Turning Plastics (back) into Fuel

[Maillemann]

Global Resources Corporation (GRC) has developed a process which uses tuned microwaves to gasify the hydrocarbons present in plastics and rubber (or anything else), returning the product to it's base components. They call it "High-Frequency Attenuating Wave Kinetics" and their microwave unit - the HAWK-10 - can, for example, reduce 9.1 kilograms of ground-up tire to:

4.54 litres of diesel oil,
1.42 cubic metres of combustible gas
1 kg of steel and
3.40 kg of carbon black.

There is a video of the process here.
My question is how much energy does this require and what is the net loss-gain? Even if it's lossy it has many other benefits (reclamation of otherwise "lost" resources, reduced waste, etc.)

[tom_eberhard]

Originally Posted by Maillemann

My question is how much energy does this require and what is the net loss-gain? Even if it's lossy it has many other benefits (reclamation of otherwise "lost" resources, reduced waste, etc.)

Sounds great... from what I've read recycling tires is been very difficult. They are after all designed to last long and be resistant to friction. I'd think the steel would be taken out with a magnet, not microwaves.
From reading their website they have all sorts of secret agreements with oil companies, whose goals are always more oil and higher prices, so I don't know if they'll actually apply their technology to turning tires into fuel.

Tom.