Maine

luckyleftyme2

(3,880 posts) Mon Mar 19, 2012, 12:18 AM Mar 2012

can this really work?

a friend e-mailed this video to me and it certainly got my attention....could it be we are wasting space in our land fills with plastic that could be converted to black gold,texas tea or better known as oil?
http://www.flixxy.com/convert-plastic-to-oil.htm
this has got me curious ...how about you? lets get our youth checking this out ... just think of the jobs we could create!

4 replies

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can this really work? (Original Post) luckyleftyme2 Mar 2012 OP

Yep. Its a sordid, sordid affair. napoleon_in_rags Mar 2012 #1

Yes you can do that Confusious Mar 2012 #2

Agreed, it does take a lot of energy to break down the plastics into the original form tech3149 Mar 2012 #3

letme be the devils advocate luckyleftyme2 Mar 2012 #4

napoleon_in_rags

(3,991 posts)

1. Yep. Its a sordid, sordid affair.

Reply to luckyleftyme2 (Original post)

Mon Mar 19, 2012, 01:00 AM

Mar 2012

The real question is whether we should have burned the base material for plastic for all future generations, to propel our asses around in 2 ton steel cages when we could have had efficient transport at 1/10th the energy usage. But the upside for future generations is we left them a pile of wealth called "garbage dumps" where they can find base plastic to make the things they need after the oil is gone. But now as the oil runs out, we've found a way to convert that plastic legacy into more fuel for our two ton steel cages, also ensuring that future generations will be more screwed than ever before.

Confusious

(8,317 posts)

2. Yes you can do that

Reply to luckyleftyme2 (Original post)

Mon Mar 19, 2012, 03:01 AM

Mar 2012

But it requires a lot of energy. You would use more coverting it then you would get in return.

Of course, if you had a lot of solar power, you could do it for free. But if you had that much, why use gas?

tech3149

(4,452 posts)

3. Agreed, it does take a lot of energy to break down the plastics into the original form

Reply to Confusious (Reply #2)

Mon Mar 19, 2012, 10:46 AM

Mar 2012

that is petroleum. What I rarely hear or see discussed is the comparison between the efficiency of burning fossil fuels in IC engines as opposed to current technology electric motors. An IC engine only converts about 8% of the energy available to useful output.
An electric motor can easily convert 85% of that to useful output.

luckyleftyme2

(3,880 posts)

4. letme be the devils advocate

Reply to tech3149 (Reply #3)

Tue Mar 20, 2012, 06:39 AM

Mar 2012

If the dumb ass repukes hadn't dragged their heels since nixon time we would be using 60% less oil right now! electric is far from feasible yet. the battery pack in these new cars cost a fortune to replace! the recharge time is still to long! their no good for trips! the hybred is better than straight electric but still expensive in the long run. (battery packs again)
I think it would take little energy to melt the plastic but I wonder what the return is!
cost v/s product. It would be great if cities could economically do this;the space plus a surplus product could save billions!
my wife's new car gets 35 mpg on the highway,27 in town. It cost $18,000 less than a prius,it is larger has more room and will throw you in the back seat if you need power!
18,000/$5=3600 gals.

77,000miles/30per gal avg=2600 gals this certainly is not cost effective to buy a hybred!
77,000 miles/45mpg avg.=1711 gal
you save 889 gals x5 =$4445 in gas and pay $18,000 more for the vechicle- not really a good investment! and I hear the upkeep will break you!

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