An improved method for processing post-consumer carpet to recycle one or more component materials of said post consumer carpet, said method comprising:
- supporting one or more rolls of said post consumer carpet on a support for rotation of said one or more rolls thereon;
- feeding one end of said roll of post-consumer carpet face down into an intake comprising one or more rollers;
- classifying said roll of post-consumer carpet according to chemical structure of face fiber by using an infrared spectrometer and a Fourier transform process to produce a spectra for said roll of post-consumer carpet;
- and comparing said spectra of said roll of post-consumer carpet to a library of spectra of known materials for determining said chemical structure;
- dedusting of said post consumer carpet by one or more of:
- directing high pressure air at said carpet during said feeding by blowing air from a centrifugal blower;
- and vacuum dedusting of said post-consumer carpet;
- propelling said carpet into a separator using a first roller being brushless and a second roller having brushes thereon;
- said brushless roller being above said post-consumer carpet and contacting said backing, and said second roller being below said post-consumer carpet with said brushes engaging said face fiber to cause said propelling of a portion of said roll of post-consumer carpet beneath a guide bar;
- driving of one or more of said first and second rollers being by transferring power from a motor;
- separating face fiber of said post-consumer carpet by a circulating knife blade of said separator severing face fiber from backing material;
- sharpening said circulating knife blade continuously using a sharpener to continuously present a sharp cutting edge for said severing;
- and cooling of said continuously sharpened circulating knife blade to thereby prevent overheating;
- permitting said separated face fiber to fall into a chute for transport, said face fiber falling by one or more of:
- gravity free falling;
- and vacuum-assisted falling;
- dedusting of said separated face fiber using a willow cleaner;
- cleaning of said separated face fiber to extract debris therefrom using one or more of:
- a source of high pressure air;
- a vacuum condenser;
- and a self-contained fluidic ultrasonic cleaner, said self-contained ultrasonic cleaner comprising a fluid cleaning system for extracting dust and/or debris from said cleaning fluid;
- drying of said cleaned face fiber using one or more of:
- forcing air upon said cleaned face fiber;
- applying heat to said cleaned face fiber;
- and drying in a centrifugal dryer;
- transporting of said cleaned face fiber pneumatically through a chute for baling of said cleaned face fibers by a baler;
- storing of said baled face fiber according to said classified chemical structure;
- feeding of said stored bales, for one of said classified chemical structures, into a conglomerator for heating therein to remove latex and other remaining adhesive components by volatizing said adhesive components, producing said heat using a heat source comprising one or more of:
- electric resistance heat;
- heat from a combustion source;
- solar heat;
- and microwave energy;
- and melting in said conglomerator of said adhesive-free face fiber into a flowable state;
- feeding said flowable face fiber into a hopper of an extruder;
- adding one or more chemical agents to produce a high quality polymer;
- compacting said high quality polymer to force a flow of said high quality polymer through a die for forming an extruded shape;
- cutting said extruded high quality polymer shape into pellets;
- and loading said pellets into one or more containers;
- trading said high quality polymer pellets as a raw material commodity for use in other manufacturing operations;
- carrying away of said separated backing to a granulator using a conveyor;
- and forming backing fragments by one or more of:
- shredding, cutting, and chopping of said backing;
- and
- opening of said fragments into fibers by tearing of said fragments in an opening device;
- and dedusting;
- storing said torn backing fibers in a blending box;
- transporting said stored backing fibers from said blending box to said conglomerator;
- and
- density compacting and melting of said torn backing fibers in said conglomerator to remove latex and other remaining adhesive components by volatizing said adhesive components;
- and
- granulating of said adhesive-free backing to form a low quality polymer.