Solid material comminution or disintegration – Processes – With application of fluid or lubricant material
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-01
2001-04-17
Rosenbaum, Mark (Department: 3725)
Solid material comminution or disintegration
Processes
With application of fluid or lubricant material
C241S024140, C241S024150, C241S024180, C241S024190, C241S046170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216967
ABSTRACT:
In the disposal of waste, a practice has been implemented successfully in the course of the years, whereby the refuse produced by commerce, industry and households is pre-sorted immediately at source. This pre-sorting essentially involves five categories, i.e. glass, paper, non-recycable tailings, organic wastes and waste matter which has reusable components. The waste matter which has reusable components is formed, predominantly, by packaging waste and essentially comprises a wide range of different plastics materials and composite material, essentially comprising cardboard and paper board which are lined with plastics foils and/or metal foils, as well as metal cans. To date, the reusable components in these wastes were separated on sorting belts, with the components recognized as being reusable, such as, for example, metal packaging, hollow plastics containers, substantial balls of foil and the like, being picked out. The degree of recovery of reusable materials in a hand-sorting operation is, of course, relatively small since it is, in practice, possible to pick out only those components which are readily grasped by a gloved hand.
The object underlying the invention is to provide a process which permits a higher degree of reclamation during the treatment of such waste matter and results in an improved recovery of the reusable components.
According to the invention, this object is met by a process for the treatment of waste matter which contains components which are at least partially reusable, essentially being metals, plastics materials and board, in which process the waste matter to be treated is agitated in water, with the application of mechanical force, whereby large parts, essentially being parts of plastics material, are coarsely reduced in size and soluble components, essentially being cardboard and paper board, are dissolved, and in which process the metal components, as heavy matter, and the remaining solids, essentially being plastics materials, are mechanically separated from the suspension, and the suspended fine solids are separated by draining.
The term “waste matter” in this regard includes not only the waste matter in the composition as at delivery, but also in its composition after pre-sorting.
The process according to the invention permits a very much higher degree of recovery of reusable materials than would ever be possible with a hand-sorting operation. As a result of the agitation in water, cardboard and paper board lined with plastics foils and/or metal foils are separated such that, with an appropriate residence time, the board component is dissolved and is suspended as fibrous material. As a result of the exposure to force in the water bath, large-sized packaging; comprising the above-mentioned composite material, but also large hollow bodies of plastics material, such as detergent and cosmetics bottles as well as beverage cans of aluminium, are broken up.
As a result of the exposure to force in the water bath, it is, on the other hand, ensured that these parts are subjected only to a coarse reduction in size, for example, down to a size of 300 mm. In this regard, it is advantageous when the reduction in size in the water takes place in a shearing-cutting manner. In this regard, the only coarse reduction in size has the advantage that it is possible for the subsequent separation of the coarse solid components from the suspension, and any possible subsequent processing steps, to be carried out more conveniently. Depending on the composition of the matter treated, it is then possible for the separated coarse solids either to be used directly or, if called for by the subsequent recycling operation, to be processed accordingly in subsequent sorting steps. As far as the fine solids separated from the suspension are concerned, a factor for consideration is also the degree to which fibrous materials are dissolved in the remaining suspension, because it is then also possible for said fibrous materials to be separated in a subsequent step from the non-recyclable fines, such as sand, dust, organic impurities or the like. As a result of the preferably shearing-cutting force, metal components, in the form of beverage cans or the like, in the matter treated are also coarsely reduced in size to a certain degree. Depending on the agitation method used, it is possible for these metal components, due to their density, to sink to the bottom of the apparatus used in this regard, and to be withdrawn from the bottom together with other heavy components, forming the heavy matter. It is possible to make allowance for changing compositions of the waste matter, by changing the energy supply for producing the force.
Whereas it is necessary, in order to sort waste matter on a sorting belt, for the quantities of waste matter to be supplied, if at all possible, in bulk form and without compacting, the process according to the invention has the advantage that it is also possible for such quantities of waste matter to be compacted to a certain extent, because, when introduced into the water, all lumps and clusters are reliably broken up by the action of the force. Compacting must, however, not be intense to the extent where, for example, metal cans are compressed completely with other refuse components disposed within said cans being firmly enclosed therein.
Since the composition is dependent, to a certain degree, on the type of refuse collection, it may be expedient to provide presorting steps which then result in a simplification of the main process.
An advantageous development of the invention provides that the coarse solids, essentially comprising the plastics components, be rinsed with clean water when separated from the suspension. It is possible for this procedure to be carried out, for example, in a screening procedure during which the coarse solids retained are sprayed with clean water. It may be advantageous, in this regard, when the separating or already separated solids are rearranged under the effect of force, at the same time as clean water is admitted. In this regard, it is possible for the rearranging to be carried out by purely mechanical means, for example by placing the matter on to a drum screen, and/or by spraying with water under pressure, the action of force of the water resulting in a rearranging of the solids. It is, however, also possible for the solids separated out of the suspension to be placed separately in a water bath, in order to loosen up the solids under agitation and for rinsing said solids.
Since, as set out above, the coarse solids essentially comprise plastics components which, however, in practice includes mixtures of all conventional types of synthetic materials, for example polyolefin-based plastics, vinyl chloride plastics, polycarbonate plastics, polystyrenes and polyethylene terephthalate, it is expedient, according to a further development of the invention, at this stage to carry out at least one sorting procedure in respect of different plastics materials, since a heterogeneous plastics mixture of this kind is virtually not reusable and not suitable for further processing. In this regard, it is advantageous when the coarse solids are separated in a gravimetric floatation separation process, according to their density, into at least two fractions. In this regard, it is particularly advantageous when the gravimetric floatation separation is adjusted such that it is possible for polyolefin plastics to be separated as the floating matter. This procedure advantageously uses the fact that the difference in density between polyolef in plastics, on the one hand, and the other types of plastics material mentioned above is so distinct that a practically 100% separation of the polyolefin plastics and the bulk of the other types of plastic materials is possible, with the result that it is possible for the floating matter to be separated from the waste matter in the form of a readily reusable valuable material. In comparison to a sorting belt, which allows only for coarse-shaped refuse components, which are identifiable by the sorting personnel
Bender Martin
Christiani Joachim
Hoberg Heinz
Langen Michael
Der Gruene Punkt-Duales System Deutschland Aktiengesellschaft
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Rosenbaum Mark
LandOfFree
Process for disaggregating waste materials which contain at... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Process for disaggregating waste materials which contain at..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Process for disaggregating waste materials which contain at... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2535694