The current invention, in a first aspect, concerns a method for separating a lead component from a lead coated glass, for instance glass from a CRT recycling process. The coated glass is crushed and ground to achieve a finely grained material of a mixture of a glass fraction and a lead fraction. The lead fraction is separated from the glass fraction based upon a difference in specific weight and/or density. In a second aspect the current invention concerns an apparatus for separating a lead component from a lead coated glass, for instance glass from a CRT recycling process. The apparatus is provided with a grinding unit. The apparatus includes a separator unit suited for separation based upon a difference in specific weight and/or density.

A flask for containing mold sand within it prevents any mold shifting or mold dropping. Each of an upper flask 2 and a lower flask 3 includes a body that defines an opening in which a sand mold is to be molded. The body has at least one inlet 101 for introducing the mold sand into the opening. Two flanges 102 are extended from the body such that they are opposed to each other across the opening. Each flange has a through bore. The flask also includes engaging members for engaging an actuator in the outside of the flask such that a force or forces from said actuator could be transmitted to the flask. An upper flask 104 and a lower flask 105 are opposed to each other across a pattern plate 107. They are integrally assembled to make a flask unit by means of a pair of connecting rods 106 that are fitted in each bore.

An ecocompatible container for recycling cigarette butts is constituted by a cylinder including an openable upper cover, a base and an intermediate portion which houses a common hopper in external communication with ashtrays through which the cigarette butts are introduced, wherein via the hopper, the butts are introduced into a screening basket with balls, in which the rotation of the screening basket allows, by mutual impact and friction of the balls, crushing the cigarette butts and hence effectively separating the organic portion, i.e. the filter paper and the residual tobacco that fall by gravity through holes into an underlying suitable collection container, from the resistant, fibrous portion constituted only by the filters of the cigarettes which, when sucked by a small suction motor, will fall into an underlying filter accumulation chamber.