Asphalt material recycling system and method

• US 5,938,130 A
• Filed: 06/24/1998
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TBM Tech, LLC
• Original Assignee: Environmental Reprocessing Incorporated
• Inventors: Zickell, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/104,085
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 241/65, 241/153, 241/171, 241/23, 241/31, 241/66, 241/67, 241/80, 241/97, 241/177, 241/DIG. 38, 241/54, 241/19, 241/184
• US Class Current: 241/65
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 17/04 with unperforated container
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 19/186 Use of cold or heat for disintegrating B02C4/44, B02C7/17, B02C11/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/05 Crushing, pulverising or disintegrating apparatus preparing and placing involving breaking E01C19/466 ; in general B02C; Aggregate screening, cleaning, drying or heating apparatus; Dust-collecting arrangements specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/1036 for in-plant recycling or for reprocessing, e.g. adapted to receive and reprocess an addition of salvaged material, adapted to reheat and remix cooled-down batches
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 2019/1095 Mixing containers having a parallel flow drum, i.e. the flow of material is parallel to the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 11/026 Arrangements for charging or discharging the materials to be dried, e.g. discharging by reversing drum rotation, using spiral-type inserts
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 11/0445 having conductive heating arrangements, e.g. heated drum wall
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 11/045 using heated internal elements, e.g. which move through or convey the materials to be dried loose bodies, e.g. balls F26B11/0472
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 11/0472 the elements being loose bodies or materials, e.g. balls, which may have a sorbent effect chains fixed to the drum F26B11/0459

Abstract

An asphalt based material recycling system and method is used to recycle asphalt materials, such as asphalt shingles and tar paper that include granules, fibers or other particles. The asphalt material is simultaneously heated and milled in a heated milling apparatus, such as a heated ball mill, to reduce the asphalt material including granules to a fine mesh in suspension in liquid asphalt. Excess moisture is removed from the asphalt material being recycled by continuously venting the heated milling apparatus. The heated milling apparatus preferably includes a rotatable milling vessel rotated at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal plane and having an opening that provides continuous venting. The shape of the milling vessel allows the liquid level inside the milling vessel to have a liquid head above the outlet region of the milling vessel, for facilitating milling. The rotatable milling vessel includes a plurality of mixing members, such as rods or paddles, extending from an interior surface to enhance milling and to pull the asphalt material being recycled under and into the liquid slurry. The asphalt material recycling system further includes a filter apparatus for filtering reduced asphalt and removing foreign objects therefrom.

Claims

1. An asphalt based material recycling system comprising:

a heated milling apparatus, for receiving asphalt based material to be recycled and for simultaneously heating and milling said asphalt material, said heated milling apparatus including;

at least a first rotatable milling vessel having an opening, an outlet, and an interior milling region, said opening for receiving said asphalt based material to be recycled, said at least a first rotatable milling vessel opening communicating with said interior milling region, for allowing said asphalt based material to be recycled to be inserted into said interior milling region of said at least a first rotatable milling vessel through said opening, and for simultaneously continuously venting said interior milling region allowing escape of moisture from said asphalt material during heating and milling of said asphalt material, said at least a first rotatable milling vessel having an axis of rotation disposed at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, and whereby said at least a first rotatable milling vessel is rotated at said acute angle with respect to said horizontal plane;

a plurality of milling elements disposed within said rotatable milling vessel, for milling said asphalt based material to be recycled as said rotatable milling vessel rotates;

said heated milling apparatus including a plurality of mixing members mounted proximate an interior surface of said rotatable milling vessel, for moving and mixing said asphalt material with said milling elements;

a milling vessel heat source, for heating said rotatable milling vessel as said rotatable milling vessel rotates and said asphalt material is milled;

a source of asphalt based material processing additive, for introducing a processing additive into said interior milling region of said at least a first rotatable milling vessel, said processing additive mixing with said heated and milled asphalt based material to be recycled, for forming a recycled asphalt based material slurry; and

at least one filtering apparatus, for filtering said recycled asphalt based material slurry, for removing at least foreign objects from said reduced asphalt material.

2. The asphalt based material recycling system of claim 1 wherein said at least a rotatable milling vessel includes a back plate having an outlet for dispensing said recycled asphalt based material slurry, said outlet disposed at a level below a bottom region of said vessel opening, said back plate arranged at an obtuse angle relative to said horizontal plane, and further including asphalt based material slurry lifting members, for lifting said recycled asphalt based material slurry and for providing said recycled asphalt based material slurry to said back plate outlet region.

3. The asphalt based material recycling system of claim 2, wherein said back plate further includes a screen covering said outlet region of said back plate.

4. The asphalt based material recycling system of claim 1, wherein said milling elements include steel balls.

5. The asphalt based material recycling system of claim 1, wherein said processing additive includes virgin flux asphalt.

6. The asphalt based material recycling system of claim 1, wherein said processing additive is selected from the group consisting of virgin asphalt, resin, solvent, oil and plastic.

7. The asphalt based material recycling system of claim 1, wherein said at least one filtering apparatus includes a rotating filter coupled to at least a first rotatable milling vessel.

8. The asphalt based material recycling system of claim 7, wherein said rotating filter includes a foreign object outlet region, for allowing foreign objects to be expelled from said rotating filter.

9. The asphalt based material recycling system of claim 1 further including a second rotatable milling vessel, for receiving said recycled based asphalt material slurry from said at least one filtering apparatus.

10. The asphalt based material recycling system of claim 9, further including a second filtering apparatus, for receiving recycled asphalt based material slurry from said second rotatable milling vessel.

11. The asphalt based material recycling system of claim 10, wherein said second filtering apparatus includes

a filter housing having an inlet, for receiving said recycled asphalt based material slurry from said second rotatable milling vessel, and an outlet, for discharging filtered recycled asphalt based material slurry;

and

at least one filter member disposed in said filter housing, said at least one filter member having a plurality of apertures, for allowing at least a portion of said received recycled asphalt based material slurry to pass through said filter member, and for preventing at least foreign objects from passing through said filter member.

12. The asphalt based material recycling system of claim 11, wherein said second filtering apparatus includes a filter heat source, for heating said filter housing and said recycled asphalt based material slurry during filtering.