Method for producing aggregate and calcium carbonate from concrete composite materials, and a device for carrying out said method

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing aggregate and calcium carbonate from concrete aggregate, and a device for carrying out said method.

Claims

1. A method for producing aggregate materials and calcium carbonate from concrete aggregate, said method comprising the following steps: providing a rotary kiln comprising a kiln chamber formed as a reaction chamber, the rotary kiln being arranged at an incline relative to the horizontal; at least partially filling said reaction chamber with water to provide a water bath; introducing bulk material comprising concrete aggregate into said reaction chamber; feeding a gas comprising carbon dioxide into the reaction chamber; comminuting the bulk material in the reaction chamber; allowing the concrete aggregate and the gas comprising carbon dioxide to react with one another to form reaction products in the reaction chamber; rotating said rotary kiln such that the bulk material is guided continuously into said water bath and out therefrom during the comminution and the reaction; and removing the reaction products from the reaction chamber.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bulk material and the gas comprising carbon dioxide are conducted through the reaction chamber in opposite directions.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the concrete aggregate of the bulk material and the gas comprising carbon dioxide are left to react with one another so as to form reaction products at a temperature in a temperature range from 60 to less than 90 C.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a combustion gas comprising carbon dioxide is fed to the reaction chamber.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bulk material is saturated with water during the comminution and the reaction period, such that the concrete aggregate is saturated with water to an extent of at least 90% in relation to the mass of water necessary for complete saturation of the concrete aggregate with water.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bulk material comprises concrete aggregate to an extent of at least 90 mass % in relation to the mass of the bulk material.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the concrete aggregate is formed from hardened cement paste and aggregate.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calcium carbonate removed from the reaction chamber is calcined to form calcium oxide.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said rotary kiln is rotatable about an axis of the rotary kiln, wherein an upper end of the rotary kiln has an inlet opening for inputting the bulk material into the reaction chamber, and wherein a lower end of the rotary kiln has an outlet opening for removing the reaction products from the reaction chamber.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: saturating the concrete aggregate with water, wherein the saturating comprises said guiding of the bulk material through the water bath during the comminution and the reaction period.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the concrete aggregate is saturated to an extent of at least 50% in relation to the mass of the bulk material.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the concrete aggregate is saturated to an extent of at least 99% in relation to the mass of the bulk material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The exemplary embodiment shows, in a highly schematic manner

(2) The FIGURE is a lateral sectional view through a rotary kiln according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(3) The rotary kiln denoted in its entirety by reference sign 1 comprises a rotatable rotary tube 3. The rotary tube 3 is constructed substantially as a rotary tube of a known cement rotary kiln and therefore on the whole has essentially the form of a cylindrical tube. The rotary tube 3 is rotatable about its kiln longitudinal axis 5, which is arranged at an incline to the horizontal.

(4) The kiln chamber 7 of the rotary kiln 3 is formed as a reaction chamber for receiving bulk material 9 comprising concrete aggregate. At its upper entry-side end, the rotary tube 3 has an inlet opening 11, and at its opposite, lower end has an outlet opening 13. Bulk material 9 comprising concrete aggregate can be introduced into the kiln chamber 7 through the inlet opening 11. In the exemplary embodiment, the bulk material 9 is introduced into the inlet opening 11 by means of a belt conveyor 13. Reaction products 23 formed in the reaction chamber 7 can be removed from the kiln chamber 7 through the outlet opening 13.

(5) In the exemplary embodiment, the bulk material 9 consists to an extent of practically 100 mass % of concrete aggregate in a particle size distribution from 2 to 22 mm.

(6) The rotary tube 3 has, at the lower end thereof, a diaphragm 15, which extends annularly radially inwardly from the rotary tube 3, wherein the outlet opening 13 is open centrally. The rotary tube 3 is filled partly with water. The water is prevented from running out at the end of the rotary tube 3 by the diaphragm 15.

(7) A grate 17 is arranged at an incline below the outlet opening 13. At the lower end of the grate 17, a belt conveyor 19 adjoins the grate 17. The grate 17 and belt conveyor 19 are formed in such a way that reaction products 23 removable or falling out from the outlet opening 13 slide via the grate 17 onto the belt conveyor 19 and can then be transported away by the belt conveyor 19.

(8) A pipe 21, through which combustion gas comprising carbon dioxide can be conducted into the kiln chamber 7, leads into the outlet opening 13. The pipe 21 is directly connected fluidically to a combustion gas intake (not illustrated) for drawing combustion gases comprising carbon dioxide from a unit.

(9) A method according to the invention can be carried out by the rotary kiln 1 according to the FIGURE as follows.

(10) The bulk material 9 is first input via the belt conveyor 13 through the inlet opening 11 into the kiln chamber 7 of the rotary tube 3. Due to the inclination and rotation of the rotary tube 3 about the longitudinal axis 5 thereof, the bulk material 9 moves forwards from the region of the inlet opening 11 in the direction of the outlet opening 13. As the bulk material 9 passes through the kiln chamber 7 in this way, combustion gas comprising carbon dioxide is conducted continuously through the pipe 21 into the kiln chamber 7. The concrete aggregate of the bulk material 9 thus comes into contact with the carbon dioxide of the fed combustion gas. The combustion gases comprising carbon dioxide are fed to the kiln interior 7 at a temperature of approximately 75 C., such that the concrete aggregate of the bulk material 9 is reacted at this temperature in the kiln interior 7 with the carbon dioxide. The combustion gas comprising carbon dioxide, as mentioned previously, is introduced into the kiln chamber 7 in the region of the outlet opening 13, then is conducted through the kiln chamber 7 and lastly is removed again therefrom through the inlet opening 11. The removed gas can be collected and then further processed.

(11) When the concrete aggregate 9 is left to react with the carbon dioxide of the combustion gases, carbon dioxide of the combustion gases reacts with the hardened cement paste of the concrete aggregate 9, wherein in particular calcium oxide of the CSH phases of the hardened cement paste is carbonated to form calcium carbonate. This reaction is promoted significantly in the exemplary embodiment by three factors: Firstly by the temperature of 75 C. at which the reaction takes place. Secondly by the rotation of the rotary tube 3, by means of which the concrete aggregate of the bulk material 9 is continuously comminuted and as a result continually forms new surfaces that can react with the carbon dioxide. Thirdly, the reaction is promoted in that the bulk material 9 is guided continuously through the water bath during the reaction period, such that the concrete aggregate is saturated with water to an extent of almost 100%.

(12) Lastly, the concrete aggregate of the bulk material 9 reacts with the carbon dioxide of the combustion gases to form reaction products 23. These reaction products basically comprise calcium carbonate and loose aggregate materials.

(13) Due to the continuous loading of the kiln interior 7 with further bulk material 9 and the rotation of the rotary tube 3, these reaction products 23 fall continuously through the outlet opening 13 onto the grate 17 arranged therebelow and slide onwards over this grate onto the belt conveyor 19, which transports them away, whereupon the reaction products 23 can be further processed.

(14) The bulk material 9 on the one hand and the combustion gas comprising carbon dioxide on the other hand are conducted through the kiln chamber 7 in opposite directions, as is clear from the description of the FIGURE.

(15) In order to examine the extent to which the movement of the bulk material 9 through a water bath during the comminution and reaction period affects the reaction of the concrete aggregate with carbon dioxide, tests were carried out of which the results are shown in Table 1. On the whole, the tests were carried out on the twelve samples specified in Table 1.

(16) Specifically, concrete aggregate of different particle size distribution and with different cements was input during the tests into a reaction chamber in the form of a cement rotary kiln and was subjected to a counterflow of carbon dioxide. The concrete aggregate was comminuted by the rotation of the cement rotary kiln. At the same time, a water bath was formed in the cement rotary kiln in the case of samples 7-12, through which water bath the concrete aggregate was moved during the comminution and application of carbon dioxide. The reaction products were then removed from the cement rotary kiln. By contrast, in the case of samples 1 to 6, no water bath was formed in the rotary kiln during comminution or the reaction period.

(17) The following information is provided in the columns of Table 1:

(18) The column entitled particle size distribution specifies the particle size distribution in mm of the corresponding sample or concrete aggregate upon input into the cement rotary kiln.

(19) The column entitled cement specifies the cement used to create the concrete from which the concrete aggregate is formed.

(20) The column entitled raw density of the sample specifies the raw density of the respective sample in kg/dm.sup.3.

(21) The column entitled water absorption of the sample specifies the maximum possible water absorption of the respective sample (in mass % of water in relation to 100 mass % of the respective sample without absorbed water).

(22) The column entitled CO.sub.2 absorption specifies the mass of carbon dioxide absorbed by the respective sample during execution of the method (in mass % of carbon dioxide in relation to 100 mass % of the respective sample without absorbed carbon dioxide).

(23) The column entitled reacted CaO proportion specifies the mass of CaO of the respected sample that has reacted with carbon dioxide during execution of the method (in mass % of CaO in relation to 100 mass % of the respective sample inclusive of the CaO component thereof).

(24) The column entitled CaO component specifies the proportion of CaO that has reacted with the carbon dioxide during the method (in mass % of CaO in relation to the total mass of CaO of the respective sample).

(25) The column entitled raw density of the reaction product specifies the raw density of each of the reaction products obtained following execution of the method (in kg/dm.sup.3).

(26) The column entitled water absorption of the reaction product specifies the density of the reaction products obtained from the respective samples following execution of the method (in mass % of water in relation to 100 mass % of the respective reaction products).

(27) Table 1 clearly shows that the movement of the reaction product through a water bath during the comminution of the concrete aggregate and during the period of reaction thereof with carbon dioxide causes a much higher proportion of CaO of the concrete aggregate to react with carbon dioxide. By way of example, in the case of sample 10 up to 56.6% of the CaO component of the concrete aggregate reacted with carbon dioxide. By contrast, in the tests according to samples 1 to 6, a maximum of 39.1% of the CaO component of the concrete aggregate reacted with carbon dioxide.

(28) On average, a proportion of 43.7% of the CaO of the samples reacted with carbon dioxide in the tests according to samples 7 to 12, whereas this was only approximately 21.9% in the tests with samples 1 to 6.

(29) These tests show that the movement of the concrete aggregate through a water bath during the comminution and period of reaction of the concrete aggregate with the carbon dioxide causes a much higher proportion of CaO of the concrete aggregate to react with carbon dioxide compared to tests in which the samples were not moved through a water bath.

(30) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Raw Water density of absorption reacted CaO Raw density of Water Particle size the of the CO.sub.2 proportion of the reaction absorption of Sample distribution sample sample absorption the sample CaO product the reaction number (mm) Cement (kg/dm.sup.3) (%) (%) (%) component (kg/dm.sup.3) product (%) 1 >0-4 CEM I 52.5 2.3 n.d. 4.0 5.1 39.1 n.d. n.d. 2 >4-8 CEM I 52.5 2.3 8.9 1.8 2.2 17.2 n.d. n.d. 3 >8-16 CEM I 52.5 2.3 8.1 1.5 1.9 14.6 2.4 2.5 4 >0-4 CEM III/A 2.4 n.d. 3.2 4.1 31.5 n.d. n.d. 52.5 5 >4-8 CEM III/A 2.3 8.0 1.5 1.9 14.6 n.d. n.d. 52.5 6 >8-16 CEM III/A 2.2 7.9 1.5 1.9 14.5 2.6 2.9 52.5 7 >0-4 CEM I 52.5 2.3 n.d. 5.5 7.0 53.9 n.d. n.d. 8 >4-8 CEM I 52.5 2.3 8.9 3.1 3.9 30.2 2.5 3.2 9 >8-16 CEM III/A 2.3 8.1 3.8 4.9 37.5 2.5 3.2 52.5 10 >0-4 CEM III/A 2.4 n.d. 5.8 7.4 56.6 n.d. n.d. 52.5 11 >4-8 CEM III/A 2.3 8.0 3.1 3.9 30.3 2.4 2.9 52.5 12 >8-16 CEM IIIA 52.5 2.2 7.9 5.5 7.0 53.7 2.4 2.9