Recycling of products

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for the production of a recyclable product (1, 8, 9) made from a first material, wherein before or during the production of the product (1, 8, 9) a first marking material is added to the first material and the product (1, 8, 9) is produced from the first material with the admixed marking material, wherein the first marking material can be automatically detected in a recycling plant in the first material of the product (1, 8, 9) after the production thereof. The invention also relates to a process for the recycling of a product (1, 8, 9), wherein the product (1, 8, 9) is manufactured from a first material, to which a first marking material is added, wherein the product (1, 8, 9) or pieces (22) of the product (1, 8, 9) are separated from one another and/or from other objects in a recycling plant, in that the first marking material is detected in the first material of the product (1, 8, 9) or the pieces (22) of the product (1, 8, 9), and the product (1, 8, 9) or the pieces (22) of the product (1, 8, 9) are separated from one another and/or other objects, in which no marking material or a different, second marking material is detected. The invention also relates to a recyclable product and a recycling plant.

Claims

1. A process for the production of a battery, comprising: manufacturing a housing of the battery using a first recyclable polymeric material that includes a first marking material; manufacturing a plurality of separators of the battery using a second recyclable polymeric material that includes a second marking material, wherein the first and second recyclable polymeric materials are the same recyclable polymeric material, wherein one of the first or second marking materials is a photoluminescent material and the other of the first or second marking materials is a magnetic material or electric microcoils that are detectable and distinguishable from the photoluminescent material during recycling of the battery, and wherein the first and the second recyclable polymeric materials each comprise polypropylene; and sealing a plurality of electrode plates of the battery into an interior of the housing, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of separators is disposed between each of the plurality of electrode plates in the interior of the housing.

2. The process of claim 1, comprising admixing the first marking material to the first recyclable polymeric material and admixing the second marking material to the second recyclable polymeric material.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein admixing the first marking material to the first recyclable polymeric material comprises substantially evenly distributing the first marking material within the first recyclable polymeric material.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the first marking material is the electric microcoils.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the electric microcoils consist essentially of carbon and absorb high-frequency electromagnetic radiation.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the second marking material is the photoluminescent material.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the first and second recyclable polymeric materials comprise a co-polymer of polyethylene and polypropylene.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the first and second recyclable polymeric materials comprise polypropylene filled with a filler material, the filled polypropylene having a higher density than unfilled polypropylene.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the first marking material is the photoluminescent material and the second marking material is magnetite powder.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the first marking material is the photoluminescent material and the second marking material comprises iron filings.

11. The process of claim 1, comprising manufacturing at least a third component of the battery using a third recyclable polymeric material that does not include a marking material, and wherein the third recyclable polymeric material comprises filled polypropylene and the first and second recyclable polymeric materials comprise unfilled polypropylene, or the third recyclable polymeric material comprises unfilled polypropylene and the first and second recyclable polymeric materials are filled polypropylene.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein the plurality of separators comprise a plurality of pocket-shaped separators, and wherein each positive electrode plate of the plurality of electrode plates is disposed inside each pocket-shaped separator of the plurality of separators.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the plurality of separators protrude in height above the plurality of electrode plates within the interior of the housing of the battery.

14. The process of claim 12, wherein the battery is a starter battery for a motor vehicle.

15. A method of manufacturing a starter battery for a motor vehicle, comprising: admixing a photoluminescent marking material to a first polypropylene material; admixing a second marking material to a second polypropylene material, wherein the first polypropylene material and the second polypropylene material are the same polypropylene material and the second marking material is magnetic marking material or electric microcoils; and manufacturing a housing and a separator of the starter battery using the first and second polypropylene materials, wherein one of the housing and the separator is manufactured from the first polypropylene material and the other of the housing and the separator is manufactured from the second polypropylene material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the housing is manufactured from the first polypropylene material and the separator is manufactured from the second polypropylene material.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the housing is manufactured from the second polypropylene material and the separator is manufactured from the first polypropylene material.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first polypropylene material and the second polypropylene material comprise a polyethylene co-polymer.

Description

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below, based on exemplary embodiments and using the drawings.

(2) It is shown below in:

(3) FIG. 1 a rechargeable battery in an isometric view, and

(4) FIG. 2 the rechargeable battery as per FIG. 1 in a sectional view, and

(5) FIG. 3 a recycling plant.

(6) The Figures use the same reference symbols for identical elements.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a rechargeable battery 1, e.g. in the shape of a starter battery, in an isometric view. Herein, rechargeable battery 1 is shown in a simplified manner. What can be seen is a housing with a housing bottom 3 and a housing lid 2, which sits on housing bottom 3 and seals the latter. Through openings in housing lid 2, terminal posts 4 are routed to the outside of rechargeable battery 1, which posts are used to provide the electrical contact with rechargeable battery 1.

(8) FIG. 2 shows rechargeable battery 1 in a sectional view through a cell of rechargeable battery 1. What can be seen is the typical design of a starter battery, in the interior of a cell of which battery electrode plates 6 are provided that are connected to terminal posts 4 by means of a connecting tab 5 each. Herein, some electrode plates 6 can be arranged within pocket-shaped separators 7, e.g., all of the positive [+] electrode plates. Herein, separators 7 protrude somewhat in height above electrode plates 6.

(9) When recycling such a rechargeable battery 1, housing components 2, 3 that are manufactured from, e.g., polypropylene, must be separated from electrode plates 6 and separators 7 and, if applicable, from other components made of other materials. Herein, housing components 2, 3 may consist of unfilled polypropylene or of filled polypropylene, wherein for such a filling, e.g., talcum powder is admixed to the polypropylene. Unfilled polypropylene can, without any difficulty, be separated from the other substancesin particular, from filled polypropyleneby means of known separation processes, such as flotation. In the case of housing components made of filled polypropylene, during flotation there is, e.g., the effect that the filled polypropylene pieces cannot be separated from the separator pieces because both of these ingredients sink to the bottom of the flotation system.

(10) Based on FIG. 3, which shows a recycling plant, a process for recycling products 1, 8, 9, e.g., rechargeable batteries of the type explained by means of FIGS. 1 and 2, is to be described simultaneously. The recycling plant according to FIG. 3 has a feed conveyor belt 10, on which three products 1, 8, 9 are moved to the recycling process. Product 1, e.g., is a rechargeable battery having housing components made of unfilled polypropylene, Product 8 and Product 9 are each rechargeable batteries having housing components made of filled polypropylene. Inside of all of these rechargeable batteries 1, 8, 9 are separators 7.

(11) Products 1, 8, 9 are fed to a crusher 11 by means of feed conveyor 10. In crusher 11, Products 1, 8, 9 are broken down into small pieces 22. These pieces 22 are transported from crusher 11 to a flotation system 13 via a second conveyor belt 12. Pieces 22 of products 1, 8, 9, which pieces can be seen on second conveyor belt 12 as well as on the other conveyor belts yet to be described, shall be defined in the following typical manner: Pieces with striped pattern: Pieces of separators 7 Pieces with check pattern: Pieces of housing components made of filled polypropylene Pieces without pattern: Pieces of housing components made of unfilled polypropylene.

(12) In this case it shall be assumed that the filled polypropylene material is mixed with a first marking material that fluoresces when exposed to ultraviolet light.

(13) The pieces fed will first be pre-separated in flotation system 13. Herein, the pieces made of the unfilled polypropylene material can be separated out and transported off by means of a third conveyor belt 14.

(14) The mixed fraction of separator pieces and pieces of filled polypropylene emerging from flotation system 13 are fed to a separation device 16, 17, 18, 19 by means of a fourth conveyor belt 15. This separation device will separate the two different substances from each other based on the first marking material admixed in the filled polypropylene material.

(15) The separation device has a sensor device 16 that can, e.g., be embodied as a digital camera. Sensor device 16 additionally has a radiation source for emitting ultraviolet light, which the pieces on conveyor belt 15 are exposed to. Sensor device 16 is connected to electrical controller 17 via a line. The electrical controller has been pre-programmed to evaluateby means of image processingthe images that are supplied by the sensor device, showing the pieces on conveyor belt 15, and thus to detect pieces marked with the first marking material. Detection of the pieces marked with the first marking material is performed by detecting a fluorescent light effect in the images supplied by sensor device 16. When a piece marked with the first marking materiali.e., in this case, a piece with a check patternis detected, electronic controller 17 actuates an actuator 19 via a line 18. Actuator 19 effects a transfer of the detected piece from fourth conveyor belt 15 to a fifth conveyor belt 20. Actuator 19 can, e.g., be embodied as a blower emitting a stream of air that causes a desired piece to be blown from fourth conveyor belt 15 to fifth conveyor belt 20. Actuator 19 can, e.g., also be embodied as a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder equipped with an extendable rod. The piece will then be pushed by this rod from fourth conveyor belt 15 to fifth conveyor belt 20.

(16) As can be seen, the separated pieces made of filled polypropylene will be removed by fifth conveyor belt 20. The remaining separator pieces will be removed by fourth conveyor belt 15 via a conveyor belt section 21 located behind actuator 19.