Mechanized separation of mixed solid waste and recovery of recyclable products

• US 8,322,639 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2011
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Upland Road IP Holdco LLC
• Original Assignee: Organic Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Gitschel, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Application Number:
  US13/221,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20120048975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 241/19, 241/20, 241/24.13, 241/24.14, 241/24.18, 241/24.19, 241/24.22, 241/DIG.38, 241/79, 241/79.1, 241/30, 209/3.1, 209/930
• US Class Current: 241/19
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 23/08 Separating or sorting of material, associated with crushing or disintegrating B02C23/18 takes precedence ; beater mills combined with sifting devices B02C13/13, B02C13/14; for tumbling mills B02C17/1835
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 23/14 with more than one separator
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 9/06 specially adapted for refuse
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/18 with magnets moving during operation
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/247 obtained by a rotating magnetic drum
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/30 Combinations with other devices, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/18 Magnetic separation whereby the particles are suspended in a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 11/04 Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 11/06 Feeding or discharging arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 15/00 Combinations of apparatus for separating solids from solids by dry methods applicable to bulk material, e.g. loose articles fit to be handled like bulk material using wet methods B03B7/00; using gas currents B07B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 4/02 while the mixtures fall
• 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: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/20 Waste processing or separation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/52 Mechanical processing of waste for the recovery of materials, e.g. crushing, shredding, separation or disassembly

Abstract

The method and systems efficiently extract recyclable materials from a mixed solid waste stream. The methods and systems use sizing, density and dimensional separation to produce intermediate waste streams that are enriched in particular recyclable materials. The recyclable materials can then be efficiently sorted from the individual intermediate streams using mechanized sorting equipment.

Claims

1. A method for recovering recyclable materials from mixed solid waste stream, comprising:

providing a mixed waste stream comprising at least one high value recyclable material selected from the group consisting of paper, plastic, and metal, wherein the mixed waste stream includes at least 20% by weight of low value material selected from the group consisting of wet organics, green waste, food waste, grit, fines less than 1 inch, asphalt, concrete, textiles, wood, rubber, film plastic, PVC, foil, rock, used consumer products, low value glass, composite materials, and combinations of these;

fractionating the mixed waste stream by size using a size separator to produce an over sized stream and an under sized stream and introducing the over sized stream into the density separator to produce a plurality of intermediate waste streams, wherein a first intermediate waste stream is enriched in a 3-dimensional plastic and a 2-dimensional plastic and/or paper;

conveying at least the first intermediate waste stream to a 2D/3D sorting apparatus and separating the 3-dimensional plastic from the 2-dimensional plastic and/or paper;

recovering a recyclable 3-dimensional plastic product and a 2-dimensional plastic and/or paper product; and

sensing an amount of the intermediate waste stream conveyed to the 2D/3D sorting apparatus and metering conveyance in response thereto.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the waste stream includes at least 25% by weight of the low value recyclable material.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the waste stream includes at least 50% by weight of the low value recyclable material.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the waste stream includes at least 10% by weight of wet organic, food waste, and/or green waste.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein sensing the amount of the intermediate stream is performed using a level sensor that detects a level of waste material.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein the level sensor is an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a mechanical switch.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the first intermediate waste stream includes paper, the method further comprising sorting 2-dimensional plastic from paper to yield a paper product and a plastic 2-dimensional product.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein the 2-dimensional plastic is sorted from the paper using one or more optical sorters.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein a second intermediate waste stream is enriched in non-ferrous metals, the sorting of the second intermediate waste stream including separating non-ferrous metals from other materials using an eddy current separator and recovering a non-ferrous product.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein the mixed waste stream is separated by density after size separation.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein the mixed waste stream is comminuted prior to size separation.

12. A method as in claim 1, wherein the mixed waste stream is fractionated by size into at least two sized waste streams wherein the over fraction has a (d90) in a range from 2 inches to 10 inches.

13. A method for recovering recyclable materials from mixed solid waste stream, comprising:

providing a mixed waste stream comprising at least two high value recyclable material selected from the group consisting of paper, plastic, and metal, wherein the mixed waste stream includes at least 20% by weight of low value material selected from the group consisting of wet organics, green waste, food waste, grit, fines less than 1 inch, asphalt, concrete, textiles, wood, rubber, film plastic, PVC, foil, rock, used consumer products, low value glass, composite materials, and combinations of these;

fractionating the mixed waste stream by size using a size separator to produce an over sized stream and an under sized stream and introducing the over sized stream into the density separator to produce a plurality of intermediate waste streams, wherein a first intermediate waste stream comprises the light fraction and is enriched in 3-dimensional plastic and 2-dimensional plastics and paper;

conveying one or more intermediate waste streams to a first sorting apparatuses and separating 3-dimensional plastic from 2-dimensional plastic and paper;

conveying the 2-dimensional plastic and paper to a second sorting apparatus and separating the 2-dimensional plastic from the paper;

recovering a 3-dimensional plastic product, a 2-dimensional plastic product, and a 2-dimensional paper product; and

sensing an amount of the one or more intermediate waste streams conveyed to each of the plurality of sorting apparatuses and independently metering conveyance in response thereto.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein the waste stream includes at least 25% by weight of the low value recyclable material.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein the waste stream includes at least 50% by weight of the low value recyclable material.

16. A method as in claim 13, wherein the first intermediate waste stream includes paper, the method further comprising sorting 2-dimensional plastic from paper to yield a paper product and a plastic film product.

17. A method as in claim 13, wherein a first intermediate waste stream is enriched in non-ferrous metals, the sorting of the first intermediate waste stream including separating non-ferrous metals from other materials using an eddy current separator and recovering a non-ferrous product.

18. A method as in claim 13, wherein the first intermediate stream includes brass, the method further comprising sorting the intermediate waste stream to produce a recyclable brass product.