Method and apparatus for recovering an elastomeric material
OwnerJohn Dobozyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for recovering elastomeric material such as rubber from tires comprising the steps of soaking the tires in a mixture of an oil and a volatile solvent to soften the rubber, subjecting the softened tires to shear conditions in a separator having at least two pairs of counter rotating rollers mounted one above the other. The recovered rubber can be carbonized in a microwave chamber to produce carbon and oil.
Claims28
A method of recovering elastomeric material from an article containing the material, the method including softening the elastomeric material by contacting the article with a fluid comprising at least one oil in admixture with at least one volatile solvent to soften the elastomeric material and subjecting the softened material to a shearing force in a shearing means having at least two pairs of counter-rotating rollers wherein said pairs of counter-rotating rollers are disposed one above the other and each pair of counter-rotating rollers is formed from rollers mounted for counter-rotation and having opposed, spirally configured flights and wherein each pair of counter-rotating rollers has a gap therebetween wherein said gap between a pair of counter-rotating rollers disposed above another pair of counter rotating rollers is greater in size than the gap of said another pair of counter-rotating rollers.
An apparatus for recovering elastomeric material from an article containing an elastomeric material, the apparatus including a closed vessel containing a fluid which can absorb into and soften the elastomeric material, the vessel having a first end having an inlet and a second end having an outlet, whereby the article passes from the inlet to the outlet for a time sufficient to soften the elastomeric material and a shearing means having at least two pairs of counter-rotating rollers wherein said pairs of counter rotating rollers are disposed one above the other and each pair of counter-rotating rollers is formed from rollers mounted for counter-rotation and having opposed, spirally configured flights and wherein each pair of counter-rotating rollers has a gap therebetween wherein said gap between a pair of counter-rotating rollers disposed above another pair of counter rotating rollers is greater in size than the gap of said another pair of counter-rotating rollers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.