FACILITY FOR SEPARATING LAYERS IN MULTILAYER SYSTEMS

Abstract

A facility 300 for separation of layers in a multilayer system 310. The facility 300 comprises one or more baths 320a, 320b for accepting the multilayer system 310 and a dispenser 330 for providing a separation fluid 340. The separation fluid 340 comprises a nanoscale dispersion for washing the multilayer system in the baths 320a, 320b and is described in more details below. The facility 300 also includes a filtration device 350 for filtering separated undissolved components of the multilayer system 310.

Claims

1. A facility for separation of layers in a multilayer system comprising: at least one bath for accepting the multilayer system; a dispenser for providing a separation fluid comprising a nanoscale dispersion for washing the multilayer system in the at least one bath; and a filtration device for filtering separated undissolved components of the multilayer system.

2. The facility of claim 1, further comprising a chopping device for chopping up the multilayer system.

3. The facility of claim 2, wherein the chopping device is one of a crusher, shredder or a hammer mill.

4. The facility of claim 1, further comprising a defect production device for production of defects penetrating one or several layers of the multilayer system.

5. The facility of claim 4, wherein the defect production device comprises one or more of mechanical cutting agents, laser jets, blasting units, shredding units, or grinding units.

6. The facility of claim 1, further comprising an air filter for filtering dust particles.

7. The facility of claim 1, further comprising a screening unit for screening of different sizes of the multilayer system.

8. The facility of claim 1, further comprising a distribution system for distributing the different sizes of the multilayer system to different ones of the at least one bath.

9. The facility of claim 1, further comprising a separation stage for separating components of the multilayer system.

10. The facility of claim 5, wherein the separation stage is one of a swim-sink tank, flotation unit, air bubble unit or filtration device.

11. The facility of claim 1, further comprising relative motion means for producing a relative motion between the separating fluid and the at least one bath.

12. The facility of claim 11, wherein the relative motion means comprise at least one of rotating drums, stirring device, transportation device a rotating screw or means for applying a vibration. in the at least one bath,

13. The facility of claim 1, wherein the bath further comprises a counter-flow.

14. The facility according to claim 1, wherein the nanoscale dispersion comprises an organic component, an aqueous component and at least one surfactant.

15. The facility according to claim 14, wherein the aqueous component has a concentration of at least 60 percent by weight.

16. The facility according to claim 1, wherein the separating fluid comprises at least one anionic surfactant and one or more further surfactants selected from the group consisting of non-ionic surfactants and amphoteric surfactants.

17. The facility according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the anionic surfactant or the amphoteric surfactant has a concentration of no more than 10 percent by weight.

18. The facility according to claim 1, wherein the separation fluid further comprises a hydrotrope for stabilization.

19. The facility according to claim 1, wherein the separation fluid further comprises a co-surfactant selected from the group consisting of short-chain alcohols.

20. The facility according to claim 1, wherein the separation fluid further comprises an alkaline component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0067] For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which

[0068] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method of using a separating fluid in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] FIG. 2 is a diagram of another aspect of a method for separating multilayer systems in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] FIG. 3 shows a facility of the implementation of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0071] FIG. 3 shows an illustrative example of the facility 1300 for separation of layers in a multilayer system 1310. The facility 1300 comprises one or more baths 1320a, 1320b, 1320c for accepting the multilayer system 1310 and a dispenser 1330 for providing a separation fluid 1340. The separation fluid 1340 comprises a nanoscale dispersion for washing the multilayer system in the baths 1320a, 1320b and is described in more details below. The facility 1300 also includes a filtration device 1350 for filtering separated undissolved components of the multilayer system 1310.

[0072] The facility may also include a chopping device 1360 for chopping up the multilayer system 1310. The chopping device 1360 is one of a crusher, shredder or a hammer mill, but this is not limiting of the invention. A defect production device 1370 for the production of defects penetrating one or several layers of the multilayer system 1310 may also be included in the facility 1300. The defect production device 1370 could be, for example, one or more of mechanical cutting agents, laser jets, blasting units, shredding units, or grinding units.

[0073] The facility 1300 may further comprise an air filter 1380 for filtering dust particles and also a screening unit 1390 for screening of different sizes of the multilayer system 1310. In one aspect, the facility 1300 comprises a distribution system 1400 for distributing the different sizes of the multilayer system 1310 to different ones the baths 1320a-c.

[0074] The facility also includes a separation stage 1410 for separating different ones of the components of the multilayer system 1310 after treatment by the separation fluid 1340. This separation stage 1340 is one of a swim-sink tank, flotation unit, air bubble unit or filtration device, but this is also not limiting of the invention.

[0075] In a further aspect, the facility 1300 further comprises relative motion means 1325 for producing a relative motion between the separating fluid and the baths 1320a-c. The relative motion means comprise at least one of rotating drums, stirring device, transportation device a rotating screw or means for applying a vibration. in the baths 1320a-c. One or more of the baths 1320a-c further comprises a counter-flow.

[0076] The method will now be illustrated with the help of FIG. 1 which shows a flow diagram for illustration of the method for separating multilayer systems, in particular photovoltaic modules, for the purpose of recycling.

[0077] The multilayer systems 1310 are, in this embodiment, modules with EVA bond in the glass-glass composite/glass plastic, possibly with a frame, and are suitable input material 1 for the method. An upstream step of the method is manual disassembly 2 of any present electronic components, such as connection sockets, are disassembled from the input material 1. The upstream step 2 of the method can take place at a manual disassembly workplace. The input material 1 from the multilayer system 1310 can also be waste materials or other composite materials, such as but not limited to, composite materials of polymers and paper.

[0078] The next step 3 includes pre-chopping in the chopping device 1360, for example, a shredder, of the input material 1 in the form of the multilayer system 1310. The pre-chopping leads to an increased area of attack of the nanoscale dispersions. The increased area results in shortened process times. In step 4, the material acquired after chopping step 3 is subjected to size sorting by screening in the screening unit 1390.

[0079] Equally, the input material may also be a quantity of composite materials without bonding, such as semi-finished goods 5. The input material 5 is supplied to a hammer mill 6 and chopped in the hammer mill 6. Dust produced in the chopping step 3 or the hammer mill 6 is separated into filtered air 8 and microparticles 9 according to the extraction step 7, preferably with a HEPA filter as the filtration device 1380 (HEPA: high efficiency particulate air filter), such as that shown in FIG. 3.

[0080] As a result of the screening, the input material 1 chopped in the chopping step 3 or the alternative input material 5 chopped in the hammer mill 6 is present in three different sizes according to the execution example described here. A screening step 4 separates coarse material and particles from each other that have different separating properties in the baths 10, 11, 12.

[0081] The benefit of the screening step 4 is that large particles that are easier to filter can be washed off from large materials. On the other hand, small glass splinters with even smaller particles will results in a high filter/separation effort. The ratio of 95% of particles with sizes >5 mm to 5% of particles with sizes <1 mm can also be applied.

[0082] The screening step 4 is performed in this embodiment with a simple tumbler as the screening unit 390. After the screening step 4, dosage containers (not illustrated in FIG. 1) can be used for interim buffering and will then serve to fill the baths 10, 11, 12 for performance of the actual separation method.

[0083] The baths 10, 11, 12 are filled with shards of the input material 1 or the alternative input material 5 up to a volume of about 40%. The remaining roughly 60% of the volume of each of the baths 10, 11, 12 are topped up with nanoscale dispersions according to the invention. The nanoscale dispersion can be aligned in particular specifically with the input material 1 or the alternative input material 5 to achieve best process times at the lowest costs. It is also possible to use the nanoscale dispersions that can separate different photovoltaic modules of the above kind in the same way.

[0084] The nanoscale dispersions according to the invention are made up as disclosed in the introduction of the description. In particular, they are made up according to one of the following compositions where the part missing to 100% is topped up with water:

Example 1

[0085]

TABLE-US-00001 Contribution to % by the aqueous Component weight Substance component Anionic 17.8 Leuna alkane sulfonate 30 11.8 surfactant (sodium alkane sulfonate mixture with an average chain length C15 (C12- C18) based on n-paraffin - 34% watery solution Non-ionic 5.9 Polyethylene glycol-mono- surfactant n-dodecyl/tridecyl/ tetradecyl/- pentadecylether as substance mixture of compositions with 4 to 25 ethylenoxide units Hydrotrope 3.5 Cublen R 60 [N-(2- 1.4 hydroxyethyl)-N,N-bis- methylenephosphonic acid in the form of a 60% watery solution Co- 8.9 Butanol-2 surfactant Organ. 7.0 Xylen (techn.) Phase Addition 56.90 of water Watery 70.1 Total of addition of water component and contributions to the total watery component

Example 2

[0086]

TABLE-US-00002 Contribution to % by the aqueous Component weight Substance component Anionic 6.0 Leuna alkane sulfonate surfactant 95 (sodium alkane sulfonate mixture with an average chain length C15 (C12-C18) based on n-Paraffm) Non-ionic 6.0 Polyethylene glycol- surfactant mono-n-dodecyl/ tetradecylether as substance mixture with 9 ethylenoxide units Hydrotrope 2.0 Dimethylaminomethane- bis-phosphonic acid Co- 9.0 Ethylhexanol Surfactant Organic 8.0 Mesitylen phase Addition 69.0 of water Aqueous 69.0 Total of addition of component water and contributions total to the watery component

[0087] In the nanoscale dispersions according to example 2, NaOH may be added to increase the pH value.

Example 3

[0088]

TABLE-US-00003 Contribution to % by the aqueous Component weight Substance component Amphoteric 5.0 N,N-dimethyl-N- surfactant tetradecyl- ammoniopropanesulfonate Non-ionic 6.0 Polyethylene glycol- surfactant mono-n-dodecyl/ tetradecylether as substance mixture with 9 ethylenoxide units Hydrotrope 2.0 Dimethylaminomethane- bis-phosphonic acid Co- 9.0 Ethylhexanol Surfactant Organic 7.0 Hydrosol P 180 EA phase Addition 71.0 of water Watery 71.0 Total of addition of water component and contributions to the total watery component

[0089] In example 3, the anionic surfactant is replaced by an amphoteric surfactant in contrast to examples 1 and 2.

Example 4

[0090]

TABLE-US-00004 Contribution to % by the watery Component weight Substance component Amphoteric 3.0 N,N-dimethyl-N- surfactant tetradecyl- ammoniopropanesulfonate Anionic 4.0 Leuna alkane sulfonate 95 surfactant (sodium alkane sulfonate mixture with an average chain length C15 (C12- C18), based on n-paraffm Non-ionic 6.0 Polyethylene glycol- surfactant mono-n-dodecyl/ tetradecylether as substance mixture with 9 ethylenoxide units Hydrotrope 2.0 Dimethylaminomethane- bis-phosphonic acid Co- 9.0 Butyl glycol ether surfactant Organic 5.0 Diesel fuel phase Addition 71 of water Watery 71.0 Total of addition of water component and contributions to the total watery component

[0091] In example 4, an anionic surfactant as well as an amphoteric surfactant is used in addition to the non-ionic surfactant.

[0092] One or several of the nanoscale dispersions listed act for a certain exposure time that depends on the properties of the input material 1 or the alternative input material 5 in the baths 10, 11, 12. The effect occurs due to comprehensive wetting in several application points where the separating fluid can enter between the composite layers to be separated, move along the interface and dissolve the bond there, for a certain time. This does not have to take place in the baths 11, 12, 13.

[0093] After the separating process in the baths 10, 11, 12, a loaded separating fluid 13 is treated in a separation step 14. The separation step 14 serves to separate the components of the input material 1 or the alternative input material 5 that are present after washing in the baths 10, 11, 12, as well as the separating fluid in the form of nanoscale dispersion. This step is only illustrated as a schematic in FIG. 1.

[0094] In the simplest case, a swim-sink separation in a swim-sink tank as the separation stage 1410 in connection with suitable filtering is sufficient. The lightweight particles in the loaded separating fluid 1340 with large surface-volume ratios of the removed layers may be separated from larger, heavier particles such as glass fragments with small surface-volume ratios. The separation takes place using gravity, the flow conduct and/or the surface tension. Simple filtering can also be used for the purpose of the separation. The remaining parts, i.e. mainly glass, EVA and aluminum, are separated in subsequent process steps that can also be performed in subsequent areas of the facility.

[0095] For example, EVA can be separated by the swim-sink separation, glass by depositing in the same container, aluminum by the separation of the non-ferrous components. These steps can each be performed in separate areas of the facility or in the same area of the facility.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 1, precious metals 15, EVA film 16 and non-ferrous separations 17 are separated from the loaded separating fluid 13. The term non-ferrous separation 17 means separations of non-ferrous components, such as glass or aluminum. In a separate separation process that is not detailed further in FIG. 1, the non-ferrous separations 17 in turn are once again separated into the recyclable materials glass 18 and the aluminum frame 19. The recyclable materials, i.e. precious metals 15, EVA film 16, non-ferrous separations 17, comprising glass 18 and aluminum frame 19, are not dissolved. Therefore, the separation in step 14 is technically simpler compared with the art. The quality of the resulting recycling materials 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 regarding reusability is not limited by the recycling processes as such.

[0097] The electronic components 20 resulting from the upstream step of the method 2 during disassembly of electronic components can also be delivered for recycling.

[0098] After the upstream step of the method 2, the method can thus be structured in the following three procedural groups:

[0099] Phase I: Pre-chopping and sorting by size

[0100] Phase II: Wash with nanoscale dispersion

[0101] Phase III: Production of suitable fractions for utilization

[0102] FIG. 2 schematically shows another aspect of the method for separating the multilayer systems. As shown in the schematic flow chart according to FIG. 2, the multilayer material 21 to be separated is supplied to a facility 22 for separating the multilayer material. The multilayer material 21 can optionally be supplied to a preliminary stage 100 for disassembly first. In the preliminary stage 100, pieces to be treated separately, e.g. pieces not made of the multilayer material to be separated, are removed. In the preliminary stage 100, pieces of the multilayer materials 21 to be separated that must be subjected to a different treatment, e.g. than a main component of the multilayer material, due to the type of the multilayer materials, can also be separated.

[0103] After passing the preliminary stage 100, the part of the multilayer material 21 that remains after disassembly is supplied to another preliminary stage 200 for production of attack points in the defect production device 1370. Alternatively, the multilayer material 21 can also be directly supplied to the preliminary stage 200 for production of attack points (i.e. defects) within the facility 1000 for separating the multilayer materials.

[0104] This will be suitable if disassembly of the multilayer material 21 is not required or desired. Within the preliminary stage 200 for production of attack points, defects penetrating one or several layers of the multilayer system 1310 are produced to increase the area of the attack points of the separating fluid 1340. This can be done by scratching of the multilayer system 1310 with mechanical cutting agents, by treatment with laser jets, by blasting with sharp-edged particles, e.g., sand blasting, by bending, crushing, shredding, grinding or other common procedures known to the specialist as such.

[0105] After the preliminary stage 200 for production of the attack points, the multilayer system 21, 1310 is supplied to the interim storage stage 250. In the interim storage stage 250, it is also possible to ensure supply suitable for the subsequent processing stage. In the interim storage stage 250, different supply goods can be mixed as well.

[0106] From the interim storage stage 250, which contains the interim storage in suitable containers, the multilayer material 21 to be processed is supplied to a wetting stage 300. Within the wetting stage 300, the multilayer material 21 to be separated is wetted with the separating fluid 1340. This is done in the bath 1320a-c containing the separating fluid 1340 or in the form of a sprinkler lane.

[0107] After the wetting stage 300, the multilayer system 21, 1310 to be separated goes through a separating stage 400. Within the separating stage 400, the layer material delaminated during the wetting stage 300 is separated from a substrate material as part of the multilayer system 21, 1310 and taken up by the separating fluid 1340 without being dissolved in the separating fluid 1340.

[0108] The process may be facilitated by circulation of the separating fluid 1340 according to the invention. This is indicated by the arrows between the stages 300 and 400 in FIG. 2.

[0109] A second separation stage 500 follows the initial separating stage 400. During the second separation stage 500, layer fragments taken up by the separating fluid 1340 in the initial separating stage 400 are separated by a suitable method. This may be done by suspension in the air bubble flow according to a floating method using an air bubble unit, swim-sink separation using a swim-sink tank or filtration.

[0110] The separation stage 500 is followed by a fragmenting stage 600 in which the layer fragments separated during separating stage 400 and separated from the liquid separating fluid according to the invention in the separation stage 500 are fragmented into different material fractions.

[0111] After the fragmenting stage 600, the individual material fractions a, b, c are further refined in an after-treatment stage 700. Refining of the individual material fractions a, b, c may, e.g., comprise of breaking up, cleaning or physical or chemical processing.

[0112] Finally, the material fractions a, b, c refined in the scope of the after-treatment stage 700 are supplied to a packaging stage 800 and packed for use separately.

[0113] The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, and their equivalents. The entirety of each of the aforementioned documents is incorporated by reference herein.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0114] 1 Input material [0115] 2 Upstream step of the method [0116] 3 Chopping step [0117] 4 Screening [0118] 5 Alternative input material [0119] 6 Hammer mill [0120] 7 Extraction step [0121] 8 Filtered air [0122] 9 Microparticles [0123] 10 Bath [0124] 11 Bath [0125] 12 Bath [0126] 13 Loaded separating fluid [0127] 14 Separation step [0128] 15 Precious metals [0129] 16 EVA film [0130] 17 Non-ferrous separations [0131] 18 Glass [0132] 19 Aluminum frame [0133] 20 Electronic components [0134] I Phase of the method [0135] II Phase of the method [0136] III Phase of the method [0137] 21 Multilayer material [0138] 22 Facility for separating multilayer material [0139] 100 Preliminary stage for disassembly [0140] 200 Preliminary stage for production of attack points [0141] 250 Interim storage stage [0142] 300 Wetting stage [0143] 400 Separating stage [0144] 500 Separation stage [0145] 600 Fragmenting stage [0146] 700 After-treatment stage [0147] 800 Packaging stage [0148] 1300 Facility [0149] 1310 Multilayer system [0150] 1320 Baths [0151] 1325 Relative motion means [0152] 1330 Dispenser [0153] 1340 Separating fluid [0154] 1350 Filtration device [0155] 1360 Chopping device [0156] 1370 Defect production device [0157] 1380 Filtration device [0158] 1390 Screening unit [0159] 1400 Distribution system [0160] 1410 Separation stage