Devices facilitating recovery of polymers are disclosed. A crushing device (25) includes a housing (13) into which a paper diaper (D) containing polymers (P) in a water-absorbed state is thrown, and a crushing member (28) that is accommodated in the housing (13) and crushes the paper diaper (D). A moving speed of the crushing member (28) is 0.1 m/s or less.

A used paper diaper processing apparatus includes at an upper portion of a processing tank, a plurality of holding units capable of holding used paper diapers, and a continuous put-into unit including a holding unit rotation drive unit that rotationally drives each of the holding units at a put-into position I above an opening connected to the processing tank and a standby position II other than the put-into position. When the holding unit is rotated by the holding unit rotation drive unit and positioned at the put-into position, the used paper diaper held by the holding unit is put into the processing tank from the opening.

The present invention provides a liquid-absorbing raw material processing system and its operation method. The liquid-absorbing raw material processing system is composed of a cutting module, a bulk pulping module, a salt slurry processing module, and a liquid-absorbing raw material manufacturing module, which are connected in series. The operating method of the liquid-absorbing raw material processing system is to process absorptive articles such as diapers or sanitary napkins, etc., which are retained and made into fluff liquid-absorbing raw materials through the purification and separation steps performed by the modules of the liquid-absorbing raw material processing system.

The present invention relates to a process of enzymatic degradation of an absorbent structure, the absorbent structure being suitable for providing an absorbent core of a hygiene article, wherein the process comprises the step of contacting the absorbent structure with a solution comprising enzymes; wherein the absorbent structure comprises a polysaccharide superabsorbent polymer, such as a cellulose-based or a starch-based superabsorbent polymer.

Provided is a method for recycling a water-absorbing resin which contains absorbed liquid, with consideration for a resource aspect and an energy aspect. The method for recycling a water-absorbing resin which contains absorbed liquid includes: discharging the absorbed liquid from the water-absorbing resin which contains the absorbed liquid; and recovering a water-absorbing power of the water-absorbing resin.

Provided is a used paper diaper processing apparatus in which a water absorption function of a superabsorbent polymer that absorbs water contained in excrement is lowered and water is removed by mixing the superabsorbent polymer and a chemical containing divalent metal ions in an outer tank, and in which weight is reduced by dehydration after an amount of water contained in a used paper diaper is lowered. In the apparatus, a lower portion of the outer tank can be opened and closed, so that weight reduction processing and a series of operations including taking-out are possible. Since an operator is not required to take out the used paper diaper after processing directly from the outer tank, it is possible to reduce work and hygiene burdens on the operator.

Superabsorbent fiber (SAF) in a feed stream is converted into soluble polymers in an extensional flow device. The total energy used to degrade the SAF into soluble polymers is less than about 50 MJ/kg SAF.

A method of recycling superabsorbent polymers derived from a used absorbent article, the method including: treating the superabsorbent polymers with ozone water after inactivation; reactivating, with an alkaline aqueous solution, the superabsorbent polymers treated with the ozone water; and adding hydrophilic fine particles to the superabsorbent polymers reactivated with the alkaline aqueous solution and then drying the superabsorbent polymers.

A method for sterilizing and decontaminating post-consumer absorbent sanitary products contaminated by organic compounds deriving from human metabolism and comprising drug residue, said post-consumer absorbent sanitary products comprising fractions of plastic, super-absorbent polymers (SAPs), and optionally cellulose, the method comprising at least the steps of: i) sterilizing (SR) said post-consumer absorbent sanitary products by heating to a temperature equal to or lower than 140° C. and at a pressure comprised between 1 bar and 3.6 bar to obtain sterilized post-consumer absorbent sanitary products; and ii) decontaminating (DC) from organic compounds said sterilized post-consumer absorbent sanitary products by means of an oxidizing treatment. The oxidizing treatment is carried out by putting the sterilized post-consumer absorbent sanitary products in contact with a gas containing ozone preferably at a temperature equal to or higher than 60° C., more preferably comprised between 60° C. and 80° C. The sterilized post-consumer absorbent sanitary products subjected to the decontaminating step have a humidity of less than 80%, preferably comprised between 60% and 75%.

The present invention relates to an equipment in the field of hygiene article manufacturing, in particular to a hygiene article recycling unit for disintegrating and separating hygiene articles allowing to separate raw materials at a purity allowing to directly use it in the manufacturing process of the hygiene articles. The recycling unit comprised several devices as sub-units. The present invention further relates to a process for operating such an equipment.