provide heat to the pre-treatment vessel and / or the reactor. Preferably, the column comprises a fractional distillation column and / or a packed distillation column. Preferably, the column is arranged to provide products to a / the heating structure. Preferably, the column is arranged to provide one or more of: light products, hydrocarbons, and combustible products to the heating structure. Preferably, the column is arranged to provide products to a fuel storage vessel. Preferably, the column is arranged to provide one or more of: light products, hydrocarbons, and combustible products to the fuel storage vessel. Preferably, the system comprises a compressor for compressing a fluid received from the column. Preferably, the system comprises a neutraliser. Preferably, the neutraliser contains an alkali substance. Preferably, the neutraliser is arranged to provide the alkali substance to the hopper and / or the pre-treatment vessel. Preferably, the system comprises a switch, wherein the switch is arranged to selectively connect the heating structure to one of a plurality of fuel sources. Preferably, the switch is arranged to selectively connect the heating structure to: the column; and / or a fuel storage vessel. Preferably, the switch is arranged to operate in dependence on an amount of fuel being produced by the system. Preferably, the system comprises a fuel storage vessel. Preferably, the system comprises a carbon black storage structure located beneath the reactor. Preferably, the carbon black storage structure is connected to the reactor via a closeable opening and / or an operable valve. Preferably, the system comprises a fan for blowing carbon black into the storage structure and / or for drawing carbon black into the storage structure. Preferably, the system comprises a sensor. Preferably, the system comprises a computer device that is arranged to operate the system in dependence on a reading of the sensor. Preferably, the system comprises a generator for receiving component products from the column, wherein the generator is arranged to combust the component products so as to generate electricity. Preferably, the system is a plastic processing system. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is described an apparatus comprising the material processing system of any preceding claim. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is described a method of operating the material processing system of any preceding claim. Preferably, the method comprises transferring material into the reactor. Preferably, the method comprises extracting components from the column. Preferably, light products are products with a boiling point between 60°C and 120°C. Preferably, medium products are products with a boiling point between 120°C and 300°C. Preferably, heavy products are products with a boiling point above 300°C. Any feature described as being carried out by an apparatus, an application, and a device may be carried out by any of an apparatus, an application, or a device. Where multiple apparatuses are described, each apparatus may be located on a single device. Any feature in one aspect of the disclosure may be applied to other aspects of the invention, in any appropriate combination. In particular, method aspects may be applied to apparatus aspects, and vice versa. Furthermore, features implemented in hardware may be implemented in software, and vice versa. Any reference to software and hardware features herein should be construed accordingly. Any apparatus feature as described herein may also be provided as a method feature, and vice versa. As used herein, means plus function features may be expressed alternatively in terms of their corresponding structure, such as a suitably programmed processor and associated memory. It should also be appreciated that particular combinations of the various features described and defined in any aspects of the disclosure can be implemented and / or supplied and / or used independently. The present invention provides a number of benefits. For example: Removal & neutralization of chlorine from any PVC feedstock. - A unique catalyst composition. Catalytic breakdown of mixed plastic waste. The symbiosis of mixed plastic waste to produce consistent hydrocarbon components. Reduction in energy consumption via our heat recovery system. Integrated refining process. - A unique feeding system. The disclosure extends to methods and / or apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The disclosure will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a system for processing plastic according to the present disclosure. Figure 2 shows a stirrer comprising holes that may form a part of the system of Figure 1. Figure 3 shows a distillation column that may form a part of the system of Figure 1. Figure 4 shows a method of processing plastic according to the present disclosure. Figure 5 shows an apparatus that comprises components of the system of Figure 1. Description of the preferred embodiments Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a system for processing plastic, which system may in particular be used to output a fuel given an input of waste plastic. It will be appreciated that the components of this system may be provided in any combination (so that the system may comprise only a subset of the components disclosed below and may comprise these components in any combination). The system comprises a shredder 110 that is arranged to receive the plastic waste and to break the plastic waste into small pieces via a physical process. The shredder may be any structure and / or mechanism for breaking a piece of material into a plurality of smaller pieces of material. Such a mechanism may comprise a shredder, a grinder, a cutter, etc. The shredder 110 is connected to a pre-treatment vessel 130 via a hopper 120. The hopper may comprise a conveyer belt that conveys the material to the pre-treatment vessel. The hopper may be connected to the shredder via a filter or a sieve, where the filter is sized so that only pieces of material below a threshold size are able to pass onto the hopper. In some embodiments, the shredder 110 is located above the pre-treatment vessel 130 and the hopper 120 is arranged to transfer material from the shredder to the pre-treatment vessel under the force of gravity. For example, the hopper may comprise a sloped container so that material moves along the slope of the hopper and into the pre-treatment vessel. In these (and other) embodiments, the hopper 120 may comprise, or may be associated with, a vibrating device, where the vibrating device vibrates the hopper so as to encourage the movement of the material through the hopper. In some embodiments, the hopper is associated with a pump (e.g. an air pump or a vacuum pump), where the pump is arranged to draw material from the shredder into the hopper and / or to force material from the hopper into the pre-treatment vessel 130. The use of a gravity-fed arrangement with a vibrating device enables the hopper 120 (and the system) to be provided without conveyors, which enables the provision of a compact system. Though, equally, the hopper may comprise a conveyor that is able to move material through the hopper. Typically, the hopper 120 is attached to another component of the system (e.g. to the pretreatmentvessel 130 or to a mount) using flexible structures, such as springs. The use of such flexible structures increases the effectiveness of a vibrating device and equally can be used to provide a vibration to the hopper in the absence of a power source (as the material that is entering the hopper provides a force that results in the flexible structures deforming and thereby effectively vibrating to provide a vibration to the hopper. The hopper 120 may comprise a cyclone separator (or a ‘cyclone’). Such a cyclone is arranged to form a vortex in the body of the cyclone. This vortex provides a situation in which lighter materials (e.g. gases) are able to move upwards through the center of the cyclone while heavier materials (e.g. shredded plastic) fall through the cyclone in a spiral near the walls of the cyclone. Therefore, the cyclone is able to direct lighter products (e.g. gases) out through an aperture at the top of the hopper while directing heavier products (e.g. shredded plastic) through an aperture at the bottom of the hopper and into the pre-treatment vessel 130). These gases may comprise toxic gases, and so may be directed to a neutraliser 190 (e.g. as described below). The vibrating device, or the flexible structures, may also be used to influence the distribution of materials in the hopper 120 and / or the pre-treatment vessel 130. The pre-treatment vessel may be vibrated to distibrute other materials through an amount shredded plastic that is present in the pre-melting vessel. For example, an alkali may be added to the material in the hopper 120 to neutralise products in the material (e.g. sulphur), where the vibration provided by the vibrating device assists in distributing such an alkali through the material as it passes through the hopper and the pre-treatment device. The pre-treatment vessel 130 is arranged to extract any excess fluids from the material. For example, the pre-treatment vessel may be arranged to extract water, chlorine, and / or air that is released from the material (e.g. due to the melting of the material in the pre-treatment vessel). The pre-treatment vessel typically comprises a stirring mechanism and / or an agitator that is arranged to encourage the release of such fluids from the material in the pre-treatment vessel. Typically, the pre-treatment vessel 130 comprises a structure for introducing gas (e.g. an inert gas and / or a noble gas) into the pre-treatment vessel, which gas may encourage the release of fluids from the material in the pre-treatment vessel. For example, the pre-treatment vessel may comprise a gas inlet (e.g. a gas ring) located towards the bottom of the pre-treatment vessel. The gas may for example comprise nitrogen or carbon dioxide, but it will be appreciated that other gases may equally be used. The gas may be heated prior to the addition of the gas to the pre-treatment vessel (e.g. to avoid cooling the material in the pre-treatment vessel). The inert gas also acts to displace any other gases in the pre-treatment vessel and to force these gases towards the top of the pre-treatment vessel where they can exit the pretreatment vessel. The gas inlet may be arranged to receive gas from a gas storage tank that forms a part of the system. Equally, the gas inlet may receive gas from a nitrogen (N2) or other inert gas generator. Typically, the pre-treatment vessel 130 is arranged to melt or fluidise the material in the pretreatment vessel (and the pre-treatment vessel may be termed a pre-melter). In some embodiments, the pre-treatment vessel comprises an injector or bubbler for introducing gas into the material from the base of the pre-treatment vessel or the stirrer shaft of the premelter so as to fluidise the material. The pre-treatment vessel 130 is connected to a reactor 140, e.g. via a conveyer, another hopper, and / or a stirrer (as described below), so that material from the pre-treatment vessel can be provided to the reactor. Typically, the material from the pre-treatment vessel is arranged to flow into the reactor under the force of gravity, where this flow is encouraged by the stirrer in the pre-treatment vessel. In some embodiments, the stirrer comprises a screw mechanism (e.g. an Archimedes screw), where liquids and solids are able to flow down the screw while gases are able to rise up the screw mechanism so that these gases do not enter the reactor 140. These gases may then be able to exit the pre-treatment vessel 130 via an opening near the top of the pre-treatment vessel. In some embodiments, this opening is connected to the neutraliser 190. The opening may comprise a one-way valve to prevent the ingress of materials into the pre-treatment vessel. Referring to Figure 3, the system may comprise a stirrer 132 (or a ‘mixer’ or ‘agitator’) that comprises a plurality of holes 134, which holes are arranged to enable and encourage the flow of gas upwards through the stirrer. For example, where the stirrer comprises a screw, the helix or tine of the screw may comprise a regular arrangement of holes so that gases can rise through the levels of the screw. In particular, the stirrer 132 may comprise a screw along which solid or liquid material moves towards the reactor 140 while gases rise through the holes 134 in the screw towards a roof of the pre-treatment vessel 130. In some embodiments, the stirrer 132 comprises a plurality of scrapers that are arranged to force material from the pre-treatment vessel 130 through the stirrer so as to promote the flow of material through the system. In some embodiments, the pre-treatment vessel 130 is connected to the reactor 140 via the stirrer 132. For example, where the stirrer comprises a screw, the screw may be located between the pre-treatment vessel and the reactor so that all of the material exiting the pretreatment vessel passes through the screw, which screw enables the passage of solid material to the reactor while reducing the amount of gas passing into the reactor (since the gas can rise up through the screw (e.g. through holes in the screw). The stirrer 132 (or the pre-treatment vessel 130) may be connected to the vibrating mechanism of the hopper 120 and / or to another vibrating mechanism, where the vibration of the stirrer then encourages the flow of material along the stirrer as well as encouraging the mixing of the material as it moves along the stirrer to achieve a more uniform temperature distribution. The stirrer 132 (or the pre-treatment vessel 130) may be connected to the reactor 140 via a connector that is configured to prevent the passage of gas from the reactor to the pretreatment vessel. For example, the pre-treatment vessel may be connected to the reactor via a one-way valve or via a narrow or kinked tube that is arranged to be fully filled with fluid or solid material so that gas is blocked from passing through this tube. The reactor 140 comprises a heating vessel that is arranged to provide heat to the material in the reactor. For this purpose, the reactor may comprise a heating structure 142 such as a burner that heats the reactor. The heating structure may be internal to the reactor or external from the reactor. The reactor 140 is arranged to heat the material (e.g. the plastic) so as to produce product vapours, which product vapours are then transferred (e.g. via an aperture near the top of the reactor) to a column 150, e.g. to a packed distillation column. The column 150 is arranged to separate material into light, medium, and heavy products. For example, the column may comprise a condenser. It will be appreciated that numerous structures for separating materials by weight are known. Light products, medium products, and heavy products may be distinguished by their boiling points. For example, light products may be those products with a boiling point between 60°C and 120°C, medium products may be those products with a boiling point between 120°C and 300°C, and heavy products may be those products with a boiling point above 300°C. More generally, light products have a lower boiling point than medium products, and medium products have a lower boiling point than heavy products. Typically, the column 150 is arranged to separate the material into liquid light products, liquid medium products, and liquid or solid heavy products (with components with a boiling point of less than, e.g. 60°C being gaseous in the column and exiting through the top of the column). Such an arrangement enables the products to be separated and also enables the products to be collected and processed. An exemplary embodiment of the column 150 is shown in Figure 3. This column comprises an inlet 152 that is arranged to receive vapour products (which vapour products are at a high temperature). The column further comprises a plurality of outlets 154-1, 154-2 arranged at different locations (e.g. heights) on the column. These outlets are each associated with a different temperature. As the vapour products pass through the column 150, the temperature of these products reduces. For example, the temperature may reduce due to the transfer of heat to surrounding air. In some embodiments, the column comprises one or more cooling structures that are arranged to provide a specific temperature of the products at various locations in the column (e.g. each outlet of the column may be associated with a heat exchanger that is arranged to cool the vapour products to a desired temperature as these products pass the associated outlet). The products are formed of a plurality of component fluids, which fluids each have a different condensation temperature. Therefore, as the vapour products cool, different liquids condense from the vapour products. These liquids then pass through one of the openings of the column, e.g. under the force of gravity. In a practical example, the vapour products may comprise fuel oil, diesel oil, kerosene, and / or gasoline. Typically, fuel oil has a condensation temperature of around 370°C, diesel oil has a condensation temperature of around 300°C, kerosene has a condensation temperature of around 200°C, and gasoline has a condensation temperature of around 150°C. With this example, the first outlet 154-1 may be associated with fuel oil and the second outlet 154-2 may be associated with diesel oil. As the vapour products pass through the column and cool, the vapour products reach a temperature of 370°C shortly after passing the first outlet, so that the fuel oil in the vapour products condenses above the first outlet and then and flows through the first outlet. The remaining vapour products then reach a temperature of 300°C shortly after passing the second outlet, so that the diesel oil in the vapour products condenses above the second outlet and flows through the second outlet. These different component products can then be transferred to different components or containers. The column 150 may further comprise a base outlet 156, which is arranged to collect those components of the vapour products with the highest condensation temperatures (this base outlet may collect a mixture of products which are separated separately). Similarly, the column 150 may further comprise a top outlet 158, which is arranged to collect those components of the vapour products with the lowest condensation temperatures (this top outlet may collect a mixture of products which are separated separately). In some embodiments, the column 150 comprises a heating device (and / or is connected to the burner 142) so that the vapours in the column can be reheated after they enter the column. In some embodiments, the column 150 comprises the base outlet 156, the top outlet 158, and only a single middle outlet, which middle outlet is arranged to output the light and medium products from the column (e.g. diesel and / or kerosene). The reactor 140 typically comprises a catalyst, which may be located in a catalyst chamber 144 of the reactor. The catalyst chamber may be connected to the exit of the reactor so that fluids (e.g. product vapours) that result from the heating of the material pass through the catalyst before entering the column 150. In some embodiments, the catalyst is associated with a reactivation circuit that is arranged to pass hot air over or through the catalyst chamber 142 in order to cleanse and reactivate the catalyst. The hot air may remove a surface coating of the catalyst and / or remove substances that have been absorbed by the catalyst. The reactivation circuit may, for example, pass hot air through the catalyst chamber based on a cycling of material through the reactor, where each cycle of material relates to an amount of material being provided to the reactor 140 (which material is thereafter heated to obtain product vapours). The reactivation circuit may, for example, operate once every cycle, at least once every five cycles, and / or at least once every ten cycles. Typically, the reactivation circuit is arranged to receive hot air (or heat) from the pre-treatment vessel 130 and / or the reactor 140. This precludes the need to provide additional power in order to heat the air for the reactivation circuit vessel. For example, the reactivation vessel may comprise a heat transfer structure and / or a tube that is arranged to transfer heat and / or hot air from the reactor to the catalyst chamber 144. The reactivation circuit may further be used to clean the reactor 140, where the reactivation circuit may be arranged to blow hot air through the reactor and / or onto the walls of the reactor. Such a reactivation circuit may be used to remove particulate matter, such as carbon black, from the walls of the reactor. The catalyst typically comprises a honeycomb structure (e.g. a metal honeycomb structure) that comprises (e.g. is laced with) one or more of, or all of, platinum, palladiam, and rhodium. The honeycomb structure is typically located in the center of the catalyst chamber 144 so that the product vapours pass through the honeycomb structure before entering the column 150. The catalyst may (e.g. further) comprise an alkali or base that acts as both a catalyst and a neutralising agent for any acidic vapours. For example, the catalyst may comprise soda or calcium oxide that is arranged to neutralise chlorine or sulphur that might be present in the vapour products. The reactor 140 may comprise a structure for removing and / or storing carbon black so that the carbon black is not transferred to the column 150. For example, the reactor may comprise a valve at the base of the reactor that enables this carbon black to be removed. Typically, the reactor comprises a carbon box that is located at the base of the reactor and is arranged to collect carbon black during the operation of the reactor (where the carbon black falls into this box); the box may then comprise a valve or an opening that enables a user to periodically remove the carbon black from the box. Similarly, the box may be connected to the reactor using a closeable valve so that the box can selectively be disconnected from the reactor so that it can be removed. In some embodiments, the system comprises a fan for blowing carbon black into the storage structure and / or for pulling carbon black into the storage structure. Such a fan can be operated periodically to push (or draw) carbon black from the reactor 140 into the storage box in order to clean the reactor. The column 150 is connected to the pre-treatment vessel 130 (e.g. via a pump) so that products, in particular heavy products such as paraffin, can be returned to the pre-treatment vessel and then recirculated through the pre-treatment vessel and the reactor 140. The column is also connected to a compressor 170 so that light products (e.g. fuels) can be transferred to the compressor 170, compressed, and thereafter transferred to a gas storage vessel 180. In this regard, the aforementioned processing and heating of the plastic waste typically produces a hydrocarbon gas that can thereafter be used as fuel. For example, the gas may be compressed and then provided in a similar form to liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and / or natural gas. Where the system is used to process plastic, the vapours may comprise one or more of: liquified petroleum gas (LPG), butane, gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, diesel fuel, alkenes, asphalt, tar, and / or paraffin. The vapours may be separated into heavy products (e.g. products with a high boiling point) and light products (e.g. products with a low boiling point). Heavy products that are obtained from the product vapours using the column 150, such as paraffin, may be transferred from the column to the pre-treatment vessel, where these heavy products both lubricate the pre-treatment vessel and the stirrer and also raise the heat capacity of the materials in the pre-treatment vessel. Light products and / or fuels obtained from the product vapours using the column 150, such as hydrocarbons, may be passed to a compressor 170. Equally, these light products and / or fuels may be provided to the heating structure 142 so that these gases can be burnt and used to provide heat to components of the system, such as the reactor. In this regard, when the system is first operated, it typically requires an external power source or a fuel to be provided in order to operate the heating structure 142 and to heat the material passing through the system. However, once an amount of plastic has passed through the system, flammable gases can be extracted using the column 150. These gases can then be used to sustain the system by providing a fuel source to the heating structure. The system may comprise a (e.g. physical or digital) switch that is arranged to be operated in dependence on an amount of fuel being produced by the system so that, when this amount is below a threshold the system receives power or fuel from an external source and / or when this amount is above a threshold the system receives fuel from the column 150 (e.g. via the gas storage vessel 190). The ‘external source’ of fuel may comprise the gas storage vessel, where the system may be arranged to draw fuel from the gas storage vessel during an initial period of operation. Such an embodiment requires an external fuel source or a non-empty gas storage vessel to be provided only for the very first period of operation of the system, where restarting operation after subsequent breaks in operation does not require such an external fuel source to be provided. As described above, the system further comprises the neutraliser 190, which neutraliser is connected to the pre-treatment vessel 130. The neutraliser is arranged to receive fluids (e.g. gases and liquids) from the pre-treatment vessel, to process these fluids, and to either output these fluids to a container or to provide these fluids to the heating structure 142. The neutraliser may comprise a substance, such as an alkali, that is arranged to neutralise gases such as chlorine that are output by the pre-treatment vessel. Flammable gases that are obtained by the neutraliser (e.g. syngas or other hydrocarbons) may be provided to the heating structure to aid in the heating of the reactor. The neutraliser 190 may be attached (directly or indirectly) to the hopper 120 and / or to the vibrating device so that the vibrations of the hopper or the vibrating device also vibrate the neutraliser. Equally, the neutraliser may be associated with a separate vibrating device. Vibrating the neutraliser promotes the distribution of a neutralizing substance through a material that is located in the neutraliser. Typically, each of the components of the system are sealed to avoid the leakage of substances out of the system. For example, each adjacent pair of components may be joined by a high temperature gasket and / or by a mechanical seal. Typically, the system comprises a high-temperature seal, e.g. in between the pre-treatment vessel 130 and the reactor 140 and / or in between the hopper 120 and the pre-treatment vessel. The high-temperature seal may comprise a mechanical seal, which mechanical seal comprises an inner chamber, which comprises packing for the shaft, and an cooling jacket, which cooling jacket is arranged to provide cooling to the inner chamber. For example, the cooling jacket may comprise fins to encourage the transfer of heat away from the mechanical seal, or the cooling jacket may comprise a fan that is arranged to transfer heat away from the mechanical seal. Typically, the mechanical seal comprises a stretchable (e.g. stainless steel) cover, where this enables a secure connection to be made between the two components being joined by the seal. Typically, one or more of the components comprises a sensor, such as a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a flowmeter, and / or a level meter. The operation of the system is typically controlled using a computer device (e.g. that determines when material should be introduced to the shredder 110). The computer device may operate in dependence on one or more of said aforementioned sensors, e.g. to provide more material to the shredder when the rate of flow of material into the reactor 140 falls below a threshold level. Typically, each of the pre-treatment vessel 130 and the reactor 140 are arranged to provide heat to materials within these components. The reactor may be maintained at a higher temperature than the pre-treatment vessel, for example the pre-treatment vessel may be heated to around 200°C and the reactor may be heated to above 350°C or to between 350°C and 600°C. Typically, the pre-treatment vessel 130 is heated to, or above, a melting point of the material being processed (e.g. to, or above, the melting temperature of plastic). Typically, the reactor 140 is heated to a greater temperature than the pre-treatment vessel (e.g. to a boiling temperature or a vaporization temperature of the material) so as to promote the emission of vapour products from the melted material (e.g. the reactor may be heated to the boiling temperature or the vaporization temperature of plastic). The pre-treatment vessel 130 and the reactor 140 may be heated by various arrangements of heating structures. For example, pipes may be arranged around the exterior of the pretreatment vessel and / or the reactor, where a heated fluid is passed through these pipes in order to transfer heat to the pre-treatment vessel or the reactor. In some embodiments, the system comprises a heat transfer structure that is arranged to heat both of the reactor 140 and the pre-treatment vessel 130. In particular, such a heat transfer structure may pass from the heating structure 142, around (or through) the reactor, and then around (or through) the pre-treatment vessel. The reactor is typically operated at a higher temperature than the pre-treatment vessel so that the burner is able to heat the fluid to a suitable temperature for heating the reactor, which heating of the reactor results in a corresponding cooling of the fluid. This cooled (but still hot) fluid can then be used to heat the pre-treatment vessel. To ensure that the fluid is at a suitable temperature for heating the pretreatment vessel, the heat transfer structure may be arranged to pass by a cooling device to cool the fluid if it is undesirably hot and / or a heating device (e.g. the burner) to reheat the fluid if it is not as hot as desired. The heat transfer structure may further pass by the column 150; for example, the heat transfer structure may pass from the heating structure 142, around the column 150, around the reactor 140, and then around the pre-treatment vessel 130. This heat transfer structure may then reheat the vapours in the column. The heat transfer structure may further pass by the reactivation circuit; for example, the heat transfer structure may pass from the heating structure 142, around the reactor 140, around the pre-treatment vessel 130, and then around the reactivation circuit. As described above, the hopper 120 may be associated with a vibrating device, where this vibrating device encourages the movement of material through the hopper. Furthermore, one or more of the other components may be associated with a vibrating device, which may be the hopper vibrating device or a different vibrating device. In particular, the pre-treatment vessel 130 may be associated with a vibrating device, where this encourages movement of material into the reactor 140 (e.g. via the screw) as well as mixing of the material in the pre-treatment vessel. Typically, the system comprises a vibrating device that is arranged to vibrate one or more of (or each of): the hopper 120; the pre-treatment vessel 130; the stirrer 132 and / or screw of the pre-treatment vessel; and the reactor 140. The vibrating device may be connected to one or more of these components via rigid links. Equally, the vibrating device may be connected to one or more of these components via flexible structures, such as springs. Typically, the same vibrating device is arranged to vibrate a plurality of components of the system (e.g. the hopper and the pre-treatment vessel). In some embodiments, the system comprises a generator for combusting the fuel produced by the system. Such a generator may vibrate during the course of normal operation and so, in some embodiments, the generator is connected to one or more of: the hopper 120; the pretreatmentvessel 130; the stirrer 132 and / or screw of the pre-treatment vessel; and the reactor 140 so as to vibrate these components. Referring to Figure 4, there is described a method of using a system for processing plastic (e.g. the system of Figure 1). Any of the steps of the method may be carried out by a user manually and / or may be carried out by a computer device. For example, the system may comprise a processor that is arranged to perform one or more of the steps of the method. In a first step 11, a user and / or a computer device provides plastic waste to the shredder 110. The shredder then shreds this plastic waste to obtain small pieces of plastic. The system may be used for processing various types of plastic, e.g. mixed plastic waste (that comprises, for example, both polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) may be fed into the shredder for processing. In a second step 12, the shredded plastic is transferred to the pre-treatment vessel 130 via the hopper 120. The material may then be stirred and / or a gas may be introduced to the pretreatment vessel in order to encourage the emission of excess fluids from the material. In particular, the material may release water, chlorine, or residual air, where an inert gas may be introduced into the pre-treatment vessel to displace these substances so that they are forced towards an opening in a wall of the pre-treatment vessel. In a third step 13, the excess fluids are removed from the pre-treatment vessel 130 and, typically, are transferred to the neutraliser 190. These excess fluids may then be neutralised in the neutraliser. Equally, the neutraliser 190 may provide a neutralizing material to the hopper 120 and / or the pre-treatment vessel 130 in order to neutralise materials as they pass through these components. For example, the neutraliser may transfer an alkali to the pre-treatment vessel, which alkali then mixes with (and neutralizes) the material in the pre-treatment vessel. In a fourth step 14, the material (e.g. the plastic) in the pre-treatment vessel is transferred to the reactor 140. Typically, the method comprises transferring the material to the reactor 140 in the absence of oxygen. For example, inert gas may be introduced into the pre-treatment vessel 130 so as to displace any air and oxygen in these vessels. Therefore, there is no transfer of oxygen to the reactor when the material is transferred to the reactor. Typically, the reactor is located beneath the pre-treatment vessel with the inert gas being introduced into the base of the pre-treatment vessel. The inert gas then forces the oxygen (and any other gases) in the pre-treatment vessel towards the top of the pre-treatment vessel and out through the opening, while the plastic in the pre-treatment vessel moves through the bottom of the pre-treatment vessel (e.g. under the force of gravity) and into the reactor. In a fifth step 15, the reactor 140 is heated, e.g. using the heating structure 142. The product vapor that is produced from the heated material in the reactor flows out of the reactor and into the column 150. The heating of the product typically occurs in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of a catalyst (e.g. so as to prevent combustion of the product vapours). In a fifth step 15, in the column 150, the product vapours are separated into constituent products. Typically, this comprises separating the product vapours by weight, e.g. heavy products and light products may be separated by the column. In a sixth step 16, the light products and / or the medium products are collected (e.g. in an output container or a gas storage vessel 190). In a seventh step 17, the heavy products are transferred back to the pre-treatment vessel 130. These heavy products aid in the melting of material in the pre-treatment vessel since the added heavy products increase the heat capacity of the mix of plastic and heavy products, and the heated heavy products that are distributed through the plastic provide increased transfer of heat to the plastic. Furthermore, the heavy products are typically at a high temperature before being transferred into the pre-treatment vessel (since they have passed through the reactor) and so the heat from these heavy products aids the melting of the plastic in the pre-treatment vessel. In an eighth step 18, any flue gases may be treated (e.g. to neutralise any harmful substances). The flue gases may, for example, be transferred to the neutraliser 190 or to a separate module of the system that is arranged to treat flue gases such as carbon dioxide. Equally, the flue gases may be transferred away from the system (e.g. via an exhaust of the system). Such a system and / or method enables the extraction of useful hydrocarbons from various types of plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS). These extracted hydrocarbons can then be converted into fuels and petrochemicals (e.g. by being decomposed into oil / gas / carbon black and then refined into fuel). The method may comprise refining the products output from the system, e.g. to produce a desired fuel. Referring to Figure 5, there is shown an apparatus 1000 that comprises the components of the system of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 5, each of the components may be provided as part of a single apparatus so that the system can easily be transported and installed. For example, the apparatus may comprise a housing that contains each of the disclosed components (or a subset of these components). The apparatus 1000 may be provided so that gravity helps to move materials through the apparatus. In particular, the apparatus may be arranged so that, when the apparatus is installed, the shredder 110 is located towards the base of the apparatus and / or the pretreatment vessel is located above the reactor 140. Such an arrangement enables the use of a hopper 120 that is gravity fed and does not rely on converter belts. Furthermore, the neutraliser 190 and / or the column 150 may be located above the pre-treatment vessel and / or the reactor 140 so that gases flowing out of the pre-treatment vessel can enter the neutraliser. Typically, the gas storage vessel 180 is arranged to be easily removable from the remainder of the apparatus, e.g. it may be secured to the exterior of the apparatus using clips. This enables a gas storage vessel to be removed when it is full so that another, empty, gas storage vessel can be connected to the system. Such an apparatus and / or system may be installed in, for example, a building or a vehicle, and the present disclosure extends to such an implementation. Equally, the apparatus or system may be provided as a standalone apparatus / system. Alternatives and modifications It will be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention. For example, it will be appreciated that a system or apparatus may be provided that contains only a subset of the components described herein. For example, the system may be provided without the shredder 110 or with an external shredder, where shredded plastic is directly fed into the hopper 120. Typically, where a small integrated shredder is used this shredder enforces a bottleneck on the amount of plastic that can be processed by the system. Therefore, there may be provided an apparats that includes the other components, where a large external shredder can then be provided separate to this apparatus. In some embodiments, the system further comprises a generator, e.g. that is arranged to combust the fuel produced by the system. Therefore, given an input of plastic, the system may be used to produce electricity. Such a generator may be provided in the apparatus of Figure 5, or the generator may be provided separate to this generator. Reference numerals appearing in the claims are by way of illustration only and shall have no limiting effect on the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A material processing system, comprising:a pre-treatment vessel arranged to melt and / or fluidise a material;a reactor arranged to receive the material from the pre-treatment vessel and to heat the material so as to produce vapours; anda column for receiving the vapours from the reactor and separating the vapours into a plurality of component products.

2. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a connector between the column and the pre-treatment vessel to enable the transfer of one or more of the component products from the column to the pre-treatment vessel, preferably to enable the transfer of heavy products to the pre-treatment vessel.

3. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a pump for transferring component products from the column to the pre-treatment vessel.

4. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a shredder for breaking a piece of material into smaller pieces, the shredder preferably being arranged to provide the smaller pieces of material to the pre-treatment vessel.

5. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a hopper for providing material to the pre-treatment vessel, preferably wherein:the hopper is located between a / the shredder and the pre-treatment vessel; and / or the hopper comprises a cyclone separator, preferably wherein the cyclone separator is arranged so that solid and liquid material passes through the hopper into the pretreatment vessel and gas exits the hopper through an upper aperture of the hopper.

6. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a vibrating device, preferably wherein the vibrating device is arranged to vibrate one or more of: the hopper; the pre-treatment vessel; and a mixer of the pre-treatment vessel, more preferably wherein the vibrating device is arranged to vibrate both of the hopper and the pretreatment vessel.

7. The material processing system of any preceding claim, wherein:the hopper is arranged to transfer material to the pre-treatment vessel under the force of gravity; and / orthe pre-treatment vessel is arranged to transfer material to the reactor under the force of gravity.

8. The material processing system of any preceding claim, wherein the hopper is mounted to another component of the system using flexible structures, preferably springs.

9. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a mixer, preferably wherein:the mixer is located between the pre-treatment vessel and the reactor; and / orthe mixer comprises a screw, preferably an Archimedes screw; and / orthe mixer comprises one or more scrapers, the scrapers being arranged to force material in the pre-treatment vessel through the stirrer.

10. The material processing system of claim 9, wherein the mixer comprises one or more holes, preferably wherein the holes are arranged to enable the passage of gas upwards through the mixer as liquid and / or solid material moves downwards through the mixer.

11. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a connector, preferably a kinked tube and / or a one-way valve, located between the pre-treatment vessel and the reactor, the connector being arranged to prevent the transfer of gases from the reactor into the pre-treatment vessel.

12. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a gas inlet for introducing a gas, preferably an inert gas, into the pre-treatment vessel, preferably wherein the gas inlet is located towards the bottom of the pre-treatment vessel.

13. The material processing system comprising a catalyst chamber located between the reactor and the column, the catalyst chamber comprising a catalyst.

14. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a reactivation circuit, wherein the reactivation circuit is arranged to blow hot air: into a / the catalyst chamber; and / or over a / the catalyst; and / or into the reactor.

15. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a heating structure, preferably wherein:the heating structure is arranged to heat one or more of: the reactor; the pre-treatment vessel; the column and the reactivation circuit; and / orthe system comprises a heat transfer structure arranged to transfer heat from the heating structure first to the reactor and thereafter to the pre-treatment vessel and / or the reactivation circuit.

16. The material processing system of any preceding claim, wherein:the reactor is configured to operate at a higher temperature than the pre-treatment vessel; and / orwherein the heating structure is arranged to heat the reactor to a higher temperature than the pre-treatment vessel.

17. The material processing system of any preceding claim, wherein:the reactor is arranged to operate at a temperature that is greater than a boiling and / or vaporization temperature of plastic; and / orthe reactor is arranged to operate at a temperature of greater than 300°C; and / orthe pre-treatment vessel is arranged to operate at a temperature that is greater than a melting temperature of plastic; and / orthe pre-treatment vessel is arranged to operate at a temperature of greater than 150°C;the pre-treatment vessel is arranged to operate at a temperature of less than 300°C.

18. The material processing system of any preceding claim, wherein the column is arranged to provide products to a / the heating structure, preferably wherein the column is arranged to provide one or more of: light products, hydrocarbons, and combustible products to the heating structure.

19. The material processing system of any preceding claim, wherein the column is arranged to provide products to a fuel storage vessel, preferably wherein the column is arranged to provide one or more of: light products, hydrocarbons, and combustible products to the fuel storage vessel.

20. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a neutraliser, preferably wherein the neutraliser contains an alkali substance, more preferably wherein the neutraliser is arranged to provide the alkali substance to the hopper and / or the pretreatment vessel.

21. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising a carbon black storage structure located beneath the reactor, preferably:wherein the carbon black storage structure is connected to the reactor via a closeable opening and / or an operable valve; and / or.wherein the system comprises a fan for blowing carbon black into the storage structure and / or for drawing carbon black into the storage structure.

22. The material processing system of any preceding claim, comprising one or more of:a fuel storage vessel;a compressor for compressing a fluid received from the column;a sensor, preferably comprising a computer device that is arranged to operate the system in dependence on a reading of the sensor;a generator for receiving component products from the column, wherein the generator is arranged to combust the component products so as to generate electricity; anda switch, wherein the switch is arranged to selectively connect the heating structure to one of a plurality of fuel sources, preferably wherein:the switch is arranged to selectively connect the heating structure to: the column;and / or a fuel storage vessel; and / orthe switch is arranged to operate in dependence on an amount of fuel being produced by the system.

23. The material processing system of any preceding claim, being a plastic processing system.

24. An apparatus comprising the material processing system of any preceding claim.

25. A method of operating the material processing system of any preceding claim, preferably wherein the method comprises one or more of:transferring material into the reactor; andextracting components from the column.