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US 2011/0034570 A1Published application
Recycling and reduction of plastics and non-plastics material
OwnerPeter Anthony Smith, Adam J. Koffler +1inventors
InventorsPeter Anthony Smith, Adam J. Koffler, Philip Mark Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides, e.g., methods to recycle and/or reduce plastic, non-plastic, or a combination thereof, from a waste stream. The methods of the present invention include contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one or more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to heat plastic present in the plastic waste.
Claims21
-71. (canceled)
A method comprising:
- (a) separating a waste stream that includes plastic waste, thereby providing a plastic waste;
- (b) analyzing the plastic waste using spectroscopy, sufficient to determine which of two or more materials comprise the plastic waste;
- and,
- (c) contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one of more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to heat plastic present in the plastic waste, reduce the weight of the plastic waste, alter the volume of the plastic waste, or a combination thereof;
- thereby effectively providing recycled plastic, reduced plastic, or a combination thereof.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- (a) separating a waste stream that includes plastic waste, such that at least a portion of non-plastic waste, unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (UPVC), plastics treated with a fire retardant, or a combination thereof is separated from the waste stream, thereby providing a plastic waste;
- (b) reducing the size of the plastic waste;
- (c) analyzing the plastic waste using infrared spectroscopy, sufficient to determine which of two or more materials comprise the plastic waste;
- (d) removing solid particles, organic matter, contaminants, metal contaminants, or a combination thereof, from the plastic waste;
- (e) calibrating an infrared (IR) source to the plastic waste, wherein the calibrating occurs after analyzing;
- (f) contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one or more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to heat plastic present in the plastic waste;
- (g) contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one or more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to alter the volume of the plastic waste;
- (h) contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one or more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to reduce the weight of the plastic waste;
- and,
- (i) cooling the heated plastic waste;
- thereby effectively providing recycled plastic, reduced plastic, or a combination thereof.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- (a) separating a waste stream that includes plastic waste, such that at least a portion of non-plastic waste, unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (UPVC), plastics treated with a fire retardant, or a combination thereof is separated from the waste stream, thereby providing a plastic waste;
- (b) reducing the size of the plastic waste;
- (c) analyzing the plastic waste using infrared spectroscopy, sufficient to determine which of two or more materials comprise the plastic waste;
- (d) removing solid particles, organic matter, contaminants, metal contaminants, or a combination thereof, from the plastic waste;
- (e) calibrating an infrared (IR) source to the plastic waste, wherein the calibrating occurs after analyzing;
- (f) contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one of more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to heat plastic present in the plastic waste, reduce the weight of the plastic waste, alter the volume of the plastic waste, or a combination thereof;
- and,
- (g) cooling the heated plastic waste;
- thereby effectively providing recycled plastic, reduced plastic, or a combination thereof.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.