Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
  • B29B17/00—Recovery of plastics or other constituents of waste material containing plastics
  • B29B17/02—Separating plastics from other materials
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
  • B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
  • B02C13/00—Disintegrating by mills having rotary beater elements ; Hammer mills
  • B02C13/02—Disintegrating by mills having rotary beater elements ; Hammer mills with horizontal rotor shaft
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
  • B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
  • B02C13/00—Disintegrating by mills having rotary beater elements ; Hammer mills
  • B02C13/26—Details
  • B02C13/282—Shape or inner surface of mill-housings
  • B02C13/284—Built-in screens
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
  • B29B17/00—Recovery of plastics or other constituents of waste material containing plastics
  • B29B17/04—Disintegrating plastics, e.g. by milling
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
  • B29B17/00—Recovery of plastics or other constituents of waste material containing plastics
  • B29B17/02—Separating plastics from other materials
  • B29B2017/0203—Separating plastics from plastics
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
  • B29B17/00—Recovery of plastics or other constituents of waste material containing plastics
  • B29B17/02—Separating plastics from other materials
  • B29B2017/0213—Specific separating techniques
  • B29B2017/0217—Mechanical separating techniques; devices therefor
  • B29B2017/0224—Screens, sieves
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
  • B29B17/00—Recovery of plastics or other constituents of waste material containing plastics
  • B29B17/04—Disintegrating plastics, e.g. by milling
  • B29B2017/0424—Specific disintegrating techniques; devices therefor
  • B29B2017/0484—Grinding tools, roller mills or disc mills
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
  • B29B17/00—Recovery of plastics or other constituents of waste material containing plastics
  • B29B17/04—Disintegrating plastics, e.g. by milling
  • B29B2017/0424—Specific disintegrating techniques; devices therefor
  • B29B2017/0488—Hammers or beaters
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
  • B29L2009/00—Layered products
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
  • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
  • B29L2031/30—Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof
  • B29L2031/3005—Body finishings
  • B29L2031/3017—Floor coverings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
  • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
  • B29L2031/30—Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof
  • B29L2031/3005—Body finishings
  • B29L2031/302—Trim strips
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
  • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
  • B29L2031/30—Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof
  • B29L2031/3005—Body finishings
  • B29L2031/3041—Trim panels
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
  • Y02W30/00—Technologies for solid waste management
  • Y02W30/50—Reuse, recycling or recovery technologies
  • Y02W30/62—Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling

Definitions

• a process and device for recycling waste material from automotive trim parts wherein the automotive trim parts comprise at least a bilayer consisting of a thermoplastic elastomeric resin based surface layer with less than 5% by weight fillers content, and a thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin based backing layer with a filler content above 55% by weight.
• a heavier backing layer may be laminated onto the non-visible side of the surface layer.
• This backing layer is shaped together with the surface layer, to cover the area dedicated to the floor covering part. This might include curved areas as well as changes in direction of the flat areas, to encompass any channels or wall structures that need to be covered seamlessly as well.
• the backing layer is also a thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin resin based (TPO) layer but with properties different from those of the surface layer. In particular, it contains a high load of inert filler, like CaCOs. The filler content might be between 55 and 98%.
• the weight of the backing layer used to keep the aesthetic layer on the floor may be up to 4kg/m 3 . At least 1 ,5kg/m 3 is needed.
• both layers are based on thermoplastic elastomeric material, preferably thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin (TPO) based material, the above-mentioned differences between the surface layer and the backing layer make recycling difficult.
• TPO thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin
• a reclaimed mix of the material of the surface layer and that of the backing layer may not be used again either in the production of the backing layer or in the production of the surface layer: in the former case the resulting backing layer would have reduced mechanical stiffness, while in the latter case the surface layer would be of reduced aesthetic value (due to the presence of the fillers) and have a reduced durability. In both cases, this would result in layers that are not suitable for the production of for instance truck cabin floor covering trim parts.
• Hammer mills are known as devices to be used in recycling processes for various kind of materials for a sole size reduction process step. All materials fed into the milling chamber is pulverized and passes through the grate or perforated plate at the lower area of the milling chamber.
• thermoplastic elastomeric resin based surface layer with a low content of fillers and a thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin (TPO) based backing layer with a high content of fillers laminated together, which is able to separate the materials of the layers again to enable separate recycling.
• TPO thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin
• the objective is achieved by a process for recycling waste material coming from automotive trim parts with at least a bilayer consisting of a thermoplastic elastomeric resin based surface layer with less than 5% filler content, and a thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin (TPO) based backing layer with a filler content above 55%, according to the main claim and the claims depending on it, as well as by the device according to claim 15 and the claims depending on it.
• TPO thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin
• step 1 provide a feedstock F consisting of automotive trim part waste comprising at least a bilayer consisting of a thermoplastic elastomeric resin based surface layer with less than 5% by weight fillers content, and a thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin based backing layer with a fillers content above 55% by weight;
• - step 3 feed feedstock F’ into a rotating hammer mill, whereby hammers rotate along at least one perforated screen set at a distance from the tip of the hammers over the full rotation of the hammers, and whereby the action of the hammers is such that the backing layer is broken and separated from the surface layer and pulverized into particles that are and filtered through a perforated screen or grid thus forming material fraction A, while the surface layer is not substantially reduced in size and remains as flakes in the milling chamber and forms material fraction B, and
• Step 4 removing material fraction B from the milling chamber.
• the impact stress on the chips comprising the bilayer of the thermoplastic elastomeric resin based surface layer with less than 5% of filler content and the TPO backing layer with at least 55% of filler content induced by blows of the hammers as well as any crash against the wall of the milling chamber introduces a frictional stress in between and within the layers and causes the polyolefin material of the backing layer to break, separate from the surface layer and pulverise, while the thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin resin material of the surface layer remains substantially intact, enabling a high yield separation of both layers.
• the bilayer consists of a thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin (TPO) surface layer without fillers and a thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin (TPO) layer with a filler content of at least 55% by weight and not more than 95% by weight.
• TPO thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin
• TPO thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin
• thermoplastic elastomeric surface layer or backing layer may comprise inert fillers, preferably calcium carbonate.
• the recycled fraction A or B from the process according to the invention may be fed combined with virgin thermoplastic elastomeric material compatible with the fraction in order to produce a thermoplastic elastomeric layer, for example by means of an extrusion process.
• the thus produced layer may be used in automotive trim parts.
• a reclaimed fraction at most 30% by weight of the newly produced layer may be used depending on the fraction and the properties of the newly defined layer.
• the automotive trim waste pieces are picked up at the inlet of the hammer mill and, thanks to the action of the hammers, smashed against impact plates or breaker blocks in a first area of the hammer mill, where the shredded waste is rebounded back into the area of the circling hammer heads.
• blunt hammer blades are used to increase the impact force.
• the thus hit waste chips may be picked up and smashed multiple times against the walls of the hammer mill or against the grate or perforated plate, where shear forces between them and the hammers reduce the trim waste pieces by breaking off the high-filled material of the backing layer from the low-filled material of the surface layer and grinding it until the particles pass the grate or perforated plate and leave the milling chamber.
• the remainder of the feedstock pieces is mainly the surface material that may be removed from the milling chamber via a separate outlet area.
• the end of the grate or sieve area has a larger opening size and the remainder of the chamber content may be purged through this last zone.
• the device according to the invention may comprise a double-passage system to collect fraction A - the fraction passing the perforated plate - and B - the fraction remaining inside the milling chamber - separate in appropriate collectors.
• an additional moving guide panel or flap may be used, in the passage system to guide the each collected fraction to the right collector.
• This panel or flap may comprise its own actuator or may be combined with the one opening and closing the wall.
• waste in the form of cut offs, cut outs, end of roll material and rejected parts were collected and cut into shreds of around 15 to 30mm forming the waste feedstock F.
• This material was fed into a device according to the invention with multiple rotating hammer blades with blunt edge sides and tips.
• the device was fed batch wise with feedstock and the dwell time was kept constant.
• Figure 1 shows a cross-section of the trim part providing the waste feedstock for the recycling process according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a process flow-sheet for a process according to the invention.
• FIG. 1 shows a cross section of such TPO flooring for automotive vehicles with a large load floor area, in particular for a truck or SUV type vehicle.
• trim part comprises an aesthetic surface layer 1 comprising a thermoplastic elastomeric resin based material with a filler content of less than 5% by weight and an adjacent backing layer 2 comprising a thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin based material with a filler content of at least 55% by weight, more preferably above 80% by weight, and preferably not more than 95% by weight. Both layers together form the bilayer.
• thermoplastic elastomeric resin based surface layer 1 is typically made of a polypropylene based TPO material with zero or low filler content.
• the visible side of the surface layer 1 is embossed to obtain a decorative and anti-slip flooring surface.
• the TPO material for the surface layer 1 or the backing layer 2 is preferably based on a compound comprising a polyolefin elastomer resin, a filler, for instance CaCOs, and optionally other polyethylene or polypropylene based resins, like low-density polyethylene (LDPE), Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
• LDPE low-density polyethylene
• LLDPE Linear low-density polyethylene
• HDPE high-density polyethylene
• the surface layer 1 is more preferably made of a polypropylene based TPO material with zero or low - less than 5% by weight - filler content.
• the material may still be reduced in size according to step 2 but an additional cleaning step using a cyclone separator cy may be used to eliminate most of the foam contamination.
• the thus obtained Waste W' may be further recycled or reused.
• the pulverised backing layer fraction A is separated through the holes 5 in the perforated plate or sieve 6 and leaves the mill as material fraction A, while the flakes of the surface layer is forming fraction B, that can not pass through the sieve and is staying inside the milling chamber.
• This fraction B may be released by a separate outlet 7, whereby the dotted lines indicate a possible moving outlet door.
• the retrieval of fraction B from the milling chamber may be done on different ways, this is just one example of for instance manual retrieval of the material fraction B.
• Figure 4 is showing a device according to the invention with
• - rotating hammer blades 4 spatially organised on a rotating axle 13 and with their tips 14 facing the cylindrical wall 12 of the milling chamber wherein the axle is coaxial with the cylindrical wall and such that the hammer blades are rotating in the milling chamber along the cylindrical wall with their tips at a distance from same cylindrical wall over the full rotation of the hammers, and whereby at least part of the cylindrical wall of the milling chamber opposite the rotating tips of the hammer blades is a perforated screen 11 , characterised in that at least part of the perforated screen 9 can be opened and closed to release the content of the milling chamber.
• the opening and closing may be for example in a sliding movement parallel to the cylindrical wall indicated with dashed arrows.
• a flap or guide plate may be moved to guide the released material.
• the broken-off and ground material will fall through the perforated plate and will be collected as fraction A.
• a flap or guide plate may be moved such that the remainder of the material escaping the milling chamber, is collected as fraction B. This is material that would normally not pass the perforated plate.
• the gap in the perforated plate is closed again and optionally the guiding plate or flap is moved back to its original position.
• Both the movement of the perforated plate to form a gap and the flap or guiding plate 10 may be automated, for instance with actuators and preferably with a computer programme.
• the control may be done in sequence with the filling of the milling chamber.
• steps are placed in a continuous line or at least in a single facility, however, this is not necessary.
• the steps may be separated in time and/or in space.
• the pre-separation and/or reduction in size may be done close to the automotive trim part production, while the process step 3 with the device according to the invention and further clean up steps may be done in another - preferably more central - facility.
• the waste may be gathered from different locations, and the reclaimed fraction may be used again on different locations.
• the surface fraction B now no longer containing the fraction with the high filler content may be more valuable for heat production and may be used as such. This would still result in a massive reduction in landfill as fraction A forms the larger fraction in most of the trim part waste available due to the high filler content.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Separation, Recovery Or Treatment Of Waste Materials Containing Plastics (AREA)
• Processing Of Solid Wastes (AREA)
• Crushing And Pulverization Processes (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=83438942

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 2022
  • 2022-09-06 CN CN202280099787.4A patent/CN119816405A/zh active Pending
  • 2022-09-06 WO PCT/EP2022/074774 patent/WO2024051932A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2022-09-06 JP JP2025513647A patent/JP2025529308A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 2022-09-06 EP EP22776913.0A patent/EP4584069A1/de not_active Withdrawn

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