Method of Recycling Filter Media

• US 20090108499A1
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Green Planet Investments, LLC
• Original Assignee: Brandon Chrzanowski, Dan Chrzanowski
• Inventors: Chrzanowski, Dan, Chrzanowski, Brandon
• Granted Patent: US 7,993,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/328.170
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 17/02 Separating plastics from other materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2017/0289 Washing the materials in liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/065 containing impurities
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/14 Filters optical filters B29L2011/0066, sieves or screens B29L2031/737
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/737 Articles provided with holes, e.g. grids, sieves nets B29L2028/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 11/04 of polymers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/143 the feedstock being recycled material, e.g. plastics
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/62 Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/913 From fiber or filament, or fiber or filament containing article or product, e.g. textile, cloth fabric, carpet, fiberboard
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/914 From cellulose containing articles, e.g. paper
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/921 by injection molding material recycled from consumer used article or product

Abstract

A method of recycling spent filter media is disclosed. The method can include providing a cloth, the cloth being spent polymer-base filter media, removing foreign solid particles from the cloth, washing the cloth, drying the cloth and processing the dried cloth to produce polymer-base particles that can be used to produce a component. The processing of the dried cloth can include densifying and/or granulating the dried cloth. In addition, the spent cloth can have been used as metal working filtration media and the foreign solid particles removed from the cloth using a brush. In some instances, the cloth is washed using a dry cleaning process and the granulating or densifying of the cloth produces particles that can be used in an injection molding machine.

Claims

1. A method of recycling spent filter media comprising:

providing a cloth, the cloth being spent polymer-base filter media;

removing foreign solid particles from the cloth;

washing the cloth;

drying the cloth; and

processing the dried cloth to produce polymer-base particles that can be used to produce a component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the dried cloth is selected from the group consisting of densifying and granulating.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloth has been used as metal working filtration media.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the foreign solid particles are removed from the cloth with a brush.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the foreign solid particles are removed from the cloth using a squirrel cage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloth is in the form of a roll of cloth.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the foreign solid particles are removed from the roll of cloth by unrolling the cloth and passing the cloth past and in contact with a rotating brush.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the unrolled cloth passes between and in contact with a pair of rotating brushes.

9. The method of claim 7, further including rolling the cloth back into the form of a roll.

10. The method of claim 9, further including cutting the roll of cloth into a plurality of sections, the cutting of the roll of cloth providing a plurality of rectangular shaped sheets of the cloth.

11. The method of claim 10, further including spinning the plurality of rectangular shaped sheets of the cloth in a squirrel cage in order to remove additional foreign solid particles from the cloth.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the washing the cloth is dry cleaning the cloth.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the washing the cloth is washing the cloth using soap and water.

14. The method of claim 13, further including bailing the polymer-base particles.

15. A component made from recycled filter media according the method of claim 1.

16. A method of making a component out of recycled polymer-base filter media cloth, the method comprising:

providing a cloth, the cloth being spent polymer-base filter media;

rolling the cloth into a roll;

removing foreign solid particles from the roll of cloth by unrolling the roll of cloth and passing the unrolled cloth between a pair of rotating brushes, the brushes mechanical removing the foreign solid particles from the cloth;

rolling the cloth that has passed between the pair of rotating brushes back into a roll;

cutting the roll of cloth into a plurality of section such a plurality of rectangular sheets of cloth are produced;

washing the rectangular sheets of cloth;

drying the rectangular sheets of cloth;

processing the rectangular sheets of cloth to produce particles and producing particles of polymer, the processing selected from the group consisting of granulating and densifying;

providing an injection molding machine;

placing the particles of polymer into the injection molding machine; and

injection molding the particles of polymer to produce a component.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the cloth has been used as a metal working filter media.

18. The method of claim 16, further including spinning the rectangular sheets of cloth in a squirrel cage in order to remove additional foreign solid particles from the cloth.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein washing the rectangular sheets of cloth is dry cleaning the rectangular sheets of cloth.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the component is a dunnage for holding automotive parts.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the component is a pallet.