How to turn plastic waste into diesel fuel cheaply

[Mporse]

Hey guys,

Thanks a lot for the suggestions

My friend and I will try to make another go with a larger pipe from the top of the retort to the reflux. We will probably try to weld it again, but as mjohnson1 suggested, we will fill our system with compressed air to see where there might be leaks in the system.

If other people in this forum would like to share some suggestions for improvements with me, then I would really appreciate it

Thanks again guys!

[mjohnson1]

Why can't we keep our system shut? You have a pressure requirement due to the bubbler water depth which forces vapors/air out of the tiny holes in your unit.

Why does vapor keep coming from the lid? The welds likely have small holes in them allowing vapors to escape. Get rid of the sealant. Do a 2nd welding pass and turn up the heat. Look at some youtube videos on how to weld too. I wouldn't use any type of sealant on these units if you can help it. Welding > sealant.

And (most importantly): What do you guys think my friend and I can do to seal the lid, so we can stop the vapor from coming out of the system? There are two things to consider here. You want to have a perfect seal but you also need a way to reload your retort with plastic. I would suggest looking for steel flanges and welding those on. You then bolt on both flange with a gasket in between them. I'm not sure where you live but I am was able to get a pair of high quality flanges off of ebay for $75 USD including shipping. As a last resort you could make your own flange like you did. I would use graphite gaskets though and not the cord you use. I use high temperature graphite gaskets like someone suggested earlier. If you have a torque wrench use that as it will give you a perfect fit and follow the recommended torque settings for the particular gasket you bought.

[mjohnson1]

I can see a couple problems just by looking at the pictures. The hole for the pipe coming out of your retort looks to be very small in diameter and the hole on the top plate you attached to the retort looks to be even smaller than the diameter of the pipe.

I have a feeling that this small diameter hole combined with the pressure requirements of the bubbler will make your retort leak like you were experiencing.

I would suggest a compressed air test by filling up your entire system with some compressed air and seeing where the leaks are with some soapy water.

I'll be the first to admit my welds don't look the greatest. I would make another pass over the existing welds at a higher temp to help close off the holes.

If you aren't using a catalyst you won't expierence much if any cracking at the 250-300C range. You will need to get to the 400C range if you want to crack without a catalyst.

[Mporse]

Brilliant effort guys but it sounds like you need someone who can weld...

If the welds are poor then safety will be an issue.

That sounds like a good idea Waterboost

Unfortunately, we really don't know anyone who is REALLY good at welding, so that might be a problem...

Do you have any other suggestions? For example, do you know a material that can withstand the high temperatures of the cracking process, which we can use to seal our retort?

Or maybe, do you know how to make prober welds?

I guess we can find the answer to the last question by simply making a search on Google
Just thought I would ask in this forum because many people probably know a lot about this.

Thanks again!

[Mporse]

Oops!

Sorry, accidentally posted the post again :P