A waste management system, primarily intended to be for waste floating in water, though it can also be used on land. A shredding device will reduce the size of the particles of waste. Ocean water is removed by a drying device. The dried waste material is cryogenically frozen using liquid nitrogen or other suitable means. The frozen waste material is then pulverized and ground into a powder. The powder may then be sprayed into a gas-filled chamber and heated. Temperature, pressure and humidity are maintained within the chamber for more than one minute. Microwave or other radiation and catalysts may be used to enhance the process of extraction. The processed material is then removed from the chamber. Carbon and water may be recycled. The carbon may be used as fuel by the ship. Water may also be used by the ship or returned to the ocean in a non-toxic condition.

An improved process and apparatus for separating organics and inorganics from waste material with a specific object of preparing the separated organic fraction for the production of biogas or other methods for diverting organics from landfills. Waste material, such as municipal solid waste or source-separated organic waste (SSO), is subjected to a first separation treatment that separates organic and inorganic waste components. The apparatus includes a hopper to receive contaminated organic waste from different sources, a vertical separator that separates the inorganics from the organics by creating a vortex effect in a stationary filtration drum by which the solid contaminants (paper, plastic, metals) are blown in a spiral pattern upwards and removed from the top, while the organic fraction is removed from the bottom. Such apparatus is improved through several methods to reduce or eliminate blockages and their associated downtime, and to increase the efficiency of the separation process.

A method is for recycling a roll of artificial turf. The method includes the steps of processing the roll of artificial turf to yield a mixture of a quantity of infill and a quantity of synthetic fibers, the quantity of infill having rubber, sand, and debris, passing the mixture through one or more screens to extract a percentage of the quantity of synthetic fibers from the mixture and yield a first remaining mixture, and substantially separating the first remaining mixture into pieces of rubber of a first volume, pieces of rubber of a second volume greater than the first volume, sand, debris, and the remaining percentage of the quantity of synthetic fibers.

The invention relates to a classification process for superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising classifying the water-absorbent polymer particles in a screen machine under reduced pressure wherein the pressure above the uppermost sieve is from 0 to 4.0 mbar per sieve higher than below the undermost sieve.

Separation of mixed materials is accomplished by causing a stream of the materials to fall on an inclined separation ramp, while directing a stream of air onto the ramp. Lower-density materials having higher aerodynamic drag, such as paper scraps, are blown up and over the ramp into a first collection zone, while more dense materials having less aerodynamic drag, such as glass fragments, will tend to descend the ramp and fall into a separate collection zone.

A separation device includes a first shredding unit, and a first separation unit. The first shredding unit shreds a disposable diaper (processing target) containing a plastic (first material) and a water-absorbent polymer (second material) adhering to the plastic. The first separation unit has a first tubular portion, and a first beating member. The first separation unit separates the water-absorbent polymer passing through first holes from the disposable diaper by beating the disposable diaper with a plate surface of the first beating member with the first tubular portion being rotated in a state in which the disposable diaper shredded by the first shredding unit is accommodated therein.

A waste sorting system (1) comprising a tank (S) for collecting recyclable material (RM) and a sorting unit (U) comprising a first sorting station (10) connected to the tank (S) through a transport device (12) of the recyclable material and a first sorting basin (14) containing a first liquid solution (L1) of given density to separate, according to Archimedes' principle, the recyclable material (RM) into a first material phase (F1) of first selection and a second material phase (F2) of first submersion; the first sorting basin (14) is delimited at the bottom by a first lower collection portion (140), the sorting unit (U) comprising first scraper means (16) associated with the first sorting basin (14) for collecting the first phase (F1) from a free surface of the first liquid solution (L1) and first wash means (18) of this first phase (F1); the first lower collection portion (140) being passed through by a first conveyor (11).

The invention relates to a classification process for superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising classifying the water-absorbent polymer particles in a screen machine under reduced pressure wherein the pressure above the uppermost sieve is from 0 to 4.0 mbar per sieve higher than below the undermost sieve.

An improved process and apparatus for separating organics and inorganics from waste material with a specific object of preparing the separated organic fraction for the production of biogas or other methods for diverting organics from landfills. Waste material, such as municipal solid waste or source-separated organic waste (SSO), is subjected to a first separation treatment that separates organic and inorganic waste components. The apparatus includes a hopper to receive contaminated organic waste from different sources, a vertical separator that separates the inorganics from the organics by creating a vortex effect in a stationary filtration drum by which the solid contaminants (paper, plastic, metals) are blown in a spiral pattern upwards and removed from the top, while the organic fraction is removed from the bottom. Such apparatus is improved through novel methods to reduce or eliminate blockages and their associated downtime, and to increase the efficiency of the separation process.

Methods and systems for separating mixed plastic waste are provided herein. The methods generally comprise separating the mixed plastic waste into a PET-enriched stream and one or more PET-depleted streams. The separating may be accomplished using the combinations of two or more density separation stages. Exemplary density separation stages include sink-float separators and centrifugal force separators. The PET-enriched and PET-depleted streams may be recovered and/or directed to downstream chemical recycling processes.