WO1988008020A1

WO1988008020A1 - Process for the disposal of wastes of mixed polymeric materials and relevant equipment

Info

Publication number: WO1988008020A1
Application number: PCT/EP1988/000169
Authority: WO
Inventors: Arturo Ferrari; Aldo Lucchesi; Giuseppe Maschio; Giuliano Nardini
Original assignee: Arturo Ferrari
Priority date: 1987-04-07
Filing date: 1988-03-05
Publication date: 1988-10-20
Also published as: IT1203869B; IT8720007A0

Abstract

Process for the disposal of wastes and/or scraps of mixed polymeric materials, such as plastics materials of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyurethane, polyamide types and the like, consisting in pyrolysing said plastics materials blended with filled rubbers, taking advantage of the energy content of the same wastes, and valuable and industrially useable products being obtained. Equipment for carrying out such a disposing process.

Description

"PROCESS FOR THE OISPOSAL OF WASTES OF MIXED POLYMERIC MATERIALS AND RELEVRNT EQUIPMENT"

An object of the present invention is a process for the disposal of wastes and/or scraps of mixed polymeric materials by thermal decomposition, or pyrolysis, with their energy content being taken advantage of, and from said wastes valuable and commercially useable products being winned.

Another object of the present invention is also an equipment for carrying out said process for the disposal, by pyrolysis, of said wastes of mixed polymeric materials.

It is known that the disposal of the residues, wastes or scraps of the materials which are commonly denominated as "plastics materials", such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyurethane resins, polyamides, polystyrene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, phenolic resins, polyvinylidene fluoride, and the like, constitutes a serious problem from an environmental view point, in that the materials by which they are constituted, widely used in the most different fields, from the field of packaging, of electrotechnics, to the field of interior decoration, the car industry field, and so forth, are very inert from a chemical viewpoint, and very difficultly biodegradable. Furthermore, these residues cannot be burnt and destroyed in the usual incinerator facilities, because when burning, they mostly develop very corrosive flue gases, which display, in their turn, high polluting capacities, and originate condensates, fouling and the like, which would seriously and rapidly damage such incinerator equipment as used, e.g., for the normal solid urban wastes.

It is known as well that the residues or scraps of filled and cured elastomeric materials, such as, e.g., natural and/or synthetic rubbers, in particular car tyres, gaskets, couplings, sheats of electrical cables, and the like, can be "disposed of" by means of a treatment of thermal decomposition, or pyrolysis, substantially consisting in heating the rubber to temperatures of the order of from 400 to 600ºC in the absence of oxygen, with a "depolymerization" of the material being thus accomplished, with lower molecular weight compounds being formed. In this way, gaseous products, which are prevailingly constituted by low molecular weight hydrocarbons; liquid products, which are constituted as well by hydrocarbon blends, and/or by various aromatic products, according to the rubber type submitted to the pyrolysis; and a solid residue which, in case of tyres, may represent up to 30-50% by weight of the initial material, and which is essentially constituted by the fillers initially used in the rubber compound, such as carbon black, silica, kaolin, calcium carbonate, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, and the like, are obtained.

The treatment of decomposition by pyrolysis of the residues of the polymeric materials of the type of the afore mentioned plastics materials, such as, eg., polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride and the like, causes, on the contrary, serious drawbacks to occur, which are analogous to those as already mentioned in case of combustion of said materials, due to the fact that such materials, when exposed to high temperatures, and before depolymerising, generate, in most cases, high-viscosity liquid phases, glass-like phases and/or pitches which tend to foul the equipment, in particular the same pyrolysis reactor, severely reducing the efficiency thereof, even after a short operating time.

Then, in case of plastics materials containing halogens, such as chlorine in polyvinyl chloride, fluorine in polyvinylidene fluoride and in polytetrafluoroethylene, bromine in the various types of self-extinguishing polymers, etc., when the pyrolysis process is carried out, the halogen is developed as an acid, with consequent serious problems of corrosion of the equipment, and of atmospheric pollution.

The seriousness of the disposal problems results then further increased, when the residue of plastics material to be disposed of is mixed, i.e., is constituted by a blend of different plastics materials, of different nature and composition, and different problems have hence to be coped with to the end of their destruction and/or decomposition, and, consequently, of their disposal.

At present, the plastics material wastes, like the mixed wastes of polymeric materials, i.e., the wastes wherein more or less considerable amounts of said plastics materials are contained, are simply dumped to landfills, wherein they accumulate, in that, as already said, they cannot undergo a biodegradation; and the problems of their disposal and elimination is still presently practical unsolved.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a process for the disposal of the wastes or scraps or residues of various plastics materials, which does not involve the formation of also polluting byproducts, which are in their turn difficult to be eliminated and disposed of.

Another purpose of the present finding is to provide a process for the disposal of the residues of mixed polymeric materials, i.e., constituted by different and also non-homogeneous types of polymeric materials, comprising, e.g., plastics materials in mixture with one another, and also mixed with different elastomeric materials, such as rubber, and the like, without a preliminary sorting, separation and selection of the differentresidues having to be performed. A further purpose of the present invention is to pruvide a process for cue disposal of mixed residues which originates the production of valuable, commercially useable materials, and with the simultaneous exploiting of the energy content of the same residues.

A still further purpose of the present finding is to provide an equipment capable of carrying out a process for the disposal of wastes of mixed plastics materials and/or mixed polymeric materials, with their energy content being taken advantage of, and withvaluable and commercially useable products beingsimultaneously produced. These purposes and the relevant advantages, together with still further purposes and advantages, which are better brought forth by the following disclosure, areachieved by a process for the disposal of the wastes and/or scraps of various plastics materials, whichprocess consists, according to the present invention, in submitting to thermal breakdown by pyrolysis amixture constituted by residues of one or more plasticspolymeric material(s) belonging to the group consistingof polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride , polytetrafluoroethylene ,phenolic resins, epoxy resins, polyurethanes, polyacrylates, polyamides, polystyrene, polyester resins and the like, and by residues of a filledelastomeric material, such as synthetic and/ or naturalrubber and containing at least one of the inert and/orreinforcer fillers belonging to the group consisting of carbon black and/or other carbonaceous substances, kaolin, calcium carbonate, silica, zinc oxide, sulphur, sulphides, magnesium oxide , titanium oxide , and the like.

More particularly, said process of thermal breakdown by pyrolysis comprises the following steps:

- grinding of a mixture constituted by residues of plastics materials and by residues of elastomeric materials containing fillers, in a mill of a known type, suitable for "crumbling" plastics materials, rubber, wood and the like, until a size of the fragments of the order of from 2 to 5 cm is reached;

-thermal decomposition by heating under an atmosphere of an inert gas, such as nitrogen or the like, and anyway in the absence of air (pyrolysis), of the mixture of the residues, at a temperature comprised within the range of from 300 to 600ºC, for a time comprised within a range depending on the type and characteristics of the components of the mixture;

-cooling under an inert atmosphere, anyway in the absence of air, of the solid product from the pyrolysis, down to a temperature lower than 200ºC; -cooling to a temperature lower than 100ºC

("quenching") of the pyrolysis products in vapour and/or gas form, by scrubbing by means of a pre-cooled recycled pyrolysis oil, and condensation of the condensible products, with the liquid product (the

"pyrolysis oil") being obtained; -cooling to a temperature lower than 50ºC of a portion of said liquid product (i.e., the pyrolysis oil), and its use for the same quenching;

-scrubbing of the non-condensed gases coming from the quenching, with an alkaline solution, and their subsequent compression for storage and use:

- combustion of a portion of non-condensed gases and use of the hot flue gases, at a temperature of approximately 600ºC, for the pyrolisis of the polymeric material used as the feedstock.

Recording to the process of the present invention, the thermal decomposition of the plastics polymeric materials carried out in the presence of rubber scraps containing miscellaneous fillers, such as, e.g., scraps or fragments of car tyres, gaskets, sheats for cables and the like, or also associated with materials capableof causinng, when heated, carbonaceous substances to beformed, such as, e.g., cloths, cardboards, wood and thelike, leads to the formation of solid products, which are essentially constituted by carbon black and by the other fillers initially contained in the feedstock; ofliquid products, which are essentially constituted byvarious olefins and aromatics; and of gaseous products,which are constituted by hydrogen, methane, and various low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons, without any substantial and appreciable formation and development of corrosive and highly toxic acidic substances, particular hydrogen halides, such as hydrogen chloride,hydrogen fluoride, and the like, contained in theplastics materials used as the feedstock.

In fact, the present Rpplicant could surprisingly observe that the halogens initially contained in the polymeric materials used as the feedstock, in particular in polyvinyl chloride, when undergo the pyrolysis carried out according to the present invention, remain fixed in the solid product from the pyrolysis, and do not evolve as hydrogen halide, e.g.,hydrogen chloride in case of polyvinyl chloride. The present Applicant was also able to observe that the solid products begins to appreciably relesse the fixed haloden, due to the effect of the heating in the absence of oxygen, only at temperatures of theorder of 1000ºC, i.e., at temperatures by far higher than the maximum temperature of 800ºC, at which the pyrolysis is made take place according to the presrnt invention.

According to the present invention, to the decomposition by pyrolysis, a mixture of polymeric materials is advantageously submitted, which is constituted as follows:

- Plastic polymeric materials from 5 to 50%

- Filled rubber from 50 to 35% wherein by "rubber" both the materials constituted by true rubber (sulphur-cured natural or synthetic elastomers), and the various ethylene-propylene copolymers, also chlorinated and filled with up to more than 60% by weight of carbon black, are meant.

Their content of halogens, conventionally expressed as Cl, may be as high as 4.5% by weight, referred to the total weight of the mixture submitted to the pyrolysis.

The gaseous product which is obtained from the pyrolysis results to be a mixture of permanent gases

H₂, CH₄, CO, N₂, CO₂ and of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons ranging from ethane to octanes, with a particularly high content of C₂, C₃, C₄, C₆; it furthermore contains small amounts of aromatic hydrocarbons and mercaptans.

The oxides of sulphur, rather small amounts of which are formed from the sulphur contained in the rubbers, are decreased, by means of an alkaline scrubbing, to levels lower than as detectable by means of the normal analytical procedures (<0.01% by volume).

Said gas mixture, which has a heat value comprised within the range of from 5,000 to 8,000 kcal/m³, is used, as already said, in order to supply the heating fluid for the pyrolysis. Its combustion does not pose any problems and the produced fumes can be directly vented to atmosphere, because they are practically free from dusts, and, thanks to the above reported characteristics of the gases, have a content of polluting substances which is by far under the threshold values imposed by the regional regulations governing the facilities by which the special wastes are processed.

The liquid product which is obtained from pyrolysis results to be constituted by a mixture of aromatic, olefinic and saturated hydrocarbons.

Its carbon content results to be variable, but is anyway of approximately 85% by weight, hydrogen is approximately 10% by weight; the residual components thereof are nitrogen, oxygen; and sulphur and chlorine are contained at very low percentages, i.e., the chlorine content is of the order of 1,000 ppm, and the sulphur content is of the order of 1%.

The low contents of ashes, of sulphur, a heat value of approximately 9,500 kcal/kg, and the high fluidity thereof, render such liquid product a very valuable fuel for industrial furnaces and steam generators.

Thanks to the presence of valuable chemical compounds, such a liquid product can even constitute an interesting raw material for petrochemical industry.

The liquid product obtained from the pyrolysis results to be a material composed by the residues of very many types of elastomers, plastics materials and thermosetting resins, rubbers, copolymers, polymeric alloys, and the like.

The carbon content results to be variable, but anyway around 58-65% by weight; furthermore, small amounts of hydrogen (1-2%) and of nitrogen (0.3-0.4%) are present.

Furthermore, sulphur (1.5-2%) deriving from cured materials; and chlorine (3-4.5%), deriving from the chlorinated plastics and rubbers CPVC, isoprene rubbers and elastomeric copolymers) are present. Furthermore, an inorganic component, or residual ashes, is present (20-35%), which is constituted by metals and metal salts originally added to the rubbers and to the plastics materials as fillers performing different functions (reinforcers, extenders, antioxidants, dyes, and so forth).

Basically, the metals, mainly iron, aluminum, copper, magnesium, calcium, zinc, titanium, barium, have two origins:

- metals and alloys, as a powder, or small fragments (iron, aluminum, copper, magnesium), deriving from the crumbling of the metal structures initially associated with the plastics materials used as the feedstock to the process;

-metals contained as salts (of calcium, barium, magnesium, zinc, aluminum, silicon, and titanium), which were originally present as fillers inside the feedstock to the process.

The coal powder, obtained from the solid pyrolysis product by sieving and separation of the metal fractions according to known processes, can be used as a fuel.

In fact, it has a calorific value comprised within the range of from 4,800 to 5,600 kcal/kg, and can be burnt in thermal facilities equipped with coal powder burners, mixted with coal powder. The sulphur content thereof is low, lower than the average content of mineral coals.

As already said, the solid product which is obtained from the pyrolysis is the residue left by the various materials undergoing the same pyrolysis, and is essentially constituted by coal powder, which can be also reused, after suitable treatments, known from the prior art, of sieving and separation of the metal fractions, and/or washing, as a filler in the field of the plastomeric materials and of vulcanized rubbers.

In fact, in the vulcanized rubbers (tyres, sections, pipes, vibration-damping supports, etc.), and in the elastomers of copolymeric, or polymeric alloy, type (ethylene-propylene, styrene-butadiene copolymers, isoprene, chloroisoprene, and so forth), in order to produce the relevand compounds, Large amounts of carbons black, and of similar products, are incorporated: their amounts range from 30-35% of carbon black in rubber compounds for tyres, up to 50-80% in ethylene-propylene copolymers, and the like.

To the compounds of rubber, and of some types of copolymers, other substances, besides sulphur, required for vulcanization, are furthermore added, such as zinc oxide and silica. Furthermore, to the plastics materials considerably large amounts of substances are incorporated as fillers (calcium, magnesium, barium carbonates and sulphates, titanium dioxide, and so forth). All these substances are found, practically unaltered, in the solid product obtained from the pyrolysis according to the present invention, together with coal powder. Such a pyrolysis product can be regarded hence as a blend of various types of carbon black, reinforcer fillers and inert fillers initially charged to the elastomeric and plastomeric articles.

Of course, when the ratio of the constituents of the mixture undergoing the pyrolysis, as well as the pyrolysis temperature, is varied, the ratio can be varied of the amounts of the liquid products (the pyrolysis oil) to the gaseous products obtained from the process, according to the needs and/or the requirements from the market, for each type and composition of the mixture. By operating at lower temperatures, a larger amount of liquid product is formed, whilst at higher temperatures, the cracking reactions become prevailing, with larger amounts of gas products being produced. The process of the present invention is used in a particularly advantageous way in order to dispose of the polymeric materials deriving from the demolition and crumbling of cars. It is well-known that after the grinding of the cars, carried out inside suitable mills, a separation is carried out, inside a suitable equipment, of the ferrous materials, as well as of the other non-ferrous metals, from non-metal materials, constituted by various plastics materials, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyurethanes, polyester resinns, epoxy resins, polyamides and the like, and by various synthetic and natural rubbers, polyethylene, polypropylene, and the like, containing active or inert fillers, such as carbon black, calcium carbonate, z i nc oxide, silica, titanium dioxide, and the Iike. Normally, the polymeric material coming from car demolition, as above said, already practically contains all the components, plastics materials and rubbers which constitute the mixture of polymeric material to be submitted to the pyrolysis according to the present finding. In most cases, in fact, such a materialresults to be substantially cons ituted by the following components:

- rubber from tyres 20-35 % by weight

- rubber from door, bonnet gaskets 3- 8 % by weight

- rubber from engine and mechanical parts supports, pads, casings, and so forth 20-30 % by weight

- rubber from various types of pipes 2- 7 % by weight

- rubber from lugs, caps, bellows, electrical cables 1- 9 % by weight

- various types of sponge rubber 0.5- 4 % by weight

- bakelites 5-15 % by weight

- white and coloured plastics 4-10 % by weight

- various materials: composites (fiberglass reinforced resins), technopolymers, Iigno-cellulosic materials

(wood) 8-20 % by weight

- metals and alloys 0.5- 4 % by weight EXAMPLE

Many tests of disposal according to the present invention were run by submitting to pyrolysis wastes of mixed materials coming from car demolition and crumbling. In the following, the results from the many experimental tests carried out are summarized.

The material used as the feedstock was constituted by the wastes coming from the crushing processes, and contained approximately 80% of pyrolysable substances according to the present finding (rubber, plastics materials and wood), with the remainder 20% being constituted by inert substances; the characteristics (expressed as percentages by weight, referred to the dry matter) of the processed materials were as follows:

- Rubber 65-70 %

- Polymers 7-10 %

- wood 1- 4 %

- Metals 8-12 %

- Inert substances 6- 8 %

- Moisture 12-20 %

The average chemical analysis of the material fed to the process was as follows:

- Residue at 105ºC 98.2 %

- Residue at 900ºC 22.5 %

- Carbon 59.0 %

- Hydrogen 5.2 %

- Oxygen 9.0 %

- Nitrogen lower than 0.5 %

- Sulphur 1.2 %

- Chlorine 3.8 %

- Bromine lower than 0.1 %

- Sodium lower than 0.1 %

- Gross calorific value 5,750 kcal/kg - Net calorific value 5,480 kcal/kg

The temperature range used in the several tests was of from 400ºC to 650ºC; according to the temperature, the following yields of obtained products were accomplished:

- Solid product 31-42 %

- Liquid product 35-45 %

- Gaseous product 20-27 %

The chemical composition of the solid product of the pyrolysis, after the separation of the metals and of the foreign materials, resulted to be the following:

- Moisture and volatile products 3- 6 %

- Rshes 20-35 %

- Net calorific value 5,500-5,800 kcal/kg

- Carbon 58-63 %

- Hydrogen 1- 3 %

- Oxygen 2- 4 %

- Sulphur 1- 2.5 %

- Chlorine 2- 4.5 %

The characteristics of the liquid product obtained resulted to be the following:

- Relative density at 15º/4ºC 0.92-0.94

- Viscosity at 50ºC 2-3 cst

- Gross calorific value 9,800-10,500 kcal/kg

- Net calorific value 9,400- 9,700 kcal/kg

- Carbon 85-86 %

- Hydrogen 10-11 %

- Oxygen 1-2.2 %

- Nitrogen 0.3-0.5 %

- Sulphur 0.7-1.7 %

- Chlorine 80(9-2000 ppm

- Rshes 0.002-0.004 %

- Rromatic hydrocarbons 5ø-70 % by vol.

- Olefins 25-52 % by vol.

- Saturated hydrocarbons 3- 7 % by vol.

Distillation According to ASTM D 86

I. P. - 175ºC 20 - 25 % 175ºC - 350ºC 55 - 40 % higher than 350ºC 35 - 42 % The composition and characteristics of the gas product, after scrubbing with alkaline solution, resulted to be the following:

- H₂ 6-15 % by vol.

- CH₄ 18-32 % by vol.

- C₂H₄ 7-12 % by vol.

- C₂H₆ 8-12 % by vol.

- CO 1- 3 % by vol.

- CO₂ 6-15 % by vol.

- N₂ 1-10 % by vol.

- O₂ 0.1- 1 % by vol.

- Other hydrocarbons 15-22 % by vol.

- Net calorific value 5,000-8,000 kcal/Nm³

The pyrolysis oil shows optimum characteristics: a high fluidity, a high calorific value, a low sulphur content, a high content of aromatics.

These characteristics enable it to be used as a fuel, or as an intermediate for petrochemical industry, and rubber industry.

The solid product obtained by the pyrolysis, after a sieving carried out in order to remove metal fractions and other inert materials, can be powdered for being used as a solid fuel.

The ash content is rather high, but not excessive, in that mineral coals containing from 20 to 25% of ashes are normally used.

The coal can also be used in manufacturing industry, as a filler for various types of blends. Samples of produced coal were tested by specialized industries for the production of plastics films and electrical cables, with satisfactory results. The gas obtained is partially used in order to supply the necessary heat to the process; the residual amount can be used for energy supply for other purposes.

From the standpoint of the environmental pollution, the results are largely positive, in that the only emissions from the facility, the flue gases discharged to the stack, are within the threshold values provided for by the Italian Law in order to prevent the atmospheric pollution.

The process of the present invention is advantageously implemented by means of an equipment comprising:

- a mill of a traditional type, known from the prior art, suitable for grinding plastics materials of various kinds, such as bakelite, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and the like, and elastomeric materials such as filled vulcanized rubbers, down to a particle. size comprised within the range of from 2 to 5 cm;

-a hopper for storing the ground polymeric material, and feeding the material to the pyrolysis reactor, by means of a loading device intercepted by two gate valves, which prevent air from entering the furnace, and the reaction products from escaping to the external environment;

-a pyrolysis reactor made from special thermal steels capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 900ºC, provided with an indirect heating means, inside which the hot flue gases are circulated;

-a cooling device for cooling the solid residue from the pyrolysis, with a gas-tight system, of a known type;

-a tower for quenching the gases, and condensing the vapours Leaving the pyrolysis reactor by spray¬recycling the pre-cooled liquid product; -a cooling device, of heat exchanger type, for pre¬cooling the liquid product to be delivered to the quenching tower;

-at least a tower for scrubbing the non-condensed gases, by means on an alkaline solution; -a compressor for compressing the non-condensed gases to be sent to the gas storage;

- a burner for burning the non-condensed gases in order to heat the pyrolysis reactor.

The facility is maintained slightly pressurized under a head of 50-80 mm of water, and through it nitrogen, or another inert gas is suitably flown. The system is furthermore equipped with a hydraulic sealing system performing an antiburst function.

In Figure 1, a simplified diagram is depicted, which shows the process and the relevant equipment according to a preferred, non-exclusive form of practical embodiment of the invention. Referring to such Figure, the residues of plastics material and the residues or scraps of filled rubber are mixed and blended with one another inside 1, and are then stored inside the hopper 2. From said hopper, by means of a feeding and metering screw 3, they are fed to the pyrolysis reactor 4, of a tubular type, equipped with an indirect heating system. The heating of the reactor takes place through the jacket 5 and the central element 6, by means of the hot gases produced inside the burner 7 by means of the combustion of the pyrolysis gases coming from the scrubbing tower 8, possibly through compression and storage devices not shown in Figure, with air 9. inside the scrubbing tower 8, the gases are scrubbed with an alkaline solution 10. The pyrolysis products in gas or vapour form leaving the reactor 4 enter the quenching tower 11, inside which the higher-molecular-weight products condense. From the separator 12, the non-condensed products are sent to the scrubbing tower 8, whilst the liquid products are collected inside 13, and are cooled inside the heat exchanger 14. From this latter, a portion of the liquid products are sent to the quenching tower 11 for quenching the products Leaving the reactor 4, and the remainder of the products is sent to the storage tank 15. The flue gases used for heating the pyrolysis reactor are vented to the atmosphere trhough 16. The solid products are discharged from 17, are cooled inside 18 down to temperatures lower than 200ºC, and are then collected and stored inside the tank 19.

Of course, to the invention, as hereinabove disclosed and illustrated, technically equivalent variants may be supplied, all of them falling inside the scope of protection of the same invention.

Claims

Cl a i m s 1. Process for the disposal of the wastes and/or scraps of various polymeric materials, characterized in that it consists in submitting to thermal breakdown, by pyrolysis, a mixture constituted by residues of one or more plastics polymeric material(s) belonging to the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, phenolic resins, epoxy resins, polyurethanes, polyacrylates, polyamides, polystyrene, polyester resins and the like, and by residues of a filled elastomeric material, such as synthetic and/or natural rubber containing at least one of the inert and/or reinforcer fillers belonging to the group constisting of carbon black and/or other carbonaceous substances, kaolin, calcium carbonate, silica, zinc oxide, sulphur, sulphides, magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, and the like.

2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - grinding of a mixture constituted by residues of plastics materials and by residues of elastomeric materials containing fillers, in a mill of a known type, suitable for "crumbling" plastics materials, rubber, wood and the Like, until a size of the fragments of the order of from 2 to 5 cm is reached; -thermal decomposition by heating under an atmosphere of an inert gas, such as nitrogen or the like, and anyway in the absence of air (pyrolysis), of the mixture of the residues, at a temperature comprised within the range of from 300 to 800ºC, for a time comprised within a range depending on the type and characteristics of the components of the mixture; -cooling under an inert atmosphere, anyway in the absence of air, of the solid product from the pyrolysis, down to a temperature Lower than 200ºC; -quenching to a temperature lower than 100ºC of the pyrolysis products in vapour and/or gas form, by scrubbing by means of a pre-cooled recycled pyrolysis oil, and condensation of the condensible products, with a liquid phase of the products (the "pyrolysis oil") being obtained; -cooling to a temperature lower than 50ºC of a portion of said liquid product, and its use for the same quenching;

-scrubbing of the non-condensed gases coming from the quenching, with an alkaline solution, and their subsequent possible compression for storage and use:

- combustion of a portion of non-condensed gases and use of the hot flue gases, at a temperature of approximately 800ºC, for the pyrolisis of the polymeric material used as the feedstock.

3. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that said mixture constituted by polymeric plastics materials and by filled elastomeric materials is constituted of from 5% to 50% by weight of said polymeric plastics materials, and of from 50% to 95% by weight of said filled elastomeric materials.

4. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that said filled elastomeric materials are constituted by rubber containing a filler material comprising carbon black and/or other carbonaceous substances.

5. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that said carbonaceous substances can be produced on the spot, during the pyrolysis, from several materials, such as wood, sawdust, cardboard, clothes, and the like.

6. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat for thermally decomposing by pyrolysis said polymeric materials is supplied by burning at least a portion of said gaseous products obtained from the same pyrolysis.

7. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that said solid products obtained from the pyrolysis are used as a filler for elastomeric and plastics materials in general, after a preliminary sieving and separation of the metal fractions, washing and suitable purification.

8. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that said mixture of various kinds of polymeric materials is constituted by wastes of mixed plastics materials and various elastomeric materials, such as rubber, tyre fragments, gaskets and the like, deriving from the car demolition and crushing.

9. Equipment for practicing the process of disposal of wastes and/or scraps of various polymeric materials, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises:

- a mill of a traditional type known from the prior art, suitable for grinding plastics materials of various kinds, such as bakelite, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and the like, and elastomeric materials such as filled vulcanized rubbers, down to a particle size comprised within the range of from 2 to 5 cm;

-a hopper for storing the ground polymeric material, and feeding the ground material to the pyrolysis reactor, by means of a loading device intercepted by two gate valves, which prevent air from entering the furnace, and the reaction products from escaping to the external environment;

-a cooling device for cooling the solid residue from the pyrolysis, with a gas-tight sealing system, of a known type; -a tower for quenching the gases, and condensing the vapours leaving the pyrolysis reactor by spray-recycling the pre-cooled liquid product; -a cooling device, of heat exchanger type, for pre-cooling the liquid product to be delivered to the quenching tower;

10. Equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that it is maintained pressurized under a water head of from 50 to 80 mm, and under a nitrogen atmosphere, or an atmosphere of another inert gas, and that it is equipped with a hydraulic sealing device performing an antiburst function.