A method for producing a thermal product with a consistent and designable thermal property is disclosed. The method comprises producing from a municipal waste a cellulose-based material stockpile and a plastic-based material stockpile; automatically measuring at least one physical property of the cellulose-based material stockpile and at least one physical property of the plastic-based material stockpile; based on the measurements of the at least one physical property the cellulose-based material stockpile and the measurements of the at least one physical property of the plastic-based material stockpile, automatically controlling mixing the cellulose-based material stockpile and the plastic-based material stockpile to form a mixture by adjusting a ratio of the cellulose-based material stockpile to the plastic-based material stockpile; and automatically heating and compressing the mixture to form the thermal product.

A method of recycling a thermosetting polymer object of arbitrary shape includes: operating a fixture device to hold and rotate the thermosetting polymer object; operating a smart and modularized water jet cutter device to shatter the thermosetting polymer object outside-in into a wet polymer powder; drying the wet polymer powder; flattening the partially dried wet polymer powder; completely drying the flattened wet polymer powder; and separating the dried polymer powder into first and second groups, the particle size of the first group dried polymer powder being greater than a predetermined value, the particle size of the second group fried polymer powder being not greater than the predetermined value.

Systems and methods for increasing recyclable material recovery from automobile shredder residue (4). Embodiments include separation of automobile shredder residue with a sorting system (5) such as an air sorting system, a non-ferrous automobile shredder residue air sorter, an air-locked automobile shredder residue sorting system, a non-magnetic magnetic sorter, a substantially isotropic quantization sorting system, an air-locked Z-box air classifier, low susceptance microparticle separator, a magnetic fuzz separator, a wind tunnel system, or the like perhaps with substantially horizontal laminar air flow (7) and can be used with or without out other traditional automobile shredder residue sorting systems (16) or (15) perhaps creating additional recyclable quantities and even better separated results such as with zorba and zurik and the like.

Methods and apparatus for treating a mixture of fiber and granules are provided. The method includes passing the mixture through a friction zone comprising a conveyor belt that moves mixture and a friction device comprising a stationary surface in contact with a surface of the mixture. The method includes applying pressure to the mixture with the friction device to generate friction such that at least 5% of the fiber in the mixture is rotated. The method includes forming an agglomerate that is larger than the granules in the mixture.

Method of recycling a textile material which comprises cellulose for manufacturing regenerated cellulosic molded bodies, wherein in the method the textile material is comminuted, at least a part of non-fiber-constituents of the comminuted textile material is separated from fiber-constituents of the comminuted textile material, at least a part of non-cellulosic fibers of the fiber-constituents is mechanically separated from cellulosic fibers of the fiber-constituents, at least a further part of the non-cellulosic fibers is chemically separated from the cellulosic fibers, and the molded bodies are generated based on the cellulosic fibers after mechanically separating and chemically separating.

A sorting device includes a transport unit, an identification unit, and a plurality of nozzles. Each of the plurality of nozzles has a valve that adjusts a flow amount of pulse air, a pulse air flow path that is connected to the valve, and a pulse air blowing port that is arranged at a tip end of the pulse air flow path. The pulse air flow path has at least one bent portion. An adjustment flow path is connected to the bent portion of the pulse air flow path. An adjustment member capable of increasing and decreasing a volume of the adjustment flow path is provided in the adjustment flow path.

A method for processing strands of optic fiber in which a box containing one or more pairs of wheels either crush, cut or bend and break the strands of optic fiber before being transported to a separator. The separator can be positioned to deposit material onto a conveyor belt, into a storage container or into a separate structure known as a step-cleaner. The box can contain a pair of cutting and anvil wheels, a pair of drive wheels or a pair of wheels featuring teeth that cut, crush or bend the strands of optic fiber prior to a suction force removing them from the box and transporting them to the separator. A step cleaner contains one or more rotating wheels with tines that agitate and move the cut, broken or crushed fibers. The suction force is created by a blower operably connected to a passage that communicates with the separator.

A system for fabricating composite parts efficiently. Pre-impregnated (prepreg) composite material is drawn as a sheet from a roll and fed by advancement rollers into a stamping and molding station in which a piece of the prepreg material is cut, on a mold, from the sheet. Pressure is applied to cause the prepreg material to conform to a surface of the mold, and the prepreg is cured with ultraviolet light. Additional layers of prepreg may be cut and cured on any layers that have already been cured on the mold. The complete part may be removed from the mold with ejector pins. Scrap prepreg may be recycled in a recycling station that separates reinforcing fiber from uncured resin.

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.

A recycling method applied to thermoplastic filaments mixed with undesirable materials. The recycling method includes a feed step and a spreading step. The method continues with a horizontal cutting step wherein the layer of thermoplastic filaments and undesirable materials is leveled, and then a first cutting step wherein the layer is cut in a first vertical direction, and a second cutting step wherein the portions of layers are cut in a second vertical direction orthogonal to the first vertical direction. The method continues with a tearing step, a beating step, a preliminary grinding step, an agglomeration step, a grinding step, a separation step and finally a recovery step.