Polyurethane foam decomposition treatment device and polyurethane foam decomposition treatment method

Abstract

A decomposition device (20) for a polyurethane foam (11) comprises: a container (30) in which the polyurethane foam (11) and a decomposing agent (13) are housed; a pressing part (21) for pressing the polyurethane foam (11) in the container (30); and a heating part (23) for heating the inside of the container (30). The container (30) has a retention part (31) in which a liquid material (10) containing the decomposition product of the polyurethane foam (11) and the decomposing agent (13) is retained. The pressing part (21) is configured to press the polyurethane foam (11) downward to thereby push the polyurethane foam (11) into the liquid material (10) in the retention part (31).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a decomposition treatment device for polyurethane foam and a decomposition treatment method for polyurethane foam. This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-149955, filed on September 21, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for decomposing rigid urethane resin. This method includes a decomposition step in which rigid urethane resin and an amine compound as a decomposing agent are fed into an extruder and heated to 140 to 300°C to promote decomposition of the urethane bonds in the rigid urethane resin. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-292661 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When an extruder is used to mix polyurethane foam with a decomposer and decompose the polyurethane foam, it is difficult to control the mixing state of the polyurethane foam with the decomposer and the decomposition reaction, which can result in issues such as inconsistent quality of the resulting decomposed product, such as undecomposed polyurethane foam being discharged from the extruder.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a method for decomposing polyurethane foam and an apparatus for decomposing polyurethane foam, which are capable of obtaining polyol of stable quality. The present disclosure can be realized in the following aspects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] [1] a container for containing polyurethane foam and a decomposition agent; a pressing portion that presses the polyurethane foam in the container; a heating unit that heats the inside of the container; Equipped with the container has a retention portion for retaining a liquid material containing the decomposition product of the polyurethane foam and the decomposition agent, The decomposition treatment device for polyurethane foam, wherein the pressing section is configured to press the polyurethane foam downward, forcing the polyurethane foam into the liquid material in the retention section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, polyols of stable quality can be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a decomposition treatment device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing how polyurethane foam is charged. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing how polyurethane foam is pressed. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing how a polyurethane foam according to another embodiment is pressed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Here, a preferred example of the present disclosure will be described. [2] a discharge port for the liquid material is formed at a position higher than the inner bottom surface of the container, The decomposition treatment device for polyurethane foam according to [1], wherein a portion of the container that is lower than the lower end of the discharge outlet serves as the retention portion. [3] Put polyurethane foam and a decomposing agent into a container, heating the container containing the polyurethane foam and the decomposing agent; A liquid containing the decomposition product of the polyurethane foam and the decomposition agent is allowed to remain in the container; The method for decomposing polyurethane foam comprises pressing the undecomposed polyurethane foam downward into the stagnant liquid.

[0010] The present disclosure will be described in detail below. In this specification, when a numerical range is indicated using "-", it is intended to include both the lower limit and the upper limit unless otherwise specified. For example, the expression "10-20" includes both the lower limit "10" and the upper limit "20". In other words, "10-20" has the same meaning as "10 or more and 20 or less".

[0011] 1 to 3, the decomposition treatment device 20 for polyurethane foam 11 of this embodiment includes a container 30 for containing polyurethane foam 11 and decomposing agent 13, a pressing unit 21 for pressing polyurethane foam 11 in container 30, and a heating unit 23 for heating the inside of container 30. Container 30 has a retention unit 31 for retaining liquid material 10 containing decomposition products of polyurethane foam 11 and decomposing agent 13. Pressing unit 21 is configured to press polyurethane foam 11 downward, forcing polyurethane foam 11 into liquid material 10 in retention unit 31. In each figure, the Y-axis direction is the up-down direction, and the X-axis direction is the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction.

[0012] The polyurethane foam 11 may be any of flexible polyurethane foam, semi-rigid polyurethane foam, and rigid polyurethane foam. The polyurethane foam 11 may be a polyurethane foam with an open-cell structure or a polyurethane foam with a closed-cell structure. The polyurethane foam 11 may be pulverized to a predetermined size. Examples of the pulverized polyurethane foam 11 include scraps discarded during the manufacturing process of the polyurethane foam 11, or pulverized used polyurethane foam 11 to be discarded. The pulverized polyurethane foam 11 may also be waste or scraps of polyurethane foam 11 discarded during the manufacturing process of the polyurethane foam 11. There is no particular limitation on the maximum diameter of the polyurethane foam 11. The maximum diameter of the polyurethane foam 11 can be, for example, 2 cm or more and 30 cm or less, taking into consideration the ease of putting it into the container 30 and the decomposition rate.

[0013] The decomposing agent 13 is not particularly limited as long as it chemically decomposes and liquefies urethane bonds, but compounds having hydroxyl groups or amine compounds are preferred from the standpoints of reactivity and cost. Examples of compounds having a hydroxyl group include ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, polyoxyethylene glycol, polyoxypropylene glycol, glycerin, and polyethylene glycol. These compounds having a hydroxyl group can be used alone or in combination. Among these, dipropylene glycol and 1,4-butanediol are preferred. Examples of amine compounds include ethylenediamine, tetramethylenediamine, hexamethylenediamine, propanediamine, 2-ethylhexylamine, isopropanolamine, 2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethanol, 2-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol, ethylaminoethanol, aminobutanol, n-propylamine, di-n-propylamine, n-amylamine, isobutylamine, methyldiethylamine, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, cyclohexylamine, piperazine, piperidine, aniline, toluidine, benzylamine, phenylenediamine, tolylenediamine, 4-4'-diphenylmethanediamine, xylylenediamine, chloroaniline, pyridine, picoline, N-methylmorpholine, ethylmorpholine, and pyrazole. These amine compounds can be used alone or in combination. Among these, diethanolamine and triethanolamine are preferred.

[0014] The amount of the decomposing agent 13 added is preferably 5 parts by mass or more and 30 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 10 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, relative to 100 parts by mass of polyurethane foam.

[0015] In the decomposition reaction using the decomposition agent 13, a decomposition catalyst can be further added as necessary to increase the reaction rate. The catalyst to be added is preferably one that is used in the production of urethane foam, for example, triethylamine, N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine, N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine, N,N,N',N'-tetramethylpropane 1,3-diamine, N,N,N',N'-tetramethylhexane 1,6-diamine, N,N,N',N",N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine, N,N,N',N",N"-pentamethyldipropylenetriamine, tetramethylguanidine, triethylenediamine, N,N'-dimethylpiperazine, N,-methyl,N'-(2-dimethylamino)ethylpiperazine, N-methylmorpholine, N-(N',N'-dimethylaminoethyl)-morpholine, 1,2-dimethylimidazole, hexamethylenediamine, Examples of suitable amines include methyltrimethylaminoethanol, dimethylaminoethanol, dimethylaminoethoxyethanol, N,N,N'-trimethylaminoethylethanolamine, N-methyl-N'-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)morpholine, bis(2-dimethylaminoethyl)ether, ethylene glycol bis(3-dimethyl)aminopropyl ether, diazabicycloundecene, stannous octoate, dibutyltin diacetate, dibutyltin dilaurate, dibutyltin mercaptide, dibutyltin thiocarboxylate, dibutyltin dimaleate, dioctyltin mercaptide, dioctyltin thiocarboxylate, lead octanoate, zinc octanoate, calcium octanoate, potassium acetate, and potassium octanoate. Among these, triethylenediamine, diazabicycloundecene, potassium acetate, and potassium octanoate are preferred.

[0016] The amount of catalyst added is more preferably 1 part by mass or more and 30 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, relative to 100 parts by mass of the decomposing agent.

[0017] Next, the decomposition treatment device 20 will be described. The decomposition treatment device 20 includes a container 30, a pressing section 21, and a heating section 23. The decomposition treatment device 20 may further include a decomposition agent feeding section 25 into which the decomposition agent 13 is fed. The decomposition agent feeding section 25 does not, for example, spray the decomposition agent 13 onto the polyurethane foam 11, but feeds the decomposition agent 13 directly without atomizing it. The decomposition treatment device 20 of FIGS. 2 and 3 is provided with the decomposition agent feeding section 25 opening above an inlet 36, which will be described later. The decomposition agent 13 is sent to the decomposition agent feeding section 25 by a pump or the like, and is fed directly into the container 30. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the decomposition agent 13 is schematically indicated by a black circle.

[0018] The configuration of the container 30 is not particularly limited as long as it can accommodate the polyurethane foam 11 and the decomposing agent 13. For example, the container 30 has a bottom wall 33 and a side wall 34 rising from the periphery of the bottom wall 33. The bottom wall 33 has a flat plate shape, such as a circle or a rectangle. The side wall 34 has a tubular shape, such as a cylinder or a square tube. Considering the heating efficiency and the frequency of adding the polyurethane foam 11, the height of the container 30 is preferably from 1 to 5 times the diameter of the bottom wall 33 if the bottom wall 33 is circular, and preferably from 1 to 5 times the length of the diagonal of the bottom wall 33 if the bottom wall 33 is rectangular.

[0019] The container 30 has a retention section 31 for retaining the liquid material 10 containing the decomposition product of polyurethane foam 11 and the decomposition agent 13. The configuration of the retention section 31 is not particularly limited as long as it can retain the liquid material 10. For example, the retention section 31 can be configured from the inner bottom surface 33A of the container 30 to a predetermined height of the container 30. The predetermined height of the container 30 can be between 1 / 10 and 1 / 2 of the height of the container 30. The extent of the retention section 31 is indicated by arrows in Figures 2 and 3 . Undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 can be stored in the container 30 above the retention section 31. In the present disclosure, undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 includes partially decomposed solid polyurethane foam 11 that is in the process of being decomposed. Naturally, undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 can also be present in the retention section 31.

[0020] In this embodiment, a discharge outlet 35 for the liquid material 10 is formed at a position higher than the inner bottom surface 33A of the container 30, and a portion of the container 30 lower than the lower end of the discharge outlet 35 serves as the retention section 31. The configuration of the discharge outlet 35 is not particularly limited. The discharge outlet 35 is, for example, open to the side wall portion 34 of the container 30. The discharge outlet 35 of this embodiment has a simple configuration without an opening / closing mechanism and is always open. As shown in FIG. 3 , when the liquid level of the liquid material 10 in the container 30 reaches the lower end of the discharge outlet 35, excess liquid material 10 flows out from the discharge outlet 35. In other words, the amount of liquid material 10 in the container 30 can be adjusted by adjusting the lower end position of the discharge outlet 35. In consideration of decomposition efficiency, the lower end position of the discharge outlet 35 is preferably below half the height of the container 30, and more preferably at a position where the container 30 can be heated to 150°C or higher by the heating unit 23.

[0021] The container 30 has an inlet 36 for introducing polyurethane foam 11 at a position higher than the retention portion 31. In this embodiment, the inlet 36 also serves as an inlet for introducing the decomposing agent 13. The container 30 of this embodiment can be filled with undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 above the retention portion 31. The polyurethane foam 11 located above the retention portion 31 covers the retention portion 31, thereby preventing heat from escaping upward within the retention portion 31 and trapping gas generated in the retention portion 31 within the container 30.

[0022] The container 30 may have a restricting portion 37 that restricts the outflow of undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 from the discharge outlet 35. The restricting portion 37 can also serve to restrict the undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 from covering and blocking the discharge outlet 35, or from clogging the discharge outlet 35. As shown in FIG. 3 , the restricting portion 37 of this embodiment covers the discharge outlet 35 from the side of the accumulating portion 31 so as to narrow the path that the undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 takes from the accumulating portion 31 toward the discharge outlet 35.

[0023] The pressing unit 21 presses the polyurethane foam 11 in the container 30. The pressing unit 21 is configured to press the polyurethane foam 11 downward, forcing the polyurethane foam 11 into the liquid material 10 in the retention unit 31. Other configurations of the pressing unit 21 are not particularly limited. For example, the pressing unit 21 has a flat pressing surface 21A that presses the polyurethane foam 11. The pressing unit 21 may be configured to compress the polyurethane foam 11 between the pressing surface 21A and the inner bottom surface 33A of the container 30. This configuration allows the polyurethane foam 11 to be compressed evenly between the pressing surface 21A and the inner bottom surface 33A of the container 30, making it less likely that differences in the progress of decomposition of the polyurethane foam 11 will occur due to differences in the degree of compression or heating.

[0024] The pressing unit 21 applies a downward force to the polyurethane foam 11 without applying a shear force. "Without applying a shear force" means that the shear force applied when extruding using an extruder is not applied. An example of a means for applying a force without applying a shear force is a means for applying a force so that the solid polyurethane foam 11 is compressed in one direction without breaking. Specifically, an example of a means for moving the pressing surface 21A downward using a power cylinder is shown. The pressing unit 21 is configured to be movable up and down so that the position of the pressing surface 21A does not become lower than the lower end of the discharge outlet 35. There are no particular limitations on the compressive stress exerted by pressing portion 21. The compressive stress exerted by pressing portion 21 may be large enough to sufficiently pressurize polyurethane foam 11, and for example, in the case of a soft polyurethane foam, it may be 5 kPa or more and 15 kPa or less.

[0025] The heating section 23 heats the interior of the container 30. The heating section 23 is preferably provided in contact with a portion of the container 30 below half the height thereof. For example, the heating section 23 has a heater (heat source) and is provided in contact with the underside of the bottom wall of the container 30. On the other hand, the heating section 23 is not provided in the portion where the inlet 36 is provided (the upper portion of the container 30). In the decomposition treatment of the polyurethane foam 11, it is preferable not to heat the polyurethane foam 11 above the retention section 31, particularly near the inlet 36. That is, the container 30 is preferably configured so that the decomposition reaction occurs mainly in the lower portion (the retention section 31 side) and the polyurethane foam 11 is stored in the upper portion (the inlet 36 side). This configuration can promote the decomposition reaction of the polyurethane foam 11 on the discharge outlet 35 side of the container 30 while suppressing the decomposition reaction of the polyurethane foam 11 on the inlet 36 side. For example, the decomposition reaction of polyurethane foam by the decomposing agent 13 hardly progresses under non-heating conditions (e.g., 50°C or below) and for less than 10 hours. This prevents the decomposition reaction of polyurethane foam 11 from unintentionally progressing when polyurethane foam 11 is introduced, resulting in the adhesion of decomposition products to the periphery of the introduction port 36, the pressing portion 21, and other areas. In order to obtain decomposition products of consistent quality in the decomposition treatment of polyurethane foam 11, it is effective to clean the decomposition treatment device 20 for each type of polyurethane foam 11 to be treated. As described above, by separating the heated and non-heated areas of the container 30, the adhesion of decomposition products can be limited, making it easier to clean the container 30. Furthermore, by not unnecessarily heating areas without polyurethane foam 11 during the decomposition reaction of polyurethane foam 11, energy efficiency during heating can be improved.

[0026] Next, an example of a method for decomposing polyurethane foam 11 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. In the method for decomposing polyurethane foam 11, polyurethane foam 11 and decomposing agent 13 are placed in container 30, container 30 containing polyurethane foam 11 and decomposing agent 13 is heated, liquid material 10 containing decomposed products of polyurethane foam 11 and decomposing agent 13 is retained in container 30, and undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 is pressed downward into the retained liquid material 10.

[0027] In the method for decomposing polyurethane foam 11, the manner in which polyurethane foam 11 and decomposing agent 13 are introduced is not particularly limited. When introducing polyurethane foam 11 and decomposing agent 13, for example, an appropriate amount of decomposing agent 13 may be introduced through decomposing agent introduction section 25 in accordance with the amount of polyurethane foam 11 introduced. Alternatively, an additional amount of decomposing agent 13 may be introduced into retention section 31 before the start of the decomposition treatment, and then an appropriate amount of decomposing agent 13 may be introduced through decomposing agent introduction section 25 in accordance with the amount of polyurethane foam 11 introduced. This allows a sufficient amount of liquid material 10 containing decomposing agent 13 to be retained in retention section 31 from the initial stage of the decomposition treatment. Furthermore, from the perspective of simplicity, it is preferable to introduce decomposing agent 13 directly into container 30 without applying it to polyurethane foam 11 in advance. Furthermore, since polyurethane foam 11 and decomposing agent 13 can be brought into sufficient contact with each other in liquid material 10, polyurethane foam 11 and decomposing agent 13 do not necessarily have to be introduced simultaneously.

[0028] Heating of the container 30 containing the polyurethane foam 11 and the decomposing agent 13 can be performed by the heating section 23. The heating temperature inside the container 30 is not particularly limited. The heating temperature inside the container 30 is preferably 150°C or higher and 250°C or lower, and more preferably 170°C or higher and 230°C or lower. The heating temperature inside the container 30 is the temperature of the hottest part inside the container 30. In this embodiment, the set temperature of the heating section 23 may be considered to be the heating temperature inside the container 30. When the part inside the container 30 where the polyurethane foam 11 and the decomposing agent 13 come into contact is heated, the polyurethane foam 11 is decomposed, and a liquid decomposition product is produced. The liquid decomposition product contains polyol 15 derived from the raw material polyol of the polyurethane foam 11, amine component 16 derived from the raw material isocyanate, etc. The liquid decomposition product flows downward and accumulates in the accumulation section 31 together with the decomposing agent 13.

[0029] In the method for decomposing polyurethane foam 11, undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 is pressed downward by pressing unit 21 and pushed into accumulated liquid material 10. The pushed undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 comes into contact with decomposing agent 13 in liquid material 10 and is heated. This decomposes polyurethane foam 11, generating further liquid decomposition products. As the decomposition of polyurethane foam 11 progresses, the liquid level of liquid material 10 reaches the lower end of outlet 35, whereupon liquid material 10 is discharged from outlet 35. The discharged liquid material 10 is appropriately collected. For example, a collection container 40 is disposed below outlet 35, and the decomposition product flowing down from outlet 35 is collected in collection container 40. Polyol 15 can be purified from the recovered decomposition product using a known method to obtain recycled polyol 15. Furthermore, various components other than polyol 15 may be purified from the recovered decomposition product to obtain recycled raw materials.

[0030] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. The decomposition device 20 and decomposition method for polyurethane foam 11 of this embodiment press the polyurethane foam 11 downward, forcing it into the liquid material 10 in the retention section 31. This allows the decomposing agent 13 to come into contact with the polyurethane foam 11 in the liquid material 10. Therefore, for example, the contact efficiency between the polyurethane foam 11 and the decomposing agent 13 can be improved without having to evenly apply the decomposing agent 13 to the surface of the polyurethane foam 11 or simultaneously add the polyurethane foam 11 and the decomposing agent 13 in a predetermined ratio. Furthermore, heat can be transferred to the polyurethane foam 11 via the liquid material 10, improving the heating efficiency of the polyurethane foam 11 compared to, for example, heat transfer to the polyurethane foam 11 via air. Furthermore, depending on the types of polyol 15 and amine component 16 contained in the liquid material 10, the generated polyol 15 and / or amine component 16 themselves may act as decomposing agent 13 and contribute to the decomposition of the polyurethane foam 11. In this way, the polyurethane foam 11 can be sufficiently decomposed, and decomposed products of stable quality can be obtained.

[0031] Extruders or kneaders, which have been widely used in the decomposition treatment of polyurethane foam 11 in the past, are relatively expensive devices themselves, and removal of decomposed materials from the devices is cumbersome. On the other hand, the decomposition treatment device 20 of this embodiment can be configured more inexpensively and simply than an extruder or kneader, and also makes it easy to remove decomposed materials from the device. Furthermore, the decomposition treatment device 20 of this embodiment is less likely to discharge undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 than devices configured to forcibly extrude the contents, such as an extruder. Therefore, decomposed materials of stable quality can be obtained.

[0032] Furthermore, in the decomposition treatment device 20 of this embodiment, a discharge outlet 35 for the liquid material 10 is formed at a position higher than the inner bottom surface 33A of the container 30, and a portion of the container 30 lower than the lower end of the discharge outlet 35 serves as the retention section 31. This configuration allows the retention section 31 to be formed with a simple configuration. Furthermore, the decomposition products of the polyurethane foam 11 can be sequentially discharged from the discharge outlet 35, eliminating the need to coordinate the discharge timing with the progress (end point) of the reaction. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which a discharge outlet is formed at the bottom of the container, undecomposed polyurethane foam 11 is less likely to be pushed into the discharge outlet 35. Therefore, the discharge outlet 35 is less likely to become clogged with undecomposed polyurethane foam 11.

[0033] <Other embodiments> The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (1) The retention section is not limited to a configuration in which the retention section is a portion of the container that is lower than the bottom end of the discharge port. For example, the retention section may be configured by providing an opening / closing mechanism such as a valve at the discharge port and closing the valve. In this case, the valve can be opened as needed to drain excess liquid. (2) The pressing unit may be a means for applying a load to the polyurethane foam using a weight, in addition to a means such as a hydraulic cylinder. Also, as in the container 130 of Fig. 4, a spacer 138 may be provided to determine the position where the pressing surface 21A of the pressing unit 21 is lowered. (3) As in the container 130 of Fig. 4, the restricting portion 137 that restricts the outflow of undecomposed polyurethane foam from the discharge port 35 may be configured as a screen. The screen may be configured to allow liquid to pass through but not allow undecomposed polyurethane foam to pass through. Alternatively, instead of providing a restricting portion, the diameter of the discharge port may be made smaller than the polyurethane foam to prevent the discharge of undecomposed polyurethane foam. (4) The shape of the container can be changed as appropriate. For example, the bottom wall is not limited to a flat plate shape, and protrusions or irregularities may be provided to improve heat transfer. Furthermore, as in the container 130 of FIG. 4, the decomposition agent input section 125 may be configured so that the decomposition agent 13 is input through an input port 36. (5) A heat source such as a ribbon heater may be provided as a heating section in contact with the side wall section.

[0034] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 10...Liquids 11...Polyurethane foam 13...Decomposer 15...Polyol 16...Amine component 20...Decomposition treatment device 21...Pressing part 21A...Pressing surface 23...Heating part 25,125...Decomposer injection section 30,130…container 31...Retention part 33...Bottom wall 33A…Inner bottom surface 34...Side wall 35…Discharge port 36…Inlet 37...Regulatory Department 40...Collection container 138...Spacer

Claims

1. a container for containing polyurethane foam and a decomposition agent; a pressing portion that presses the polyurethane foam in the container; a heating unit that heats the inside of the container; Equipped with the container has a retention portion for retaining a liquid material containing the decomposition product of the polyurethane foam and the decomposition agent, The decomposition treatment device for polyurethane foam, wherein the pressing section is configured to press the polyurethane foam downward, forcing the polyurethane foam into the liquid material in the retention section.

2. a discharge port for the liquid material is formed at a position higher than the inner bottom surface of the container, The apparatus for decomposing polyurethane foam according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the container that is lower than a lower end of the discharge outlet serves as the retention portion.

3. Put polyurethane foam and a decomposing agent into a container, heating the container containing the polyurethane foam and the decomposing agent; A liquid containing the decomposition product of the polyurethane foam and the decomposition agent is allowed to remain in the container; The method for decomposing polyurethane foam comprises pressing the undecomposed polyurethane foam downward into the stagnant liquid.

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