APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY SEPARATING POLYURETHANE FOAM AND FIBER FROM AUTOMOBILE SHREDDER RESIDUE

• US 20130026262A1
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Kyungnam, Yang, June Ho, Koo, Hong Mo
• Granted Patent: US 8,985,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 241/24.1
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 2009/068 Specific treatment of shredder light fraction
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 3/00 Destroying solid waste or transforming solid waste into something useful or harmless
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 17/02 Separating plastics from other materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 17/0404 to powder
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3055 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/52 Mechanical processing of waste for the recovery of materials, e.g. crushing, shredding, separation or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/62 Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for selectively separating polyurethane foam and fiber from Automobile Shredder Residue (ASR). The apparatus includes a first separator, a second separator, and a third separator. The first separator primarily separates fine particles, such as dirt or glass pieces, from the ASR at a front portion thereof and separates large-sized polyurethane foam and fiber from the ASR at a rear portion thereof. The second separator grinds remaining materials after the primary separation of the first separator. The third separator separates medium-sized polyurethane foam and fiber from the remaining materials after the separation of the first separator and secondarily separates plastics, rubber, and other materials.

Claims

1. An apparatus for selectively separating polyurethane foam and fiber from Automobile Shredder Residue (ASR), the apparatus comprising:

a first separator configured to separate fine particles from the ASR at a front portion thereof, and separating large-sized polyurethane foam and fiber from the ASR at a rear portion thereof;

a second separator configured to grind remaining materials after the primary separation by the first separator; and

a third separator configured to separate medium-sized polyurethane foam and fiber from the remaining materials after the separation of the first separator, and configured to separate plastics, rubber, and other materials.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first separator comprises a rake-shaped fiber separator for selectively separating polyurethane foam and fiber from the ASR.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second separator is disposed between the first separator and the third separator, and comprises a first grinder having one shaft with a knife-like part disposed at an upper portion thereof and a second grinder having three shafts each with a knife-like part disposed at a lower portion thereof and, wherein the ASR remaining after the separation of the first separator is crushed and ground by the first and second grinders.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third separator comprises a roller-type fiber separator configured to sort the ASR by size according to an interval between rollers, and an airflow and mesh plate-type separator configured to perform selective separation according to a weight of the ASR using airflow and configured to selectively separate the ASR by size according to a mesh size of a mesh plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ASR is classified into polyurethane foam and fiber by the first separator and the third separator, and is collected by a dust collector to allow the polyurethane foam to be finally separated from the ASR.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first separator is configured to separate fine particles including dirt or glass pieces, and large-sized polyurethane foam and fiber having a size of at least about 100 mm, and

wherein the third separator configured to separate medium-sized polyurethane foam and fiber having a size ranging from about 50 mm to about 100 mm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fine particles are dust and glass particles.

8. A method for selectively separating polyurethane foam and fiber from Automobile Shredder Residue (ASR) using the apparatus of claim 1.