Closed loop cyclonic mill, and method and apparatus for drying and fiberizing material

A high efficiency system to process material, comprising:

• a cyclonic mill, comprising a housing having a chamber formed therein, said chamber having a top, bottom and medial area therebetween as well as inner walls, said inner walls being cylindrical in the vicinity of the top of said chamber, said inner walls having a taper from wide to narrow from said medial area to said bottom of said chamber, respectively, said top of said chamber having emanating therefrom a conical insert having a taper aligned to said taper of said inner walls of said chamber, said cyclonic mill having an intake port formed through said cylindrical, inner walls formed in said chamber, and an outflow port formed through said top of said chamber in the vicinity of said conical insert, said bottom of said chamber having formed therein an adjustable passageway for selectively venting material from said chamber;
• a product separator for receiving material exhausted by said outflow port of said cyclonic mill, said product separator having a vent for venting return hot air and dust ejected from said product separator;
• a system blower for providing an air stream, said system blower having an intake and an outflow, said intake of said system blower communicating with said vent of said product separator via a conduit running from said vent of said product separator to said intake of said system blower;
• air generating means to generate a high velocity stream of air;
• heating means to heat said high velocity stream of air;
• means to direct said high velocity stream of air into said intake port of said cyclonic mill;
• feeder means to feed material into said high velocity stream of air, and direct said material into said cyclonic mill, said cyclonic mill configured to fracture, fiberize, and dry said material;
• recirculation means for recirculating a portion of said material through said adjustable passageway to said top of said chamber;
• a separator for separating treated material from debris.

A method of drying and fiberizing waste paper to form fiberized, low bulk density thermal insulation, comprising the steps of:

• a. infusing said material with a fire retardant agent;
• b. dewatering said material to 30%-60% solids
• c. generating a cyclonic air stream;
• d. gradually loading material into said cyclonic air stream;
• e. allowing said cyclonic air stream to place said material under tension, fracturing said material along lines of weakness, forming fractured, fiberized material;
• f. forming an area of reduced atmospheric pressure within said cyclonic air stream;
• g. exposing said fractured, fiberized material to said reduced atmospheric pressure, facilitating evaporative drying of said fractured material, forming dried fractured, fiberized, low bulk density, fire resistant insulation;
• h. ejecting an air stream from said cyclonic mill, said air stream including dried, fractured material, unfractured material, dust, and moisture;
• I. separating said dried, fractured material from said air stream;
• and
• j. recirculating said unfractured material through said cyclonic air stream.