Method and device for recovery of scrap goods

• US 5,139,203 A
• Filed: 01/31/1990
• Issued: 08/18/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inter-Recycling AG
• Original Assignee: Kamal Alavi
• Inventors: Alavi, Kamal
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin, Frances
• Application Number:
  US07/472,750
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 241/24, 241/29, 241/80, 241/97, 241/79.1, 241/76, 241/DIG. 38, 241/77, 241/78, 241/20
• US Class Current: 241/20
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 9/061 the refuse being industrial
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 15/0056 Scrap treating
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 15/0071 containing sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 21/0023 from waste materials
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 7/001 Dry processes
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 7/005 Separation by a physical processing technique only, e.g. by mechanical breaking
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 7/006 Wet processes
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 7/007 by acid leaching
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 7/008 by an alkaline or ammoniacal leaching
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/20 Recycling
• 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 30/82 Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment [WEEE]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 241/38 Solid waste disposal

Abstract

Scrap goods (S), for example, electronic and electrical apparatus, components, cables and the like are intermittently and alternately mechanically crushed (1,3), magnetically separated (2) and mechanically-physically separated, for example, by means of electrostatic separators (5, 10-12). With the crushing, the dust produced is pneumatically gathered and filtered out (22,9). A non-metal fraction (A) as well as a magnetic (B) and non-magnetic fraction (C) are produced separately as granules and dust. The metal fractions (B, C) are suitable for further pyrolysis-free, wet chemistry and/or electrolytic separation. The non-metallic fraction is capable of being precipitated. The method is noted for its minimal energy consumption and high environmental compatibility.

Claims

1. A method for recovery of scrap goods containing non-metallic and metallic constituents comprising

(a) subjecting the scrap (S) to at least one mechanical crushing operation in a closed system, and

(b) subjecting the crushed scrap to at least one dry separation procedure in a closed system wherein no additional processing materials are added to the scrap, and wherein the separation procedure is performed by magnetic as well as electrostatic separation to produce a non-metallic fraction (A), a magnetic metal fraction (B) and a non-magnetic metal fraction (C) in granular and powder forms, the metal fractions (B, C) being suitable for further processing by at least one of the pyrolysis-free separation procedures selected from the group consisting of wet chemical separation and electrolytic separation.

2. A method for recovery of scrap goods as defined in claim 1 further including the step of:

further processing the two metal fractions (B, C) by subjecting the fractions to a wet chemical separation procedure.

3. A method for recovery of scrap goods as defined in claim 1 further including the step of:

further processing the two metal fractions (B, C) by subjecting the fractions to an electrolytic separation procedure.

4. A method for recovery of scrap goods as defined in claim 1 wherein the steps (a) and (b) are repeated successively.

5. A method for recovery of scrap goods containing non-metallic and metallic constituents comprising

(a) subjecting the scrap (S) to at least one mechanical crushing operation in a closed system;

(b) subjecting the crushed scrap to at least one dry separation procedure in a closed system wherein no additional processing materials are added to the scrap and wherein the separation procedure is performed by magnetic as well as electrostatic separation to produce a non-metallic fraction (A), a magnetic metal fraction (B) and non-magnetic metal fraction (C) in granular and powder forms, and

(c) further processing the two metal fractions (B, C) by subjecting the fractions to at least one of the pyrolysis-free separation procedures selected from the group consisting of wet chemical separation and electrolytic separation.

6. A method for recovery of scrap goods as defined in claim 5 wherein the steps (a) and (b) are repeated successively.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the steps of alternately crushing and separating include coarse crushing the scrap and then magnetically separating the scrap mixture into mixed magnetic and non-magnetic fractions (G1, G2) and then electrostatically separating the mixed fractions.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the non-magnetic mixed fraction (G2) obtained by magnetic separation is further crushed before the, electrostatic separation.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the mixed fraction which is further crushed is freed of dust before the element electrostatic separation.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the non-magnetic mixed fraction G2, subsequent to the steps of further crushing and freeing of dust, is passed through a sieve and the sieve contents are recirculated in the step of further crushing before the electrostatic separation.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein the powder mixture resulting from the crushing and likewise the freeing of dust is pneumatically gathered, filtered and separated electrostatically together with the non-magnetic mixed fraction.

12. A method according to claim 7 wherein the magnetic mixed fraction (G1) is passed through a sieve and the rejected contents of the sieve are recirculated through the coarse crushing step.

13. A method according to claim 5 including the added steps of extracting a ferric constituent from the magnetic metal fraction (B) by means of copper cementation (30), and an aluminum constituent from the non-magnetic fraction (C) by means of a caustic process, and the remaining constituents of the two metal fractions (B, C) are further processed to form anodes.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the remaining constituents include copper and precious constituents, the copper constituent is electrolytically separated from the anode (35) and the precious metal constituent is purified from the residue of an electrolytic bath by at least one purification procedure selected from the group consisting of wet chemistry and electrolysis.

15. A magnetic metal fraction (B) recovered by the process of claim 5.

16. A metal fraction according to claim 15 characterized in that its non-metallic constituent amounts to at most 0.1% by weight.

17. A non-magnetic metal fraction (C) recovered by the process of claim 5.

18. A metal fraction according to claim 17 characterized in that its non-metallic constituent amounts to at most 0.1% by weight.

19. A non-metallic fraction (A) recovered by the process of claim 5.

20. A non-metallic fraction according to claim 19 characterized in that its metal constituent amounts to at most 0.1% by weight, preferably less than 0.005% by weight.

21. An installation for the recovery of scrap goods containing non-metallic and metallic constituents comprising at least a first and a second mechanical crushing machine (1, 3) and a magnetic separator (2) arranged between them in relation to the material flow, a first electrostatically operated separator (5) for separation of the mixture segregated by the magnetic separator (2) into a magnetic metal fraction and a non-metal fraction, and at least a second electrostatically operated separator (10-12) for separation of the mixture (G2) yielded by the magnetic separator (2) and guided through the second crushing machine (3) for separation into a non-magnetic metal fraction and a non-metallic fraction and further means (22, 9, 23) for recirculating powder from a crushing machine to one of the separating machines.

22. The device according to claim 21 characterized in that a sieve device (4) precedes the first electrostatically operated separator (5).

23. A device according to claim 21 characterized in that a sieve device (8) precedes at least a second electrostatically operated separator (10, 12).

24. A device according to claim 23 wherein in between the second crushing machine (3) and the sieve device (8) a dust separating device (6, 7) is provided.

25. A device according to claim 24 wherein the dust separating device contains a cyclone (7).

26. A device according to claim 24 wherein the dust separating device contains a swirl sorter (6) and a cyclone (7).

27. A device according to claim 24 wherein the dust separating device contains a swirl sorter (6).

28. A device according to claim 24 wherein the crushing machines (1, 3) and likewise the dust separating device (6, 7) are connected to a pneumatically operated dust collector (9).

29. A device according to claim 21 wherein at least a plurality of electrolytically operated separators (10-12) are arranged in cascade for separation of the mixture (G2) into non-magnetic metal fractions and non-metallic fractions.