A proprietary device which utilizes a combination of submerged combustion into molten metals and salts to effect the thermal breakdown of waste material is being developed by Omega Conversion, Inc., and a patent for it is now pending. In an important application of the invention, it is necessary to employ a liquid heat transfer medium which can be used at temperatures up to 2000ø F and whose density is greater than that of steel. Lead is the prime candidate for both technical and economic reasons. Although submerged combustion is well known and the feasibility of the use of molten lead as a heat transfer medium has been demonstrated as well as the use of molten salt for pyrolysis, waste destruction, and pollution control, each of the approaches has its individual limitations. The device contemplated is based on proven industrial techniques and combines the use of the two molten materials with submerged combustion in a synergistic fashion. Published works that have been reviewed make little mention of the problems associated with lead carryover to the solid residue. This study has the primary aim of determining the extent of the carryover problem (if any), the heat transfer rates from the lead to the pyrolysing mass, as well as a broad characterization of the products of pyrolysis as a function of thermal history.
