US 5,534,077 A · Method and an apparatus for the disposal of foam materials containing propellants and more particularly of foam materials such as polyurethane employed as insulating material for refrigeration devices

Abstract

In order to more especially to be able to dispose of appliance having foam materials containing propellant in a manner compatible with the environment such the same are introduced into a chamber (1) where foam materials are blasted or blasted off in order to render possible the detachment of the synthetic resin foam and to destroy the cell structure while releasing the propellant contained therein. In order to improve upon such disposal and more particularly to decrease the energy requirement there is the provision in accordance that the blasting or blasting away is performed by means of a cooled fluid flow, preferably, water whose temperature is below that of the boiling point of the propellant. As a result the propellants released are immediately liquified or remain liquid.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of recovering polyurethane foam materials containing a blowing agent used as insulation materials from refrigeration appliances without mechanically shredding the appliances and recovering the halogenated hydrocarbon blowing agent therefrom, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) placing the appliance into a closed chamber;
(b) abrading the foam material with a cooled liquid abrading medium at a temperature below the boiling point of the blowing agent thereby detaching the polyurethane resin foam from the appliance, destroying the cell walls of the polyurethane foam, converting the polyurethane foam to flock or powder and releasing the halogenated hydrocarbon blowing agent as a liquid directly from the foam into the cooled liquid abrading medium;
and thereafter
(c) separating and recovering the polyurethane powder or flock and the halogenated hydrocarbon blowing agent from the fluid abrading medium.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and an apparatus for the disposal of foam materials containing propellants and more particularly of foam materials such as polyurethane employed as insulating material for refrigeration devices

Life of this patent

Method and an apparatus for the disposal of foam materials containing propellants and more particularly of foam materials such as polyurethane employed as insulating material for refrigeration devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21