US 2010/0140382 A1 · System for recycling of HDPE from motor-oil containers

Abstract

The present invention provides an integral system for recycling post consumer motor-oil plastic containers. Oils and especially motor-oil, physically attaches to its HDPE (high density polyethylene) containers demanding a unique recycling process. As described by this patent, oil-contaminated plastic containers are thermally drained and mechanically freed from their labels and aluminum sealing rings. Unlabeled containers are further shredded through oil-free flake-cutting process, in which, plastic melting is minimized, thus preventing oil to be trapped inside the plastic structure. A hot water bath of sulfonic acid and/or detergents, containing the shredded flakes, is subjected to a very high turbulence in the absence of air (water sealed), which induces liquid cavitation. High rotational turbulence combined with cavitation impacts (generated by fast evaporation/condensation/implosion) supply enough surface energy to liberate the strongly attached oil molecules, which are further trapped by the detergent bath. The bath can be regenerated indefinitely. Centrifugation of the washed flakes, hot and cold water rinsing and further hot-air drying, complete the process before re-pelletizing industrial quality HDPE with the full characteristics of new material.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method for recycling High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastic from used plastic engine-oil containers usually fit also with paper or plastic commercial labels and/or foil seal residues still attached to the neck of the container comprising the steps of:

a) placing the container upside down in an inclined heated slip tunnel maintained in an environment between room temperature and 240 degrees Fahrenheit and draining any non-attached oil remaining in said container;
b) removing any sealing-foil residue, by the action of a high velocity cutting blade mounted on a support rotating on a shaft that slices off a ring of HDPE from the end of the container's neck;
c) removing the container's label by the action of heat and a peeling blade;
d) shredding the container into flakes with a hardened steel cutting blade mounted on a support rotating on a shaft, said cutting blade cutting across a disaligned hardened steel anvil;
e) separating any oil, molecularly attached, contaminating the flakes in an Adhered Oil
Removal Solution (AORS) hot bath, and extracting and drying the flakes after separating said oil;
f) regenerating the said adhered oil removal solution hot bath after said oil separation.

4 more elements

A method for recycling HDPE plastic from used labeled engine-oil containers with a sealing foil residue still attached to the neck of the container with adhesive, comprising the steps of:

a) emptying, by the action of centrifugal acceleration, the free flowing residual oil from the engine-oil containers, in an environment between room temperature and 240 degrees F.;
b) melting the adhesive, gluing said sealing foil residue to the container's neck, by rapid heating the neck with hot air, liquid, steam or superheated steam, at temperatures between 140 degrees F. and 240 degrees F.;
c) removing the preheated sealing-foil residue by a brush or a rotating blade with its axis coinciding with the container's neck axis;
d) softening the paper-label's adhesive (attaching it to said oil container) by a sudden application of water, heated between 140 degrees F. and 212° degrees F.;
e) removing the engine-oil container's labels, immediately after said adhesive melting processes, by the sliding action of a smooth wide blade coated with Teflon;
f) generating a high turbulence bath by the action of continuous or intermittent high velocity submerged jets of an adhered oil removal solution (AORS) impinging the plastic flakes;
g) performing under pressure the process of high turbulence pressurized toroidal recirculation hot-bath (AORS), filled with said ‘adhered-oil removal solution’ at temperatures between room temperature and 250 degrees F.;
h) drying of the cleaned HDPE flakes by the action of hot air by a forced flow through the static flakes.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System for recycling of HDPE from motor-oil containers

Life of this patent

System for recycling of HDPE from motor-oil containers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13