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US RE45,290 E1Granted
Production of clean glass particles from post-consumer waste
AssigneeGlass Processing Solutions, LLC
InventorCynthia Andela
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Clean glass particles are produced from post-consumer mixed glass and like waste streams by a series of pulverizing, size- and material-based separation, ozonation, drying, sizing, and paper fluff removal steps.
Claims44
A system for producing a stream of clean, sterilized, and sized glass particles from post consumer and like waste streams, comprising:
- a pulverizing system, for breaking the glass into relatively small fragments, while not breaking other less-frangible materials in the waste stream;
- a magnet for removing ferrous metals from the waste stream;
- a trommel separator, for separating the glass fragments by size;
- an air classification system for removing paper and other light materials from at least one of the glass streams exiting the trommel separator;
- an ozone sterilization system, in which the glass particles are exposed to ozone to kill bacteria;
- a fluidized bed dryer, for drying residual moisture from the particles with a stream of hot air at a temperature sufficiently low as to avoid burning or oxidation of non-glass particles;
- a first screening system, for performing size-based separation of the glass particles;
- a gyratory screening device for causing fine fibers of paper and plastic mixed with the glass particles to agglomerate;
- and
- a vibratory conveyor comprising a first pan for receiving a layer of glass particles from the gyratory screening device, the pan being driven in a vibratory manner causing agglomerated fine paper and plastic fibers to rise to the surface of the layer of glass in the pan, and a screen section having a screen of mesh sized such that the glass particles fall through the screen, while the agglomerated paper and plastic fibers remain on the screen for subsequent removal.
7 more elements
A method for producing a stream of clean, sterilized, and sized glass particles from post consumer and like waste streams, comprising the steps of:
- pulverizing the glass into relatively small fragments, while not breaking other materials in the waste stream;
- employing a magnet to removing remove ferrous metals from the waste stream;
- employing a trommel separator to separate the glass fragments by size from other less-frangible materials in the waste stream;
- blowing a stream of air across at least one of the glass streams exiting the trommel separator for removing paper and other light materials there from;
- exposing the glass particles to ozone to kill bacteria;
- employing a fluidized bed dryer, to dry residual moisture from the particles with a stream of hot air at a temperature sufficiently low as to avoid burning or oxidation of non-glass particles;
- employing a first screening system to perform size-based separation of the glass particles;
- agitating the particles in a gyratory screening device to cause fine fibers of paper and plastic mixed with the glass particles to agglomerate;
- and
- providing a vibratory conveyor comprising a first pan to receive a layer of glass particles from the gyratory screening device, and driving the pan in a vibratory manner causing agglomerated fine paper and plastic fibers to rise to the surface of the layer of glass in the pan, and passing the glass particles over a screen section having a screen of mesh sized such that the glass particles fall through the screen, while the agglomerated paper and plastic fibers remain on the screen for subsequent removal.
7 more elements
A system for producing a stream of clean, sterilized, and sized glass particles from post consumer and like waste streams, comprising:
- a pulverizing system, for breaking the glass into relatively small fragments, while not breaking other less-frangible materials in the waste stream;
- a size-based separator, for separating the glass fragments by size from the less-frangible materials;
- a dryer, for drying residual moisture from the particles with a stream of hot air at a temperature sufficiently low as to avoid burning or oxidation of non-glass particles, but sufficiently high to provide sterilization;
- a first screening system, for performing size-based separation of the glass particles into streams of coarser and finer particles;
- a gyratory screening device for causing fine fibers of paper and plastic mixed with the finer glass particles to agglomerate;
- and
- a vibratory conveyor comprising a first pan for receiving a layer of glass particles from the gyratory screening device, the pan being driven in a vibratory manner causing agglomerated fine paper and plastic fibers to rise to the surface of the layer of glass in the pan, and a screen section having a screen of mesh sized such that the glass particles fall through the screen, while the agglomerated paper and plastic fibers remain on the screen for subsequent removal.
4 more elements
A method for producing a stream of clean, sterilized, and sized glass particles from post consumer and like waste streams, comprising the steps of:
- pulverizing the glass into relatively small fragments, while not breaking other materials in the waste stream;
- employing a size-based separator to separate the glass fragments by size from other less-frangible materials in the waste stream;
- drying residual moisture from the particles with a stream of hot air at a temperature sufficiently low as to avoid burning or oxidation of non-glass particles, while hot enough to provide sterilization of the particles;
- employing a first screening system to perform size-based separation of the glass particles into streams of coarser and finer particles;
- agitating the finer particles in a gyratory screening device to cause fine fibers of paper and plastic mixed with the glass particles to agglomerate;
- and
- providing a vibratory conveyor comprising a first pan to receive a layer of glass particles from the gyratory screening device, and driving the pan in a vibratory manner causing agglomerated fine paper and plastic fibers to rise to the surface of the layer of glass in the pan, and passing the glass particles over a screen section having a screen of mesh sized such that the glass particles fall through the screen, while the agglomerated paper and plastic fibers remain on the screen for subsequent removal.
4 more elements
Apparatus for separating fibers of paper from glass particles in a mixed stream thereof, comprising:
- a gyratory screen device for performing a first density-based separation, comprising a substantially horizontal pan wherein the stream of glass particles and paper fibers are agitated, whereby the paper fibers tend to rise to the top of the stream and agglomerate into paper fluff balls larger in diameter than the glass particles;
- and
- a vibratory screen device for performing a second size-based separation, wherein the stream of glass particles and paper fluff balls are first disposed on a first pan having a first solid surface, and wherein the glass particles and paper fluff balls then migrate under vibratory action of said vibratory screen device to a second mesh surface of said pan of mesh sized to pass the glass particles but not the paper fluff balls, whereby the glass particles fall through the screen and are thereby separated from the paper fluff balls, which remain on the screen for subsequent removal.
A method for separating fibers of paper from glass particles in a mixed stream thereof, comprising the steps of:
- employing a gyratory screen device for performing a first density-based separation, wherein the stream of glass particles and paper fibers are agitated on the surface of a generally horizontal pan, whereby the paper fibers tend to rise to the top of the stream and agglomerate into paper fluff balls larger in diameter than the glass particles;
- and
- separating the paper fluff balls from the glass particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.