A demonstration of microwave technology converting industrial waste and difficult-to-process natural resources into diesel, methane, carbon ash and other reusable hydrocarbons was run this week (4th May) by Global Resource Corp. The commercial prototype of the company's system, Patriot-1, is microwave technology that has, says the company, an automated engineering process to provide a highly energy efficient, emission free way to convert a wide range of materials into energy.

The demonstration, conducted at the companys's Rockford, IL research facility, transformed large amounts of scrap tires into diesel fuel, methane, pentane, butane, propane as well as combustible gases, and carbon ash. Patriot-1's technology can process other materials, says the company, for the purpose of unlocking energy including; shale rock, tar sands, bituminous coal, heavy oil as well as the environmental hazards associated with municipal waste, tanker sludge, waste oil and dredged materials.

Global Resource recently signed a joint development agreement with a large oilfield services company for the utilization of the technology with heavy oil.

"The ultimate goal is for this technology to make such a significant contribution that it motivates the world's business and political leaders to embrace it as the de facto standard for processing waste materials," says Mr. Eric Swain, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global Resource Corp.

To address the economic viability for waste treatment, the technology will maintain an energy efficiency of 1:50, a ratio at which a wide range of materials become commercially viable to convert to energy regardless of commodity costs.

"The Patriot-1 establishes a new standard for waste management and alternative energy development by placing the efficient processing of hydrocarbons within the grasp of a range of industries," says Swain. "The recycling of tires is important for the health and environment of America and is the first step in utilizing our microwave technology to derive energy from waste."