Manufacture of molded composite products from scrap plastics
OwnerHerbert K. Hoedlinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Scrap plastic materials including thermoplastic and cured thermosetting components are recycled and molded into products of predetermined shape, without the necessity of separating the different plastics from one another, by a process of shredding and milling the mixture to reduce it to a fine particle size, homogenizing the fine particle size mixture into a free flowing macro homogenous powder form, warming the homogenized mixture to an elevated temperature but at which it maintains its free flowing condition, dry blending the warm mixture with a reinforcing material or a filler and then compression molding the blend at elevated temperatures and pressures into a product of pre-determined shape.
Claims16
A process of recycling and molding scrap plastics material into products of predetermined shape, the scrap material comprising a mixture of thermoplastic material and thermosetting material and optionally containing other organic or inorganic ingredients, the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) shredding and milling the mixture to reduce it to a fine particle size such that substantially all the particles thereof have a maximum dimension not greater than about 1 mm;
- (b) homogenizing the fine particle size mixture so formed into a free-flowing macrohomogeneous powdered form;
- (c) warming the homogenized mixture so formed to an elevated temperature which is at least about 80.degree. C. but is one at which the mixture maintains its free-flowing condition;
- (d) dry blending the warm mixture with at least one additive material selected from reinforcing materials and fillers, in an amount such that the blend contains at least 10% by weight of homogenized thermoplastic components and forming an intimately dispersed blend thereof;
- and
- (e) compression molding the blend at elevated temperatures and pressures into a product of predetermined shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.