Method and apparatus for treating waste products to recover the components thereof

Abstract

Used products, which would otherwise be disposed of as waste, are subjected to low temperature lowering the temperature of the product to approximately the temperature of crystallization of the components thereof. The product at this lowered temperature is then crushed sufficiently to cause the components thereof to release sufficiently to be subsequently separated according to material. The separation steps can include subjecting the crushed material to magnetic or electrostatic fields, air flows caused by either pressurized air or vacuums, and mechanical separation with vibratory screens and rakes. The materials of the original product are sufficiently separated to enable them to be recycled into usable product. The particular example cited relates to vehicle tires with the materials recovered including rubber, fiber and metal bands.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.