🔄 Updated 2026-09-22
A pyrolysis plant’s main components work to heat materials without oxygen, producing oils, gases, and solids. The components typically include a feeding system, a central pyrolysis reactor, a condensing system, a gas handling system, a solid discharging system, and an electronic control system, all working together to manage the breakdown, collection, and purification of products.
01 Feeding System: Diverse Solutions
The feeding system conveys raw materials into the reactor of a pyrolysis plant. Based on project scale and labor costs, three main feeding methods are available: manual feeding, hydraulic feeding, and screw feeding. Belt conveyors are frequently used alongside these systems to improve feeding efficiency.
Solution 1: Manual Feeding
Operators manually lift and move raw materials to load them into the pyrolysis reactor.
- High manual labor intensity;
- No complex material pretreatment required;
- Can be used together with belt conveyors or forklifts.
Solution 2: Hydraulic Feeding
The hydraulic system generates strong thrust to densely pack the materials into the reactor.
- Low labor intensity;
- Accepts whole tires, tire shreds, and various crushed materials;
- Easy to operate and move.
Solution 3: Screw Feeding
The screw feeder uses a motor to drive the screw and convey materials into the reactor.
- Low labor intensity;
- Particularly suitable for continuous operation;
- Easy to operate and move;
- Note: Feedstock pretreatment is required to ensure smooth feeding.
Auxiliary: Belt Conveyor
The belt conveyor can be used with the three feeding methods mentioned above to enhance feeding efficiency.
- Structure: A mechanical assembly comprising a high-strength conveyor belt, a supporting metal frame, multiple idlers, a tensioning device, motors and reducers.
- Function: Continuous long-distance material transportation to the feeding system. It features a simple structure that is easy to maintain.
02 Reactor System: Core Component
The pyrolysis reactor system is the functional heart of a plastic pyrolysis plant. Its primary objective is to provide a controlled environment—oxygen-free, heated, and continuously agitated—to facilitate the thermal cracking of polymer chains in raw materials.
Pyrolysis Reactor
- Structure: A horizontal, cylindrical pressure vessel typically fabricated from specialized boiler-grade steel (such as 304/310S Stainless steel) to withstand high temperatures. It features internal lifting plates or spiral flights and is mounted on riding rings that interface with support rollers. The entire vessel is hermetically sealed to maintain a strictly anaerobic environment.
- Function: Thermal decomposition and material agitation. As the reactor rotates, the internal structures ensure constant material movement and uniform heat absorption. Once the materials reach the cracking temperature, the molecular chains break down, transforming solid waste into gaseous oil gas and solid product.
Driving System
- Structure: Consists of an electric motor, a reduction gearbox, and a transmission gear mechanism.
- Function: Provides the mechanical torque required for the reactor’s rotation. By precisely controlling the Rotations Per Minute (RPM), it ensures that the material residence time meets process requirements and promotes uniform heat distribution through constant agitation.
Casing
- Structure: A stationary outer enclosure surrounding the rotating reactor, lined with high-density refractory materials such as ceramic fiber, rock wool, or refractory bricks.
- Function: Acts as a thermal barrier to minimize radiant heat loss to the atmosphere, maintaining a stable internal process temperature. It also serves as a flue gas channel, directing hot air from the combustion chamber to envelop the reactor surface for maximized heat transfer.
Base
- Structure: A reinforced steel framework that serves as the stationary mounting platform for the entire rotating reactor, lined with refractory materials (such as firebricks or castables).
- Function: It provides structural support for the reactor’s total weight. It also serves as the heat generation zone where fuel combustion transfers thermal energy via radiation and convection.
03 Condensing System: Oil & Gas Separator
The condensing system is the critical stage where high-temperature oil gas is cooled and converted into liquid fuel. By utilizing a series of high-efficiency heat exchangers and safety vessels, it rapidly reduces the gas temperature to ensure maximum oil yield and process safety.
