Methods and equipment for the recycling of carpet are disclosed that produce a clean fiber product suitable for industrial use. The methods allow the recovery of face fiber material, for example a polyester, polyolefin, or a polyamide, from carpets that includes a face fiber material, a polypropylene backing material, and an adhesive, and include the steps of mechanically impacting the carpet to break the bonds between the adhesive and the fibrous components, treating the fibrous components to remove adhesive granules from the fibrous components, and optionally separating the polypropylene backing from the face fiber. A clean adhesive/calcium carbonate product can also be produced from this process.

There are provided a method for manufacturing a core product, a method for removing a residual resin, and device for removing a residual resin including: supplying a molten resin; placing a conveying jig on a collection unit by conveying the conveying jig from a resin supply device to the collection unit together with a core body; splitting the resin solidified in a resin forming region from the resin solidified inside a resin flow path by removing the core body from the conveying jig; forming the residual resin which is a residue of the solidified resin inside the resin flow path and acquiring the core product including the core body and solidified resin formed in the resin forming region; and dropping the residual resin from the resin flow path into the collection unit by causing an extrusion unit to abut against the residual resin from above.

A melt processing plant is provided that includes a melt charger for charging a processing head, in particular a pelletizing head, with melt, in which a diverter valve for discharging the melt during a starting and/or retooling phase is associated to the melt charger upstream of the processing head. A splitter divides the discharged melt into melt portions with the melt channels of the splitter head having at least one step-like cross-sectional enlargement of their inflow portion, a cross-sectional shape different from the outlet cross-section of the discharge channel, and an open orifice region out of the splitter.

A modular recycling apparatus, means for and article of manufacture are disclosed. The various embodiments solve the inherent problems with recycling consumer items such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans and the like, The device enables a bottle or container to undergo a quasi-state change, thereby occupying much less space in its recycled form. As a result, the volume needed for storage is optimized and as such the energy required for transport is reduced by at least an order of magnitude.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising a polymeric network having at least one unit of formula (I), (II), and/or (III); (I) (II) (III) wherein said composition is obtained by contacting at least one compound A comprising at least two functions selected from the group of function of formula X—C(═O)—CHR.sup.1—C(═O)—R.sup.2, —C(═O)—C—R.sup.2; or —C(═O)—CR.sup.1═CR.sup.2—NR.sup.4R.sup.5; wherein at least 25% by weight of compounds A have a functionality ≦5, with % by weight relative to the total weight of compounds A; with at least one compound B comprising at least one NH.sub.2, or NH.sub.3.sup.+ groups; wherein X, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 have the same meaning as that defined in the claims. The present invention also relates to a compound comprising at least two units and at most 5 units of formula (I), (II), and/or (III); wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, X, L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 have the same meaning as that defined in the claims. The present invention also relates to processes for preparing said composition and said compounds, to material, articles, and polymers comprising or using said compositions and compounds, and the use thereof.

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A method of recycling tires comprising the comprising the steps of: placing tires and/or pieces of tires within a casing or mold, applying a binder (e.g. adhesives and/or pining with screws, nails, nuts and bolts, pins, wire and steel or nylon bands etc) to the tires and/or pieces of tires so that the tires are bound together; applying a reinforcing means to the tires and/or pieces of tires (e.g. fitting the reinforcing means around, in between and/or through the tires etc); and melting or pouring an encapsulating means over the top of the tires and reinforcing means to encapsulate them inside the casing or mold and the encapsulating means; and causing or allowing the encapsulating means to set such that a recycled product is formed.

A method enabling a used superabsorbent polymer recovered from used absorbent, etc., to be readily and inexpensively recovered without using acids or alkalies. The used superabsorbent polymer is treated with an aqueous solution of a multivalent metal salt such as calcium chloride, etc., the superabsorbent polymer treated with the aqueous solution of a multivalent metal salt is treated with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal salt such as sodium chloride, etc., the superabsorbent polymer treated with the aqueous solution of an alkali metal salt is washed with water, and the superabsorbent polymer washed with water is then dried.

A recycling device stowable beneath a countertop for compressing bottles. The recycling device includes a housing having a chamber and a heating element capable of applying a moderate heat to the bottles received therein. The chamber includes a funnel section and an upper opening removably covered by a door, wherein the door can open to allow for depositing of the bottles within the chamber and close to restrict access to the chamber during the actuation of the heating element. The funnel section can direct the bottles to a specific orientation directly adjacent to the heating element, wherein a compression assembly positioned below the funnel section can reduce a volume of the bottle by collapsing the sidewalls of the bottle. In some embodiments, the door is operably connected to the heating element and the compression assembly such that upon closing of the door, the heating element and the compression assembly activate.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) providing an expanded surface area extruder; (B) providing a spinning machine having an inlet that is operatively coupled to an expanded surface area extruder outlet; (C) using a pressure regulation system to reduce the pressure within the expanded surface area extruder; (D) passing a plurality of flakes comprising recycled PET through the expanded surface area extruder to at least partially melt the plurality of flakes to form a polymer melt; and (E) substantially immediately after passing the plurality of flakes through the expanded surface area extruder, using the spinning machine to form the polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament. In some embodiments, the method may include passing the plurality of flakes comprising recycled PET through a PET crystallizer prior to extrusion.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) washing a plurality of flakes of recycled PET; (B) providing a PET crystallizer; (C) after the step of washing the plurality of flakes, passing the plurality of flakes of recycled PET through the PET crystallizer; (D) at least partially melting the plurality of flakes into a polymer melt; (E) providing a multi-rotating screw (MRS) extruder having an MRS section; and a vacuum pump in communication with the MRS section; (F) using the vacuum pump to reduce a pressure within the MRS Section; (G) after the step of passing the plurality of flakes through the PET crystallizer, passing the polymer melt through the MRS Section; and (H) after the step of passing the polymer melt through the MRS extruder, forming the polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.