Carbon fiber recycling apparatus and method of use thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of carbon fiber regeneration, and particularly relates to a carbon fiber regeneration and utilization equipment and a use method thereof. The equipment comprises a regeneration box, a pressing and cutting box is arranged at an upper end inside the regeneration box, an upper conveying belt unit, a lower conveying belt unit and a spray head are arranged at a middle part of the regeneration box, a waste liquid recovery table with a recovery channel and a material collecting box are arranged at a bottom of the regeneration box, a combustion box and a buffer box are arranged outside the regeneration box. A laser cutting piece for waste material decomposition is arranged on a box cover. Extrusion pieces are arranged at both sides of the pressing and cutting box. The upper conveying belt unit and the lower conveying belt unit are provided with extrusion structures. The recovery channel of the waste liquid recovery table is communicated with a side wall of the material collecting box and enters and exits the combustion box. The carbon fiber regeneration process in the present application is coherent, automatic and efficient, and the obtained carbon fiber has high purity and good integrity, which is convenient for subsequent reuse.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of carbon fiber recycling technology, and in particular to a carbon fiber recycling device and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Carbon fiber refers to high-strength, high-modulus fibers with a carbon content of over 90%. Its high-temperature resistance is the best among all synthetic fibers. It is generally made from acrylic and viscose fibers through high-temperature oxidation and carbonization, making it an excellent material for manufacturing high-tech equipment in aerospace and other fields. Extensive amounts of carbon fiber exist in used carbon fiber reinforced resin products (molded products) and fragments of intermediate carbon fiber reinforced resin products (prepregs) generated during the manufacturing process. Recycling these materials can achieve energy conservation and environmental protection goals. Therefore, providing carbon fiber recycling equipment and its application method has become a key focus in the field of carbon fiber recycling. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the problems existing in the background technology, this invention proposes a carbon fiber recycling device and its usage method. The entire carbon fiber recycling process in this invention is continuous, automated, and efficient, resulting in carbon fibers with high purity and good integrity, facilitating subsequent reuse.

[0004] This invention proposes a carbon fiber recycling device, including a recycling box. The top of the recycling box has a cover with a feed inlet. Inside, at the upper end, there is a cutting box; in the middle, there are cooperating upper and lower conveyor belt units, and nozzles located on one side of the upper and lower conveyor belt units; at the bottom, there is a waste liquid recovery platform with a recycling channel, a collection box located on the other side of the upper and lower conveyor belt units, and a discharge port for the collection box; externally, there is a combustion box connected to the discharge port and a buffer box connected to the nozzles. A laser-cutting component for waste decomposition is mounted on the cover. A heating seat is located on the outside of the cutting box; at the top, there is an inlet (I) opposite the feed inlet, an opening (II) opposite the laser-cutting component, and at the bottom, an opening (III) opposite the opening (II); extrusion components are also provided on both sides. The upper and lower conveyor belt units have a shorter upper belt and a longer lower belt, are arranged parallel to each other and rotate relative to each other, and are equipped with extrusion structures. The feed ends of the upper and lower conveyor belt units are located below the opening (III), and the discharge ends are located above the collection box. The nozzles are connected to the waste liquid recovery platform's recovery channel and buffer tank via pipes and a water pump. The top of the collection box is open, and its side wall is connected to the waste liquid recovery platform's recovery channel, separating the waste liquid and waste materials inside. At the same time, the waste materials inside are sent into the combustion chamber through the inlet and outlet.

[0005] Preferably, an extrusion roller assembly is provided at the feed inlet.

[0006] Preferably, the laser slicing component includes a motor and a lead screw driven by the motor; the bottom of the cover is provided with a mounting groove opposite to the opening; the lead screw is rotatably disposed in the mounting groove, and a threaded mounting block is disposed thereon; a laser slicer is disposed at the bottom of the mounting block.

[0007] Preferably, the extrusion component includes a cylinder; an extrusion plate is provided at the end of the telescopic rod of the cylinder.

[0008] Preferably, the recycling box is equipped with a motor set for driving the belts of the upper and lower conveyor belt units to rotate; the belt of the upper conveyor belt unit is provided with an upper extrusion spike and a pusher is provided inside the belt; the belt of the lower conveyor belt unit is provided with a lower extrusion spike and a support is provided inside the belt.

[0009] Preferably, the pushing component includes a rotating disk; a drive box is provided on the regeneration box; the rotating disk is arranged on the outside of the belt body of the upper conveyor belt unit along the conveying direction and is driven to rotate synchronously by the drive box; mounting rods that penetrate the belt body are symmetrically arranged on the outer periphery of each set of rotating disks; and movable weight frames are provided on the mounting rods.

[0010] Preferably, the support includes a support base; the support base is located in the belt body of the lower conveyor belt unit, and support bars are spaced apart at the upper end along the conveying direction.

[0011] Preferably, the recycling channel includes a filtration section and a confluence section; the filtration section is provided in multiple sets, with filter screens installed inside, passing through the waste liquid recycling platform, and the head end of each section is connected to the side wall of the collection box; the confluence section connects to the tail ends of all filtration sections and is also connected to the pipeline and water pump.

[0012] Preferably, the top of the combustion chamber is provided with a removable cover and a burner that emits flame downwards, and a second cylinder is provided on the side; the telescopic rod end of the second cylinder faces the discharge port and is provided with a movable seat connected to the collection box, which is also used to control the opening and closing of the discharge port.

[0013] The present invention further provides a method for using the carbon fiber recycling equipment described above, the steps of which are as follows:

[0014] S1. Input the carbon fiber waste into the equipment through the feed inlet and into the cutting box;

[0015] S2. First, the heating seat generates high temperature to heat and soften the waste material. Then, the extrusion part applies pressure to the waste material from both sides to shape it into a regular block. Then, the laser slicing part uses a high-power density laser beam to irradiate and slice the waste material. The resulting waste slices then leave from the opening three.

[0016] S3. The waste sheet falls onto the lower conveyor belt unit and, after being sprayed with catalytic degradation liquid, enters the space between the upper and lower conveyor belt units. During the rotation of the belts of the upper and lower conveyor belt units, the upper extrusion spikes move up and down and horizontally under the push of the pusher, while the lower extrusion spikes move horizontally under the support of the support, extruding the waste sheet to loosen it, accelerating the penetration of the catalytic degradation liquid, and promoting the separation of carbon fibers.

[0017] S4. The waste sheet falls into the collection box. First, the water pump removes the waste liquid, separating the waste liquid from the waste material. Then, the collection box enters the combustion chamber to further burn and remove impurities. The impurities flow out of the collection box as liquid. After the carbon fiber cools down, the cover can be opened to take out the recycled carbon fiber.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0019] This invention first processes waste materials by heating and extrusion to reduce their volume and shape them. Then, laser cutting technology is used to precisely slice the waste materials, obtaining uniformly sized sheets, reducing the thickness of the carbon fiber buildup without compromising its integrity. Next, the waste sheets are transported via upper and lower conveyor belt units, with an extrusion structure and nozzles working in conjunction to simultaneously move and extrude the sheets while spraying them with a catalytic degradation liquid, separating impurities from the carbon fiber. Finally, waste liquid and waste material separation and combustion purification techniques are used to recover the catalytic degradation agent, further purifying the carbon fiber. The entire carbon fiber regeneration process is continuous, automated, and efficient, yielding high-purity, high-integrity carbon fibers that are easy to reuse. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the present invention (view 1);

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the present invention (perspective two);

[0022] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view (view 1) of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view (view 2) of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Secondary sectional view;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a laser-sliced ​​component in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the extrusion structure in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the combustion chamber in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Reference numerals: 1. Regeneration box; 102. Drive box; 103. Motor unit; 2. Box cover; 201. Feed inlet; 2011. Extrusion roller group; 3. Press and cut box; 301. Opening three; 302. Inlet one; 303. Extruded part; 3031. Cylinder one; 3032. Extrusion plate; 304. Opening two; 4. Upper conveyor belt unit; 401. Upper extrusion spike; 5. Lower conveyor belt unit; 501. Lower extrusion spike; 6. Waste liquid recovery platform; 601. Filter section; 602. Merging section; 7. Combustion box; 701. Cylinder II; 702. Moving seat; 703. Burner; 8. Collection box; 9. Pipeline; 10. Nozzle; 11. Heating seat; 12. Pushing component; 1201. Rotating disk; 1202. Mounting rod; 1203. Weight frame; 13. Support component; 1301. Support seat; 1302. Support bar; 14. Laser slicing component; 1401. Mounting block; 1402. Lead screw; 1403. Laser slicer. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Example 1

[0030] like Figures 1-5 As shown, the present invention proposes a carbon fiber recycling device, including a recycling box 1; the top of the recycling box 1 is provided with a box cover 2 with a feed inlet 201 for the entry of carbon fiber waste, and the upper part of the inside is provided with a pressing and cutting box 3 to receive the waste and press and cut it to obtain waste sheets; the middle part is provided with an upper conveyor belt unit 4, a lower conveyor belt unit 5 and a nozzle 10 located on one side of the upper conveyor belt unit 4 and the lower conveyor belt unit 5, the upper conveyor belt unit 4 and the lower conveyor belt unit 5 to transport the waste sheets, and at the same time the nozzle 10 sprays degradation catalytic liquid onto the waste sheets to degrade impurities in the waste; the bottom is provided with a waste liquid recovery platform 6 with a recovery channel, a collection box 8 located on the other side of the upper conveyor belt unit 4 and the lower conveyor belt unit 5 and a discharge port for the collection box 8 to enter and exit; the outside is provided with a combustion box 7 connected to the discharge port and a buffer box connected to the nozzle 10; the collection box 8 receives the degraded carbon fiber and enters the combustion box 7 for further combustion and impurity removal; the buffer box is used to store the catalytic degradation liquid.

[0031] An extrusion roller assembly 2011 is installed on the feed inlet 201. The rollers rotate to extrude the incoming waste material, causing it to break down and reducing its volume, which facilitates subsequent secondary extrusion.

[0032] The lid 2 is equipped with a laser slicing component 14 for waste decomposition. The waste to be cut is irradiated by a high-power-density laser beam, which quickly heats the material to the vaporization temperature and evaporates to form holes. As the beam moves on the material, the holes continuously form narrow slits, thus completing the slicing of the waste.

[0033] A heating seat 11 is provided on the outside of the cutting box 3. When powered on, it generates high temperature to heat and soften the waste material, making it easier to extrude and form. The top is provided with an inlet 302 with a valve opposite to the feed port 201, and an opening 304 with a valve opposite to the laser slicing piece 14. The bottom is provided with an opening 301 with a valve opposite to the opening 304. Extrusion pieces 303 are also provided on both sides. The waste material enters the cutting box 3 through the inlet 302. First, the heating seat 11 generates high temperature to heat and soften the waste material. Then, the extrusion pieces 303 apply pressure to the waste material from both sides to shape it into a regular block. Then, the laser slicing piece 14 uses a high power density laser beam to irradiate and slice it. The resulting waste slices then leave through the opening 301.

[0034] The upper conveyor belt unit 4 and the lower conveyor belt unit 5 have shorter upper belts and longer lower belts, are arranged in parallel and rotate relative to each other, and are equipped with an extrusion structure. The feed end of the upper conveyor belt unit 4 and the lower conveyor belt unit 5 is located below the opening 301, and the discharge end is located above the collection box 8. The waste sheet falls from the opening 301 onto the lower conveyor belt unit 5, and after being sprayed with catalytic degradation liquid, it enters between the upper conveyor belt unit 4 and the lower conveyor belt unit 5. The extrusion structure further extrudes the waste sheet, making its structure loose, accelerating the penetration of the catalytic degradation liquid, and promoting the separation of carbon fibers.

[0035] The nozzle 10 is connected to the recovery channel and buffer tank of the waste liquid recovery station 6 via the pipe 9 and the water pump.

[0036] The upper end of the collection box 8 is open for feeding. The side wall is connected to the recycling channel of the waste liquid recycling platform 6, which separates the waste liquid and waste material inside and allows the waste liquid to flow back to the nozzle 10. At the same time, the waste material inside is sent into the combustion box 7 through the inlet and outlet of the combustion box 7 for further combustion and impurity removal.

[0037] Example 2

[0038] Based on Example 1, this example further elaborates on the specific structures of the laser slicing component 14, the extrusion component 303, the extrusion structure, the recycling channel, and the combustion chamber 7.

[0039] like Figure 6As shown, the laser slicing component 14 includes a motor and a lead screw 1402 driven by the motor; the bottom of the cover 2 is provided with a mounting groove opposite to the opening 304; the lead screw 1402 is rotatably mounted in the mounting groove, and a threaded mounting block 1401 is provided on it; a laser slicer 1403 is provided at the bottom of the mounting block 1401. The rotation of the lead screw 1402 drives the mounting block 1401 to move horizontally along the mounting groove, and drives the laser slicer 1403 to move synchronously, so as to realize the slicing of the waste block in the pressure cutting box 3.

[0040] like Figure 5 As shown, the extrusion component 303 includes a cylinder 3031; an extrusion plate 3032 is provided at the telescopic rod end of the cylinder 3031. By moving the extrusion plate 3032, the waste material is extruded to form a regular block shape, and the waste block is pushed to adjust the position of the laser slice.

[0041] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, the recycling box 1 is equipped with a motor unit 103 that drives the belts of the upper conveyor belt unit 4 and the lower conveyor belt unit 5 to rotate. The upper conveyor belt unit 4 has an upper extrusion spike 401 on its belt body, and a pusher 12 inside the belt body. The lower conveyor belt unit 5 has a lower extrusion spike 501 on its belt body, and a support 13 inside the belt body. During the rotation of the belts of the upper and lower conveyor belt units 4 and 5, the upper extrusion spike 401 moves up and down and horizontally under the push of the pusher 12, while the lower extrusion spike 501 moves horizontally under the support of the support 13, thus extruding and loosening the waste material.

[0042] like Figure 7 As shown, the pusher 12 includes a rotating disk 1201; a drive box 102 is provided on the recycling box 1; the rotating disk 1201 is arranged on the outside of the belt body of the upper conveyor belt unit 4 along the conveying direction, and is driven to rotate synchronously by the drive box 102; mounting rods 1202 penetrating the belt body are symmetrically arranged on the outer periphery of each set of rotating disks 1201; movable weight frames 1203 are provided on the mounting rods 1202; when the rotating disk 1201 rotates under the drive of the drive box 102, the mounting rods 1202 rotate synchronously, causing the weight frames 1203 on both sides of the rotating disk 1201 to move up and down alternately along the arc trajectory, causing the belt body of the upper conveyor belt unit 4 to move up and down, thereby enhancing the extrusion strength of the upper extrusion spikes 401.

[0043] like Figure 7 As shown, the support member 13 includes a support base 1301; the support base 1301 is located in the belt body of the lower conveyor belt unit 5, and support bars 1302 are spaced apart at the upper end along the conveying direction. The support base 1301 and support bars 1302 support the belt body of the lower conveyor belt unit 5, withstand the extrusion of the upper extrusion spikes 401, and at the same time enhance the extrusion strength of the lower extrusion spikes 501.

[0044] like Figure 5 As shown, the recycling channel includes a filtration section 601 and a confluence section 602. Multiple filtration sections 601 are configured, each with an internal filter screen, penetrating the waste liquid recycling platform 6, and their heads are all connected to the side wall of the collection box 8. The confluence section connects the tail ends of all filtration sections 601 and is also connected to the pipe 9 and the water pump. When waste and waste liquid enter the collection box 8, the water pump draws water, the filtration sections 601 filter the returning catalytic degradation liquid, and the confluence section 602 merges the filtered liquid, separating it from the waste liquid in the collection box 8 and returning it to the nozzle 10 for subsequent catalytic degradation.

[0045] like Figure 8 As shown, the combustion chamber 7 has a removable cover on top and a downward-firing burner 703, and a second cylinder 701 on the side. The telescopic rod end of the second cylinder 701 faces the discharge port and is connected to the collection box 8, and is also used to control the opening and closing of the discharge port by a movable seat 702. After the waste and waste liquid are separated, the collection box 8 is moved into the combustion chamber 7 by the movement of the second cylinder 701. The burner 703 ignites to further burn and remove impurities from the waste. The impurities flow out of the collection box 8 as liquid. After the carbon fiber cools down, the cover can be opened to remove it.

[0046] Example 3

[0047] Based on the above embodiments, the present invention further proposes a method for using the above-mentioned carbon fiber recycling equipment, the steps of which are as follows:

[0048] S1. Input the carbon fiber waste into the equipment through the feed inlet 201 and into the cutting box 3;

[0049] S2. First, the heating seat 11 generates high temperature to heat and soften the waste material. Then, the extrusion part 303 applies pressure to the waste material from both sides to shape it into a regular block. Then, the laser slicing part 14 uses a high power density laser beam to irradiate and slice the waste material. The resulting waste material slices then leave from the opening 301.

[0050] S3. The waste sheet falls onto the lower conveyor belt unit 5 and is sprayed with catalytic degradation liquid before entering between the upper conveyor belt unit 4 and the lower conveyor belt unit 5. During the rotation of the belts of the upper conveyor belt unit 4 and the lower conveyor belt unit 5, the upper extrusion spike 401 moves up and down and horizontally under the push of the pusher 12, and the lower extrusion spike 501 moves horizontally under the support of the support 13, extruding the waste sheet to loosen it, accelerating the penetration of the catalytic degradation liquid, and promoting the separation of carbon fibers.

[0051] S4. The waste sheet falls into the collection box 8. First, the water pump removes the waste liquid, separating the waste liquid from the waste material. Then, the collection box 8 enters the combustion chamber 7 to further burn and remove impurities. The impurities flow out of the collection box 8 as liquid. After the carbon fiber cools down, the cover can be opened to take out the recycled carbon fiber.

[0052] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Various changes can be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A carbon fiber recycling device, characterized in that, Includes a recycling box (1); the top of the recycling box (1) is provided with a box cover (2) with a feed inlet (201), the upper part of the inside is provided with a cutting box (3), the middle part is provided with an upper conveyor belt unit (4), a lower conveyor belt unit (5) and a nozzle (10) located on one side of the upper conveyor belt unit (4) and the lower conveyor belt unit (5), the bottom is provided with a waste liquid recycling platform (6) with a recycling channel, a collection box (8) located on the other side of the upper conveyor belt unit (4) and the lower conveyor belt unit (5) and a discharge port for the collection box (8) to enter and exit, and the outside is provided with a combustion box (7) connected to the discharge port and a buffer box connected to the nozzle (10); A laser slicer (14) for waste decomposition is provided on the lid (2); A heating seat (11) is provided on the outside of the pressure cutting box (3), an inlet one (302) is provided at the top opposite to the feed inlet (201), an opening two (304) is provided opposite to the laser slice (14), an opening three (301) is provided at the bottom opposite to the opening two (304), and extrusion parts (303) are provided on both sides. The upper conveyor belt unit (4) and the lower conveyor belt unit (5) have shorter upper belts and longer lower belts, are arranged in parallel and rotate relative to each other, and are equipped with extrusion structures. The feed end of the upper conveyor belt unit (4) and the lower conveyor belt unit (5) is located below the opening three (301), and the discharge end is located above the collection box (8). The upper conveyor belt unit (4) is equipped with an upper extrusion spike (401) on its belt body, and a pusher (12) is provided inside the belt body. The lower conveyor belt unit (5) is equipped with a lower extrusion spike (501) on its belt body, and a support (13) is provided inside the belt body. The pusher (12) includes a rotating disk (1201); a drive box (102) is provided on the recycling box (1); the rotating disk (1201) is arranged on the outside of the belt of the upper conveyor belt unit (4) along the conveying direction, and is driven to rotate synchronously by the drive box (102); mounting rods (1202) that penetrate the belt are symmetrically arranged on the outer periphery of each set of rotating disks (1201); and movable weight racks (1203) are provided on the mounting rods (1202). The support member (13) includes a support base (1301); the support base (1301) is located in the belt body of the lower conveyor belt unit (5), and the upper end is provided with support bars (1302) at intervals along the conveying direction. The nozzle (10) is connected to the recovery channel and buffer tank of the waste liquid recovery station (6) through the pipe (9); The upper end of the collection box (8) is open, and the side wall is connected to the recycling channel of the waste liquid recycling platform (6) to separate the waste liquid and waste material inside the collection box (8). At the same time, the collection box (8) sends the waste material inside into the combustion box (7) through the inlet and outlet of the combustion box (7).

2. The carbon fiber recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, An extrusion roller assembly (2011) is installed on the feed inlet (201).

3. The carbon fiber recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The laser slicing component (14) includes a motor and a lead screw (1402) driven by the motor; the bottom of the cover (2) is provided with a mounting groove opposite to the opening (304); the lead screw (1402) is rotatably mounted in the mounting groove, and a threaded mounting block (1401) is provided on it; a laser slicer (1403) is provided at the bottom of the mounting block (1401).

4. The carbon fiber recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The extrusion component (303) includes a cylinder (3031); an extrusion plate (3032) is provided at the telescopic rod end of the cylinder (3031).

5. The carbon fiber recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The recycling channel includes a filtration section (601) and a confluence section (602); the filtration section (601) is set with multiple sets, with filter screens inside, penetrating the waste liquid recycling platform (6), and the head end of each section is connected to the side wall of the collection box (8); the confluence section connects to the tail ends of all filtration sections (601), and is also connected to the pipeline (9) and the water pump.

6. The carbon fiber recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The combustion chamber (7) is equipped with a removable cover and a burner (703) that emits flame downwards, and a cylinder (701) is provided on the side. The telescopic rod end of the cylinder (701) faces the discharge port and is provided with a movable seat (702) for controlling the opening and closing of the discharge port and connected to the collection box (8).

7. A method of using the carbon fiber recycling equipment according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The steps are as follows: S1. The waste containing carbon fiber is fed into the equipment through the feed port (201) and enters the cutting box (3). S2. First, the heating seat (11) generates high temperature to heat and soften the waste material. Then, the extrusion part (303) applies pressure to the waste material from both sides to deform it into a regular block shape. Then, the laser slicing part (14) uses a high power density laser beam to irradiate and slice the waste material. The resulting waste material slices leave from the opening three (301). S3. The waste sheet falls onto the lower conveyor belt unit (5), and after being sprayed with catalytic degradation liquid, it enters the space between the upper conveyor belt unit (4) and the lower conveyor belt unit (5). During the rotation of the belts of the upper conveyor belt unit (4) and the lower conveyor belt unit (5), the upper extrusion spike (401) moves up and down and horizontally under the push of the pusher (12), and the lower extrusion spike (501) moves horizontally under the support of the support (13) to extrude the waste sheet, making it loose, accelerating the penetration of the catalytic degradation liquid, and promoting the separation of carbon fibers. S4. The waste sheet falls into the collection box (8). First, the water pump removes the waste liquid, separating the waste liquid and the waste material. Then, the collection box (8) enters the combustion chamber (7) to further burn and remove impurities. The impurities flow out of the collection box (8) as liquid. After the carbon fiber cools down, the cover can be opened to take out the recycled carbon fiber.

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