Briquettes and methods for manufacturing briquettes
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KURIMOTO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-03
Smart Images
Figure 2026125321000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0005]
[0001] This invention relates to briquettes and a method for manufacturing briquettes.
Background Art
[0002] In pipelines for water supply and drainage, agricultural water, etc., fiber reinforced plastics (hereinafter referred to as FRP) and reinforced plastic composite pipes (hereinafter referred to as FRPM) obtained by combining FRP and resin mortar are widely used. In pipeline renewal work, waste materials of FRP and FRPM are generated, and in the manufacturing process of FRP and FRPM, materials such as polyester fibers and cellophane also become waste materials. In recent years, in order to cope with the rising disposal costs of waste materials, adapt to a recycling society, and convert waste materials into valuable materials, it has been considered to crush and reuse this waste material.
[0003] As a method for recycling waste materials, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, it has been proposed to utilize the organic matter in the waste material as fuel by pressing or blowing the crushed waste material into a cupola. In addition, in order to prevent the generation of dust from the crushed waste material and improve the handling property, for example, as shown in Patent Documents 2 and 3 below, a configuration in which the crushed waste material is coated with a thermoplastic resin has also been proposed.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Patent Document 2
Patent Document 3
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] In the configurations described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, thermoplastic resin is deliberately added to the crushed waste material, which may lead to problems such as increased costs and decreased work efficiency.
[0006] Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a briquette that can be molded at low cost from a component containing an organic polymer compound, and a method for manufacturing the briquette. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] To solve the above problems, this invention provides: The briquette is composed solely of crushed material obtained by crushing a component containing an organic polymer compound to a predetermined size, and the crushed material is molded into a predetermined shape (first configuration).
[0008] In this way, by constructing the briquettes solely from crushed organic polymer compounds and not adding any additional thermoplastic resins other than those contained in the crushed material, it is possible to suppress the increase in manufacturing costs and decrease in work efficiency that would be associated with such additions. At the same time, it is possible to secure many benefits such as reduction in disposal costs, application to a circular economy, and conversion of waste materials into valuable resources.
[0009] In the first configuration, the member may include fiber-reinforced plastic (second configuration).
[0010] In the second configuration, the member can be made up of only fiber-reinforced plastic (third configuration). In this case, the plasticity of the resin constituting the FRP makes it possible to easily mold a molded body of a predetermined shape.
[0011] Furthermore, in the second configuration, the member can be a reinforced plastic composite pipe made by combining fiber-reinforced plastic and resin mortar (fourth configuration). This significantly reduces the amount of FRPM pipes that are widely used in pipelines such as water and sewage systems.
[0012] In the first configuration, the member can be polyester fiber or cellophane (fifth configuration). By using materials used in the manufacturing process of FRP and FRPM as briquette materials, it is possible to further reduce disposal costs and obtain briquettes with high heat generation.
[0013] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, this invention provides: A crushing step in which a component containing an organic polymer compound is crushed to a predetermined size, A feeding step in which only the crushed material obtained in the crushing step is placed into the mold of the compression means, A compression step in which the crushed material placed in the mold is compressed within the mold to form a compressed body, A demolding step of removing the compressed body from the mold, A method for manufacturing briquettes having the following characteristics was constructed (sixth configuration).
[0014] In this way, by compressing crushed organic polymer compounds without adding any additional thermoplastic resins other than those contained in the crushed material, it is possible to suppress the increase in manufacturing costs and decrease in work efficiency that would be associated with such additions, while also securing many benefits such as reduction in disposal costs, application to a circular economy, and conversion of waste materials into valuable resources.
[0015] In the sixth configuration, the compression step is a heated compression step in which the crushed material is heated while being compressed, and the seventh configuration further includes a cooling step in which the compressed body heated in the heated compression step is cooled to a predetermined temperature. In this way, by heating and softening the crushed material during compression, a dense compressed body can be formed more easily. Furthermore, by cooling the heated compressed body, high-quality briquettes with high shape stability can be manufactured. [Effects of the Invention]
[0016] In this invention, the briquette is composed only of the crushed materials obtained by crushing the member containing the organic polymer compound, and no other thermoplastic resin such as a thermoplastic resin other than the thermoplastic resin contained in the crushed material is additionally added to the crushed material. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in manufacturing cost and a decrease in working efficiency associated with the addition, and to secure many merits such as reduction of disposal cost, application to a recycling society, and conversion of waste materials into valuable materials.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0017] [Figure 1] Perspective view showing an embodiment of the briquette according to this invention [Figure 2] Flow chart showing a first embodiment of the manufacturing method of the briquette according to this invention [Figure 3] Flow chart showing a second embodiment of the manufacturing method of the briquette according to this invention
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0018] An embodiment of the briquette 1 according to this invention is shown in Fig. 1. This briquette 1 is a molded body obtained by forming the crushed materials only, which are obtained by crushing the member containing the organic polymer compound into a predetermined size, into a predetermined shape. This molding is by fusion under pressure between the crushed materials or by thermal fusion under pressure accompanied by heating.
[0019] As the member containing the organic polymer compound, for example, FRP pipes and FRPM pipes that have become unnecessary due to pipeline renewal work, FRP pipes used as core materials for winding films, etc., polyester fibers and polyester films that have become unnecessary after being used in the manufacturing process of FRP pipes and FRPM pipes, materials such as cellophane, etc. can be widely adopted.
[0020] The preferred size of the crushed material constituting briquette 1 varies depending on the type of material, but for example, FRP pipes and FRPM pipes (hereinafter referred to as FRP pipes, etc.) can be 10 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or less, and polyester fibers, polyester films, and cellophane can be 5 mm or less, more preferably 2 mm or less. There is no particular lower limit to the size, but considering the productivity of the crushed material, it is preferable for all materials to be, for example, 0.5 mm or more.
[0021] Furthermore, FRP pipes and the like may be crushed to a predetermined size, and then further pulverized using a ball mill or the like before being used to form briquettes 1. The size of the pulverized material can be 200 μm or less, more preferably 100 μm or less. There is no particular lower limit to the size, but it is preferable to set it to 10 μm or more considering the productivity of the pulverization work. When grinding FRP pipes and the like, grinding powder is generated, and this grinding powder is also used to form briquettes.
[0022] The shape and dimensions of briquette 1 can be determined as appropriate, but in this embodiment, if it is cylindrical, for example, it can have a diameter of 10 cm and a height of 14 to 35 cm, or a diameter of 15 cm and a height of 7 to 16 cm. With this diameter and height, the weight will be approximately 2 to 5 kg, making it easy to load briquette 1 into a heat treatment furnace such as a cupola and to handle it. Note that the shape of briquette 1 is not limited to cylindrical, and other shapes such as a rectangular parallelepiped can be used as long as they do not hinder use. Furthermore, the shape of briquette 1 can be made into a tablet shape by continuous molding using a rotary tablet press or a roll-type compression granulator.
[0023] A first embodiment of the method for manufacturing the briquette 1 according to this invention will be described based on the flow chart shown in Figure 2. The method for manufacturing the briquette 1 according to the first embodiment is particularly suitable for processing FRP pipes that have become unnecessary due to pipeline renewal work, FRP pipes used as core materials for winding films, and materials such as polyester fibers and cellophane that have become unnecessary after being used in the manufacturing process of FRP pipes.
[0024] In this manufacturing method, first, a crushing step (step S1 in Figure 2) is performed in which each of the above-mentioned components containing the organic polymer compound is crushed to a predetermined size. The preferred size of the crushed material obtained by the crushing step varies depending on the type of component, but for example, FRP pipes can be 10 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or less, and polyester fibers, polyester films, and cellophane can be 5 mm or less, more preferably 2 mm or less. There is no particular lower limit to the size, but considering productivity, it is preferable to make it 0.5 mm or more for all components.
[0025] After crushing the FRP pipes, etc., to a predetermined size, the crushed material was further pulverized using a ball mill or the like. The size of the pulverized material can be 200 μm or less, more preferably 100 μm or less. There is no particular lower limit to the size, but it is preferable to set it to 10 μm or more considering the productivity of the crushing work. When grinding the FRP pipes, etc., grinding powder is generated, and this grinding powder is also used in the formation of briquettes 1.
[0026] Next, a loading step (step S2 in Figure 2) is performed in which only the crushed material from the crushing step is loaded into the mold of the compression means. This mold is, for example, cylindrical with both ends open in the axial direction, and a punch is inserted through the openings at both ends of the mold to compress the crushed material. In this loading step, basically only the crushed material of one component (e.g., FRP pipe) is loaded, but crushed material from multiple components (e.g., FRP pipe and polyester fiber) can also be loaded together. In either case, only the crushed material of the component is loaded into the mold, and no thermoplastic resin is added to this crushed material.
[0027] Furthermore, a heating and compression process (step S3 in Figure 2) is performed in which the crushed material placed in the mold is heated and compressed within the mold to form a compressed body. The mold is equipped with a heater as a heating means. As the compression means for the heating and compression process, either a uniaxial molding type employing a fixed die that compresses the crushed material placed in the mold from one axial side, or a biaxial molding type employing a floating die that can compress the crushed material placed in the mold from both axial sides, can be applied. However, the biaxial molding type is superior in terms of the uniformity of the compressed body.
[0028] Furthermore, a cooling process (step S4 in Figure 2) is performed to cool the compressed body, which has been heated in the heating and compression process, to a predetermined temperature. During this cooling process, thermal welding between the crushed materials progresses, increasing the shape stability of the compressed body.
[0029] Finally, the briquette 1 is completed through a demolding process (step S5 in Figure 2) in which the compressed body is removed from the mold.
[0030] A second embodiment of the method for manufacturing the briquette 1 according to this invention will be described based on the flowchart shown in Figure 3. The method for manufacturing the briquette 1 according to the second embodiment is particularly suitable for processing FRP pipes that have become unnecessary due to pipeline renewal work, FRP pipes used as core materials for winding films, and grinding dust generated from grinding FRP pipes.
[0031] In this manufacturing method, first, a crushing step (step S11 in Figure 3) is performed in which each of the above-mentioned components containing the organic polymer compound is crushed to a predetermined size. In this crushing step, the components are first crushed to a predetermined size, and then the crushed material is pulverized using a ball mill or the like. The size of the pulverized material can be 200 μm or less, more preferably 100 μm or less. There is no particular lower limit to the size, but it is preferable to make it 10 μm or more considering the productivity of the pulverization work. In addition, grinding powder generated when grinding FRP pipes, etc., can also be used to form the briquette 1.
[0032] Next, a feeding step (step S12 in Figure 3) is performed in which only the crushed material (in a pulverized state) from the crushing step is fed into the mold of the compression means. This mold is, for example, cylindrical with openings at both axial ends, and punches for compressing the crushed material are inserted through the openings at both axial ends of this mold. Only the crushed material of the component is fed into the mold, and no thermoplastic resin is added to this crushed material.
[0033] Furthermore, a compression process (step S13 in Figure 3) is performed in which the crushed material placed in the mold is compressed within the mold to form a compressed body. As a compression means for the compression process, either a uniaxial molding type employing a fixed die that compresses the crushed material placed in the mold from one axial side, or a biaxial molding type employing a floating die that can compress the crushed material placed in the mold from both axial sides, can be applied. However, the biaxial molding type is superior in terms of the uniformity of the compressed body.
[0034] Finally, the briquette 1 is completed through a demolding process (step S14 in Figure 3) in which the compressed body is removed from the mold. [Examples]
[0035] This section describes a verification experiment of the manufacturing method of briquette 1 according to this invention. Table 1 summarizes the materials used in this verification experiment, the processing conditions (compression means, applied pressure, heating temperature, pressurization time, cooling temperature, cooling time), and the quality evaluation of the manufactured briquette 1.
[0036] [Table 1]
[0037] The FRP core, FRP grinding powder, FRPM, polyester fiber 1, polyester fiber 2, and cellophane shown in the Examples section, which were processed in accordance with the first embodiment described above (with heating and cooling during the series of steps), were able to produce high-quality briquettes 1 molded into a predetermined shape (a cylindrical shape with a diameter of approximately 50 mm in this verification experiment) by heating and cooling during the series of steps, although there were differences in processing conditions. On the other hand, as shown in the Comparative Example section, the FRPM that was heated but not cooled did not exhibit sufficient thermal fusion between the crushed materials, and it was not possible to obtain briquettes 1 of the predetermined shape.
[0038] Furthermore, the FRPM powder shown in the Examples section, which underwent processing corresponding to the second embodiment described above (without heating or cooling during the series of steps), was able to produce high-quality briquettes 1 molded into a predetermined shape by maintaining a pressurized state at room temperature for a predetermined time.
[0039] As described above, the briquette 1 according to this invention is composed solely of crushed organic polymer compounds, and no additional thermoplastic resins other than those contained in the crushed material are added to it. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in manufacturing costs and decrease in work efficiency that would be associated with such additions, and to secure many benefits such as reduction in disposal costs, application to a circular economy, and conversion of waste materials into valuable resources.
[0040] Furthermore, since the briquette 1 according to this invention can be made of crushed FRPM, the amount of FRPM pipes used in pipelines such as water and sewage systems and agricultural water systems can be significantly reduced.
[0041] Furthermore, the method for manufacturing the briquette 1 according to this invention involves compressing the crushed organic polymer compound without adding any additional thermoplastic resins other than those contained in the crushed material. This suppresses the increase in manufacturing costs and decrease in work efficiency associated with such additions, while also ensuring many benefits such as reduced disposal costs, application to a circular economy, and conversion of waste materials into valuable resources.
[0042] Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing the briquette 1 according to this invention, a dense compressed body can be formed more easily by heating and softening the crushed material during compression. In addition, by cooling the heated compressed body, a briquette 1 with high shape stability can be manufactured.
[0043] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description and is intended to include the meaning of equivalents of the claims and all modifications thereof. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0044] 1 briquette
Claims
1. A briquette is a molded body formed by crushing an organic polymer compound into a predetermined shape, with the crushed material being composed solely of the crushed material obtained by crushing the material into a predetermined shape.
2. The briquette according to claim 1, wherein the member comprises fiber-reinforced plastic.
3. The briquette according to claim 2, wherein the aforementioned member consists solely of fiber-reinforced plastic.
4. The briquette according to claim 2, wherein the member is a reinforced plastic composite pipe formed by combining fiber-reinforced plastic and resin mortar.
5. The briquette according to claim 1, wherein the member is polyester fiber or cellophane.
6. A crushing step in which a component containing an organic polymer compound is crushed to a predetermined size, A feeding step in which only the crushed material obtained in the crushing step is placed into the mold of the compression means, A compression step in which the crushed material placed in the mold is compressed within the mold to form a compressed body, A demolding step of removing the compressed body from the mold, A method for manufacturing briquettes having [a certain characteristic].
7. The compression step is a heating and compression step in which the crushed material is compressed while being heated, The method for manufacturing a briquette according to claim 6, further comprising a cooling step of cooling the compressed body heated in the heating and compression step to a predetermined temperature.