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AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsWilliam G. Clark, Jr., Robert E. Shannon, Warren R. Junker
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Both a system and method are provided for remotely heating a polymeric material to a selected temperature. The system generally comprises particulate ferromagnetic material dispersed throughout the polymeric material to form a composite, wherein the particulate material has a Curie temperature that corresponds to the selected heating temperature, and a source of microwave energy for remotely applying a beam of microwave energy to the polymeric composite material. Preferably, the particulate ferromagnetic material comprises only about 2 percent of the total composite by weight. The polymeric material may be compliant, thermosettable plastic, and the Curie temperature of the particulate ferromagnetic material dispersed therein may advantageously be above the curing temperature of the polymer, such that the beam from the source of microwave energy may be used to remotely join surfaces or construct joints in composite structures. Alternatively, the polymeric material may be a meltable plastic, and the Curie temperature of the particulate ferromagnetic material may be chosen to be above the temperature of fusion of the polymer to create a polymeric composite which is magnetically separable from other polymers within a solid waste facility, and which may be melted down for recycling purposes. In a variation of this embodiment, a heat actuatable degradation chemical may be dispersed through the polymeric material along with the ferro-magnetic material to create a plastic composite which is selectively degradable by the remote application of microwave energy.
A system for heating a polymeric material to a selected temperature, comprising a particulate ferromagnetic material dispersed throughout said polymeric material to form a composite, wherein said particulate material has a Curie temperature that corresponds to said selected heating temperature, and a source of microwave energy for remotely directing microwaves, to said polymeric composite material to heat at least a portion of said polymeric material throughout its volume to approximately the Curie temperature of the ferromagnetic material, and a heat actuated degradation chemical dispersed throughout said polymeric material, wherein the Curie temperature of the particulate ferromagnetic material is above the temperature required to actuate said degradation chemical such that said composite degrades when exposed to microwave energy.
A method for heating a polymeric material to a selected temperature by the application of microwave energy thereto, comprising the steps of:
A method for heating a polymeric material to a selected temperature by the application of microwave energy thereto, comprising the steps of:
A method for recovering and recycling a polymeric composite that has been commingled with other polymeric materials, wherein said composite is formed from a polymeric material, and a particulate ferromagnetic material that has been dispersed throughout said polymeric material whose Curie point is above the melting point of said polymeric material, comprising the steps of
A method for recovering a selected polymeric composite that has been commingled with a plurality of polymeric composites, each of which is formed from a particulate ferromagnetic material dispersed in a matrix of different polymeric materials having different melting points, wherein the Curie point of the ferromagnetic material of each composite is different, and is above the melting point of the polymeric material that surrounds it, comprising the steps of:
A method for separating and degrading a polymeric composite that has been commingled with other polymeric materials, wherein said composite is formed from a polymeric material, a heat actuated degradation chemical dispersed throughout said polymeric material, and a particulate ferromagnetic material having a Curie point that is higher than the actuation temperature of the degradation chemical, comprising the steps of
A system for heating a polymeric material to a selected temperature in order to degrade said material, comprising a particulate ferromagnetic material dispersed throughout said polymeric material to form a composite having a Curie temperature, a heat activated degradation chemical dispersed throughout said polymeric material whose temperature of activation is below the Curie temperature of the ferromagnetic material, and a source of microwave energy for applying microwaves to said polymeric composite material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.