Processes and structures for recycling carpet and products of such processes

A process for recovering a product from a feed material, the process comprising:

• a) supplying the feed material from a source to a separator comprising a body that extends along a body axis, the body comprising one or more walls that define a chamber that is sized to receive the feed material from the source through an inlet opening of the body, the inlet opening positioned at a top of the body and underneath the source such that the feed material falls freely, along a direction of gravitational force, from the source, through the inlet opening, and into the chamber, the one or more walls extending around the body axis, the body comprising a breaker that is fixedly attached to an interior surface of a top wall of the one or more walls, the breaker projecting radially inwardly from the interior surface toward a screen, the breaker extending parallel to the body axis along the body;
• b) applying mechanical force within the chamber to the feed material to break a bond between a first co-product and a second co-product of the feed material;
• c) separating the first co-product from the second co-product using the screen such that the first co-product passes through the screen while passing from the chamber and through a first outlet in the body, and the second co-product of the feed material passes from the chamber and through a second outlet in the body while bypassing the screen, wherein the first outlet and the second outlet are located at different axial locations along a length of the body on the same circumferential side of the body opposite the inlet opening, and wherein the screen covers the first outlet while extending less than 180 degrees about the body axis and more than 160 degrees about the body axis;
• and
• d) recovering, from the feed material, the first co-product and the second co-product.

A process for recovering a product from a carpet, the process comprising:

• (a) delivering the carpet to a chamber within a body of a separator that extends along a body axis, the body comprising one or more walls that surround the chamber, wherein the one or more walls define the chamber that is sized to receive the carpet from a source, the body having an inlet opening through which the carpet is received from the source, wherein the source is oriented relative to the inlet opening of the body such that the carpet flows freely from the source, through the inlet opening, and into the chamber;
• (b) applying mechanical force within the chamber to the carpet to break a bond between an adhesive and a face fiber material of the carpet by rotating an impactor within the chamber, the impactor comprising a main shaft that extends along the body axis, an attachment shaft attached to, and extending radially outwardly from the main shaft, and at least one end effect attached to a radial end of the attachment shaft, the at least one end effect comprising a cross-sectional size that is larger than a cross-sectional size of the attachment shaft, the at least one end effect configured to contact the carpet to break the bond, wherein the at least one end effect extends between a first end, which is attached to the attachment shaft, and an opposing second end, the attachment shaft configured to rotate the at least one end effect such that the second end of the end effect has a rotational tip speed within a range from 15 meters/second to 75 meters/second, and wherein the at least one end effect is angled relative to the attachment shaft to create axial air movement to move fine particles and fibers of the carpet downstream;
• (c) separating the face fiber material from the adhesive using a screen by delivering the adhesive through a first outlet in the body and the face fiber material through a second outlet in the body, wherein the screen covers the first outlet, wherein the first outlet and the second outlet are located at different axial locations along the body axis of the body, a first radial axis perpendicular to the body axis passing through the first outlet and the screen, and a second radial axis perpendicular to the body axis and parallel to the first radial axis passing through the second outlet, and wherein the screen is attached adjacent to the first outlet to the one or more walls in a fixed position relative to the body;
• and
• (d) recovering, from the carpet, a low ash fiber product comprising an ash level that is less than 12%, and wherein applying the mechanical force occurs within the body, and separating the face fiber material from the adhesive occurs within the body, and wherein, as the carpet flows freely from the source, through the inlet opening, and into the chamber, the carpet remains intact with the face fiber material bonded to the adhesive, and wherein the adhesive exits the body at a location upstream from where the face fiber material exits the body, further wherein the body comprises:
• a breaker that is fixedly attached to an interior surface of a top wall of the one or more walls, the breaker projecting radially inwardly from the interior surface toward main shaft, the breaker extending parallel to the body axis along the body;
• and
• a baffle that is fixedly attached to the interior surface of the top wall, the baffle projecting radially inwardly from the interior surface toward the main shaft, the baffle lying within a plane that is perpendicular to the main shaft, the baffle extending a distance from the interior surface that is greater than the breaker such that the baffle extends between a first end effect and a second end effect of the at least one end effect.