Method for treating object to be treated containing lump-shaped copper wire scrap

The comb-shaped vibrating sieve method effectively separates clumped copper wire scraps, addressing entanglement issues and improving processing efficiency in scrap material separation.

JP2026017773APending Publication Date: 2026-02-05JX NIPPON MINING & METALS CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024118744
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-07-24
Publication Date
2026-02-05

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing methods struggle to efficiently separate clumped copper wire scraps from mixed scrap materials, leading to sieving process interruptions and reduced productivity due to entanglement with other objects in the sieve.

Method used

A method involving the use of a comb-shaped vibrating sieve with specific tooth spacing to pre-separate clumped copper wire scraps, followed by sieving with a second vibrating sieve with holes and potentially a third sieve with wider comb teeth to achieve effective separation of copper wire scraps, stainless steel scraps, and aluminum scraps.

Benefits of technology

The method effectively suppresses the accumulation of clumped copper wire scraps, enhancing processing efficiency and productivity by ensuring continuous operation and improved separation accuracy.

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Abstract

To provide a treatment method capable of suppressing the retention of massive copper wire chips contained in an object to be treated.SOLUTION: A method for treating an object to be treated containing copper scraps and stainless steel scraps or aluminum scraps, the method comprising: sieving the object to be treated using a comb-shaped first vibration sieve having a plurality of comb teeth while conveying the object to be treated, thereby catching lumpy copper scraps among the copper scraps on the comb-shaped sieve, wherein an interval W1 between the plurality of comb teeth of the first vibration sieve is 15 to 50mm.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for treating an object to be treated that contains lump copper wire scraps.

[0002] In recent years, from the perspective of resource conservation, recovery of valuable metals from scrap electronic and electrical equipment parts such as discarded home appliances, PCs, and mobile phones has become increasingly popular, and efficient recovery methods have been studied and proposed.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 9-78151 (Patent Document 1) discloses a method for recycling valuable metals from scrap, in which scrap containing valuable metals is charged into a flash smelting furnace for copper ore smelting from the shaft ceiling and the valuable metals are recovered in matte remaining in the furnace. According to the configuration of Patent Document 1, scrap processing is combined with copper smelting in a copper smelting flash smelting furnace, so valuable metals can be recovered at low cost even from scrap with a low content of valuable metals.

[0004] It has also been proposed to pulverize scrap electronic and electrical equipment parts to reduce their volume before processing them in a copper smelting flash furnace. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-123418 (Patent Document 2) describes incinerating copper-containing scrap electronic and electrical equipment parts, pulverizing them to a predetermined size or smaller, and processing the pulverized scrap electronic and electrical equipment parts in a copper smelting furnace.

[0005] Furthermore, coated copper wire scrap is known as one type of copper-containing electronic and electrical equipment scrap. This coated copper wire scrap is used for recycling when it is in good condition and has a stable shape, while materials in a shape or condition that are difficult to process have been exported overseas as valuable material. However, in recent years, coated copper wire scrap that is difficult to process has been accumulating in Japan, and there has been a demand for the proposal of a new method for efficiently processing this difficult-to-process coated copper wire scrap and recovering valuable material.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-236718 (Patent Document 3) discloses a method of operating a gasification melting furnace in which industrial waste is fed into a fluidized bed gasification furnace, and air is blown in from the bottom to form a fluidized bed, thereby gasifying part of the industrial waste by pyrolysis and recovering non-combustible materials containing valuable metals, and the pyrolysis gas produced in the gasification furnace and part of the non-combustible materials transported by the pyrolysis gas are treated in a melting furnace to produce slag, characterized in that calcium-containing dust is made into a slurry and blown into the melting furnace.

[0007] Industrial waste melting treatment facilities equipped with fluidized bed gasifiers are known as facilities for melting industrial waste, such as automobile shredder residue (hereinafter also referred to as "ASR") and home appliance shredder residue, which contain metals such as aluminum, iron, copper, zinc, and lead, and vinyl chloride, which serves as a chlorine source. For example, there is a melting treatment facility such as that disclosed in Patent Document 4.

[0008] The fluidized bed gasification furnace disclosed in Patent Document 3 is intended to recover valuable metals contained in the above-mentioned industrial waste. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-78151 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-123418 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-236718 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-302748 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] In a fluidized-bed gasifier, sand, a granular material used as a heat transfer medium, is introduced through a heat transfer medium inlet located at the top of the furnace. Air is blown upward from air outlets at the bottom of the furnace, forming a fluidized bed. The sand, which acts as a heat transfer medium, is discharged from the furnace along with non-combustible waste (hereinafter referred to as "gasifier metal") introduced from above the bottom of the furnace through a discharge chute extending downward from the bottom of the furnace. The discharged gasifier metal and sand are sieved using a sieve, and the sand is then re-introduced into the furnace from above the bottom of the furnace through a circulation passage. Meanwhile, the gasifier metal is separated into large iron scrap (gasifier ferrous metal) and other scraps (gasifier non-ferrous metal). The non-ferrous metal is further sieved into gasifier slag (bead-sized) containing copper and precious metals that fall below the sieve, and gasifier mixed metal, containing stainless steel scrap and aluminum scrap that fall above the sieve. The sand is crushed in a crusher, and the fine iron is collected as iron sand using a magnetic separator.

[0011] After magnetic separation, the nonferrous metals from the gasifier contain not only aluminum scrap but also stainless steel scrap. Because stainless steel scrap and aluminum scrap contain high amounts of Cr, Ni, and Al, which inhibit copper smelting, it is desirable to remove them before feeding them into the copper smelting process. Compared to copper wire scrap, stainless steel and aluminum scrap are relatively large in the raw material, making them difficult to reduce in size when crushed. Therefore, they can be sieved using holes in punched metal. The stainless steel and aluminum scraps are likely to remain on the sieve, while the copper wire scrap, other small parts scrap, and sand are likely to fall below the sieve. This allows the stainless steel scrap, aluminum scrap, and other scraps to be separated and recovered after the sand has been removed. Copper smelting flash furnaces can accept copper wire scrap mixed with sand.

[0012] Incidentally, copper wire scrap includes thin, linear copper wire scrap and clumped copper wire scrap, which is copper wire entangled with each other and has a steel wool-like shape. Once this clumped copper wire scrap gets caught and retained in the sieve, it continues to entangle with other processing objects, clogging the mesh and reducing separation accuracy. Therefore, it was necessary to interrupt the sieving process and remove it. Therefore, in order to reduce processing interruptions and improve productivity, a means for efficiently separating clumped copper wire scrap was needed.

[0013] The present invention has been completed in view of the above problems, and in one embodiment, an object of the present invention is to provide a processing method capable of suppressing the accumulation of clumped copper wire scraps contained in an object to be processed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] After extensive research, the inventors of the present invention have noticed that the shape of the object to be processed affects the retention of clumped copper wire scraps. Specifically, there are roughly four types of objects to be processed: wire, plate, rod, and clump. When a clumped object to be processed is present alone, the clumped copper wire scraps do not retain, but when rod-shaped and clumped objects to be processed are mixed, the clumped copper wire scraps do retain. The reason for this is thought to be that when using a sieve that utilizes holes in a punched metal, the rod-shaped object to be processed gets caught in the holes and rises up vertically or obliquely, trapping the clumped copper wire scraps.

[0015] Therefore, the present inventors have focused on pre-separating the rod-shaped material to be processed from the clumped copper wire scraps as a pre-treatment for sieving using holes in a punched metal or the like, in order to remove the cause of the clumped copper wire scraps being retained. As will be described later, by using a comb-shaped vibrating sieve having a plurality of comb teeth, the clumped copper wire scraps can be effectively collected. The present invention has been completed based on the above findings, and is exemplified below.

[0016] [1] A method for treating an object to be treated, which includes copper wire scraps and stainless steel scraps or aluminum scraps, sieving the object to be processed using a first vibrating sieve having a comb-like shape and a plurality of comb teeth while conveying the object to be processed, thereby trapping the clumped copper wire scraps among the copper wire scraps on the comb-like sieve; A processing method, wherein the spacing W1 between the plurality of comb teeth of the first vibrating sieve is 15 to 50 mm. [2] The processing method according to [1] further comprises sieving the material below the sieve from which the lump copper wire scraps have been separated using a second vibrating sieve having a plurality of holes, thereby separating and recovering the stainless steel scraps and / or the aluminum scraps. [3] The processing method according to [2], wherein the second vibrating sieve is a punched metal. [4] The processing method according to [2], wherein the pore diameter D of the second vibrating sieve is 10 to 20 mm. [5] The processing method according to any one of [1] to [4] further includes, after sieving using the first vibrating sieve, sieving the material to be processed on the sieve containing the clumped copper wire scraps using a comb-shaped third vibrating sieve having a plurality of comb teeth, and the spacing W3 between the comb teeth of the third vibrating sieve is 50 to 150 mm. [6] The processing method according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the raw material of the object to be processed includes automobile shredder dust, home appliance shredder dust, or electronic / electrical device part scraps. [7] The processing method according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the materials to be processed are automobile shredder dust, home appliance shredder dust, and crushed electronic and electrical equipment scraps, which are processed in a gasification melting furnace to remove combustible components such as resins, and then magnetic materials such as iron scraps are removed by magnetic sorting or the like. [8] The treatment method according to [7], wherein the treatment in the gasification and melting furnace is carried out under conditions of an air ratio of 1 or less and a temperature of 400 to 600°C. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a processing method capable of suppressing accumulation of lump copper wire scraps contained in an object to be processed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram (top view) of the configuration of a first vibrating sieve 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram (top view) showing a state in which the first vibrating sieve 1 and the second vibrating sieve 2 are combined together in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram (top view) showing a state in which the embodiment of FIG. 2 is further combined with a first collecting means 4. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram (side view) showing a state in which the embodiment of FIG. 2 is further combined with first collecting means 4. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram (top view) of the configuration of the third vibrating sieve 3 in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram (top view) showing a state in which the embodiment of FIG. 4 is further combined with a second collecting means 5. In FIG. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram (side view) showing a state in which the embodiment of FIG. 4 is further combined with second collecting means 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and that appropriate design changes, improvements, etc. may be made based on the ordinary knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0020] (1. Object to be processed) The target materials for processing include various materials including copper wire scraps, stainless steel scraps, and aluminum scraps. In this embodiment, however, materials made from ASR, home appliance shredder dust, or electronic and electrical equipment scraps are described. After being appropriately crushed and sorted, ASR, home appliance shredder dust, and electronic and electrical equipment scraps can be processed in a gasification melting furnace or the like to remove combustible components such as resins, and then magnetic materials such as iron scraps can be removed by magnetic sorting or the like. Note that, because automobiles and home appliances typically contain electronic and electrical equipment, ASR and home appliance shredder dust may also contain electronic and electrical equipment scraps.

[0021] The material to be treated from which the magnetic substances have been removed may contain stainless steel scraps or aluminum scraps that cannot be completely removed by magnetic separation, and these scraps contain Cr, Ni, or Al, which are copper smelting inhibitors. As will be described later, in some embodiments of the present invention, rod-shaped and plate-shaped stainless steel scraps or aluminum scraps can be separated from lump copper wire scraps by sieving using a comb-shaped vibrating sieve having multiple comb teeth.

[0022] In addition, a gasification and melting furnace typically operates in a reducing atmosphere, which prevents the rapid combustion of combustible materials while thermally decomposing and gasifying waste plastics such as resins. In this case, the internal circulation fluidized bed gasification furnace is expected to prevent the oxidation of metals such as copper, iron, stainless steel, and aluminum. Therefore, the separated stainless steel or aluminum scraps can be expected to be recovered in a state where oxidation is suppressed. Since stainless steel or aluminum scraps in a state where oxidation is suppressed are easy to process, the Fe and Al elements contained in them can be easily reused.

[0023] In this way, the gasification melting furnace is expected to have the effect of suppressing oxidation in a reducing atmosphere, but the same effect can be expected from any furnace that can perform treatment in a similar reducing atmosphere. Therefore, the treatment furnace for gasifying ASR, home appliance shredder dust, and electronic and electrical equipment part scraps after appropriate crushing and sorting can be any furnace that has a reducing atmosphere, and is not limited to a gasification melting furnace. The type of reducing atmosphere is also not limited, and can be, for example, hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon gas (CH4, C3H8, C4H10 Alternatively, by setting the air ratio (the ratio between the amount of air theoretically required to completely burn the fuel (theoretical air amount) and the amount of air actually sent in for combustion) to 1 or less during gasification, combustible materials such as ASR and home appliance shredder dust will be partially burned and thermally decomposed into combustible gas and ash, making it possible to create a strongly reducing atmosphere inside the gasification furnace.

[0024] The gasification temperature is not particularly limited, but since the melting point of aluminum is 660°C, it is preferable to set it to 600°C or lower. This makes it easier to suppress oxidation of the stainless steel scrap or aluminum scrap. However, since gasification of resin components such as LDPE, HDPE, and PE is usually completed at 400°C or higher, in order to achieve the purpose of the gasification treatment, the gasification temperature is preferably 400°C or higher.

[0025] Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the object to be treated has undergone gasification treatment at an air ratio of 1 or less and a temperature of 400 to 600°C.

[0026] Furthermore, the material to be treated may contain valuable metals such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium in addition to copper.

[0027] Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the material to be treated includes copper wire scraps (including lump copper wire scraps), stainless steel scraps, or aluminum scraps, and in some cases, ball-sized copper and precious metals (collectively referred to as "gasifier slag"). Then, as described below, by sieving using a first vibrating sieve having a comb-like shape with multiple comb teeth, the lump copper wire scraps are retained on the sieve and sieved out, while the remaining copper wire scraps, most of the stainless steel scraps and / or aluminum scraps, and the gasifier slag are sieved out below the sieve. Furthermore, by sieving the material below the sieve from which the lump copper wire scraps have been separated, using a second vibrating sieve having multiple holes, the stainless steel scraps and / or aluminum scraps are sieved out above the sieve, and the copper wire scraps and gasifier slag are sieved out below the sieve. If necessary, the material remaining on the first vibrating sieve can be further sieved using a third vibrating sieve having a comb-like shape with multiple comb teeth spaced more widely than the first vibrating sieve to separate the material into clumped copper wire scraps on the sieve and stainless steel scraps and / or aluminum scraps that remain below the sieve. Note that complete separation of each component is impossible when using each vibrating sieve, and therefore, in this specification, sieving of each component does not necessarily mean complete separation.

[0028] (2. Separation of lump copper wire scraps) Copper wire scrap includes thin, linear copper wire scrap and clumped copper wire scrap, which is copper wire entangled with each other and has a steel wool-like shape. Clumped copper wire scrap is generally formed by rolling up linear objects with a diameter of about 0.05 to 0.5 mm into a clump. The diameter of the clumped copper wire scrap is larger than the hole diameter of a normal sieve and can reach up to about 500 mm. Therefore, when the material to be processed is sieved using a normal sieve with multiple openings (e.g., a punched sieve), the clumped copper wire scrap gets caught in the openings of the sieve and becomes entangled with other materials to be processed, so the sieving process must be interrupted to remove it.

[0029] As mentioned above, this phenomenon occurs when rod-shaped objects to be processed get caught in the openings of the sieve and rise up vertically or obliquely. These rod-shaped objects are typically metal wires with a diameter of about 0.5 to 2 mm and a length of about 50 to 200 mm that are bent three-dimensionally, and the minor axis of the three-dimensional shape can be about 25 to 100 mm. Therefore, if the clumped copper wire scraps are separated in advance as a pretreatment for sieving using the holes of a punched metal, it is thought that retention of the clumped copper wire scraps can be suppressed even if the rod-shaped objects to be processed get caught in the openings of the sieve. In this embodiment, the objects to be processed are sieved using a comb-shaped first vibrating sieve having multiple comb teeth, thereby effectively separating the rod-shaped objects to be processed and the clumped copper wire scraps.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram (top view) of a first vibrating sieve 1 having a plurality of comb teeth according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the plurality of comb teeth 11 are arranged parallel to each other and have a tapered shape, with their longitudinal direction oriented parallel to the transport direction of the material to be processed. However, in another embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of comb teeth 11 do not need to be arranged strictly parallel to the transport direction of the material to be processed. For example, they may be oriented within a range of ±30° relative to the transport direction. The cross-sectional shape of the plurality of comb teeth 11 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is not particularly limited and may be any shape, including rectangular, trapezoidal, circular, and semicircular. The spacing W1 between the plurality of comb teeth 11 (i.e., the width of the slit between the plurality of comb teeth 11) is preferably 15 to 50 mm. If it is 15 mm or more, materials to be processed other than clumped copper wire scraps can easily fall through the sieve. From this perspective, the spacing W1 between the plurality of comb teeth 11 is more preferably 20 mm or more. If it is 50 mm or less, clumped copper wire scraps can be more efficiently collected. From this viewpoint, it is more preferable that the spacing W1 between the multiple comb teeth 11 is 30 mm or less. Note that the spacing W1 between the multiple comb teeth 11 refers to the spacing in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction in the above-mentioned top view. The spacing W1 between the multiple comb teeth 11 need only be within the above-mentioned range and does not need to be constant. Note that if the spacing W1 between the multiple comb teeth 11 is not constant, the minimum spacing in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction in the above-mentioned top view shall be the spacing W1 between the multiple comb teeth 11.

[0031] The length L1 of the teeth 11 is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately depending on the transport speed of the material to be processed, the required separation accuracy, etc. Typically, the length L1 of the teeth 11 is 100 to 200 mm, and preferably 120 to 180 mm. Note that the length L1 of the teeth 11 refers to the length from the base to the tip of the teeth 11 in a direction parallel to the transport direction when viewed from above. The length L1 of the teeth 11 need only be within the above range and does not have to be the same for all teeth.

[0032] Furthermore, if the length of the plurality of comb teeth 11 is sufficient, there is no need to connect the tips of the comb teeth 11, and they may be open as shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, if the tips of the plurality of comb teeth 11 are open, the thickness of the comb teeth 11 may be increased to maintain strength, or a reinforcing mechanism may be provided below the comb teeth 11 (not shown).

[0033] By sieving using the first vibrating sieve 1, the lump copper wire scraps are caught on the top of the sieve and sieved out, while the other copper wire scraps, most of the stainless steel scraps and / or aluminum scraps, and the gasifier gold and silver slag are sieved out below the sieve. The lump copper wire scraps are collected on the top of the sieve, and in some cases, large plate-shaped stainless steel scraps and / or aluminum scraps do not pass through the first vibrating sieve 1 and are collected together with the lump copper wire scraps.

[0034] In order to sieve the materials to be processed, it is necessary to vibrate the first vibrating sieve 1 while carrying out the method of this embodiment. The structure for vibrating the sieve may be a known one, and a detailed description of the structure etc. will be omitted. In addition, the structure for transporting the materials to be processed may also be a known one, and a detailed description of the structure etc. will be omitted.

[0035] By the above-mentioned treatment, the lump copper wire scraps are separated from the rod-shaped treatment object that causes the lump copper wire scraps to accumulate, thereby achieving the object of the present invention.

[0036] Furthermore, in order to efficiently collect the materials to be processed, including the clumped copper wire scraps separated by the first vibrating sieve 1, and to prevent them from falling into the second vibrating sieve 2 described below, it is preferable to provide a first collecting means 4 on the tip side of the plurality of comb teeth 11 of the first vibrating sieve 1 (FIG. 3A). As long as the first collecting means 4 can hold the clumped copper wire scraps, its specific material and shape are not limited, but for example, a trough-shaped or dustpan-shaped one can be used.

[0037] The first collecting means 4 is preferably positioned so that, in a top view, the length L2 from the base of the comb teeth 11 to the end of the first collecting means 4 in the direction parallel to the conveying direction is 50 to 150 mm (FIG. 3A). Furthermore, in a side view, the first collecting means 4 is preferably positioned so that the vertical distance H1 between the comb teeth 11 and the first collecting means 4 is 10 to 100 mm, preferably 20 to 50 mm (FIG. 3B). By setting L2 and / or H1 within the above ranges, the first vibrating sieve 1 efficiently collects the material to be treated on its sieve and allows other material to fall. Note that the value of L2 or H1 may vary depending on the measurement location due to irregularities in the shape of the comb teeth 11, but the expected effect can be achieved as long as it is within the above range.

[0038] The position of the right end of the first collecting means 4 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it extends further in the conveying direction than the tips of the comb teeth 11 when viewed from above.

[0039] (3. Separation of stainless steel scraps or aluminum scraps) After sieving by the first vibrating sieve 1, the materials to be treated, including clumped copper wire scraps, remain on the sieve, while wire-, rod-, and plate-shaped materials fall below the sieve. These rod- and plate-shaped materials contain a high content of stainless steel scraps or aluminum scraps.

[0040] In order to feed the under-sieve material from which the lump copper wire scraps have been separated into the copper smelting process, it is necessary to remove the rod-shaped and plate-shaped materials. Therefore, the rod-shaped and plate-shaped materials can be separated by sieving using a second vibrating sieve 2 having a plurality of holes.

[0041] 2 is a schematic diagram (top view) showing a state in which a first vibrating sieve 1 and a second vibrating sieve 2 are combined in one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the second vibrating sieve 2 having a plurality of holes is provided below the first vibrating sieve 1, and the material to be processed that has passed through the first vibrating sieve 1 is subsequently sieved by the second vibrating sieve 2. The second vibrating sieve 2 is typically a punched metal. The shape of the holes in the second vibrating sieve 2 is not particularly limited and may be any shape, including rectangular, trapezoidal, circular, and semicircular.

[0042] The pore diameter D of the second vibrating sieve 2 is preferably 10 to 20 mm. If it is 10 mm or more, linear processing objects can easily fall through the sieve. From this viewpoint, the pore diameter D of the second vibrating sieve 2 is more preferably 11 mm or more, and even more preferably 12 mm or more. If it is 20 mm or less, rod-shaped and plate-shaped processing objects can be more efficiently captured. From this viewpoint, the pore diameter D of the second vibrating sieve 2 is more preferably 18 mm or less, and even more preferably 15 mm or less. In the illustrated embodiment, the pores of the second vibrating sieve 2 are circular, but if they are not circular, the pore diameter D means the diameter of the largest inscribed circle.

[0043] The material to be treated that has fallen from the second vibrating sieve 2 contains little stainless steel scrap or aluminum scrap and little copper smelting inhibiting components, so it can be fed into copper smelting.

[0044] Furthermore, as mentioned above, large plate-shaped stainless steel scraps and / or aluminum that do not pass through the first vibrating sieve 1 may be collected together with the lump copper wire scraps, but these can be separated by further screening using a comb-tooth shaped third vibrating sieve 3 having multiple comb teeth 31.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram (top view) of a comb-shaped third vibrating sieve 3 having multiple comb teeth 31 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the multiple comb teeth 31 are arranged parallel to each other and have a tapered shape, with their longitudinal direction oriented parallel to the transport direction of the material to be processed. However, in another embodiment of the present invention, the multiple comb teeth 31 do not need to be arranged strictly parallel to the transport direction of the material to be processed. For example, they may be oriented within a range of ±30° relative to the transport direction. The cross-sectional shape of the multiple comb teeth 31 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is not particularly limited and may be any shape, including rectangular, trapezoidal, circular, and semicircular. The spacing W3 between the multiple comb teeth 31 (i.e., the width of the slit between the multiple comb teeth 31) is preferably 50 to 150 mm. A spacing W3 of 50 mm or more facilitates the plate-shaped material to be processed to fall through the sieve. From this perspective, the spacing W3 between the multiple comb teeth 31 is more preferably 80 mm or more. A spacing W3 of 150 mm or less allows for more efficient collection of clumped copper wire scraps. From this viewpoint, it is more preferable that the interval W3 between the plurality of comb teeth 31 is 120 mm or less. When the interval W3 between the plurality of comb teeth 31 is not constant, the minimum interval W3 between the plurality of comb teeth 31 in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction in the above top view is set as the interval W3 between the plurality of comb teeth 31.

[0046] The length L3 of the plurality of comb teeth 31 is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately depending on the conveying speed of the material to be treated, the required separation accuracy, etc. Typically, the length L3 of the plurality of comb teeth 31 is 150 to 300 mm, and preferably 170 to 250 mm. Note that the length L3 of the plurality of comb teeth 31 refers to the length in a direction parallel to the conveying direction. Furthermore, the length L3 of the plurality of comb teeth 31 need only be within the above range and does not need to be constant.

[0047] Furthermore, if the length of the plurality of comb teeth 31 is sufficient, there is no need to connect the tips of the comb teeth 31, and they may be open as shown in Fig. 4. Furthermore, if the tips of the plurality of comb teeth 31 are open, the thickness of the comb teeth 31 may be increased to maintain strength, or a reinforcing mechanism may be provided below the comb teeth 31 (not shown).

[0048] By sieving using the third vibrating sieve 3, the lump copper wire scraps are sieved onto the upper side of the sieve, and the plate-like stainless steel scraps and / or aluminum scraps and the gasifier slag are sieved onto the lower side of the sieve.

[0049] Furthermore, in order to efficiently collect the materials to be processed, including the clumped copper wire scraps separated by the third vibrating sieve 3, and to prevent them from falling, it is preferable to provide a second collecting means 5 on the tip side of the plurality of comb teeth 31 of the third vibrating sieve 3 (FIG. 5A). As long as the second collecting means 5 can hold the clumped copper wire scraps, its specific material and shape are not limited, but for example, a trough-shaped or dustpan-shaped one can be used.

[0050] The second collecting means 5 is preferably positioned so that, in a top view, the length L4 from the base of the comb teeth 31 to the end of the second collecting means 5 in the direction parallel to the conveying direction is 100 to 200 mm (FIG. 5A). Also, in a side view, the second collecting means 5 is preferably positioned so that the vertical distance H2 between the comb teeth 31 and the second collecting means 5 is 30 to 100 mm (FIG. 5B). By setting L4 and / or H2 within the above ranges, the collection of clumped copper wire scraps and the dropping of materials to be processed other than clumped copper wire scraps are efficiently performed. Note that the values ​​of L4 and H2 may vary depending on the measurement location due to irregularities in the shapes of the comb teeth 31, but the expected effect can be achieved as long as they are within the above ranges.

[0051] The position of the right end of the second collecting means 5 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it extends further in the conveying direction than the tips of the comb teeth 31 when viewed from above.

[0052] In the case of continuous processing, the third vibrating sieve 3 can be placed downstream of the second vibrating sieve 2 in the conveying direction of the material to be processed. In addition, the material to be processed that has fallen from the third vibrating sieve 3 can be further sieved by the second vibrating sieve 2, thereby increasing the separation rate.

[0053] The material to be processed after stainless steel scrap or aluminum scrap is separated mainly contains copper wire scrap and sand, but since copper smelting flash furnaces can accept copper wire scrap mixed with sand, it is possible to input it into the copper smelting process.

[0054] The separated stainless steel scraps and aluminum scraps can be separated and collected in a state where oxidation is suppressed due to the reducing atmosphere in the gasification process. [Example]

[0055] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the description here is for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0056] (Example) The materials to be processed, ASR and home appliance shredder dust, were processed in a fluidized-bed gasifier. The contained waste plastics were gasified, and the resulting material (gasifier non-ferrous metals) was magnetically separated and processed using the first vibrating sieve 1 and second vibrating sieve 2 shown in Figure 2. Also, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, a first collecting means 4 was provided. The position of the first collecting means 4 was set so that the aforementioned L2 was 100 mm and H1 was 30 mm. The first vibrating sieve 1 had 20 comb teeth 11, with a spacing W1 between the multiple comb teeth 11 of 20 mm and a length L1 of 150 mm. The second vibrating sieve 2 was made of punched metal and was sized to capture all of the materials to be processed that fell below the first vibrating sieve 1. The holes in the second vibrating sieve 2 were circular, with a hole diameter D of 12 mm.

[0057] When the treatment objects were treated, all of the lump copper wire scraps were collected on the first vibrating sieve 1, and all of the wire- and rod-shaped treatment objects fell, with no residue remaining on the first vibrating sieve 1. Most of the plate-shaped treatment objects fell from the first vibrating sieve 1, but a small amount of some larger objects remained on the first vibrating sieve 1. The treatment objects on the first vibrating sieve 1 were collected by the first collecting means 4. Furthermore, of the treatment objects that fell from the first vibrating sieve 1, all of the rod- and plate-shaped treatment objects were collected on the second vibrating sieve 2, and all of the wire-shaped treatment objects fell, with no residue remaining on the second vibrating sieve 2.

[0058] The material collected on the first vibrating sieve 1 was treated using the third vibrating sieve 3 shown in FIG. 4. A second collecting means 5 was also provided, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. The position of the second collecting means 5 was set so that the aforementioned L4 was 150 mm and H2 was 50 mm. The third vibrating sieve 3 had four comb teeth 31, with the spacing W3 between the multiple comb teeth 31 being 120 mm and the length L3 being 200 mm. After all of the material was treated, all of the clumped copper wire scraps were collected on the third vibrating sieve 3, and all of the plate-shaped material fell. The clumped copper wire scraps collected on the third vibrating sieve 3 were then collected by the second collecting means 5.

[0059] For the second vibrating sieve 2, the compositions of the material above the sieve and the material below the sieve were analyzed by ICP-OES after alkali fusion to evaluate the separation rate. Specifically, since the material other than the stainless steel scrap contains almost no Cr (usually 0.5 wt% or less), the total weight of the Cr above and below the sieve was taken as 100%, and the ratio of the weight of the Cr above the sieve was used as the separation rate of the stainless steel scrap. On the other hand, since the material other than the aluminum scrap contains almost no Al, the total weight of the Al above and below the sieve was taken as 100%, and the ratio of the weight of the Al above the sieve was used as the separation rate of the aluminum scrap. As a result, the separation rates of the stainless steel scrap and the aluminum scrap were 90% or more and 40% or more, respectively.

[0060] Furthermore, visual inspection of the cut fracture surfaces of the recovered stainless steel and aluminum scraps revealed a metallic luster on the fracture surfaces, confirming that they were almost completely oxidized. Furthermore, the Fe and Al elements do not become alloy metals, allowing them to be recovered as valuable metals.

[0061] (Comparative Example) The material to be treated was the same as in the example, but the first vibrating sieve 1 was not used as the vibrating sieve, and the material to be treated was directly sieved using the second vibrating sieve 2.

[0062] As a result of the comparative example, a phenomenon occurred in which some rod-shaped objects to be processed got caught in the holes of the punched metal, and the clumped copper wire scraps became entangled therein.

[0063] (Potential contribution to SDGs) According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to effectively collect lump copper wire scraps. This may potentially improve productivity in recovering valuable metals from scrap electronic and electrical equipment, such as discarded home appliances, PCs, and mobile phones. Therefore, one embodiment of the present invention may contribute to the achievement of Goal 9, "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation," and Goal 12, "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns," of the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting waste reuse and improving resource utilization efficiency. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1. A first vibrating sieve having a plurality of comb teeth 11 Comb Teeth 2. A second vibrating sieve having a plurality of holes 3. A third vibrating sieve having multiple comb teeth 31 Comb Teeth 4. First collection method 5. Second collection method

Claims

1. A method for treating an object to be treated, which includes copper wire scraps and stainless steel scraps or aluminum scraps, The method includes sieving the object to be processed using a first vibrating sieve having a comb-like shape and a plurality of comb teeth while transporting the object to be processed, and thereby trapping the lump copper wire scraps among the copper wire scraps on the comb-like sieve, The spacing W between the comb teeth of the first vibrating screen 1 is 15 to 50 mm.

2. The processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: separating and recovering the stainless steel scraps and / or the aluminum scraps by sieving the processing object below the sieve from which the lump copper wire scraps have been separated using a second vibrating sieve having a plurality of holes.

3. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second vibrating screen is a punched metal screen.

4. The processing method according to claim 2, wherein the hole diameter D of the second vibrating sieve is 10 to 20 mm.

5. Further, after sieving using the first vibrating sieve, the material to be treated on the sieve containing the lump copper wire scraps is sieved using a comb-shaped third vibrating sieve having a plurality of comb teeth, and the spacing W between the comb teeth of the third vibrating sieve 3 The processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance is 50 to 150 mm.

6. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the raw material of the object to be treated includes automobile shredder dust, home appliance shredder dust, or scrap electronic and electrical equipment parts.

7. 3. The processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the materials to be processed are automobile shredder dust, home appliance shredder dust, and crushed electronic and electrical equipment scraps, which have been processed in a gasification melting furnace to remove combustible components such as resins, and then magnetic materials such as iron scraps have been removed by magnetic sorting or the like.

8. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the treatment in the gasification and melting furnace is carried out under conditions of an air ratio of 1 or less and a temperature of 400 to 600°C.

Citation Information

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