METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SEPARATING COMPOSITE MATERIALS AND MIXTURES, IN PARTICULAR SOLID-MATERIAL MIXTURES AND SLAGS

Abstract

A method for separating composite materials and mixtures, in particular solid-material mixtures and slags, and to a device for carrying out said method. The method for separating composite materials and mixtures comprises the step of transporting the composite material or the mixture through a separating device. The composite material to be separated or the mixture to be separated is excited by mechanical impulses as it passes through the separating device and is thereby separated. The device (1) for carrying out the method comprises a drive unit (21) for driving a rotor element (32), which is connected to a bearing/shaft unit (22) and which is part of a rotor unit (31). The rotor element itself has at least one rotor tool (33) and each rotor tool has at least one rotor tool component (34) and is surrounded by a stator element (42), which is part of a stator unit (41). The stator element itself has at least one stator tool (43) and each stator tool has at least one stator tool component (44). The rotor element and the stator element are substantially cylindrical.

Claims

1. A method for separating composite materials and mixtures, comprising the step of transporting the composite material or the mixture through a separating device (31, 41; 32, 42), wherein the composite material to be separated or the mixture to be separated is excited by mechanical impulses as it passes through the separating device and is thereby separated.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical impulses are transmitted to the composite material or to the mixture in the form of contact impulses, the mechanical impulses being preferably transmitted at a high cadence, preferably in the range of 50 Hz to 50 kHz.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composite material or the mixture is pre-crushed, preferably to a size of 5 mm to 50 mm.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composite material or the mixture comprises solid organic and/or inorganic composites selected from the group consisting of metal/metal, plastic/metal or plastic/plastic composites, each with or without mineral proportions.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composite material or the mixture is at least one of the following: slags and/or aluminum dross that are waste products of primary processing and subsequent processing of metals; slags that are produced when incinerating waste; electronic and electrical waste and their partial fractions; printed circuits consisting of a mixture of different composite materials; aluminum sandwich panels; blister packages; tires; and catalytic converters.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composite material or the mixture is supplied with the aid of gravity and takes a spiral path that determines the amount of time spent in the process by the composite material or by the mixture as a function of size, weight and shape of the composite material or of the mixture.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the amount of time spent in the process by the composite material or by the mixture is additionally influenced by the addition of a gas flow.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material resulting from the separation of the composite material or of the mixture is segregated into its components using at least one of the following means: sieve fluidized-bed separator sifter corona separator sedimentation tank.

9. A device for carrying out the method for separating composite materials and mixtures according to claim 1, wherein the device (1) comprises a drive unit (21) for driving a rotor element (32) which is connected to a bearing/shaft unit (22) having an axis of rotation which is hereinafter referred to as the X-axis and which is substantially parallel to the force of gravity, the rotor element (32) being part of a rotor unit (31), the rotor element (32) itself having at least one rotor tool (33) and each rotor tool (33) having at least one rotor tool component (34), the rotor element (32) being surrounded by a stator element (42), which is part of a stator unit (41), the stator element (42) itself having at least one stator tool (43) and each stator tool (43) having at least one stator tool component (44), the rotor element (32) and the stator element (42) being substantially cylindrical and the device additionally comprising a material inlet (11) for supplying the composite material or the mixture above the rotor/stator unit (31, 41) and a material outlet (12) for discharging the separated material below the rotor/stator unit (31, 41).

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the composite material or the mixture is excited by mechanical impulses in a cleared gap between the at least one rotor tool (33) and the at least one stator tool (43).

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one rotor tool (33) and the at least one rotor tool component (34) are substantially oriented in the direction of the X-axis, hereinafter referred to as the X-direction, the X-direction and the tangential direction of the stator element (42) together defining a plane A at the position of the at least one stator tool component (44), and the X-direction and the radial direction of the stator element (42) together defining a plane B at the position of the at least one stator tool component (44), the at least one stator tool component (44) being orientable relative to the X-direction both in plane A and in plane B.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein an angle ?, which describes the orientation in plane A relative to the X-direction, is between ?45? and +45?, and an angle ?, which describes the orientation in plane B relative to the X-direction, is between ?10? and +10?.

13. The device according to claim 9, comprising a metering device for the composite material or for the mixture, the metering device being disposed upstream of the material inlet (11) and allowing the composite material or the mixture to be supplied by gravity and in a spiral motion.

14. The device according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the following means is disposed downstream of the rotor/stator element (32, 42): sieve fluidized-bed separator sifter corona separator sedimentation tank.

15. The device according to claim 9, wherein the device comprises a gas inlet, which is disposed in the area of the rotor/stator element (32, 42).

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composite materials and mixtures are solid-material mixtures and slags.

17. The method according to claim 2, wherein the mechanical impulses are transmitted at a high cadence in the range of 50 Hz to 50 kHz.

18. The method according to claim 5, wherein the composite material or mixture is slag and/or aluminum dross that are waste products of primary processing and subsequent processing of aluminum.

19. The method according to claim 5, wherein the composite material or mixture is slag produced when incinerating domestic waste and industrial residue.

20. The method according to claim 5, wherein the composite material or mixture is electronic and electrical waste from at least one of stranded cables, plug connectors and circuit boards.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] FIG. 1 schematically shows the method according to the invention including the severing of the bond between the materials and the optional segregation of the separated materials from each other;

[0052] FIG. 2 schematically shows a possible structure of the slag or aluminum dross that occurs during both primary processing and subsequent processing of metals, in particular of aluminum;

[0053] FIG. 3 schematically shows a possible structure of the slag that is produced when incinerating waste, in particular domestic waste and industrial residues;

[0054] FIG. 4 schematically shows a possible structure of a composite material consisting of copper and glass-fiber resins;

[0055] FIG. 5 schematically shows a possible structure of an aluminum sandwich panel;

[0056] FIG. 6 schematically shows a possible structure of a blister package;

[0057] FIG. 7 schematically shows the decomposition process;

[0058] FIG. 8 schematically shows a possible structure of a device for disassociating composite materials and mixtures, in particular solid-material mixtures and slags;

[0059] FIG. 9 schematically shows a cross-section of a possible embodiment of a tool used to decompose composite materials, slags and mixtures;

[0060] FIG. 10 schematically shows plane A, which is defined by the X-direction and the tangential direction of the stator element 42 at the position of the at least one stator tool component 44 and in which angle ? is located;

[0061] FIG. 11 schematically shows plane B, which is defined by the X-direction and the radial direction of the stator element 42 at the position of the at least one stator tool component 44 and in which angle ? is located.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] The following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the invention in any way.

[0063] FIG. 1 schematically shows the different steps of one embodiment of the method according to the invention. First, the bond at the contact surfaces of the different materials of the composite material or of the mixture is severed (i.e. broken up or decomposed) and then the different materials can optionally be segregated from each other so as to recover the homogenous recyclable material (i.e. the original components of the composite material/mixture).

[0064] FIG. 2 shows a possible structure of the waste products slag and aluminum dross that occur both in primary processing and in subsequent processing of metals, in particular aluminum. During a reduction process, in which aluminum oxides are processed into metallic aluminum, for example, a layer consisting of metallic aluminum and aluminum oxides forms on the surface of the aluminum prior to its casting. This layer is a result of oxidation at the surface and is mechanically scraped of, i.e. skimmed, which is why dross is also referred to as scum.

[0065] The structure of the dross is a chaotic assortment of aluminum and aluminum oxides, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In the inhomogeneous layer, the aluminum can be found in pieces of a size between a few micrometers to up to several millimeters. The proportion of metallic aluminum usually amounts to between 25 and 80 wt %.

[0066] FIG. 3 shows a possible structure of a slag that is produced when incinerating waste, in particular domestic waste and industry residues. In addition to a mineral mixture, this type of slag often contains proportions of heavy and light metals, which are mostly present in metallic form, i.e. not as oxides.

[0067] After leaving the incineration process and after intermediate storage, these slags are typically subjected to segregation by means of an induction separator (non-ferrous metals) and a magnetic separator (steel).

[0068] The fraction leaving the induction separator consists of light metals, manly aluminum, of heavy metals, mainly copper, and of other mineral substances.

[0069] FIG. 4 shows a possible structure of a composite material consisting of copper and glass-fiber resins. Composite materials such as electronic and electrical waste as well as their partial fractions, such as stranded cables, plug connectors and circuit boards or printed circuits, consisting of a mixture of different materials, contain a plurality of valuable metals and precious metals. These materials, which consist of different sizes and compositions, are often interlaced in a complex structure and are considered difficult to separate. As illustrated, these materials can consist of multilayer composites of up to 40 layers of copper having a thickness of about 17 micrometers and of glass-fiber epoxy resins (e.g. FR4), for example.

[0070] FIG. 5 shows a possible structure of an aluminum sandwich panel consisting of two layers of aluminum having a thickness of about 0.3 mm, which is usually painted on one side and protected by a plastic film on the outer side. A layer of HDPE or other plastics of about 1 mm to 8 mm thickness is located between the aluminum layers. These composite panels are used in fa?ade construction or in vehicle manufacture, for example. The material is characterized in particular by being very durable and light.

[0071] FIG. 6 shows a possible structure of a blister package as used in the medical field, for example, which consists of a deep-drawn plastic film, usually PVC, and a printed aluminum foil, which covers the PVC film with the hollow body (blister). FIG. 7 schematically shows the decomposition process, i.e. the separation of the materials present in the composite material or in the mixture. At the beginning, the composite material or the mixture is excited by mechanical impulses. The different materials, which are plastic and metal in this example, absorb the impulse and start vibrating at their natural frequency. Particularly high forces occur at the material boundary surfaces because of the different natural frequencies of the materials. Ultimately, the materials are separated along the material boundary. Furthermore, the impulse transmission can lead to plastic deformation due to differences in ductility of the materials, such as in the case of metal. This facilitates segregation of the materials into the individual components.

The method according to the invention is carried out in a device in which the principle of dry-mechanical treatment is substantially employed. The idea is for the individual materials to be separated from each other and to then be segregated into individual components. To achieve this, the differences in the physical properties of the materials present in the mixture or in the composite material are exploited. In principal, these different properties lead to different behaviors of the materials. Broadly speaking, plastics or rubber tend to act as vibration dampeners and absorb a lot of energy while still behaving elastically and returning to their original shape. Metals, on the other hand, transmit the vibration energy. As soon as the metals have separated from other materials, the high impulse forces will cause the metals to deform substantially plastically, i.e. to turn into spheres.

[0072] Mineral substances are downright pulverized because of their brittleness.

[0073] Aside from the separation along the material surfaces, the method also leads to a change in shape of the individual particles. This means that the particle-size spectrum changes as a function of the properties. The different particle-size distributions overlap only partially, which is how they allow homogeneous segregation into individual components in the first place.

[0074] The obtained homogeneous components, i.e. materials, can subsequently be made available to the economic cycle. In doing so, resources are conserved and a significant amount of CO.sub.2 is saved.

[0075] FIG. 8 shows a possible structure of a device for separating composite materials and mixtures, in particular solid-material mixtures and slags. A drive unit (e.g. an electric motor) 21 and a bearing/shaft unit 22 including the associated rotor element 32 are disposed on a machine substructure 20. On said rotor element 32, at least one rotor tool 33 is located, which, in turn, comprises rotor tool components 34. Likewise, a stator unit 41 including the stator element 42 and the at least one associated stator tool 43, which, in turn comprises stator tool components 44, is mounted in said machine substructure. The illustrated device further comprises a material inlet 11, via which the composite material etc. is supplied in bulk, and a material outlet 12, via which separated materials and, if applicable, already segregated components are discharged.

[0076] Introducing the material into the device 1 from above allows the material to be transported downward by gravity and in a spiral motion. This spiral path provides for the different amounts of time spent in the process by the material as a function of size, weight and shape of the material.

[0077] FIG. 9 shows a possible embodiment of the tool that is used to separate composite materials and mixtures. In a manner of speaking, it is an enlarged section of the rotor unit 31 and stator unit 41 illustrated in FIG. 8. FIG. 9 particularly clearly shows the geometry of the tools. The gap cleared between the rotor tools 33 and the stator tools 43 is the area in which the material is substantially acted upon, i.e. in which the material is decomposed.

[0078] The possible range of angle ?, which describes the orientation in plane A relative to the X-axis, is preferably ?45? to +45?, and angle ?, which describes the orientation in plane B relative to the X-axis, is preferably between ?10? to +10?. The amount of time spent in the process and the type of contact impulse can be set by adjusting the angle of the stator tools relative to the rotor tools. Likewise, the wear behavior of the tools can be improved by said orientation.

[0079] By adding an air flow, the amount of time spent in the process by the material can be influenced additionally.

[0080] FIG. 10 schematically shows a stator element 42, on which a stator tool 43 is disposed, which, in turn, comprises a stator tool component 44. The X-axis, which describes the axis of rotation of the bearing/shaft unit 22, is indicated as well, the axis of rotation being substantially parallel to the force of gravity. At the position at which the stator tool component 43 is disposed on the stator tool 43 of the stator element 42, the X-direction and the tangential direction of the stator element 42 together define a plane A. Angle ? describes the orientation of the stator tool component in plane A relative to the X-axis.

[0081] FIG. 11 schematically shows a stator element 42, on which a stator tool 43 is disposed, which, in turn, comprises a stator tool component 44. The X-axis, which describes the axis of rotation of the der bearing/shaft unit 22, is indicated as well, the axis of rotation being substantially parallel to the force of gravity. At the position at which the stator tool component 43 is disposed on the stator tool 43 of the stator element 42, the X-direction and the radial direction of the stator element 42 together define a plane B. Angle ? describes the orientation of the stator tool component in plane B relative to the X-axis.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0082] 1 device [0083] 11 material inlet [0084] 12 material outlet [0085] 21 drive unit [0086] 22 bearing/shaft unit [0087] 31 rotor unit [0088] 32 rotor element [0089] 33 rotor tool [0090] 34 rotor tool component [0091] 41 stator unit [0092] 42 stator element [0093] 43 stator tool [0094] 44 stator tool component [0095] X axis of rotation of the bearing/shaft unit; substantially parallel to the force of gravity [0096] plane A plane defined by the X-direction and the tangential direction of a stator element [0097] plane B plane defined by the X-direction and the radial direction of a stator element