Mechanized separation of mixed solid waste and recovery of recyclable products using optical sorter

• US 9,649,666 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• 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:
  US14/231,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20140209514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 using optical sorters, comprising:

providing a mixed waste stream comprising high value recyclable material including paper and rigid plastic, 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 by performing an upper size cut and a lower size cut to produce a sized waste stream, the sized waste stream having a size range where the ratio of an upper cut-off to a lower cut-off is less than 8;

fractionating the sized waste stream by density to produce an intermediate stream enriched in the paper and plastic;

sorting the intermediate stream using a plurality of optical sorters configured to produce a sorted paper material and/or a sorted plastic material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical sorters include an air jet for ejecting detected materials from the waste stream.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the optical sorters are configured to produce a sorted paper material.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the intermediate stream includes mixed paper materials and the optical sorters are configured to sort particular types of paper materials.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the mixed waste stream includes at least 15% mixed paper materials.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein performing the lower size cut includes screening the mixed waste stream using a first sized screen and performing the upper size cut includes screening the mixed waste stream using a second sized screen.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the density separator includes an air-drum separator.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the sized waste stream has an upper cut-off in a range from 8 inch to 16 inch.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the upper cut-off to the lower cut-off is less than 6.

10. The method as in claim 1, herein the high value material further includes cardboard and metal.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the sorted paper materials are baled.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein the mixed waste stream includes at least 30% low value materials.

13. The method as in claim 1, wherein the low value material includes food waste in a concentration of at least 5% of the mixed waste stream.

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

providing a mixed waste stream comprising high value recyclable material including paper and rigid plastic, 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, wherein the low value material includes at least film plastic;

fractionating the mixed waste stream by size by performing an upper size cut and a lower size cut to produce a sized waste stream, the sized waste stream having a size range where the ratio of an upper cut-off to a lower cut-off is less than 8;

fractionating the sized waste stream by density to produce an intermediate stream enriched in the paper and film plastic;

separating the paper from the film plastic using a plurality of optical sorters.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein the intermediate stream includes mixed paper and the optical sorters are configured to sort particular types of paper materials to produce a plurality of sorted paper products.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the low value material includes food waste in a concentration of at least 5% of the mixed waste stream.

17. The method as in claim 14, wherein the density separator includes an air-drum separator.

18. The method as in claim 14, wherein the ratio of the upper cut-off to the lower cut-off is less than 6.

19. The method as in claim 14, wherein the sized waste stream has an upper cut-off in a range from 8 inch to 16 inch.

20. The method as in claim 14, wherein the mixed waste stream includes at least 30% low value materials.