Recycling system
AssigneePlastic Recycling Alliance, LP
InventorsNazim S. Hally, Eric J. Koelsch, Joseph M. Shields, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and process for recycling post-consumer plastic containers supplied as compressed bales thereof to recover at least uncolored and colored PET uncolored and colored HDPE in flake form is provided. The apparatus and process includes debaling, sortation of the desired containers from the bale, granulation of these containers into flakes, wet processing to dissolve glue and the residue of contents of the containers and to provide separation of contaminants from the desired flake by specific gravity difference, and recovery of the purified flakes.
Claims16
Apparatus for the recovery of at least uncolored PET, colored PET, uncolored HDPE, and colored HDPE from a compacted mass of post consumer plastic articles comprising crushed containers of uncolored PET, or colored PET, of uncolored HDPE, and of colored HDPE and at least two additional plastics selected from the group consisting of articles of polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride, and at least three contaminants selected from the group consisting of paper, metal, glue, plastic film, dirt and residue from the contents of said containers, the association of said containers and contaminants in said compacted mass including both (i) a physical mixture thereof as in the case of a mixture of containers of different plastic identities and as in the case of containers being associated by coating with the residue of their contents and/or dirt, (ii) mechanical engagement between plastic containers or between plastic containers and said contaminants as in the case of screw-on bottle caps on containers and retaining rings for said caps, and (iii) adhesive engagement between plastic containers and contaminants caused by said glue as in the case of container labels and base cups for containers, whereby a plastic article in said engagement with a plastic container of different plastic identity is also a contaminant for said different plastic, said apparatus comprising
- (a) means for breaking down the physical mixture of said crushed containers in said compacted mass into individual containers,
- (b) means for conveying said individual containers and their associated contaminants along a path, including means for distributing said containers within said path so as to be separable from one another by sortation,
- (c) means for sorting said containers of uncolored PET, colored PET, uncolored HDPE, and colored HDPE from one another and from the remainder of the broken-down compacted mass being conveyed by said conveying means, by selective removal of said containers of uncolored PET, colored PET, uncolored HDPE, and colored HDPE from said conveying means, said containers including their associated contaminants,
- (d) means for collecting the remainder of said broken-down compacted mass after being subjected to said sorting means,
- (e) means for separately granulating the sorted containers of uncolored PET, colored PET, uncolored HDPE, and colored HDPE to form flakes of said containers
- (f) means for separating said contaminants from the flakes of said granulated articles, which contaminants become separable from said flakes as a result of being subjected to said granulating means,
- (g) means for treating said flakes to remove the remaining contaminants therefrom, said treatment including wet processing so as to remove any dirt, residue of contents, and at least the glue present on said flakes, whereby the adhesively engaged contaminants become removable from said flakes,
- (h) means for drying the resultant substantially pure flakes, and
- (i) means for collecting the resultant substantially pure flakes of uncolored PET, colored PET, uncolored HDPE, and colored HDPE separate from one another so as to be available for recycling by melt fabrication.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.