Hydrogen chloride recovery incinerator for plastics containing hydrogen and chlorine

Claim 1

An incinerator device for recovering hydrogen chloride from scrap plastic prior to the latter being burned, said plastic of a type that contains hydrogen and chlorine and that partially decomposes to yield substantially hydrogen chloride only when heated to a first temperature, said incinerator device including: a. an angularly disposed rotary, power driven kiln having first and second open ends, said first end higher than said second end, and said kiln capable of having said scrap plastic heated therein to said first temperature; b. a hydrogen chloride collecting chamber in communication with said first end; c. a hydrogen chloride collector in communication with said chamber; d. first means for sequentially discharging said scrap plastic at a desired rate into said first end of said kiln for said scrap plastic to be partially decomposed when heated to said first temperatuRe; e. second power operated means for crushing said partially decomposed plastic as the latter discharges by gravity from said second end of said kiln; f. a downwardly extending chute through which crushed partially decomposed plastic is received from said second power-operated means; g. a furnace that includes a grate onto which said crushed partially decomposed plastic is discharged from said chute; h. third means for supplying a surplus of air to the interior of said furnace as said partially decomposed plastic burns to gaseous products of combustion on said grate; i. a jacket extending around said kiln to receive a heated fluid at a temperature sufficient to heat the interior of said kiln to said first temperature, said jacket and collecting chamber obstructing communication between said first and second ends of said kiln and the ambient atmosphere; j. a heat exchanger that is heated by said gaseous products of combustion to a second temperature higher than said first temperature, said heat exchanger having a first end through which fluid can enter to be heated, and a second end through which heated fluid can discharge; k. a power driven pump having an inlet and a discharge; l. first conduit means connecting said discharge to said first end of said heat exchanger; m. second conduit means connecting said second end of said heat exchanger to the interior of said jacket for said heated fluid from said heat exchanger to heat said kiln to said first temperature; n. third conduit means connecting said inlet of said pump to the interior of said jacket to permit a continuous circulation of said heated fluid to said jacket; o. a chimney in communication with the interior of said furnace only to receive said gaseous products of combustion and discharge the same to the ambient atmosphere after said gaseous products of combustion have heated said heat exchanger; and p. fourth means for controlling the temperature of said heat exchanger to one at which said fluid is heated to the extent that said kiln is maintained at said first temperature at which substantially hydrogen chloride only is obtained from the partial decomposition of said plastic in said kiln.