Utilization of gasses for polymeric materials fragmentation and activation and related device

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to utilizing gasses for fragmenting polymeric materials and simultaneously modifying the surface area molecular structure of the said polymeric materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and associated device for the processing of already preliminarily deformed polymeric materials, preferably without metal reinforcing elements, by utilizing aggressive gasses to both modify the polymeric materials surface area into an activated state and also simultaneously fragment the fed preliminarily deformed polymeric materials into a powder-like form with a relatively increased surface area.

Claims

1. A method of polymeric material fragmentation and activation by utilizing aggressive gasses for both modifying the polymeric materials surface area into an activated state and also simultaneously reducing the polymeric materials particle size whilst increasing its relative surface area, the method comprising; placing already preliminarily deformed polymeric materials into a vessel for gas-solid reactions under mechanical agitation, feeding aggressive gasses into the vessel for enabling gas-solid reactions under mechanical agitation, agitating the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials and aggressive gasses by mechanical means for driving the preliminarily deformed polymer material from up to down and around to also lift the said polymer material from bottom to top for optimal processing, agitating the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials and aggressive gasses by mechanical means for circulating the aggressive gas near the surface of the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials, thus limiting the diffusion of the aggressive gas to the surface of the fed preliminarily deformed polymeric materials and thereby increasing convection and providing a faster kinetic disintegration of the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials by the aggressive gas breaking their chemical bonds, thus rupturing the polymer carbon chains and reducing the preliminarily deformed polymer materials to fragments, agitating the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials and aggressive gasses by mechanical means for promoting further fragmentation of the fed preliminarily deformed polymeric materials as the applied aggressive gasses enter the cracks in the already preliminarily deformed polymeric materials and propagate the said cracks, and as propagation of these cracks increases, opening new surfaces for further degradation to occur, and agitating the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials and aggressive gasses by mechanical means for a specified length of time with a specified concentration and flow rate of the aggressive gasses, thereby modifying the surface area of the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials via gas-solid reactions to cause the surface area to turn into an activated state with an increase in the requisite Aldehyde, Carboxylic acid, Hydrogen peroxide, Hydroxyl, and Ketone molecular functional groups on the surface area, the composition of the aggressive gasses used being represented by the following ratio formula 1:
A %:B %:C %, where A<B<C and A10% of the total % by weight, wherein A=Ozone;[Formula 1] B=Nitrogen; and C=Oxygen, to simultaneously fragment the fed preliminarily deformed polymeric materials into a powder-like particulate polymeric form with a relatively increased surface area, as well as activate the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials surface area.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the aggressive gasses are fed with or without a catalyst for the gas-solid reactions.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein feeding aggressive gasses includes controlling the volume of aggressive gas in the reaction chamber by respective application of a partial or full vacuum or admission of air.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the simultaneous polymeric material fragmentation and activation occurs at standard atmospheric pressure and room temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the ozone gas component utilization is a maximum of 4 grams of ozone per 1 kilogram of said preliminarily deformed polymeric material by weight.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the ozone gas component flow rate is a minimal of 1 liter per minute of ozone for every 10 liters of vessel volume.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the size of the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials being placed into the vessel are of size 5 millimeters or smaller.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials do not contain metal reinforcing elements.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials are processed in separate batches according to the hardness of the said preliminarily deformed polymeric materials.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials that have previously been treated for ozone resistance are firstly removed into a separate batch prior to the then also separate batch processing of the previously treated polymeric materials according to their hardness.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the aggressive gas ozone can be readily converted to oxygen by application of heat or chemical reaction with or without a catalyst.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the fragmentation and activation is carried out via a battery of said devices being operatively connected in their use of the applied aggressive gasses is carried out via a battery of reaction chambers being operatively connected in their use of the applied aggressive.

13. A device comprising; a vessel for enabling simultaneous mechanical agitation performed in conjunction with gas-solid reactions inside the vessel, the vessel defining a conical inside surface that tapers at a constant angle from a narrow diameter at a bottom end to a wider diameter at a top end, a means for feeding the required aggressive gasses into the vessel, a means for feeding preliminarily deformed polymeric materials into the vessel prior to, during, and/or after the aggressive gas is applied into the vessel, mechanical agitation means situated within the vessel to drive the preliminarily deformed polymeric materials from up to down and around the vessel, to also lift the said polymeric materials from the bottom to the top of the vessel, and at the same time to also circulate the fed aggressive gasses near the surface of the polymeric materials inside the vessel, the mechanical agitation means including a first single piece spiral mixer that extends coaxially with the vessel from the bottom end of the vessel towards the top end and which increases in diameter from the bottom end of the vessel towards the top end and which has an outer diameter that is closely adjacent to the inside surface of the vessel, the mechanical agitation means further including a second spiral mixer that extends coaxially with the vessel from the bottom end of the vessel towards the top end and which is of constant diameter, motorized means of controlling the frequency and speed of the said mechanical agitation, and a means of emptying the resultant fragmented and activated particulate material either during or after the mechanical agitation.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein contact areas of the vessel for polymeric materials and aggressive gasses and its mechanical agitation means are constructed of SS316L stainless steel.

15. A device according to claim 13, wherein the motorized means of controlling the frequency and speed of the mechanical agitation operates at a speed range of 10 to 50 RPM.

16. A device according to claim 13, wherein the means of emptying the resultant fragmented and activated particulate material utilizes a pneumatic ball valve operating either during or after the mechanical agitation.

17. A device according to claim 13, wherein the vessel incorporates an explosion vent to suit Maximum Explosion Pressure Pmax=12.8 bar and Maximum Rate of Pressure Rise Kst=149 m.Math.bar/s.

18. A device according to claim 13, wherein the vessel incorporates electric protection class for the drive assembly of the vessel.

19. A device according to claim 13, wherein the fragmentation and activation is carried out via a battery of said devices being operatively connected in their use of the applied aggressive gasses.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will now be described with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a particular preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of the device of the present invention, in particular depicting the mixing paddles with helical blades situated inside the vessel of the device out of a principal axis.

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the device of the present invention, in particular depicting the principal axis situated inside the vessel of the device surrounded by a central spire.

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional top-down view of the device of the present invention through axis B-B, in particular depicting the distal gas inlets of the device of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 is a top-down view of the device of the present invention, in particular depicting the feeding ports, gas outlet and explosion vent of the present invention.

(6) FIGS. 5A and 5B show the influence on compound properties by surface activated rubber crumb as opposed to untreated rubber crumb.

(7) FIG. 6 shows the functional groups in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis graph from preliminary studies, where the black and grey lines, respectively, represent the presence of molecular functional groups before and after the gaseous surface activation process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(8) Further scope of applicability of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the disclosure herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

(9) The preferred embodiment of the present invention of a polymer fragmentation and activation method and device is presented together with depictions of the fragmentation and activation vessel 1 preferably constructed of SUS316L stainless steel, the said vessel 1 being illustrated in FIG. 1 utilising a motor 2, with preferably a variable speed drive, for enabling controlled mechanical agitation of the already preliminarily deformed polymeric materials and the aggressive gas inside the vessel 1 for the purpose of causing the breakdown of the said polymeric materials by the said aggressive gas breaking their chemical bonds, thus rupturing the polymer carbon chains and reducing the polymer materials to fragments, and simultaneously modifying the surface area of the said polymeric materials placed within the said vessel 1 thereby causing the surface area to turn into an activated state with an increase in the requisite Aldehyde, Carboxylic acid, Hydrogen peroxide, Hydroxyl, and Ketone molecular functional groups.

(10) The already preliminarily deformed polymeric materials, preferably of a size of 5 millimeters or smaller and without metal reinforcing elements, are fed into the vessel 1 through feeding ports 3a, 3b. Processing of the said polymeric materials preferably utilises separate batch processing of groups determined by the different hardness and elasticity of the batch, each batch being accordingly matched to an appropriate reaction time and concentration of aggressive gas at 20 C. room temperature. Preferably, the said processing initially separates out any polymeric materials that have previously been treated for ozone resistance prior to their own separate batch processing according to the hardness or softness of the polymeric materials treated for ozone resistance.

(11) The batches of harder polymeric materials undergo a relatively more prolonged exposure to a relatively higher concentration of aggressive gas than required for the softer polymeric materials, and the polymeric materials previously treated for ozone resistance undergo a relatively even more prolonged exposure to a relatively even higher concentration of aggressive gas. Yet regardless of which of the said batches are being processed, the method and device of the present invention still causes the desired fragmentation and surface activation effect at an ozone concentration of 10 percent of the total percentage of the gaseous working environment within the vessel 1 of the present invention by weight.

(12) The aggressive gas formulation utilised by the present invention for the said fragmentation and activation of the already preliminarily deformed polymeric material without metal reinforcing elements is a ratio of gasses:
A %:B %:C %, where A<B<C and A10% of the total % by weight,[1]

(13) A=Ozone, B=Nitrogen, C=Oxygen

(14) The specific utilisation of ozone required by the present invention for the said sufficient fragmentation and activation of the already preliminarily deformed polymeric material is a maximum consumption of 4 grams of ozone per 1 kilogram of said polymeric material by weight, with a minimal ozone flow rate of 1 liter per minute of ozone for every 10 liters of vessel volume at standard atmospheric pressure and room temperature of 20 C.

(15) The aggressive gas is fed into the vessel 1 through gas inlets 6, the preferred arrangements of the said gas inlets 6 being illustrated in FIG. 3 as gas inlets 6a, 6b and 6c towards the bottom of the vessel 1. Typically, the system for admission and control of the aggressive gas comprises feed lines, inlet and outlet ports with associated pipe sockets communicating with the reaction vessel or casing, valves, pumps and other mechanical devices readily apparent to the person skilled in the art, including the incorporation of gas compressors and gas compressor systems. The aggressive gas may be applied neat, or in diluted form such as a mixture of gases or in a solution.

(16) The system may be under manual control, electronic control or a combination of the two. The system further typically includes a pump for forcing a flow or suction of air, or applying a partial or full vacuum to the reaction vessel. The air flow or vacuum can assist in emptying out any unwanted particulate matter.

(17) Mechanical agitation occurs by the means of the motor 2 enabling the mixing paddles 4 connected to a screw 5 in the central axis A to stir the aggressive gas and the fed polymeric materials. This mechanical agitation limits the diffusion of the aggressive gas to the surface of the fed polymeric materials by circulating the aggressive gas near the surface of the polymeric materials, thus increasing convection and providing a faster kinetic disintegration of the said polymeric materials. The said mechanical agitation also promotes further fragmentation of the fed polymeric materials as the applied aggressive gas enters the cracks in the already preliminarily deformed polymeric materials and propagates the said cracks. As propagation of these cracks increases, new surfaces are opened for degradation to occur, and the original preliminarily deformed polymer material is further reduced to fragments.

(18) Additionally, the screw 5 at the principal central axis A is itself surrounded by a central spire 8 as depicted in FIG. 2 for driving the said polymer material from up to down and around via its spiral distributed cone-like shape, joined closely with the internal conical-cylindrical surface of the vessel 1 to also lift the said polymer material from bottom to top for optimal processing. The said fragmentation and activation reactions in vessel 1 are therefore achieved simultaneously by the aggressive gas breaking chemical bonds when acting in conjunction with the mechanical agitation by the mixing paddles 4 connected to a screw 5 in the principal central axis A of the vessel 1, the said principal axis itself also being surrounded by a central spire 8.

(19) The vessel 1 preferably utilises a pneumatic ball valve 7 for emptying the device of the present invention either during or after the mechanical agitation. For optimal control, the aggressive gas ozone can readily be converted to oxygen by application of heat or chemical reaction with or without a catalyst.

(20) FIG. 4 illustrates where the aggressive gas is preferably emptied out of the vessel 1 through gas outlet 9. Also depicted is where the fragmentation and activation reactions in vessel 1 can be monitored through an inspection port 10 with sight glass. An explosion vent 11 constructed for Maximum Explosion Pressure Pmax=12.8 bar and Maximum Rate of Pressure Rise Kst=149 m.Math.bar/s is also illustrated.

(21) Thus, the described fragmentation and activation reactions in vessel 1 simultaneously produce a powder-like particulate polymeric form with the requisite relatively large surface area of the polymeric materials produced also having a resultant activated surface area.