METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING AND RECYCLING INFILL MATERIAL OF ARTIFICIAL TURF

• US 20150209830A1
• Filed: 01/28/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tarkett Incorporated (Tarkett Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Tarkett Incorporated (Tarkett Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: EDWARDS, Luke, BISSONNETTE, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 9,505,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 2201/04 Multiple deck screening devices comprising one or more superimposed screens
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 4/02 while the mixtures fall
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 4/08 while the mixtures are supported by sieves, screens, or like mechanical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 9/00 Combinations of apparatus for screening or sifting or for separating solids from solids using gas currents; General arrangement of plant, e.g. flow sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 17/02 Separating plastics from other materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2017/0224 Screens, sieves
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2017/0231 Centrifugating, cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/732 Floor coverings piles carpets B29L2031/7652; for vehicles B29L2031/3017
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 3/08 so as to loosen them, e.g. to form a fluidised bed "fluidised-bed" technique in general B01J8/24; centrifugal fluidised beds F26B7/007
• 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

A method and system for processing and recycling infill material of artificial turf. The invention includes drying extracted infill material through a fluid bed dryer, the fluid bed dryer passes a process gas through a bed of solids via a perforated plate. The dried infill material is processed using a plurality of vibrating screens to remove excessively large or small particles from the infill material. The plurality of vibrating screens may be a set of progressively finer mesh screens. The processed infill material is separated by density. The density of the infill material may be determined by a high intensity, uniform sheet of laminar airflow. The separated infill material is discharged and is ready to be used again in another artificial turf. In one embodiment, the infill material includes at least one of graded sand, granulated styrene-butadiene rubber, cork, organic infill, thermoplastic elastomers, or ethylene propylene diene monomers.

Claims

1. A method for processing and recycling infill material of artificial turf, the method comprising:

drying extracted infill material through a fluid bed dryer;

processing the dried infill material using a vibrating screen to remove excessively large or small particles or unwanted matter;

separating the processed infill material by density; and

discharging the separated infill material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracted infill material is loaded into a bulk hopper or bag and then fed into the fluid bed dryer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracted infill material is transported to the fluid bed dryer via a conveyor belt system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the density of the infill material is determined by a high intensity, uniform sheet of laminar airflow.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the infill material is cascaded vertically and exposed to the high intensity, uniform sheet of laminar airflow or suction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracted infill material includes at least one of graded sand, granulated styrene-butadiene rubber, cork, organic infill, thermoplastic elastomers, or ethylene propylene diene monomers.

7. A method for processing and recycling infill material of artificial turf, the method comprising:

drying extracted infill material through a fluid bed dryer, the fluid bed dryer passes a process gas through a bed of solids via a perforated plate;

processing the dried infill material using a plurality of vibrating screens to remove excessively large or small particles or unwanted matter from the infill material, wherein the plurality of vibrating screens are a set of progressively finer mesh screens;

separating the processed infill material by density; and

discharging the separated infill material.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the progressively finer mesh screens are positioned with the biggest mesh screen on top and the smallest mesh screen on the bottom.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the biggest mesh screen is a #4 mesh screen and smallest mesh screen is a #400 mesh screen.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of vibrating screens include three screens that separate the infill material into three categories:

good material, oversize material, and undersize material.

11. A system for on-site processing and recycling infill material of artificial turf, the system comprising:

a drying component including a fluid bed dryer configured to dry extracted infill material, the fluid bed dryer passes a process gas through a bed of solids via a perforated plate;

a screening component including a plurality of vibrating screens configured to remove excessively large or small particles from the dried infill material, wherein the plurality of vibrating screens are a set of progressively finer mesh screens;

a separation component configured to separate the infill material by density using a high intensity, uniform sheet of laminar airflow, the separation component being mounted in-line at the end of the screening component; and

at least two discharge components including a useable material discharge component for useable infill material and a unusable material discharge component for unuseable infill material, wherein the useable material discharge component transports the useable infill material to be used again and the unusable material discharge component transports the unusable infill material for disposal, and wherein the two discharge components are part of the screening component and the separation component.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the components are individual pieces of equipment that are capable of being connected in a variety of combinations via one or more conveyor belts.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the components are portable and capable of individually being mounted on skids for transport on flat-bed trucks or other similar transportation means.