Turf filler separation device and separation method for separating dry or dried fillers from artificial turf products and the like

Abstract

A separation system (100) suitable for separating a dry or dried fill, preferably comprising rubber and / or sand, into a plurality of fractions, the separation system (100) comprising a first sieving means (110) configured to receive a set of first separating screens (111) configured to separate the fill (201) into a first plurality of fractions (201a), the separation system (100) further comprising a pre-analysis unit (101), a database (180), and a processing unit (102) configured to calculate a correlation coefficient and / or a deviation value between the first set of compositional values ​​(301) and a plurality of second sets of compositional values ​​in the database (180). And a method for separating a dry or dried fill having a material composition, preferably comprising rubber and sand, into a plurality of fractions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an improved separation apparatus and a separation method for separating a dry or dried filler from an artificial turf product, i.e., for separating the artificial turf product into a plurality of fractions having high purity. In the present invention, this result is achieved by pre-analyzing the filler material prior to the separation step in order to separate the filler material with a selected separation screen.

Background Art

[0002] Artificial turf has been used for many years as the playing surface of football fields, baseball fields, and soccer fields. In recent years, artificial turf has been used in other applications where an alternative to natural turf is desired. These applications include at least playgrounds, residential and commercial lawns, other landscaping, paths, paintball fields, tennis courts, putting greens, dog runs, and the like.

[0003] Generally, artificial turf includes a grass-like fabric having a plurality of upright ribbons, also called face fibers, that resemble the backing and grass. Many artificial turf products also include a filler dispersed between the upright ribbons, which may be composed of sand, tire rubber chips, or other particles. The filler material mimics the soil of natural turf, functions as a ballast, and / or contributes to the physical properties of the turf, such as elasticity, to make the turf suitable for a particular application.

[0004] The lifespan of artificial turf depends on the structure of the turf, the application for which it is used, weathering, and the method of turf maintenance. As an example, a typical artificial turf for use as a sports field can have a service life of about 8 to 15 years. Currently, large amounts of artificial turf are being used in hundreds of sports fields and other applications.

[0005] The disposal of artificial turf is very costly because of the composition of materials ranging from recycled rubber, sand to plastic. In order to avoid sending artificial turf to landfills at a significant cost, recycling and reusing all or part of the artificial turf has been one of the options considered in recent years for cost reduction. In recent years, however, all or part of the artificial turf can be upcycled and reused, and individual components can be further expanded.

[0006] Methods for recycling interior carpets and methods for providing carpet backing using recycled carpet scraps are known. Some of such known methods include cutting and separating, for example, the yarns or tufts of the carpet from the backing and processing only the yarns.

[0007] However, artificial turf has a different component composition from carpets, and due to these compositional differences, conventional carpet recycling processes are inappropriate for recycling artificial turf. Many artificial turf products contain components that are not found in carpets and are incompatible or at least undesirable with conventional carpet recycling methods. For example, conventional carpets do not contain fillers.

[0008] Common filler materials used in the installation of artificial turf include sand, coconut husks, tire rubber scraps, and / or other particles, either alone or in combination with each other. Therefore, there are problems specific to artificial turf in the recycling of artificial turf that do not occur in the recycling of carpets. Special equipment is required to separate the filler from the remaining part of the artificial turf, and environmental problems may occur in connection with the disposal of the separated filler. Further additional problems in the recycling process are the size reduction process and the effect of residual filler particles on the properties of the final product.

[0009] For this reason, attempts have been made to recycle and reuse existing artificial turf, or at least a part of the existing artificial turf, and avoid sending the entire unnecessary artificial turf to landfills. Such a process is described in International Publication No. WO 2010 / 075098. In this process, the filling is separated from the backing and the grass imitation fibers, then downsized, the filling is further removed, and then agglomeration occurs. The granules of the agglomerated turf pieces are put into an extruder. The granules are extruded, for example, in the shape of strands or ribbons, to form an extrudate. In another process described in U.S. Publication No. 2015 / 0209830, a vibrating screen is used to separate the filling material of artificial turf by specific gravity.

[0010] Most of the known conventional processes recycle the components of carpets or artificial turf into new products of mixed components, rather than reverse engineering that decomposes the products into individual starting components for imitation.

[0011] U.S. Patent No. 2016 / 186387 describes an apparatus and method for recycling rubber fillings commonly used in combination with artificial turf. In U.S. Patent No. 2016 / 183387, a suction device (aspirator) is used to remove sand from rubber pellets. Also, the rubber can be processed during this process to remove debris. Then, the rubber can be reused during the reconstruction of artificial turf.

[0012] U.S. Patent No. 2013 / 017023 describes an on-site system and method for recycling fillings. The fillings are extracted from artificial turf and separated mainly into rubber, sand, and debris by a screen separator, and then subsequently, the rubber and sand fractions are separately separated by a destoner and a silo screen.

[0013] European Patent No. 2862688 of the same applicant similarly describes a process for separating the sand and rubber fillings derived from dried or dried turf products into clean sand and rubber in a series of cleaning steps.

[0014] Furthermore, the known processes do not provide a flexible process that can efficiently separate artificial turf fillers with different components at high yield and high purity within the same recycling site.

[0015] Thus, while the conventional processes are improved compared to landfilling of materials, in order to provide improved grade products and a flexible process that can accept various compositions of various artificial turf products, it is still necessary to separate the individual parts into fractions containing substantially one component, preferably within a pre-defined range of particle sizes.

[0016] Also, it is desirable to provide a process whose result is individual components that are purified to a height sufficient for reuse as turf or in other industries. Finally, it is desirable to provide an efficient process that does not rely heavily on natural resources such as water.

[0017] The object of the present invention is to provide a process and an apparatus for separating the components of various filler products, and also to provide a process that results in high purity of each of the separated components and solves one or more of the above problems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0018] In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for separating dry or dried fillers from artificial turf products and the like into a plurality of fractions. The concept of the present invention presents a solution to the difficult problem of efficiently separating fillers containing various compositions into at least one of graded sand, granular styrene-butadiene rubber, granular cork, granular organic filler, granular thermoplastic elastomer, or granular ethylene propylene diene monomer. At the same time, the concept of the present invention is beneficial to the environment because the efficient separation of fillers from artificial turf and the like is an important technology in the recycling process of fillers from artificial turf and other products.

[0019] The fraction obtained according to the present invention is characterized by having a purity of more than at least 95% (w / w) with respect to the component in question.

[0020] Therefore, A method for separating a dry or dried filler having a composition of a material, preferably a composition of a material containing rubber and sand, into a plurality of fractions, (a ) dry Supply the wet or dried filler ; (b) Take a sample of the dry or dried filler do; (c) For example, from the first artificial turf product, pre-analyze the composition of the dry or dried filling taken as a sample to obtain a set of first composition values corresponding to the composition of the filling and / or the first artificial turf product, where The preliminary analysis is (i) Separating the filler into a plurality of analysis fractions based on particle size and / or specific gravity by a preliminary analysis unit and , (ii ) separate Separate separated Analysis fraction For each, in relation to the total content of the analyzed filling Determine the relative content and the step of Including ; (d ) less Prepare at least a first sieving means configured to receive at least a first set of separation screens ; Here, the at least first set of separation screens is configured to separate the filling into a plurality of fractions; (e) Compare the set of first composition values of the dry or dried filling with the plurality of sets of second composition values in the database to obtain a correlation coefficient and / or deviation value between the set of first composition values and each of the plurality of sets of second composition values in the database, where each of the sets of second composition values corresponds to the composition of the material and a predetermined set of second separation screens; (f ) the Corresponding to a set of two composition values Also, when compared with the set of first composition values, Having a correlation coefficient exceeding a predetermined threshold value, and / or having a relatively low deviation value, preferably the smallest available deviation value separated Select the at least first set of separation screens to be received by the at least first sieving means by selecting a set of separation screens do; (g) Attach the selected first set of separation screens to the first sieving means combine; and , (h) separating the filler into a plurality of fractions do, A method comprising the steps is provided.

[0021] The compositions of various different filler products such as artificial turf products are very non-uniform. For example, depending on the climate in which the turf is used or the type of sport being played on the turf, the composition is adjusted to meet specific needs. Also, depending on the manufacturer and age, the materials used in the filler and artificial turf may vary. By using a database and pre-analyzing the turf and / or filler prior to separation according to the concepts of the present invention, the separation process can separate fillers containing such various compositions in a shortened, less cumbersome, and more predictable manner without compromising the homogeneity or purity of the separated fractions.

[0022] The term "dry or dried filler" in the context of the present invention means a filler that is substantially free of excess water or other liquids, such as a filler dried by appropriate storage conditions in a dry environment or a filler dried by an apparatus such as a fluidized bed dryer. Such dry or dried fillers can be appropriately obtained from artificial turf products. In particular, the separation of very fine sand is affected by the moisture content.

[0023] The term "separating" in the context of the present invention means separating a non-uniform composition into less non-uniform fractions, preferably uniform fractions. This non-uniformity is defined, for example, by particle size, density, specific gravity, and / or material.

[0024] The term "artificial turf product" in the context of the present invention takes into account all of the components of the starting materials used in the process of the present invention. Synthetic and artificial can be used interchangeably and have the same meaning, namely, a grass-like imitation made primarily of non-biological materials. The starting materials for the process of the present invention, i.e., the dry or dried fill, are suitably derived from turf products from sports facilities, playgrounds, landscaping areas, etc. The origin of the starting materials should not be limited. It is also contemplated that the starting materials may contain contaminants.

[0025] The term "plurality of fractions" in the context of the present invention means two or more fractions obtained by separation. Each fraction preferably has a substantially the same specific gravity and is composed primarily of substantially the same material having a particle size within a specific range of particle sizes.

[0026] The term "first dry or dried fill" in the context of the present invention means a dry or dried fill that is separated into a plurality of fractions. Before being separated into a plurality of fractions, the first dry or dried fill also provides material for preliminary analysis.

[0027] The terms "fine sand" and "coarse sand" describe the range of sand particle sizes in comparison to other terms. When sand particles with a size range of 0.5 - 0.6 mm and sand particles with a size range of <0.2 - 0.5 mm exist as two fractions, the fraction containing sand particles with a size range of 0.5 - 0.6 mm is regarded as coarse sand, while the fraction containing sand particles with a particle size in the range of 0.2 - 0.5 mm is regarded as fine sand. Alternatively, when sand particles with a size range of 0.2 - 0.5 mm and sand particles with a particle size of less than 0.2 mm exist as two fractions, the fraction containing sand particles with a size range of 0.2 - 0.5 mm is regarded as coarse sand, while the fraction containing sand particles with a particle size of less than 0.2 mm is regarded as fine sand. Preferably, when sand particles with a size range of 0.2 - 0.6 mm and sand particles with a particle size of less than 0.2 mm exist as two fractions, the fraction containing sand particles with a size range of 0.2 - 0.6 mm is regarded as coarse sand, while the fraction containing sand particles with a particle size of less than 0.2 mm is regarded as fine sand. Further, when sand particles with a particle size in the range of <0.2 - 0.6 mm and sand particles with a particle size exceeding 0.6 mm exist as two fractions, the fraction containing sand particles with a size range of less than 0.2 - 0.6 mm is regarded as fine sand, and the fraction containing sand particles with a particle size exceeding 0.6 mm is regarded as coarse sand.

[0028] The term "preliminary analysis" in the context of the present invention means a step of small-scale analysis before the separation of bulk fillings by large-scale screening means. During the preliminary analysis, the filling sample is separated into a plurality of analysis fractions based on specific gravity and / or particle size using a preliminary analysis unit such as a vibrating sieve shaker with a gradually finer mesh size. This enables obtaining an overview of the composition of the filling before separation. The inventors have obtained the finding that from the information on the material composition of the sample, a separation screen with characteristics (such as mesh size) that enhance the separation efficiency even on a large scale can be selected. Preferably, the preliminary analysis is performed one or more times additionally or alternatively to obtain a plurality of composition results and / or composition average values in order to reduce potential measurement errors.

[0029] The term "set of compositional values" in the context of the present invention means values obtained by preliminary analysis characterizing the composition of the material analyzed after being separated into small-scale analysis fractions. The set of compositional values consists of one or more values, each of which can represent, for example, the weight of the analysis fraction and / or the relative weight of the analysis fraction with respect to the total weight of the analysis sample. The set of compositional values obtained can be regarded as the "footprint" of each filling and / or the first artificial turf product in order to distinguish it from other fillings and / or artificial turf products. The set of first compositional values obtained can further be compared with a set of second compositional values from a second artificial turf product and / or filling previously analyzed and separated. Thereby, one or more second dry or dried fillings previously analyzed and separated having the first Composition value set similar to second Composition value set the can be identified. By this matching, a person skilled in the art can identify the set of separation screens used for the separation of the second dry or dried filling in the screening means. The above set of separation screens exhibits excellent separation efficiency for separating the second dry or dried filling and, in most cases, provides good separation efficiency for the matched first dry or dried filling. The set of first compositional values is obtained by separating the filling from the first filling into analysis fractions and determining the relative ratio of each fraction in %(w / w) of each analysis fraction. Each analysis fraction is characterized by having a specific range of particle sizes and / or containing one or more materials. The set of first compositional values consists of one or more values. Preferably, the set of matching separation screens for the separation of the first dry or dried filling in the first screening means is used additionally or alternatively for only a limited time before being replaced with another set of separation screens. By replacing one or more of the separation screens in the set of separation screens with other separation screens, the overall separation efficiency can be further improved. The replacement of the separation screens is carried out during the operation of the screening means or during a short break in the operation of the screening means. After replacing at least one separation screen in the screening means, the filling is sent to another set of separation screens with improved filling separation efficiency.

[0030] The term "composition" in the context of the present invention means the characteristics of the components or constituents of an artificial turf product or filling. The composition can be understood as the presence of one or more materials such as graded sand, granular styrene-butadiene rubber, granular coconut shell, granular cork, granular organic filling, granular thermoplastic elastomer, or granular ethylene propylene diene monomer, and / or the presence of one or more materials such as the specific gravity of said materials, the proportional content (e.g., by mass) and / or the particle size.

[0031] The term "analytical fraction" in the context of the present invention means the fraction obtained by the separation of the first dry or dried filling during preliminary analysis.

[0032] The term "screening means" in the context of the present invention means any device configured to separate a bulk material of different particles or particle sizes into a plurality of fractions having a predetermined particle or particle size. The separation of the material is carried out through a defined mesh size and / or having holes, vibrating horizontally separated through a separation screen. The screening means allows for very good access having an external screen outlet , also to easily replace the screen with other mesh sizes and / or having holes screens, giving high flexibility ;

[0033] The term "set of separating screens" in the context of the present invention means two or more separating screens for separating dry or dried fillers. Within a set of separating screens, the individual separating screens can have similar, identical or substantially different mesh sizes and / or perforations.

[0034] The term "database" in the context of the present invention refers to previously analyzed and separated dried or desiccated fillings. of the composition value , and the corresponding separated Remote screen set of This list refers to the list used for the separation of the previously separated dry or dry fillings. taken , their mesh size and / or are holes The database contains information about previously analyzed and separated second dry or dried fillers. list well and set the composition values ​​from the first dry or dry charge. and a second set of composition values ​​from a second dry or dried charge; as Preferably, the database with the organized collection of data is stored and accessed electronically by a computer system. The database may be a spreadsheet program that stores composition values ​​arranged in rows and columns that can be mathematically manipulated using both basic and complex arithmetic operations and functions.

[0035] The terms "purity" or "high purity" in the context of the present invention mean that the particles within the analyzed fraction have substantially the same particle size and / or that the particles within the analyzed fraction are made of the same material, preferably one or more of coconut shell, fine sand, coarse sand, graded sand, granular styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), granular rubber scraps, granular cork, granular organic filler, granular thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), granular thermoplastic olefin (TFO), granular neoprene rubber, granular glass fiber, granular polyethylene, granular polypropylene, granular nylon, or granular ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). Alternatively, the particles within the analyzed fraction have a particle size within a predetermined range of particle sizes, and the particles within the analyzed fraction are made of the same material, preferably one or more of coconut shell, fine sand, coarse sand, graded sand, granular styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), granular rubber scraps, granular cork, granular organic filler, granular thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), granular thermoplastic olefin (TFO), granular neoprene rubber, granular glass fiber, granular polyethylene, granular polypropylene, granular nylon, or granular ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). Alternatively, the terms "purity" or "high purity" mean a material purity of the separated fraction of more than 95% (w / w), more than 96% (w / w), more than 97% (w / w), more than 98% (w / w), more than 99% (w / w) or about 100% (w / w). High purity is essential for the reuse of materials. The purity of rubber, sand and / or other filler fractions can be determined by standard tests well known to those skilled in the art, such as D5603 from ASTM International for testing the purity of rubber.

[0036] The term "correlation coefficient" in the context of the present invention means a numerical measure of a certain correlation representing the statistical relationship between two variables. The variables can be two or more columns of a specific dataset of compositional values. Thereby, the correlation coefficient represents the correlative and / or statistical relationship between a first set of compositional values and a second set of compositional values, and / or between the values of the first set of compositional values and the values of the second set of compositional values, and enables the identification of a second set of compositional values having a high correlative and / or statistical relationship with the first set of compositional values. Preferably, the correlation coefficient can also be determined between any suitable data point within a set of compositional values and any suitable data point within another set of compositional values.

[0037] The term "deviation value" in the context of the present invention the a measure of the difference between a first set of compositional values and from the database a second set of compositional values, and / or is the the value of a first set of compositional values and the difference measure between the and the value of a second set of compositional values from the database and means. The determination of the deviation value is a quick and easy way to identify a second set of compositional values with a small deviation from the first set of compositional values. Preferably, the deviation value can also be determined between any suitable data point within a set of compositional values and any suitable data point within another set of compositional values.

[0038] The deviation value can be determined, for example, in weight percent (%(w / w)), using the relative ratio of the fractions within all samples of the first, second, or subsequent fillings. Preferably, a low deviation value or a relatively low deviation value means a relative fractional ratio deviation value of 0.5% (w / w) or less, 2% (w / w) or less, 5% (w / w) or less, or 15% (w / w) or less for fractions with a particle size of 1.6 cm or more. Preferably, a low deviation value or a relatively low deviation value means a relative fractional ratio deviation value of 0.05% (w / w) or less, 0.1% (w / w) or less, 0.5% (w / w) or less, 1% (w / w) or less, 2% (w / w) or less, or 10% (w / w) or less for fractions with a particle size in the range of 1.0 - 1.4 cm. Preferably, a low deviation value or a relatively low deviation value means a relative fractional ratio deviation value of 0.5% (w / w) or less, 2% (w / w) or less, 5% (w / w) or less, 10% (w / w) or less, 15% (w / w) or less, or 25% (w / w) or less for fractions with a particle size in the range of 0.2 - 0.8 cm. Preferably, a low deviation value or a relatively low deviation value means a relative fractional ratio deviation value of 0.005% (w / w) or less, 0.01% (w / w) or less, 0.05% (w / w) or less, 0.1% (w / w) or less, 0.5% (w / w) or less, 1% (w / w) or less, 2% (w / w) or less, 3% (w / w) or less, 4% (w / w) or less, or 5% (w / w) or less for fractions with a particle size of 0.2 cm or less.

[0039] The term "threshold value" in the context of the present invention means a set value or magnitude that a correlation coefficient must exceed in order to match a first set of compositional values with at least one second set of compositional values. The threshold value ensures that the match between the first set of compositional values and the second set of compositional values has a predetermined correlative and / or statistical relationship with each other. This enables the identification and selection of a set of separation screens with good separation efficiency for the corresponding first dry or dried fillings.

[0040] According to a second aspect of the concept of the present invention, a separation device suitable for separating a dry or dried filling, preferably a filling from an artificial turf product containing rubber and / or sand, into a plurality of fractions is provided , said separation device the has first sieving means configured to receive a set of one separation screen, The set of separation screens is configured to separate the filling into a first plurality of fractions, where said separation device has a preliminary analysis unit configured to determine the composition of the dry or dried filling by particle size and / or specific gravity in order to obtain a set of first composition values corresponding to the relative content of each separated analysis fraction with respect to the total content of the analyzed filling ; a set of a plurality of second composition values A database containing, where each set of composition values corresponds to the composition of the dry or dried filling from a plurality of different second fillings, and also corresponds to a predetermined set of first separation screens for separating the filling from the second filling; and , a processing unit configured to calculate a correlation coefficient and / or a deviation value between said set of first composition values and each of said plurality of sets of second composition values of said database the and further has.

[0041] By providing a database and a processing unit, a quick and convenient comparison between the filling composition from a first dry or dried filling and various filling compositions from a second dry or dried filling previously analyzed and separated becomes possible. Thereby, the processing unit accurately calculates the correlation coefficient and / or 、 the first set composition and the second set composition and of deviation values between specific and selects, for example, a set of separation screens for efficiently separating the filling from the first dry or dried filling. By easily identifying and selecting a set of separation screens for efficiently separating the pre-analyzed filling, the need to repeat the cumbersome trial and error of using various sets of separation screens is realized eliminated until minimized .

[0042] The term "preliminary analysis unit" in the context of the present invention means any analysis unit capable of determining the composition of a filler by separating a sample into several fractions at a predetermined specific gravity and / or particle size. The preliminary analysis unit can be, for example, a vibrating sieve shaker such as a commercially available sieve shaker "AS200 Basic" (registered trademark of RETSCH) or other suitable sieve shakers with gradually finer mesh sizes.

[0043] The term "processing unit" in the context of the present invention means any unit known to those skilled in the art configured to perform data processing, use numerical and logical operations, execute instructions, and / or receive data. The processing unit provides user-friendly automated data processing for calculating correlation coefficients and / or identifying deviation values between first and second compositions in a database to select a set of separation screens for efficiently separating the filler. Preferably, the processing unit is a computing unit including software for data processing, statistical calculations, mathematical operations, and / or database management.

[0044] The term "NSL" is an abbreviation for Nasenloch and represents a perforated separation screen that is slightly higher compared to the non-perforated part of the separation screen holes. These elevated perforations (NSL) further improve the separation efficiency of the filler compared to a completely flat separation screen. Within a set of separation screens, preferably, one or more separation screens can be NSL screens with elevated perforations.

[0045] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention concept will become apparent from the following detailed disclosure, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings.

[0046] In general, all terms used in the claims should be interpreted according to their ordinary meanings in the technical field, unless otherwise defined in this specification. All references to "a / an / the [element, device, component, means, step, etc.]" should be construed straightforwardly as referring to, for example, at least one instance of the said element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless otherwise specified.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0047] The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the inventive concept, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the inventive concept, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals are used for like elements.

[0048] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a method for separating a filling with one sieving means.

[0049] [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a method for separating a filling with two sieving means.

[0050] [Figure 3a] Figure 3a is a flowchart of a method for separating a filling with three or four sieving means.

[0051] [Figure 3b] Figure 3b is a flowchart of a method for separating a filling with three or four sieving means.

[0052] [Figure 3c] Figure 3c is a flowchart of a method for separating a filling with three or four sieving means.

[0053] [Figure 3d] Figure 3d is a flowchart of a method for separating a filling with three or four sieving means.

[0054] [Figure 3e] None [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for separating fillings with screening means involving separation screen exchange.

[0055] [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart of database creation in the filling separation method.

[0056] [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a turf filling separation device equipped with one screening means.

[0057] [Figure 7a] Figure 7a is a schematic diagram of the screening means in the filling separation device.

[0058] [Figure 7b] Figure 7b is a schematic diagram of the screening means in the filling separation device.

[0059] [Figure 7c] Figure 7c is a schematic diagram of the screening means in the filling separation device.

[0060] [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a filling separation device equipped with four screening means.

[0061] [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a filling separation device equipped with an in-line analysis unit. Detailed Description

[0062] Hereinafter, embodiments of an apparatus and a method for separating dry or dried fillings will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.

[0063] Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a flow chart of a method for separating dry or dried fill, preferably having a material composition including rubber and sand, into a plurality of fractions according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The method of the present invention comprises at least one of the following steps:

[0064] (a) Providing dry or dry fillings ; (b) Taking a sample of the dry or dried filling. ; (c ) filling to obtain a first set of composition values ​​corresponding to the composition of the fill; as a sample collection taken Ta dry or dried Preliminary analysis of the composition of the filling; where The preliminary analysis (i) separating said charge into a plurality of analytical fractions based on particle size and / or specific gravity by a pre-analysis unit; and , (ii ) separate Separate each analytical fraction for each, in relation to the total content of the analyzed filling Determining relative content and the step of; (d) At least the first separated Remote Screen set of providing at least a first sieve means configured to receive do , where The at least first separated Remote Screen set of is configured to separate the charge into a plurality of fractions ; (e ) the A set of composition values ​​of 1 and from the database obtaining a correlation coefficient and / or standard deviation value between each of a plurality of second sets of composition values ​​of the first set of composition values ​​of the dry or dried filling; the comparing said plurality of second set of composition values ​​in a database; do , where Each of the sets of the second composition values corresponds to the composition of the material and a set of predetermined second separation screens ; (f ) the corresponds to a set of two composition values and when compared with the set of first composition values has a correlation coefficient exceeding a predetermined threshold value and / or a relative fraction ratio with a deviation value of less than 20% (w / w), less than 15% (w / w), preferably less than 10% (w / w), more preferably less than 5% (w / w), more preferably less than 2% (w / w), and most preferably less than 1% (w / w), preferably by selecting a set of separation screens having the lowest available deviation value, at least received by the first sieving means at least the first separation screen of the selecting the lot ; (g) Installing the selected set of first separation screens in the first sieving means ; and 、 (h) Separating the filler into a plurality of fractions

[0065] Preferably, the dry or dried filler includes rubber and sand. The rubber material can be selected from, but is not limited to, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), thermoplastic elastomer rubber (TPE), thermoplastic olefin rubber (TPO), or combinations thereof. Since the material composition of the dry or dried filler can be various, it is also possible to separate fillers containing rubber combined with other materials excluding sand, and / or fillers containing sand combined with other materials excluding rubber. Alternatively, the material composition of the dry or dried filler can be essentially free of rubber and sand

[0066] Step (a) includes providing a dry or dried filler. Preferably, the dry or dried filler is from artificial turf products

[0067] Before step (a), the filler supplied from any source is suitably subjected to a drying process in which the relative water content of the filler is significantly reduced. Usually, the relative water content of the filler before the drying process is 3 to 7% (w / w). During the drying process, the water content preferably decreases to 1 to 5% (w / w), 0.5 to 2% (w / w), 0.1 to 1% (w / w), 0.01 to 0.5% (w / w) or 0.0001 to 0.05% (w / w). Exemplarily, the water content of the sand separated from the dry or dried filler is preferably 0.0005% (w / w) or less.

[0068] In step (b), a sample of the dry or dried filler is taken. Preferably, the sample represents the overall material composition of the filler. The total number of samples taken for preliminary analysis may be two, three, four, or more than four. Suitably, the total area of the artificial turf product is 100 m 2 , 200 m 2 , 500 m 2 , 1,000 m 2 , 2,000 m 2 , 4,000 m 2 , 6,000 m 2 , 8,000 m 2 , or 10,000 m 2When it exceeds a specific size such as etc., or when the total weight of the filling exceeds a specific weight such as 20 kg, 50 kg, 100 kg, 500 kg, and / or 1000 kg, two or three, or more than three samples are taken from different locations of the filling. Preferably, the total number of samples taken for preliminary analysis increases with the total area / size or total weight of the artificial turf products and / or the dried or desiccated filling. Alternatively, regardless of the total area / size or total weight of the artificial turf products and / or the dried or desiccated filling (such as three samples), the total number of samples is not changed. When the filling sample is taken from an artificial turf product, for example, for transportation from the site to the recycling site, the filling sample is taken directly from the intact artificial turf product before arriving for processing. Alternatively, after most of the filling is separated from the remainder of the artificial turf product, the filling sample can be taken before, during, and / or after drying of the filling. When performing a separation process by combining fillings from two or more artificial turf products, preferably, there are samples taken from the fillings of different artificial turf products. Sampling can be performed at random locations or in a systematic manner of the artificial turf products and / or the filling. Preferably, the samples are taken in a systematic manner. For example, when the artificial turf products are transported from the site to the recycling site by multiple transport vehicles, the samples are taken from all single transport vehicles or several different transport vehicles.

[0069] In step (c), a preliminary analysis of the composition of the taken dried or desiccated filling is performed. As a result of the preliminary analysis, for example, a first set of composition values corresponding to the composition of the filling from the first artificial turf product is obtained. During the preliminary analysis, the filling is separated into a plurality of analysis fractions based on particle size and / or specific gravity. Preferably, the preliminary analysis is performed using an analytical sieve shaker such as the AS200 Basic (registered trademark) of RETSCH. Usually, such an analytical sieve shaker has a measurement range for particles in the size range of 20 μm to 25 mm.

[0070] Before or during the preliminary analysis, the weight of the filler sample is determined, for example, using a scale, or via the preliminary analysis unit if the preliminary analysis unit has an integrated scale. During or after the preliminary analysis, the weight of each analysis fraction is determined via a scale or, if the preliminary analysis unit has an integrated scale, via the preliminary analysis unit. Based on the determined sample weight and fraction weights, the relative content of each analysis fraction with respect to the whole sample is calculated, preferably as % (w / w), in order to obtain data points for a first set of composition values. Preferably, each analysis fraction is different from other analysis parts with respect to a range of particle sizes and / or a range of specific gravities. Each data point of the first set of composition values is then added to the database. In addition to the first set of composition values, the database entry also suitably includes information regarding the size of the rubber, the material of the rubber, the color of the rubber, the size of the sand particles, the backing material, the turf material, the operator name, and / or any additional comments.

[0071] In step (d), at least first sieving means configured to receive at least a first set of separation screens are provided. The at least first set of separation screens is configured to separate the filler into a plurality of fractions. With a variable screen design, the sieving means separates fillers of different particle sizes and densities. Preferably, two or more sieving means are provided, all of which are configured to receive a set of separation screens.

[0072] In step (e), the first set of composition values of the dry or dried filler obtained in step (c) is compared with a plurality of second sets of composition values of a database / data source. Each of the second sets of composition values corresponds respectively to the composition of the material and a previously determined second set of separation screens. By comparing the first set of composition values with the second sets of composition values, a correlation coefficient and / or a deviation value between the first set of composition values and each of the plurality of second sets of composition values in the database is obtained.

[0073] Alternatively, other suitable types of calculations or analyses can be performed, such as using artificial intelligence and / or image recognition to determine the similarity between the filling materials of various products, to determine the level of similarity between the first set of compositional values and the second set of compositional values. For example, the artificial intelligence can match the first set of compositional values with the second set of compositional values having the most similar pattern of particle size distribution among all the second sets of compositional values. The correlation coefficient and / or the deviation value are preferably determined by the processing unit. The processing unit can access the database and / or be an integrated part of the database, or vice versa.

[0074] In step (f), at least the first set of separation screens received by the first screening means is selected. Within step (f), it is also possible to select sets of two or more separation screens for a total of two or more screening means. The processing unit has a correlation coefficient exceeding a predetermined threshold value when compared with the first set of compositional values or other calculations determining the relative similarity with the first set of compositional values, and / or a suitably low deviation value such as a relative ratio of less than 20% (w / w), less than 15% (w / w), preferably less than 10% (w / w), more preferably less than 5% (w / w), more preferably less than 2% (w / w), and most preferably less than 1% (w / w), and identifies the separation screen corresponding to the second set of compositional values in the database. The processing unit preferably identifies the separation screen corresponding to the second set of compositional values having the minimum deviation value and / or the maximum correlation coefficient when compared with the first set of compositional values.

[0075] Each value within the first set of compositional values can be matched with a value corresponding to the set of second compositional values having the least deviation and / or the greatest correlation within a plurality of sets of second compositional values. Thereby, for all values of the first set of compositional values, values are obtained from the set of second compositional values that match the values of the first set of compositional values. Preferably, a set of separation screens in the sieving means is selected using a second filling or filling batch related to a set of second compositional values that is listed more frequently than other sets of second compositional values. That is, the same as used for the separation of the most matching second filling or filling batch separation screen set the is selected for the separation of the first dry or dried filling. Preferably, each database entry of a set of second compositional values of previously separated filling material includes accurate information regarding the set of separation screens, rubber size, rubber material, rubber color, sand particle size, backing material, turf material, operator name, batch number, additional comments, analysis and / or relative content of each fraction regarding the total of the separated material, and / or information regarding the particle size and / or specific gravity of each fraction.

[0076] set of second compositional values is associated with The set of separation screens is stored in a database and has previously been confirmed to be very efficient in the separation of fillings such as fillings from artificial turf products. The information regarding the set of separation screens in the database is composed of the mesh size of each separation screen.

[0077] In step (g), the selected first set of separation screens is installed within the first sieving means. Preferably, not only the mesh size of the first set of separation screens but also the number of separation screens in the set of separation screens Previously used to efficiently separate fillers having a set of compositional values with a high correlation coefficient and / or a low deviation value for a first set of pre-analyzed filler compositional values is the same as the mesh size and the number of separation screens of the set of separation screens.

[0078] In step (h), the filling is separated into a plurality of fractions by first sieving means. The separation is achieved via a separation screen that vibrates horizontally by an electric motor or other suitable type of motor. By the inside of the sieving means is meant that the separation screen is installed on top of another screen with a suitable horizontal gradient. The distance between the separation screens is selected to allow for horizontal and to some extent vertical movement of the filling material. For separation, the filling material is applied to the sieving means on the uppermost separation screen. The horizontal vibration transports the filling material along the separation screen. A separation screen with a mesh size exceeding the particle size of the filling material allows the filling to pass through the separation screen towards the next separation screen or towards the bottom of the sieving means. On the other hand, filling material with a particle size exceeding the mesh size of the separation screen does not pass through the separation screen and is transported horizontally to the end of the separation screen. The separation process accumulates a plurality of fractions, namely the fraction below the bottommost separation screen, the fraction above the uppermost separation screen, and the fractions between each separation screen. Each fraction of the plurality of fractions is captured during and / or at the end of the separation process. Preferably, one or more of the plurality of fractions are sent directly to other sieving means for further separation.

[0079] Figure 2 shows a schematic view of the method for separating the filling. Referring to Figure 1, the embodiment of Figure 2 further includes a step (h') of separating one or more of the plurality of fractions separated from the filling in step (h) in second sieving means including a second set. The set of second separation screens is installed based on the set of separation screens selected from the database in step (f), different from the set of first separation screens in the first sieving means. Both the set of first separation screens and the set of second separation screens are selected based on the same preliminary analysis performed in step (c). Preferably, all fractions of the selected fraction, the plurality of selected fractions, and / or the plurality of fractions separated in step (h) are further separated in step (h') by a second and further sieving means. Preferably, the separation in the second and further sieving means in step (h') is carried out continuously in the same sieving means or in parallel with other means in a plurality of sieving means. Each of the plurality of sieving means comprises a set of separation screens selected based on the same preliminary analysis carried out in step (c).

[0080] Figures 3a to 3e each show various embodiments and illustrate a flowchart of a method for separating a filling by means of two or more sieving means. In addition to the first step (h) of separation in the first sieving means, additional separation steps are provided for the second sieving means, the third sieving means, and optionally the fourth sieving means. Each of the first, second, third, and fourth sieving means and separation selected from the database screen comprises a set of different separation screens selected based on a set of. For each step of separation, the set of separation screens of each of the first, second, third, and fourth sieving means preferably differs with respect to the mesh size of at least one separation screen within the set of separation screens. The selected combination of sieving means and set of separation screens further improves the purity of the separated fraction.

[0081] Figure 3a shows a flowchart of a filler separation method in which a total of three separation steps (h), (h'), and (h'') successively separate a filler into a plurality of fractions. Each of the separation steps is carried out by screening means. All fractions, one selected fraction, or a plurality of selected fractions of the fractions separated in step (h) or (h') can each be further separated in step (h') or (h''). Preferably, the mesh size of the separation screen of the screening means in step (h') is smaller than the mesh size of the separation screen of the screening means in step (h), and / or preferably, the mesh size of the separation screen of the screening means in step (h'') is smaller than the mesh size of the separation screen of the screening means in step (h'). A smaller mesh size means that at least one of the separation screens of the screening means in step (h') or (h'') has a smaller mesh size than at least one of the separation screens of the screening means in step (h) or (h'), respectively.

[0082] Figure 3b shows a flowchart of a method for separating a filler in which a total of four separation steps (h), (h'), (h''), and (h''') successively separate the filler into a plurality of fractions by four screening means. Here, not only are three of the four separation steps (h), (h'), (h'') carried out successively, but also three separation steps (h), (h'), (h''') are carried out successively. In the illustrated embodiment, at least one selected fraction obtained in step (h') is further separated in step (h'') and / or step (h'''). Preferably, at least one fraction selected for separation in step (h'') is different from at least one selected fraction for separation in step (h'''). Preferably, the mesh size of at least one separation screen is different for each set of separation screens within the four screening means of the four separation steps (h), (h'), (h''), and (h''').

[0083] Figure 3c shows a flowchart of a filler separation method in which a total of four separation steps (h), (h'), (h''), and (h''') in four sieving means separate the filler into a plurality of fractions. Here, three of the four separation steps (h), (h'), and (h'') are carried out continuously. Also, separation steps (h) and (h''') are carried out continuously. In the illustrated embodiment, at least one selected fraction obtained in step (h) is further separated in step (h') and / or step (h'''). Preferably, at least one fraction selected for separation in step (h'') is different from at least one fraction selected for separation in step (h''') by either particle size and / or specific gravity. Suitably, at least one fraction selected for separation in step (h''') can have a larger particle size and / or specific gravity than at least one fraction selected for separation in step (h'). Suitably, the mesh size of at least one separation screen is different for at least one of the separation screens within each of the sets of separation screens in the four sieving means of the four separation steps (h), (h'), (h''), and (h''').

[0084] Figure 3d) shows a schematic view of a method for separating a filler, where a total of four separation steps (h), (h'), (h''), and (h''') separate the filler into a plurality of fractions with four sieving means.

[0085] Here, two of the four separation steps, (h) and (h'), (h) and (h''), and (h) and (h''') are carried out successively. In the illustrated embodiment, next, at least one selected fraction obtained in step (h) is further separated in step (h'), and / or step (h''), and / or step (h'''). Preferably, at least one fraction selected for separation in steps (h'), (h'') and (h''') is different from another fraction by particle size and / or specific gravity. Suitably, the mesh size of at least one separation screen is different for each set of separation screens within the four sieving means of the four separation steps (h), (h'), (h'') and (h''').

[0086] Figure 3e shows a schematic view of a method for separating a filling, where a total of four separation steps 2×(h), 1×(h'), and 1×(h'') separate the filling into a plurality of fractions by means of four sieving means. Among them, the two sieving means used for the 2×(h) steps have the same set of separation screens and are configured to separate the filling into a plurality of fractions. Preferably, the separation is carried out in parallel. In the illustrated embodiment, at least one selected fraction obtained from each of the two sieving means of step (h) is then further separated in step (h') and / or step (h''). Preferably, at least one fraction selected for separation in steps (h') and (h'') is different from another fraction by particle size and / or specific gravity. For example, the proportion of sand obtained in step (h) is used for further separation by the sieving means within step (h'), and the rubber fraction obtained in step (h) is used for further separation by the sieving means within step (h''), or vice versa. The mesh size of at least one separation screen in the sieving means is different for each set of separation screens within the two sieving means of the separation steps (h') and (h''). Preferably, the mesh size of the separation screen of (h') is configured to separate sand, and the mesh size of the separation screen of (h'') is configured to separate rubber, or vice versa.

[0087] The set of separation screens includes two separation screens, preferably three separation screens, more preferably four separation screens, and each of the separation screens has a mesh size selected from, but not limited to, substantially 5.0 mm, 4.0 mm, 3.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.3 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.8 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.0 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.3 mm, and / or 0.2 mm. Preferably, the set of separation screens has a gradually finer mesh size. Alternatively, at least two of the separation screens in the set of separation screens have substantially the same mesh size, while other separation screens in the same set of separation screens have substantially different mesh sizes. The sieving means comprises two, three, or four separation screens, but the number of fractions obtained after separation by each sieving machine can vary between two, three, four, or five fractions respectively.

[0088] The step of separating the dry or dried filling into a plurality of fractions can be carried out by four sieving means, each of which comprises four separation screens selected based on the set of separation screens selected from the database in step (f). At least one of the four sieving means is configured to separate the filling fraction with a composition different from that of the unseparated filling (e.g., defined by particle size and / or specific gravity). Thereby, it is possible to further separate the filling fraction obtained by one or more first sieving means, which means a transfer to a fraction having an essentially higher purity by further separation in a second or further sieving means. The second or further sieving means means having a set of separation means different from the set of separation screens within the first sieving means.

[0089] Within the set of four separation screens of the four sieving means, at least one set of separation screens is different from the remaining sets of separation screens with respect to, for example, the mesh size of the separation screens within the series of separation screens. At least one of the plurality of fractions obtained by the four separation steps in the four sieving means is different from the remaining plurality of fractions in terms of their fraction particle size and / or fraction specific gravity. All of the sieving means of the four sieving means have four separation screens, but the number of fractions obtained after separation by each sieving means can vary variously between five fractions, four fractions, three fractions and / or two fractions. Preferably, the separation step is carried out with a first sieving means comprising a set of separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 5.0 to 0.6 mm, a second sieving means comprising a set of separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 2.5 to 0.5 mm, a third sieving means comprising a set of separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 0.6 to 0.2 mm, and a fourth sieving means comprising a set of separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 0.8 to 0.3 mm. Preferably, the range of the mesh size of each set of separation screens overlaps with the range of the mesh size of the other sets of separation screens.

[0090] Alternatively, the range of the mesh size is such that only two or three of the mesh sizes of the four sets of separation screens overlap with the ranges of the other mesh sizes. Preferably, the preliminary analysis step comprises separating the filler sample into more than two analysis fractions, preferably more than four analysis fractions, more preferably more than six analysis fractions, and most preferably more than eight analysis fractions. The analysis fractions are obtained by classifying the sample through several sieves of a preliminary analysis unit with a mesh size of 0.2 mm to 2.5 cm. The number of analysis fractions obtained varies depending on the number of sieves attached to the preliminary analysis unit. Each of the obtained analysis fractions has a predetermined range of particle size and / or specific gravity. Preferably, the range of particle size can be selected from any range within 0 to 0.2 mm, 0.2 to 0.5 mm, 0.5 to 0.63 mm, 0.63 to 0.8 mm, 0.8 mm to 1.0 cm, 1.0 to 1.18 cm, 1.18 to 1.4 cm, 1.4 to 1.6 cm, 1.6 to 2.0 cm, 2.0 to 2.5 cm, or 0 to 2.5 cm.

[0091] In the preliminary analysis (c) and / or separation steps (h), (h'), (h''), and (h'''), fractions containing one or more of coconut shell, fine sand, coarse sand, graded sand, granular styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), granular rubber scraps, granular cork, granular organic filler, granular thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), granular thermoplastic olefin (TFO), granular neoprene rubber, granular glass fiber, granular polyethylene, granular polypropylene, granular nylon, or granular ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) can be obtained as a result.

[0092] Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the inventive concept, and a schematic diagram of a filler separation method including the replacement of at least one separation screen is shown. In addition to the steps of the aforementioned embodiment, the following steps are provided. (i) From the fractions obtained by separation of Analyze at least one sample for , Here The analysis is performed according to step (c) ; (j) The sieve means insideReplace at least one separation screen in the set of separation screens with a replacement separation screen for Here, the mesh size of the replaced separation screen is different from the mesh size of the replacement separation screen ; And, (k) Separate the fill analyzed in step (i) into a plurality of fractions for . Preferably, the analysis in step (i) is carried out in the same analysis unit as the preliminary analysis in step (c). However, the number and / or type (such as mesh size) of sieves used in the analysis of step (i) can be made different from the number and type of sieves used in the analysis of step (c). To shorten the analysis time, two or more analysis units can carry out the analysis step (i) of two or more separation fractions in parallel. By way of example, a total of three to four samples for in-line analysis are taken every six hours, and each sample is taken from among (a) a fraction substantially containing rubber, (b) a fraction substantially containing coarse sand, (c) a fraction substantially containing fine sand, and (d) if turf is present, a fraction substantially containing turf Preferably, the purity of the separated fraction is analyzed in a preliminary analysis unit or other suitable analysis unit. Preferably, the replacement of at least one separation screen in step (j) is carried out only if at least one of the analyzed fractions is not considered to have a high purity and / or does not match the analysis result of the preliminary analysis of the corresponding sample

[0093] The threshold of the correlation coefficient is preferably 0.4 or more, 0.5 or more, 0.6 or more, preferably 0.7 or more, more preferably 0.8 or more, and most preferably 0.9 or more. When a plurality of correlation coefficients exceed a predetermined threshold, it is convenient for selecting a set of separation screens for the sieving means that the correlation coefficient having the highest value is preferably used. Preferably, when two or more correlation coefficients are substantially similar to others and / or are within a specific range of statistical relationships, and there is a difference of about 0.1 or less, 0.05 or less, 0.02 or less, 0.01 or less, although it is not the highest correlation coefficient, within substantially the same correlation values within the group of correlation values of the highest correlation value, preferably within the top 10 correlation values, the correlation coefficient can be selected by a human operator or the like. This may also be an advantage in terms of time saving when a set of separation screens already attached to one or more sieving means can provide sufficiently efficient separation.

[0094] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for storing a set of composition values in a database. A plurality of sets of composition values in the database of the set Each set of composition values corresponds to a previously analyzed and separated filling substance composition corresponding to , preferably a second or further artificial turf product and / or filling previously analyzed and separated filler composition . The database can be appropriately created using the analysis of the filling before separation, but can also be created without using the analysis of the filling before separation. To form a set of composition values in this modification, when the analysis before separation is not performed, first the filling is separated within the sieving means by a separation screen, and then the obtained separated fraction is analyzed by a preliminary analysis unit. In this modification, the dry or dried filling provided in step (a) is the fraction thus obtained, and the first separation is a step before step (a).

[0095] Fraction analysis can be performed during the separation process. To improve the purity of the fraction, one or more separation screens can be replaced with separation screens of different mesh sizes. After replacing at least one separation screen, the resulting fraction is analyzed again. Preferably, the separation screen replacement step and the fraction analysis step can be repeated until efficient separation and / or high purity of the fraction is achieved. Thereafter, information regarding the separation screen, the set of compositional values for efficient separation, and the set of compositional values for high purity is entered into a database. When performing pre-separation analysis, first, a sample from the packing is analyzed in a preliminary analysis unit to obtain a series of compositional values, and then the packing is separated into a plurality of fractions by sieving means having a plurality of separation screens. Thereafter, the separated fractions are analyzed to form a set of compositional values. Fraction analysis can be performed during the separation process. To improve the purity of the fraction, one or more separation screens can be replaced with separation screens of different mesh sizes. After replacing at least one separation screen, the resulting separated fraction is analyzed again. Preferably, the separation screen replacement step and the fraction analysis step can be repeated until efficient separation and high purity of the fraction are achieved. Thereafter, information regarding the separation screen, information regarding the set of compositional values for efficient separation, and information regarding high purity are entered into the database. Table 1 shows an example of a database entry of the sample composition after analysis of different batches of packing. Tables 2 to 5 show examples of database entries of sets of separation screens for separating different batches of packing.

[0096] The database can include a set of compositional values of the packing analyzed and / or separated from artificial turf products and / or, when applicable to packing analysis and / or separation, a set of compositional values of the packing from other types of products. Preferably, after separating the dry or dried filler into a plurality of fractions, the set of one or more first composition values obtained in step (c), the information regarding the set of separation screens selected in step (f) and / or (j), and the information regarding the set of composition values from the analysis in step (i) are added to the database. By adding one or more of the above-listed values and / or information to the database, the total number of sets of composition values increases. As the database grows and expands, by comparing the composition values in step (e) and selecting the separation screens in step (f), a match with a stronger mathematical or statistical relationship can be obtained. That is, each time the separation performance of past fractions is further input into the database, the efficiency of future separation processes improves, and as long as the deviation is within the allowable range, the process can be applied to the separation of any type of filler.

[0097]

Table 1

[0098]

Table 2

[0099]

Table 3

[0100]

Table 4

[0101]

Table 5

[0102] Referring to FIG. 6, a schematic diagram of a separation apparatus 100 suitable for separating dry or dried filler into a plurality of fractions from an artificial turf product preferably containing rubber and / or sand is shown. The separation apparatus 100 comprises the following. A first sieving means 110 configured to receive a first separation screen set 111, wherein the set of the first separation screens is preferably configured to separate the filling 201 from a first artificial turf product into a first plurality of fractions 201a, and the separation device 100 is configured to determine the composition of the dried or dried filling 201 by particle size and / or specific gravity in order to obtain a first set 301 of composition values corresponding to the relative content of each separated analysis fraction with respect to the total content of the analyzed filling 201, a preliminary analysis unit 101, and a database 180 including a plurality of second sets of composition values, preferably each set of composition values corresponding to the composition of the dried or dried filling from a plurality of different artificial turf products and / or second fillings, and a set of predetermined first separation screens, and a processing unit 102 configured to calculate a correlation coefficient and / or a deviation value between the first set 301 of composition values and each of the plurality of second sets of composition values in the database 180.

[0103] The sieving means 110 is configured to separate a bulk material such as the filling 201 of different particles or particle sizes into a plurality of fractions 201a having a predetermined particle or particle size. The separation of the filling 201 is performed through a horizontally vibrating separation screen having a defined mesh size and / or holes. The sieving means 110 non always provides good accessibility having an appropriate external screen outlet for realization, and also being able to be easily exchanged with screens having other mesh sizes and / or holes and gives high flexibility is The plurality of separation screens first The separation screen of the se is defined as the set 111. first The separation screen of the se set 111 includes two, three, four, or more than four separation screens. In the example shown in FIG. 6, it is composed of four separation screens. Each separation screen of the set 111 of separation screens preferably has a mesh size different from the mesh size of other separation screens within the same set 111 of separation screens.

[0104] For example, the filler 201 from the first dried or drying filler contains particles of different materials and particle sizes having a particle size in the range of <0.1 to 2.5 cm, <0.1 to 3 cm, <0.1 to 4 cm, or <0.1 to 5 cm. During the separation process, the filler 201 is separated into a first plurality of fractions 201a by a set of separation screens 111. Preferably, each fraction of the first plurality of fractions 201a has a uniform specific gravity and / or a particle size range narrower than the range of particle sizes within the filler 201 before separation, for example, 0 to 5 mm, 0 to 2 mm, 0 to 6 mm, 2 to 5 mm, 2 to 6 mm, 2 to 10 mm, 5 to 10 mm, 2 to 15 mm, 5 to 10 mm, 5 to 7 mm, 7 to 10 mm, 8 to 10 mm, 5 to 8 mm, 6 to 8 mm, 7 to 15 mm, 20 to 40 mm, 40 to 50 mm, 30 to 40 mm, 30 to 50 mm, 18 to 30 mm, 18 to 40 mm, 18 to 50 mm, 12 to 18 mm, 12 to 20 mm, 12 to 23 mm, 12 to 30 mm, 12 to 40 mm, 12 to 50 mm, 10 to 15 mm, 15 to 20 mm, 15 to 30 mm, 8 to 15 mm, 8 to 12 mm, 12 to 15 mm, 0 to 8 mm, or other suitable particle size ranges.

[0105] The preliminary analysis unit 101 is configured into more than two fractions, more than four fractions, preferably more than six fractions, and most preferably more than eight fractions, for example, to separate the filler 201 of the first dried or drying filler.

[0106] Each analysis fraction has a predetermined particle size, particle size range, and / or specific gravity and is composed of one or more of turf, fine sand, coarse sand, graded sand, granular styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), granular rubber waste, granular cork, granular organic filler, granular thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), granular thermoplastic olefin (TFO), granular neoprene rubber, granular glass fiber, granular polyethylene, granular polypropylene, granular nylon, or granular ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). Before or during analysis, for example, if a scale is used or if the preliminary analysis unit 101 has an integrated scale, during or after preliminary analysis, the weight of each analysis fraction is determined via the scale through which the weight of the filler sample is determined. Or, if the scale 101 with an integrated preliminary analysis unit is used, it is determined via the preliminary analysis unit 101. Based on the determined sample and fraction weights, the relative content of each analysis fraction with respect to the entire sample is calculated as the set composition value 301 (%(w / w)). The set of composition values 301 includes data points or values regarding the relative content of each analysis fraction and, appropriately, information such as, for example, information regarding the sand type and / or rubber type and / or fraction of rubber color and / or material of the filler 201. The set of composition values 301 is input into the database 180 and then compared with the set of composition values stored in the database 180. The comparison is performed by the processing unit 102. Preferably, the preliminary analysis unit 101 is a vibrating sieve shaker including a set of gradually finer mesh screens, and the mesh screens within the preliminary analysis unit 101 preferably have meshes of substantially 25 mm, 20 mm, 16 mm, 15 mm, 14 mm, 12 mm, 11.8 mm, 10 mm, 8 mm, 6 mm, 6.3 mm, 5 mm, 4 mm, 3 mm, 2 mm, 1 mm, substantially 0 mm or other suitable mesh sizes. Preferably, the preliminary analysis unit 101 is an analytical sieve shaker such as the AS200 Basic (registered trademark) of RETSCH. Usually, such an analytical sieve shaker has a measurement range for particles in the size range of 20 μm to 25 mm. That is, particles within the size range of 20 μm to 25 mm are divided into each fraction with a predetermined size range, for example, 0 to 20 μm, 0 to 5 mm, 0 μm to 2 mm, 0 μm to 6 mm, 20 μm to 5 mm, 20 μm to 2 mm, 20 μm to 6 mm, 2 to 5 mm, 2 to 6 mm, 2 to 10 mm, 5 to 6 mm, 5 to 10 mm, 8 to 10 mm, 6 to 8 mm, 10 to 12 mm, 2 to 15 mm, 5 to 10 mm, 5 to 7 mm, 7 to 10 mm, 8 to 10 mm, 5 to 8 mm, 6 to 8 mm, 7 to 15 mm, 12 to 14 mm, 14 to 1 mm, 20 to 40 mm, 40 to 50 mm, 30 to 40 mm, 30 to 50 mm, 18 to 30 mm, 18 to 40 mm, 18 to 50 mm, 12 to 18 mm, 16 to 20 mm, 12 to 20 mm, 12 to 23 mm, 20 to 25 mm, 12 to 30 mm, 12 to 40 mm, 12 to 50 mm, 10 to 15 mm, 15 to 20 mm, 15 to 30 mm, 8 to 15 mm, 8 to 12 mm, 12 to 15 mm, 0 to 8 mm, or other appropriate particle size ranges.

[0107] The database 180 has a set of a plurality of second composition values, and each set of the second composition values corresponds to the composition of the dry or dried filler from the second filling product and / or the second artificial turf product, and corresponds to a set of a first predetermined separation screen for separating the filler from the second product. In the previous separation process of the filler from the second product with different filler compositions in the sieving means 110, the separation efficiency and / or the fraction purity were improved by exchanging the separation screens with different mesh sizes until the separation efficiency and / or the fraction purity became sufficiently high. Next, a set of separation screens achieving high separation efficiency and / or fraction purity is input and stored in the database 180 in relation to the set of a plurality of second composition values. The set of the second composition values indicates the filler composition of the second filler determined by the fraction analysis in the preliminary analysis unit 101 or any other analysis unit configured to separate the filler into fractions having various particle sizes and / or specific gravities.

[0108] The second artificial turf product and / or the second filler is a product containing a filler, and the filler of each second artificial turf product and / or the second filling product contains various materials and / or compositions. Examples of the second artificial turf product and / or the second filler are shown in Table 1 above. The second artificial turf product and / or the second filler appropriately includes one or more materials as typical compositions of the filler material, such as turf, coconut shells, fine sand, coarse sand, graded sand, granular styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), granular rubber scraps, granular cork, granular organic fillers, granular thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), granular thermoplastic olefins (TFO), granular neoprene rubber, granular fiberglass, granular polyethylene, granular polypropylene, granular nylon, and granular ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM).

[0109] The processing unit 102 is configured to calculate a correlation coefficient and / or a deviation value between the set 301 of first composition values and each of the plurality of sets of second composition values in the database 180. The processing unit 102 is communicably connected to the database 180 and / or integrated with the database, or vice versa. An exemplary processing unit 102 is a computing unit that stores the database 180 and is configured to process the entries in the database 180, such as performing calculations regarding the statistical relationship between the set of second composition values in the database 180 and the first set, such as calculating a correlation coefficient and / or a deviation value. Software products that function as the database 180 and are compatible with the processing unit 102 are well known to those skilled in the art, such as Microsoft Excel (registered trademark), ScoroKPI (registered trademark), Apache OpenOffice (trademark), LibreOffice (trademark), Spotfire (trademark), MATLAB (registered trademark) software, R statistical software, or other known software.

[0110] Figures 7a to 7c show an embodiment with a schematic view of the screening means 110 of the separation system 100 suitable for separating dry or dried fillings, and the separation screen within the screening means 110 of the se set 111 The set includes, in FIG. 7a, two separation screens 190a, 190b, in FIG. 7b three separation screens 190a, 190b, 190c, and / or in FIG. 7c four separation screens 190a, 190b, 190c, 190d. Each separation screen has a mesh size selected from one or more of 5.0 mm, 4.0 mm, 3.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.3 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.8 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.0 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.3 mm, or 0.2 mm, but is not limited thereto. Preferably, the set of separation screens comprises successively finer mesh screens. Alternatively, the separation screen of the se set 111At least two separation screens within have substantially the same mesh size.

[0111] The sieving means 110 provided with the separation screen 111 separates the filling 201 into a first plurality of fractions 201a. The number of fractions, the range of particle sizes, and / or the specific gravity of the fractions into which the filling 201 is separated depend on the number of separation screens installed in the sieving means 110 and their mesh size.

[0112] Figure 7a shows the sieving means 110 provided with two separation screens 190a and 190b for separating the filling 201, resulting in a total of up to three fractions from the first dry or dried filling.

[0113] Figure 7b shows the sieving means 110 provided with three separation screens 190a, 190b, and 190c for separating the filling 201, resulting in a total of up to four fractions from the first dry or dried filling.

[0114] Figure 7c shows the sieving means 110 provided with four separation screens 190a, 190b, 190c, and 190d for separating the filling 201, resulting in a total of up to five fractions from the first dry or dried filling.

[0115] Figure 8 shows a schematic view of a separation system 100 having four sieving means 110, 120, 130, and 140 suitable for separating a dry or dried filling, preferably an artificial turf product containing rubber and / or sand, into a plurality of fractions 201a.

[0116] Here, the first sieving means 110 has a 1 of the separation screen set 111 and within set 111 of the first separation screen each separation screen has a mesh size in the range of 5.0 to 0.6 mm is

[0117] The second sieving means 120 has a 2 of the separation screen set 121 andwithin set 121 of the second separation screen Each separation screen has a mesh size in the range of 2.5 to 0.5 mm is

[0118] The third sieving means 130 is the 3 of the separation screen set 131 and includes within set 131 of the third separation screen Each separation screen has a mesh size in the range of 0.6 to 0.2 mm is

[0119] The fourth sieving means 140 is the 4 of the separation screen set 141 and includes within set 141 of the fourth separation screen Each separation screen has a mesh size in the range of 0.8 to 0.3 mm is Preferably, the set of separation screens in the sieving means 110, 120, 130, and 140 consists of one, two, three, or four separation screens. Preferably, the separation screens set 111, 121, 131, and 14 1 of the The ranges of the mesh sizes are independent of each other. The number of fractions obtained by the sieving means with four separation screens can be varied and is in the range of two, three, four, and / or five fractions. Preferably, the separation screen set 111, 121, 131, and 14 1 of the At least one of them is selected by comparing the first set of composition values 301 of the filler 201 with the a plurality of second set of composition values in the database 180.

[0120] After obtaining the first plurality of fractions 201a from the first sieving means 110, at least one fraction of the first plurality of fractions 201a can be appropriately and continuously separated in the second sieving means 120, the third sieving means 130, and / or the fourth sieving means 140. Preferably, any fraction within the plurality of fractions obtained by any of the sieving means 110, 120, 130, and 140 can be further separated by any of the sieving means 110, 120, 130, and 140 to further improve the separation of the filler obtained with high purity among the plurality of separated fractions. Preferably, fractions considered not to be of high purity, for example, fractions with high material inhomogeneity, non-uniform specific gravity and / or non-uniform particle size, are further separated by at least one of the sieving means 110, 120, 130 and / or 140. Preferably, the purity of the separated fractions is analyzed using a preliminary analysis unit 101 or other suitable analysis unit such as a vibrating sieve shaker.

[0121] FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of a separation device 100 suitable for separating dry or dried fillers into a plurality of fractions from artificial turf products preferably containing rubber and / or sand. The separation device 100 further includes an in-line analysis unit 103 configured to determine the composition of the separated fractions 201b of the dry or dried filler 201 by particle size and / or specific gravity in order to obtain a third set of composition values corresponding to the composition of the separated fractions 201b of the dry or dried filler 201.

[0122] The in-line analysis unit 103 analyzes the purity of the separated fractions. Preferably, the in-line analysis unit 103 is a vibrating sieve shaker that operates near the sieving means in an analysis laboratory or other suitable location. The composition values obtained by the in-line analysis unit 103 are third composition values set 303 defined as. third composition set of values -tt 303It is input into and stored in the database 180 for each analyzed fraction 201b from the separated packing 201. third Composition set of values -tt 303 It serves as a basis for determining whether further separation of the analyzed fraction 201b is necessary. Preferably, fractions with a purity of less than 95% (w / w), fractions containing visible impurities, and / or preliminary analysis fractions that do not match the third composition values set of -tt 303 are with a second set of compositional values in database 180 selected by comparison previously separated separation screen set 111 and further separated by screening means 110 equipped with

[0123] Exemplarily, a total of four samples for in-line analysis are taken every 6 hours, where each sample is taken from (i) a fraction substantially containing rubber, (ii) a fraction substantially containing coarse sand, (iii) a fraction substantially containing fine sand, and (iv) a fraction substantially containing turf. Preferably, the in-line analysis of the separated fractions in the in-line analysis unit 103 is performed at predetermined time intervals during the ongoing separation of the packing 201 in the screening means 110. Preferably, the fraction samples for in-line analysis are taken every 12 hours, 10 hours, 8 hours, 6 hours, 4 hours, or 2 hours. Alternatively, the fraction samples for in-line analysis are taken 1, 2, 3, or 4 times only during any separation process at a predetermined point in time or at random points in time. Preferably, the preliminary analysis unit 101 and / or the in-line analysis unit 103 is a vibrating sieve shaker including a set of successively finer mesh screens. The mesh screens in the preliminary analysis unit preferably have sizes of substantially 2.5 mm, 2 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.18 mm, 1 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.63 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.2 mm, and / or 0 mm. Preferably, the preliminary analysis unit 101 and the in-line analysis unit 103 are the same vibrating sieve shaker.

Claims

1. A method for separating a dry or dried filler having a composition of materials, preferably a composition of materials containing rubber and sand, into a plurality of fractions, comprising: (a) supplying a dry or dried filler; (b) taking a sample of the dry or dried filler; (c) pre-analyzing the composition of the dry or dried filler taken as a sample to obtain a set of first composition values corresponding to the composition of the filler, where the pre-analysis comprises: (i) separating the filler into a plurality of analysis fractions by a pre-analysis unit based on particle size and / or specific gravity; (ii) for each of the separated analysis fractions, determining a relative content in relation to the total content of the analyzed filler; (d) providing at least first screening means configured to receive at least a first set of separation screens, where the at least first set of separation screens is configured to separate the filler into a plurality of fractions; (e) comparing the set of first composition values of the dry or dried filler with the plurality of sets of second composition values from a database to obtain a correlation coefficient and / or a deviation value between the set of first composition values and each of the plurality of sets of second composition values, where each of the sets of second composition values corresponds to a composition of materials and a predetermined second set of separation screens; (f) selecting the at least first set of separation screens to be received by the at least first screening means by selecting a set of separation screens that corresponds to a set of second composition values and has a correlation coefficient exceeding a predetermined threshold and / or a relatively low deviation value, preferably the lowest available deviation value, when compared with the set of first composition values; (g) attaching the selected set of the first separation screens to the first sieving means; and, (h) separating the filling into the plurality of fractions, A method comprising the steps of.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dried or dried filling is from an artificial turf product.

3. In a second sieving means comprising a set of second separation screens different from the set of first separation screens in the first sieving means, separating one or more of the plurality of fractions separated from the filling in step (h) Additional step (h') of separating the fractions, The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the set of second separation screens is selected based on the set of separation screens selected from the database in step (f).

4. Three or more sieving means separate the dried or dried filling into a plurality of fractions, each of the sieving means comprising a different set of separation screens based on the set of separation screens selected from the database in step (f). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The set of separation screens includes two separation screens, preferably three separation screens, more preferably four separation screens, each of the separation screens being substantially 5.0 mm, 4.0 mm, 3.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.3 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.8 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.0 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.3 mm and / or having a mesh size selected from but not limited to 0.2 mm. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The step of separating the dried or dried filler into a plurality of fractions is performed by four sieving means, each of the sieving means including four separation screens based on the set of separation screens selected from the database in step (f), the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The separating step is performed by a first sieving means including a set of separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 5.0 to 0.6 mm, a second sieving means including a set of separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 2.5 to 0.5 mm, a third sieving means including a set of separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 0.6 to 0.2 mm, and a fourth sieving means including a set of separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 0.8 to 0.3 mm, the method according to claim 6.

8. The preliminary analysis step (c) includes the step of separating the filler sample into more than two analysis fractions, preferably more than four analysis fractions, more preferably more than six analysis fractions, and most preferably more than eight analysis fractions, each analysis fraction having a predetermined range of particle size and / or specific gravity, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. By the preliminary analysis step (c) and / or the separation steps (h), (h'), (h'') and (h'''), a fraction containing one or more of coconut shell, fine sand, coarse sand, graded sand, granular styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), granular crumb rubber, granular cork, granular organic filler, granular thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), granular thermoplastic olefin (TFO), granular neoprene rubber, granular glass fiber, granular polyethylene, granular polypropylene, granular nylon, or granular ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) is obtained, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the following additional steps, (i) analyzing at least one sample from the fraction obtained by said separation; wherein said analysis is performed according to step (c); (j) replacing at least one separation screen in said set of separation screens within said screening means with a replacement separation screen, wherein the mesh size of the replaced separation screen is different from the mesh size of said replacement separation screen; and, (k) separating the charge analyzed in step (i) into said plurality of fractions, A method comprising.

11. The predetermined threshold value of the correlation coefficient is 0.4 or more, 0.5 or more, 0.6 or more, preferably 0.7 or more, more preferably 0.8 or more, and most preferably 0.9 or more. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. Each set of composition values in said set of plurality of composition values of said database corresponds to a previously analyzed and separated charge composition, preferably a second artificial turf product or a further artificial turf product, and / or a previously analyzed and separated charge composition of a second charge product. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, The set of first composition values obtained in step (c), Information regarding the set of separation screens selected in step (f) and / or (j), and The set of composition values from the analysis of step (i), A method in which one or more of are added to said database.

14. A separation system (100) suitable for separating a dry or dried charge, preferably a charge from an artificial turf product containing rubber and / or sand, into a plurality of fractions, Said separation system (100) is It has a first sieving means (110) configured to receive a set (111) of first separation screens configured to separate the filling (201) into a plurality of first fractions (201a). The separation system (100) is A preliminary analysis unit (101) configured to determine the composition of the dried or desiccated filling (201) by particle size and / or specific gravity in order to obtain a set (301) of first composition values corresponding to the relative content of each separated analysis fraction with respect to the total content of the analyzed filling (201). A database (180) containing a plurality of sets of second composition values Here, each set of composition values preferably corresponds to the composition of dried or desiccated fillings from a plurality of different artificial turf products and / or a second dried or desiccated filling, and also corresponds to a predetermined set of first separation screens for separating the filling (201); and A processing unit (102) configured to calculate a correlation coefficient and / or a deviation value between the set (301) of first composition values and each of the plurality of sets of second composition values of the database (180). The separation system (100) further having

15. The set (111) of separation screens in the sieving means (110) has two separation screens (190a, 190b), preferably three separation screens (190a, 190b, 190c), more preferably four separation screens (190a, 190b, 190c, 190d), and each of the separation screens has one or more mesh sizes selected from but not limited to 5.0 mm, 4.0 mm, 3.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.3 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.8 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.0 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.3 mm, or 0.2 mm. The separation system (100) suitable for separating the dried or desiccated filling according to claim 14.

16. A separation system (100) suitable for separating dry or dried fillings according to any one of Claims 14 or 15, having four sieving means (110), (120), (130) and (140), wherein the first sieving means (110) has a set (111) of first separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 5.0 to 0.6 mm, the second sieving means (120) has a set (121) of second separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 2.5 to 0.5 mm, the third sieving means (130) has a set (131) of third separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 0.6 to 0.2 mm, the fourth sieving means (140) has a set (141) of fourth separation screens having a mesh size in the range of 0.8 to 0.3 mm, separation system (100).

17. Further comprising an in-line analysis unit (103) configured to determine the composition of the separated fraction (201b) of the dry or dried filling (201) by particle size and / or specific gravity in order to obtain a set (303) of third composition values corresponding to the composition of the separated fraction (201b) of the dry or dried filling (201), a separation system (100) suitable for separating dry or dried fillings according to any one of Claims 14 to 16.

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