# US 2014/0197253 A1 · System And Method For Processing Multiple Polymer Component Articles For Recycling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0197253 A1 - Document ID: US20140197253A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/743,861 - Filed: 2013-01-17 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-17 - Assignees: NIKE, Inc. - Inventors: Simon Lofts; Graham Stevens; Nat Egosi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197253A1 ## CPC - B02C 23/08: Separating or sorting of material, associated with crushing or disintegrating (B02C23/18 takes precedence {; beater mills combined with sifting devices B02C13/13, B02C13/14; for tumbling mills B02C17/1835}) - B29B 17/02: Separating plastics from other materials - B29B 2017/0203: {Separating plastics from plastics} - B29B 2017/0416: {Cooling the plastics before disintegration, e.g. freezing} - B29L 2031/50: Footwear, e.g. shoes or parts thereof - Y02W 30/62: Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling - B02C: CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN ({household tools and machines for pulverising foodstuffs, e.g. coffee and spice mills A47J42/00; pharmaceutical mortars A61J3/02; mechanical processing of refuse and garbage B03B9/06; dressing mould materials by grinding B22C5/04}; obtaining metallic powder by crushing, grinding or milling B22F9/04; {recovery of plastics by disintegrating B29B17/00; crushing raw materials in starch making C08B30/02; beaters for papermaking D21D1/02; crushing devices specially for transport in mines E21F13/002; slag crushing devices F23J1/00; fuel milling devices in combustion apparatus F23K1/00; household devices for crushing coal F24B15/02; ice disintegrating devices F25C5/02}) - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract A system and method for separating polymer components of a multi-component article, such as a shoe, is presented. The described system and method exploits the differences in embrittlement and glass transition temperature of different polymer components of the multi-component article by cryogenically freezing the prepared article and impacting the article such that one polymer component is pulverized without substantially fracturing the remaining portion of the article. The system and method further includes a re-looping capability to maximize separation and recovery of polymer components. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for separating polymer components of a multi-component article for recycling, said method comprising: chopping an article comprising at least a first polymer component, a second polymer component, and a textile component into article pieces; cooling the article pieces to a first temperature; while below the first temperature, impacting the article pieces, such that a portion of the first polymer component is shattered into first polymer component pieces; and while below the first temperature, separating the impacted article pieces, into the first polymer component pieces and a concentrated second polymer fraction comprising the remaining portion of the first polymer component, the second polymer component, and the textile component. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: while below the first temperature, impacting the concentrated second polymer fraction such that a portion of the first polymer component is shattered into first polymer component pieces; and while below the first temperature, separating the impacted concentrated second polymer fraction into first polymer component pieces and a second polymer fraction comprising the second polymer component, the textile component, and a predetermined percentage of the first polymer component. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first polymer is a rubber and the second polymer is a foam material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, the method further comprising: classifying the first polymer pieces according to color. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the article further comprises a metal component and the method further comprises separating the metal component from the remaining article pieces. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined percentage is less than 10%. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is 80 K or less. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is below the glass transition temperature of the first polymer component. ### Claim 9 A method for separating polymer components of a multi-component article for recycling, said method comprising: chopping an article comprising a first polymer component and a second polymer component and a textile component into article pieces comprising at least a first polymer component and a second polymer component and a textile component; separating the article pieces into fabric pieces comprising the textile component and chips comprising the first polymer component and the second polymer component; cooling the chips below a first temperature; while below the first temperature, pulverizing the chips, such that a portion of the first polymer component is shattered into first polymer component pieces, wherein the first polymer component pieces are smaller than the chips; while below the first temperature, separating the pulverized chips into the first polymer pieces and a concentrated second polymer fraction comprising the second polymer component and the remaining portion of the first polymer component. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, the method further comprising: while below the first temperature, pulverizing the concentrated second polymer fraction such that the remaining portion of the first polymer component is shattered into first polymer component pieces, wherein the shattered first polymer component pieces are smaller than the concentrated second polymer fraction pieces; and while below the first temperature, separating the pulverized concentrated second polymer fraction into first polymer pieces and a final second polymer fraction comprising the second polymer component and a predetermined percentage of the first polymer component. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the article further comprises a metal fraction, the method further comprising: separating the metal fraction from the article pieces. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first polymer component is a rubber, the second polymer component is a foam material, and the textile component is a polyester. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first temperature is 80 K or less. ### Claim 14 A system for separating polymer components of a multi-component article for recycling, the system comprising: a shredding device, wherein the shredding device chops an article comprising a first polymer component, a second polymer component, and a textile component into pieces, the pieces comprising a first polymer component, a second polymer component, and a textile component; a cryogenic chamber, wherein the article pieces are cooled below a first temperature; a cryogenic impact mill, wherein the article pieces remain cooled and are pulverized such that a portion of the first polymer component is fractured from the remaining article pieces comprising the remaining portion of the first polymer component, the second polymer component, and the textile component; a trommel screen, wherein a heavy material fraction is removed, the heavy material fraction comprising the fractured first polymer component is separated from the remaining article pieces; an air knife to separate the remaining article pieces into a light material fraction comprising a portion of the textile component and a concentrated polymer fraction comprising the remaining first polymer component and the remaining second polymer component; and a conveyor to return the concentrated polymer fraction to the cryogenic impact mill. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, the system further comprising: a first optical sorter to divide the heavy material fraction according to color. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, the system further comprising: a second optical sorter to divide the light material fraction according to color. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, the system further comprising: a metal separator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the first polymer component is a rubber; the second polymer component is a foam material; the textile component is a polyester; and the first temperature is below the glass transition temperature of the rubber. ### Claim 19 A method for separating polymer components of a shoe for recycling, said method comprising: chopping a shoe comprising a first polymer component and a second polymer component and a textile component into shoe pieces comprising at least a first polymer component and a second polymer component and a textile component; separating the shoe pieces into fabric pieces comprising the textile component and chips comprising the first polymer component and the second polymer component; cooling the chips below a first temperature; while below the first temperature, pulverizing the chips, such that a portion of the first polymer component is shattered into first polymer component pieces, wherein the first polymer component pieces are smaller than the chips; while below the first temperature, separating the pulverized chips into the first polymer pieces and a concentrated second polymer fraction pieces comprising the second polymer component and the remaining portion of the first polymer component. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, the method further comprising: while below the first temperature, pulverizing the concentrated second polymer fraction such that the remaining portion of the first polymer component is shattered into first polymer component pieces, wherein the shattered first polymer component pieces are smaller than the concentrated second polymer fraction pieces; and while below the first temperature, separating the pulverized concentrated second polymer fraction into first polymer pieces and a final second polymer fraction comprising the second polymer component and a predetermined percentage of the first polymer component. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the shoe further comprises a metal fraction, the method further comprising: separating the metal fraction from the shoe pieces. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the first polymer component is a rubber, the second polymer component is a foam material, and the textile component is a polyester. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the first temperature is 80 K or less. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the first temperature is below the glass transition temperature of the first polymer component.