Abstract: A quenching method wherein an object to be quenched is sprayed with a mixed spray jet of a liquid and a gas. The diameter of droplets in the mixed spray jet is from 50 to 200 .mu.m, and the mixing ratio between the liquid and the gas is varied during the period from the start to the end of cooling. Also disclosed is a quenching apparatus having nozzles for spraying an object to be quenched with a mixed spray jet of a liquid and a gas, a liquid supply source for supplying a pressurized liquid, and a gas supply source for supplying a pressurized gas. Each of the nozzles has a liquid-jetting port formed in the surface opened to the atmosphere and a gas-jetting port annularly formed around the liquid-jetting port on the same plane. The liquid-jetting port is communicated with the liquid supply source, while the gas-jetting port is communicated with the gas supply source.

Abstract: A plastic by-product can be reprocessed by embrittling the plastic by-product at a low temperature, crushing the embrittled by-product to about the same particle size as that of the virgin plastic, adding fine powder of the same or other material to the thus crushed by-product in order that the fine powder is deposited onto the surface of the crushed by-product, and then raising the temperature of the by-product to room temperature. The thus obtained reprocessed material can effectively be utilized as a bulking filler for the virgin plastic or for the other uses.

Abstract: Atactic polypropylene is cooled, disintegrated into granules, mixed with cereal powders such as wheat flour, starch powders, etc. thereby to deposit the cereal powders around the granules, and returned to room temperature thereby to prepare an oil-recovering material. The oil-recovering material is spread onto surfaces of sea water with floating oil or surfaces of land area fouled with oil, such as sand beach, etc. to recover the oil therefrom.