RECYCLING SHIP'S PLASTIC WASTE

Recycling shipboard plastic wastes that are commingled, contaminated , and densified by the Navy Plastic Processor will be very challenging. Our Phase I work will first characterize the Navy's plastic waste by resin and contam- ination types and quantities. We then conclude our ongoing industry and university review of all potential technologies capable of recycling plastic wastes. We then focus on thermal decomposition (pyrolysis) as the best technology to meet the Navy's needs. our investigation efforts will leverage off ongoing work on pyrolysis of plastics by the American Plastics Council in conjunction with Conrad Industries, Inc.. We analyze Navy plastic feedstock input streams and process technology modifications needed to produce a syn- thetic crude oil, or better, equivalent the Navy can use in a closed-loop recycling operation. We also analyze the overall concept of operations for the Navy's shipboard plastics recycling to determine if it is economically viable for the Navy and/or commercial companies. This includes analyzing and recommending transportation and handling options for ship and shore to minimize these costs. During Phase II, we will perform test runs of the Navy's plastic wastes in the prototype pyroysis unit in Washington to confirm our Phase I findings.