Painted plastic material recycling process
AssigneeAmerican Commodities, Inc.
InventorMark Lieberman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a recycling process, granulated plastic material coated with a paint film is melted in an extruder. During extrusion, the paint film is volatilized and removed by vacuum from the melted granulate stream. Additives are admixed with the particulates and any remaining paint film in an extruder. Water is introduced into the melted plastic stream in the extruder to neutralize toxic material levels discharged from the extruder and from the extruded plastic material.
Claims8
A process for recycling plastic parts coated with a paint film comprising the steps of:
- granulating the plastic parts to form particulates thereof;
- melting the particulates in an extruder to form a molten plastic stream and to volatilize a substantial portion of the paint film;
- removing the volatilized paint film from the molten plastic stream;
- and
- extruding the molten plastic stream.
A method of reclaiming a plastic product having a paint film, comprising the steps of:
- obtaining crushed particles by crushing a plastic product having a paint film into particles of a predetermined size;
- supplying the crushed particles to a screw extruder;
- kneading and fusing the crushed particles while supplying water thereto such that the paint film is separated from the plastic body, decomposed and gasified into decomposed gas;
- and
- obtaining a plastic by discharging said decomposed gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.