Method and apparatus for separating metal films and resins

Abstract

This metal film / resin separation method involves introducing synthetic resin waste in which metal foil is bonded to synthetic resin into a separation chamber (2) inside a casing (1), rotating a hammer rotor (16) inside the separation chamber (2), and separating and recovering the metal foil and the synthetic resin. The synthetic resin waste inside the separation chamber (2) is crushed while the hammer rotor (16) is rotated, and the temperature inside the separation chamber (2) is raised to a detachment temperature that is higher than normal temperature and lower than the temperature at which the synthetic resin melts. The synthetic resin waste is crushed while the temperature inside the separation chamber (2) is maintained at the detachment temperature, and the metal foil is detached from the synthetic resin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for separating a metal film and a resin and a separating apparatus therefor, which crush synthetic resin waste with a metal film such as PTP, a packaging container, a CD, or a DVD containing an aluminum foil, and separate and recover the metal film and the synthetic resin. In this specification, the metal film includes metal foils of various metals such as aluminum foil and nickel foil, vapor deposition films of various metals, and metal coating layers by metal spraying.

Background Art

[0002] PTP used when packaging capsules and tablets, packaging containers containing aluminum foil for packaging food products, etc. have been produced in very large quantities in recent years, and almost all of them are discarded after use.

[0003] At present, such packaging containers as PTP containing aluminum foil are difficult to separate the aluminum foil and the synthetic resin, so they have poor recyclability and are mostly used for landfill as general waste or incinerated.

[0004] However, incineration of packaging waste such as PTP containing aluminum foil goes against the social trend towards carbon neutrality, the realization of a decarbonized society, and the restriction of carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, since synthetic resins such as PVC will be incinerated, there is concern about the generation of toxic gases, and aluminum foil is likely to remain unburned, so the establishment of a recycling technology for separating and recovering aluminum foil and synthetic resin has been desired.

[0005] Therefore, the inventor of the present invention proposed an aluminum foil-resin separation method for crushing waste such as PTP, a packaging container, a CD, or a DVD containing an aluminum foil, and separating and recovering the aluminum foil and the synthetic resin according to Patent Document 1 below.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] This aluminum foil-resin separation method involves blowing hot air into the separation chamber to heat the chamber to an appropriate temperature, while rotating a rotor with blades to crush the aluminum foil-attached synthetic resin waste and separate the aluminum foil from the synthetic resin. The crushed and separated aluminum foil is sent to the aluminum recovery chamber through a porous bottom plate at the bottom of the separation chamber, and the crushed and separated synthetic resin is sent to the resin recovery chamber adjacent to the separation chamber by the rotation of the rotor, thereby separating and recovering the aluminum foil and synthetic resin.

[0008] This aluminum foil-resin separation method allows for the separation of aluminum foil from synthetic resin waste while crushing the aluminum foil-attached synthetic resin waste, provided that the temperature in the separation chamber is maintained at the appropriate separation temperature during the separation process.

[0009] However, the rotation of the bladed rotor generates frictional heat due to friction between the bladed rotor and the synthetic resin waste, and between the synthetic resin waste materials themselves. This frictional heat easily causes the temperature in the separation chamber to rise above the appropriate temperature, and especially when a large amount of synthetic resin waste is input, the temperature in the separation chamber rises excessively. As a result, the synthetic resin melts in the separation chamber, causing clumps of synthetic resin waste to form, and making it easy for parts to become impossible to separate. Consequently, the separation ability between aluminum foil and synthetic resin decreases, and the separation and recovery efficiency is reduced.

[0010] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a metal film / resin separation method and separation apparatus that can efficiently separate and recover metal films and synthetic resins from synthetic resin waste coated with metal films such as metal foils and metal vapor-deposited films with higher separation performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention relates to a metal film / resin separation method in which synthetic resin waste with a metal film attached to it is introduced into a separation chamber in a casing, and a hammer rotor is rotated in the separation chamber to separate and recover the metal film and synthetic resin. The method is characterized by comprising the steps of: rotating the hammer rotor while raising the temperature in the separation chamber from room temperature to a peeling temperature below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, thereby crushing the synthetic resin waste in the separation chamber; and spraying water into the separation chamber from a sprinkler to maintain the temperature in the separation chamber at the peeling temperature, thereby peeling the metal film from the synthetic resin.

[0012] The above peeling temperature is the temperature at which the synthetic resin and the metal film peel off in synthetic resin waste with a metal film attached, below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, and mainly due to the difference in their expansion coefficients (thermal expansion coefficient, linear expansion coefficient). This temperature is set according to the type of synthetic resin, the type of metal film, the method of forming the metal film, etc.

[0013] According to this invention, synthetic resin waste with a metal film, such as PTP, that is introduced into the separation chamber is stirred and crushed by the rotation of a hammer rotor. At this time, the metal film and synthetic resin of the synthetic resin waste are heated from room temperature to a peeling temperature below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, due to an external heating means, frictional heat between the hammer rotor and the synthetic resin waste, or frictional heat between the synthetic resin waste materials themselves.

[0014] As the temperature rises, the synthetic resin, which has a thermal expansion coefficient (linear expansion coefficient) approximately 2 to 6 times higher than that of the metal film, expands significantly relative to the metal film due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients. As a result, the metal film peels off and separates from the synthetic resin of the crushed waste.

[0015] Furthermore, for example, if a metal film and synthetic resin are heat-sealed during manufacturing, the heat-sealing temperature of the metal film and synthetic resin is close to the peeling temperature, making the sealed surface easier to peel off. As the film is crushed, the metal film efficiently detaches from the synthetic resin and separates.

[0016] Furthermore, the humidity increases when water is sprayed into the separation chamber, and the humidity expansion of the synthetic resin is greater than that of the metal film. This also makes it easier for the synthetic resin and metal film to separate, resulting in efficient separation.

[0017] Furthermore, since the peeling temperature is below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, no clumps form in the synthetic resin within the separation chamber, and the metal film peels off well from the synthetic resin with high separation efficiency. In addition, water spraying within the separation chamber suppresses the generation of static electricity that tends to occur in synthetic resin waste, eliminating adhesion between the metal film and the synthetic resin due to static electricity, and promoting the separation of the metal film and the synthetic resin.

[0018] In the above-described method for separating metal film and resin, it is preferable to first remove the metal film peeled from the synthetic resin from the separation chamber by suction through a perforated plate (screen), and then remove the synthetic resin that has been crushed and remains in the separation chamber from the separation chamber.

[0019] As a result, fragments of the crushed and detached metal film are removed from the separation chamber through the perforated plate, while relatively large fragments of synthetic resin remain in the separation chamber, allowing for efficient separation and removal of the metal film and synthetic resin.

[0020] Furthermore, the metal film removed from the separation chamber through the perforated plate is then fed into the first sieving device to sieve the metal film and separate the remaining synthetic resin from it. The removed synthetic resin, after the metal film has been peeled off, is then removed from the separation chamber and fed into the second sieving device to sieve the removed synthetic resin and separate the remaining metal film from it.

[0021] As a result, fragments of residual synthetic resin are further separated from the metal film fragments by sieving, and the detached synthetic resin is also sieved, further separating fragments of the metal film from the synthetic resin. Therefore, the metal film and synthetic resin can be efficiently separated and recovered with higher separation performance (separation rate).

[0022] Also, here, after the metal film is put into the sieve box of the first sieving device and sieved, the remaining synthetic resin can be configured to be put into another sieve box again and sieved. According to this, in the first sieving process, the metal film etc. that could not be separated while lying on the remaining synthetic resin can be further separated from the synthetic resin by the second sieving.

[0023] Also, here, in the above metal film - resin separation method, after the synthetic resin after peeling is put into the sieve box of the second sieving device and sieved, the remaining synthetic resin can be configured to be put into another sieve box again and sieved. According to this, in the first sieving process, the metal film etc. that could not be separated while lying on the remaining synthetic resin can be further separated from the synthetic resin by the second sieving.

[0024] On the other hand, the metal film - resin separation device according to the present invention is A metal film - resin separation device that puts synthetic resin waste with a metal film attached thereto into a separation chamber in a casing, crushes the synthetic resin waste in the separation chamber, and separates and recovers the metal film and the synthetic resin. A heater attached to the casing for heating the temperature of the separation chamber, A water sprinkler for sprinkling water into the separation chamber, A hammer rotor in which a disk is fixed in the transverse direction of the shaft to a rotating shaft pivotally supported rotatably in the separation chamber, and a plurality of hammers are pivotally supported rotatably on the disk, An outlet provided on the side wall portion of the casing for discharging the crushed synthetic resin waste from the separation chamber, A resin recovery chamber provided outside the outlet, A metal recovery box provided in the resin recovery chamber so as to be movable up and down, for recovering the metal film peeled from the synthetic resin from the separation chamber through a perforated plate, A lifting device for lifting the metal recovery box from the resin recovery chamber to the outside of the room, A discharge conveyor provided at the bottom of the resin recovery chamber for discharging the synthetic resin after peeling after the metal film is peeled off, A temperature controller that adjusts the heater and the amount of water sprayed by the sprinkler to adjust the temperature inside the separation chamber to a peeling temperature that is higher than room temperature and below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, thereby separating the synthetic resin from the metal film. It is characterized by having the following features.

[0025] According to the metal film / resin separation device of this invention, the separation action of metal films and resins described above allows for the efficient separation and recovery of metal films and synthetic resins from synthetic resin waste coated with metal films, such as metal foils and metal vapor-deposited films, with higher separation performance.

[0026] In the above-mentioned metal film / resin separation apparatus, a first sieving device is provided to sift the peeled metal film, which has been removed into the metal recovery box, to separate the remaining synthetic resin from the metal film, and a second sieving device is provided to sift the peeled synthetic resin, which has been discharged by the discharge conveyor, to separate the remaining metal film from the peeled synthetic resin.

[0027] Furthermore, in the metal film / resin separation apparatus described above, the first sieving device can be configured such that an upper sieving box and a lower sieving box are arranged in two stages, upper and lower. The metal film is first placed in the upper sieving box and sieved, and then the remaining synthetic resin is placed in the lower sieving box and sieved again. With this configuration, any metal film that remained on the remaining synthetic resin and could not be separated in the first sieve can be further separated from the synthetic resin in the second sieve.

[0028] Furthermore, in the metal film / resin separation apparatus described above, the second sieving device can be configured such that an upper sieving box and a lower sieving box are arranged in two stages, upper and lower. The delaminated synthetic resin is first placed in the upper sieving box and sieved, and then the remaining synthetic resin is placed in the lower sieving box and sieved again. With this configuration, metal films and other materials that were not separated from the remaining synthetic resin during the first sieving can be further separated from the synthetic resin during the second sieving. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to the metal film / resin separation method and separation apparatus of the present invention, metal films and synthetic resins can be efficiently separated and recovered from synthetic resin waste to which metal films are attached, with higher separation performance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is a front view with a partial cross-section of a metal film / resin separation apparatus, which shows one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a right side view of the metal film / resin separation device. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the hammer rotor along its axial direction. [Figure 4] (a) is a left side view of the metal collection box, and (b) is a front view of the metal collection box with a partial cross-section. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the hammer rotor in the axial direction. [Figure 6] This is a front view with a partial cross-section of the metal collection box when it is raised. [Figure 7] (a) is a top view of the sieve box, (b) is a front view of the sieve box, and (c) is a right side view of the same sieve box. [Figure 8] (a) is a partially enlarged plan view of the embossed plate of the sieve box, and (b) is a central cross-sectional view thereof. [Figure 9] (a) is a front view showing the tilt of the sieve box when installed, and (b) is a right side view of the same sieve box. [Figure 10] These are front views of the first and second sieving devices of another embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a front view with a partial cross-section of another embodiment of a metal film / resin separation device. [Figure 12] This is a front view with a partial cross-section of another embodiment of a metal film / resin separation device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 10 show a separation apparatus for carrying out the metal film / resin separation method of the present invention. This separation apparatus is configured such that synthetic resin waste, such as PTP, metal vapor-deposited film, and metal vapor-deposited sheet, on which a metal film is attached to the surface of the synthetic resin, is introduced into a separation chamber 2 inside a casing 1, a hammer rotor 16 is rotated inside the separation chamber 2 to separate and recover the metal film and synthetic resin, and then the separated metal film and synthetic resin are sieved by a first sieving device 20 and a second sieving device 25, respectively, to separate any remaining foreign matter.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the casing 1 of the separation device is formed in a box shape with a rectangular plane and a semi-cylindrical section at the bottom. The top surface is closed with a metal plate, and the bottom plate 11 is formed with a semi-cylindrical circumferential surface. A hopper-shaped waste inlet 8 is provided on the top surface of the casing 1 for introducing synthetic resin waste. Inside the separation chamber 2 within the casing 1, a hammer rotor 16 is supported with its rotation shaft 17 positioned horizontally and is driven to rotate at a predetermined speed by a motor.

[0033] Furthermore, a corrugated bottom plate 12 is provided on the bottom plate 11 inside the casing 1, as shown in Figure 5. The direction of the waves of the corrugated bottom plate 12 is the direction of rotation of the hammers 19 of the hammer rotor 16, and the hammers 19 pass circumferentially directly over the corrugated bottom plate 12, so that the synthetic resin waste is efficiently crushed.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the hammer rotor 16 has a number of discs 18 mounted on a rotating shaft 17 at predetermined intervals, and four hammers 19 are rotatably supported on each disc 18 at 90-degree intervals around its circumference, with the rotating shaft 17 being driven by a motor (not shown). Depending on the type of synthetic resin waste, the hammers 19 can be a bladed hammer with a blade on the edge, a plate-shaped hammer without a blade, or a rod-shaped hammer. For example, in the case of relatively large sheet-like waste with aluminum foil or nickel foil attached to a sheet, a bladed hammer is used to finely crush it.

[0035] The rotation of the hammers 19 crushes the synthetic resin waste while stirring it. The hammer rotor 16 is driven by the rotation of the rotating shaft 7, causing numerous hammers 19 to rotate in a driven manner. With the added action of the corrugated bottom plate 12, the synthetic resin waste, whose rotation is prevented by sliding at the bottom, is crushed by the numerous hammers 19.

[0036] Furthermore, a heater 13 is attached to the underside of the bottom plate 11 of the casing 1, and in cold weather or during startup, it heats the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 from room temperature to a peeling temperature below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin. In addition to an electric heater, a steam heater may also be used for the heater 13. A temperature controller 10 is provided to adjust the temperature inside the separation chamber 2. The temperature controller 10 adjusts the heater 13 and the sprinkler 6 so that the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 during operation reaches a peeling temperature at which the synthetic resin and metal film of the synthetic resin waste can be separated.

[0037] This peeling temperature is the temperature at which the synthetic resin and the metal film attached to it peel off in the separation chamber 2 due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the metal film and the synthetic resin, and is also the temperature at which peeling occurs without the formation of lumps. Furthermore, this peeling temperature is below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin and is set to the temperature at which the metal film peels off from the synthetic resin, depending on the synthetic resin waste.

[0038] For example, in the case of PTP (Press-Through Packaging) using PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and aluminum foil as synthetic resin waste, the peel temperature is approximately 90°C to 110°C. This peel temperature is also close to the heat sealing temperature that occurs on the sealing surface when aluminum foil is placed on top of blister-formed PVC during PTP manufacturing and the aluminum foil and PVC are heat-sealed together.

[0039] Furthermore, for synthetic resin waste, such as a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheet with nickel (Ni) foil attached, or a PET sheet with a Ni vapor-deposited film, the peeling temperature is set to approximately 200°C to 250°C. Similarly, for synthetic resin waste, such as a PE (polyethylene) sheet with a Ni vapor-deposited film, the peeling temperature is set to approximately 100°C to 120°C. These peeling temperatures, depending on the synthetic resin, are also the temperatures at which the thermal expansion coefficient of the synthetic resin is at its maximum (the temperature just before the thermoplastic synthetic resin begins to melt), allowing the synthetic resin to stretch the most relative to the metal film and efficiently peel off the synthetic resin from the metal film.

[0040] As the hammer rotor 16 is driven to rotate and the synthetic resin waste introduced into the separation chamber 2 is stirred and crushed, frictional heat is generated due to the frictional resistance between the hammer rotor 16 and the synthetic resin waste, and the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 tends to rise above the peeling temperature. For this reason, a sprinkler 6 is installed on the top of the casing 1 to spray water to lower the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 when it rises above the peeling temperature.

[0041] Furthermore, a temperature sensor 7 is mounted on the top of the separation chamber 2, and the detection signal from the temperature sensor 7 is input to the input side of the temperature controller 10. The heater 13 and the valve of the sprinkler 6 are connected to the output side of the temperature controller 10. The operation of the temperature controller 10 maintains the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 at the above-mentioned peeling temperature.

[0042] The temperature controller 10 may be a manually operated temperature controller or an automatic temperature controller with a built-in temperature control circuit. In the manual case, the temperature controller 10 is equipped with a display that shows the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 based on the temperature signal sent from the temperature sensor 7, and the operator maintains the peeling temperature by adjusting the power supply to the heater 13 and the valve of the sprinkler 6 while looking at the display. In the automatic case, the temperature control circuit automatically controls the temperature to maintain the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 at the peeling temperature based on the temperature signal sent from the temperature sensor 7.

[0043] If the hammer rotor 16 is driven to rotate continuously for a certain period of time, even after the power to the heater 13 is turned off, the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 is likely to rise above the peeling temperature due to frictional heat generated by the frictional resistance between the synthetic resin waste and the rotor. In this case, water is sprayed into the separation chamber 2 from the sprinkler 6 to lower its temperature and maintain the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 at the peeling temperature. This prevents the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 from rising excessively and exceeding the peeling temperature, which would cause the synthetic resin waste to clump together and result in poor separation of the metal film and synthetic resin.

[0044] As shown in Figure 1, a rectangular outlet 9 is provided on one side wall of the casing 1, and a rectangular, box-shaped resin recovery chamber 4 is formed outside the outlet 9. A metal recovery box 3 is fitted into the resin recovery chamber 4 from above so as to be able to move up and down. A perforated plate (screen) 3a is provided on the side wall of the metal recovery box 3 on the separation chamber 2 side.

[0045] During the operation of the separation device, the synthetic resin waste is crushed and heated to a peeling temperature, and after the crushed metal film and synthetic resin are separated, the air in the separation chamber 2 is drawn into the metal recovery box 3 through the perforated plate 3a. As a result, the metal film in the separation chamber 2 passes from the separation chamber 2 through the perforated plate 3 into the metal recovery box 3, while the synthetic resin in the separation chamber 2 remains in the separation chamber 2. The remaining synthetic resin is removed by a discharge conveyor 5 located at the bottom of the resin recovery chamber 4.

[0046] For this purpose, after suctioning the metal film, as shown in Figure 6, the metal recovery box 3 is raised, and the peeled synthetic resin is placed into the resin recovery chamber 4 facing the discharge port 9 of the separation chamber 2, and the peeled synthetic resin is introduced onto the discharge conveyor 5 at the bottom of the chamber. The discharge conveyor 5 is horizontally positioned at the bottom of the resin recovery chamber 4, and collects the peeled synthetic resin after the separation of the metal film, and discharges the synthetic resin from the tip of the discharge conveyor 5. A screw conveyor can be used as the discharge conveyor 5, but other types of conveying conveyors can also be used.

[0047] Meanwhile, a metal recovery box 3 is fitted above the discharge conveyor 5 in the resin recovery chamber 4 so as to be able to move up and down. As shown in Figure 4, the metal recovery box 3 is provided with an opening that opens towards the discharge port 9, and a perforated plate 3a, which is made of perforated metal or mesh and has many holes, is attached to cover the opening. The perforated plate 3a may also be a mesh screen. The size of the holes in the perforated plate 3a is set appropriately based on the type of metal film and the type of synthetic resin, so that the perforated plate 3a allows only the metal film to pass through and not the synthetic resin. The top of the metal recovery box 3 has a gently pointed shape and protrudes upward from the top of the resin recovery chamber 4, and a flexible duct 33 is connected to the tip of the pointed end.

[0048] A blower 34 is connected to the flexible duct 33 as shown in Figure 1. The blower 34 uses suction to transport the metal film in the separation chamber 2 through the metal recovery box 3 to the first sieving device 20, which will be described later. The mesh size of the perforated plate 3a in the metal recovery box 3 is set to be such that the crushed and peeled metal film can pass through, but the synthetic resin cannot. As a result, during the operation of the separation device, the crushed and separated metal film is sucked into the metal recovery box 3, the peeled synthetic resin remains in the separation chamber 2, and finally is introduced into the resin recovery chamber 4 and discharged from the discharge conveyor 5.

[0049] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a lifting device 30 for raising and lowering the metal recovery box 3 is provided on the outer wall of the resin recovery chamber 4. The metal recovery box 3 can be raised and lowered by the lifting device 30 from the lowered end position in Figure 1 to the raised end position in Figure 6. At the lowered end position in Figure 1, the perforated plate 3a of the metal recovery box 3 is positioned opposite the discharge port 9 of the separation chamber 2, and at the raised end position in Figure 6, the metal recovery box 3 stops with its bottom fitted into the upper part of the resin recovery chamber 4.

[0050] As a result, as shown in Figure 6, when the separation and recovery of the metal film is almost complete and the metal recovery box 3 is in the raised position, the resin recovery chamber 4 communicates with the separation chamber 2 through the discharge port 9. As the hammer rotor 16 rotates, the synthetic resin in the separation chamber 2 is sent into the resin recovery chamber 4 and discharged to the outside through the discharge conveyor 5 at the bottom. A duct 35 is connected to the discharge end of the discharge conveyor 5, and the synthetic resin is sent to the second sieving device 25 through the duct 35.

[0051] The lifting device 30 for the metal collection box 3 has two fluid pressure cylinders 31 mounted facing upward, and the upper part of the metal collection box 3 is connected to the tip of the piston rod 32 of the cylinders, allowing the metal collection box 3 to be raised and lowered by a predetermined stroke. In addition to fluid pressure cylinders, the lifting device 30 can also use a lifting mechanism using a motor and a screw shaft.

[0052] The first sieving device 20, which removes foreign matter from the separated metal film, and the second sieving device 25, which removes foreign matter from the separated synthetic resin, use sieve boxes 21 with the same structure as shown in Figures 7 and 8. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the first sieving device 20 and the second sieving device 25 are constructed by mounting a shallow, rectangular prism-shaped sieve box 21 on a rocking device 26. The rocking device 26 of the first sieving device 20 and the second sieving device 25 rocks the sieve box 21 in the horizontal direction to sieve the separated metal film or synthetic resin. The rocking device 26 is configured, for example, to convert the rotation of a motor into horizontal rocking by the rotation of a cam member and the operation of a cam follower, and rocks the sieve box 21 mounted on it in the horizontal direction.

[0053] The first sieving device 20, which is equipped with such an oscillating device 26 and a sieving box 21, removes the remaining synthetic resin from the separated metal film by sieving, and the second sieving device 25 separates and removes the metal film by sieving the separated synthetic resin.

[0054] As shown in Figure 7, an embossed plate 24 is provided on the bottom plate of the sieve box 21, and numerous embossed patterns 24a are arranged on the embossed plate 24 parallel to the oscillation direction of the sieve box 21. The sieve box 21 is equipped with an embossed plate 24 that is a rectangle in planar shape with a short side and a long side, and as shown in Figure 7(a), the oscillation direction of the sieve box 21 is in the direction of the short side of the rectangle, that is, the up and down direction in Figure 7(a).

[0055] As shown in Figure 8, the embossed surface 24a gradually deepens from the tip (left end), with the deepest point being the end (right end), where the concave surface rises almost vertically. The shape of the embossed surface 24a can be any shape, such as a circular tip or a triangular tip. The size of the embossed surface 24a is, for example, approximately 3 mm in width on the short side, 6 mm in width on the long side, and 3 mm in depth, large enough to accommodate a crushed and peeled metal film.

[0056] As shown in Figure 7(a), a resin discharge port 23 is provided at one end of one side wall (short side) of the sieve box 21. The resin discharge port 23 is located near one corner of the sieve box 21, and when the sieve box 21 is installed, as shown in Figure 9(b), it is installed at an angle β with respect to the horizontal so that the resin discharge port 23 is at the lowest position. In other words, when the sieve box 21 is installed, the side into which the metal film from the flexible duct 33 is introduced is the left end of Figure 7(a), and when the sieve box 21 is installed, as shown in Figure 9(a), it is installed at an angle α with respect to the horizontal so that this part is at the highest position. As a result, during the sieving operation, residual synthetic resin is discharged through this resin discharge port 23 and sent to a predetermined collection box installed on the outside.

[0057] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 7, numerous metal discharge ports 22 are arranged in a row along one side wall (long side) of the sieve box 21, and a metal recovery trough 22a is provided outside the metal discharge ports 22. When the sieve box 21 is installed, as shown in Figure 9(b), the sieve box 21 is installed at an angle β such that the long side of the metal discharge ports 22 is higher than the opposite long side.

[0058] On the other hand, the inclination of the front side of the sieve box 21 is set such that the side opposite the input (resin discharge port 23 side) is lower, as shown in Figure 9(a). However, since the oscillation direction of the sieve box 21 is in the direction of the shorter side, the metal film on the embossed plate 24 moves towards the side opposite the resin discharge port due to the sieving operation and is discharged from the metal discharge port 22. After that, the remaining metal film enters the metal recovery trough 22a and is sent from the metal recovery trough 22a to a designated collection box or the like.

[0059] Next, a method for separating metal films and resins using the metal film / resin separation apparatus configured as described above will be explained.

[0060] When the separation device is started, a drive motor (not shown) drives the hammer rotor 16 to rotate at a speed of approximately 500 to 750 rpm. Simultaneously, the blower 34 starts up, and the air in the separation chamber 2 is drawn in through the metal recovery box 3 and the flexible duct 33.

[0061] Metal-film coated synthetic resin waste, such as aluminum foil-coated PTP, Ni foil-coated PET sheets or films, Ni vapor-deposited PET sheets or films, and Ni vapor-deposited PE sheets, is introduced into the separation chamber 2 from the waste inlet 8.

[0062] The rotational speed of the hammer rotor 16 in the separation chamber 2 is controlled to be high when the metal-film-coated synthetic resin waste being fed in is large and thick, and low when the synthetic resin waste is thin and small.

[0063] The hammer rotor 16 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1, and the heating of the heater 13 causes the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 of the casing 1 to gradually rise from room temperature. The temperature controller 10 adjusts the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 so that it reaches the peeling temperature. The temperature inside the separation chamber 2 rises not only due to the operation of the heater 13 and the rotation of the hammer rotor 16, but also due to the frictional resistance of the synthetic resin waste inside the separation chamber 2. Inside the separation chamber 2, the temperature rises significantly due to the frictional heat generated by the frictional resistance between the synthetic resin waste and the hammer rotor 16, and the frictional heat generated by the frictional resistance between the synthetic resin waste materials themselves.

[0064] The temperature controller 10 controls the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 to be maintained at a preset peeling temperature, either manually or automatically, based on the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 detected by the temperature sensor 7. If the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 exceeds the peeling temperature, the valve of the sprinkler 6 is opened or closed, and water is sprayed from the sprinkler 6 into the separation chamber 2 to lower the internal temperature.

[0065] The introduced synthetic resin waste is crushed while being agitated by the hammers 19 of the hammer rotor 16. Due to the rotation and agitation of the hammer rotor 16, the crushed synthetic resin waste with metal film gradually rises in temperature to the peeling temperature. At this time, the synthetic resin, which has a thermal expansion coefficient of approximately 2 to 6 times that of the metal film, expands significantly relative to the metal film, and the sealing surface between the metal film and the synthetic resin becomes very easy to peel off. As a result, the crushed and agitated metal film and synthetic resin are easily peeled off and separated. Furthermore, this peeling temperature is also the temperature at which the thermal expansion coefficient of the synthetic resin is at its maximum (the temperature just before the thermoplastic synthetic resin begins to melt), so the synthetic resin expands to its maximum relative to the metal film, and the synthetic resin and metal film are efficiently peeled off.

[0066] Furthermore, in cases such as PTP (Press-Through Packaging), where the metal film and synthetic resin are heat-sealed during manufacturing, the heat-sealing temperature of the metal film and synthetic resin is close to the peeling temperature. This makes the sealed surface even easier to peel, allowing the metal film to efficiently detach from the synthetic resin and separate.

[0067] In this way, the metal film of the synthetic resin waste that is introduced is crushed and stirred, and gradually separated from the synthetic resin. At this time, the temperature of the separation chamber 2 is adjusted by the operation of the temperature controller 10 so as not to exceed the peeling temperature, so that problems such as the synthetic resin melting due to heat and forming a lump do not occur, and the separation of the metal film and synthetic resin proceeds efficiently.

[0068] Furthermore, once the hammer rotor 16 has been rotating for a certain period of time and the separation device has been operating, the frictional heat from the synthetic resin waste will cause the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 to rise above the peeling temperature. In response, the temperature controller 10 will operate and water will be sprayed from the sprinkler 6. This water spraying will lower the temperature inside the separation chamber 2, and the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 will be controlled to approximately the peeling temperature.

[0069] Furthermore, when the humidity inside separation chamber 2 increases due to water spraying, the synthetic resin undergoes humidity expansion, making the synthetic resin film or sheet even more flexible relative to the metal film. In addition, the increase in humidity inside separation chamber 2 prevents the generation of static electricity that tends to occur inside separation chamber 2, thus preventing the metal film and synthetic resin waste from adhering to each other due to static electricity.

[0070] As described above, synthetic resin waste such as PTP, metal-coated synthetic resin sheets, or synthetic resin films that are introduced into the separation chamber 2 from the waste input port 8 are crushed and agitated by the rotation of the hammer rotor 16 in the separation chamber 2, and their temperature rises to the peeling temperature as they are heated by the heater 13, etc. Since this temperature is below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, no clumps of synthetic resin are generated, and the sealing surfaces of the metal film and synthetic resin easily peel off due to the difference in their thermal expansion coefficients, separating the metal film and the synthetic resin.

[0071] At this time, the inside of the separation chamber 2 is being sucked by the blower 34 through the metal recovery box 3. Therefore, the relatively small and light metal film that has been peeled off, crushed, and shrunk by heat easily passes through the perforated plate 3a and enters the metal recovery box 3, while the relatively large and heavy synthetic resin does not pass through the perforated plate 3a and remains in the separation chamber 2. The metal film sucked into the metal recovery box 3 is then sent to the first sieving device 20 through the flexible duct 33. Some small pieces of synthetic resin that have passed through the perforated plate 3a are also sent to the first sieving device 20 along with the metal film.

[0072] After a certain period of time, the hammer rotor 16 rotates, crushing the introduced synthetic resin waste and separating the metal film. At this point, the lifting device 30 operates, and the metal recovery box 3 rises to the position shown in Figure 6. As a result, the perforated plate 3a rises, as shown in Figure 6, and the resin recovery chamber 4 communicates with the separation chamber 2 through the discharge port 9. In this state, the hammer rotor 16 in the separation chamber 2 continues to rotate counterclockwise as shown in Figure 6, and the synthetic resin that is rotating and being agitated in the separation chamber 2 gradually enters the resin recovery chamber 4 through the discharge port 9. The synthetic resin that has entered the resin recovery chamber 4 is carried onto the discharge conveyor 5 at its bottom, and by the operation of the discharge conveyor 5, it is sent from the discharge conveyor 5 through the duct 35 to the second sieving device 25. At this time, the metal film remaining in the separation chamber 2 is also sent to the second sieving device 25 along with the synthetic resin.

[0073] The metal film sent from the metal recovery box 3 through the flexible duct 33 is fed into the sieve box 21 of the first sieving device 20 and subjected to sieving. As shown in Figures 7(a) and 9(b), the sieve box 21 of the first sieving device 20 swings in the direction of its short width, and the metal film fed into the highest position of the sieve box 21 moves toward the metal discharge port 22 side of the sieve box 21 due to the swinging of the embossed plate 24 of the sieve box 21. In other words, the finely compressed metal film moves toward the metal discharge port 22 side due to the embossing 24a of the embossed plate 24, enters the metal recovery trough 22a from the metal discharge port 22, and is recovered into a predetermined container or the like from the end of the metal recovery trough 22a.

[0074] On the other hand, the small pieces of synthetic resin mixed in with the metal film are larger than the metal film and therefore do not enter the embossing 24a. Instead, they move towards the resin discharge port 23 below and are collected from the resin discharge port 23 into a designated container or the like.

[0075] Meanwhile, the synthetic resin that enters the resin recovery chamber 4 and is removed by the discharge conveyor 5 is sent to the second sieving device 25 and subjected to sieving. The synthetic resin that is placed at the highest position in the sieving box 21 of the second sieving device 25 moves toward the resin discharge port 23 below due to the oscillating motion of the sieve, as described above, and is recovered from the resin discharge port 23 into a designated container or the like.

[0076] Meanwhile, the finely shrunken metal film contained therein is moved towards the metal discharge port 22 by the embossing 24a of the embossing plate 24, enters the metal recovery trough 22a from the metal discharge port 22, and is recovered into a designated container or the like from the end of the metal recovery trough 22a. At this time, the separated synthetic resin is also passed through the sieve of the second sieving device 25, from which the metal film is further separated.

[0077] In this way, the separated and recovered metal film is further sent to the first sieving device 20 and sieved to remove the synthetic resin, while the separated and recovered synthetic resin is further sent to the second sieving device 25 and sieved to remove the metal film, thus enabling the separation and recovery of the metal film and synthetic resin with a very high separation rate.

[0078] Figure 10 shows the first sieving device 20A and the second sieving device 25A of other embodiments. The first sieving device 20A and the second sieving device 25A are each configured to have two sieving boxes mounted on the rocking device 26 in two tiers, one above the other, and to sieve the metal film and synthetic resin twice.

[0079] In other words, in the first sieving device 20A, the upper sieving box 21A and the lower sieving box 21B are mounted on top of each other on the oscillating device 26, with their orientations opposite to each other, that is, as shown in Figure 10, the lower sieving box 21B is mounted below the upper sieving box 21A, with its input side on the right and its resin discharge side on the left. In Figure 10, the inclination directions of the upper sieving box 21A and the lower sieving box 21B appear to be opposite, but this is because their orientations are reversed; the inclination, with the input side higher and the resin discharge side lower, is the same for both the upper sieving box 21A and the lower sieving box 21B.

[0080] Furthermore, in the second sieving device 25A, the upper sieving box 21C and the lower sieving box 21D are mounted on the oscillating device 26 with their orientations opposite to each other, that is, as shown in Figure 10, the lower sieving box 21D is below the upper sieving box 21C, with its input side on the left and its resin discharge side on the right. As described above, the incline, with the input side higher and the resin discharge side lower, is the same for both the upper sieving box 21A and the lower sieving box 21B. As a result, after the metal film or synthetic resin is sieved once in the upper sieving box 21A and the upper sieving box 21C to separate the foreign matter, the metal film or synthetic resin is placed in the lower sieving box 21B and the lower sieving box 21D and sieved again to separate the foreign matter with even higher separation performance.

[0081] By using this two-stage sieving device, in the first sieving device 20A, the metal film is first introduced into the upper sieving box 21A and sieved, and then the remaining synthetic resin is introduced into the lower sieving box 21B and sieved again, thereby further improving the separation performance between the metal film and the synthetic resin. Similarly, in the second sieving device 25A, the peeled synthetic resin is first introduced into the upper sieving box 21C and sieved, and then the remaining synthetic resin is introduced into the lower sieving box 21D and sieved again, thereby further improving the separation performance between the metal film and the synthetic resin.

[0082] In this way, the rotation of the hammer rotor 16 crushes the synthetic resin waste in the separation chamber 2, and by heating the inside of the separation chamber 2 to a preset peeling temperature, the synthetic resin expands significantly due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the metal film and the synthetic resin, and the expanded synthetic resin easily peels off and separates from the synthetic resin. Since the peeling temperature is below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, no clumps of synthetic resin are formed, and the metal film is peeled off and separated from the synthetic resin with high separation efficiency.

[0083] Furthermore, the separated metal film is removed from the separation chamber 2 through the perforated plate 3a and then sieved using a sieving device to further separate the remaining synthetic resin from the metal film. The peeled synthetic resin is also sieved using the sieving device to further separate the metal film from the synthetic resin. As a result, the metal film and synthetic resin are separated with higher separation performance (separation rate) and can be efficiently separated and recovered. In addition, water is sprayed inside the separation chamber 2 to suppress the generation of static electricity that tends to occur in synthetic resin waste, eliminating the adhesion between the metal film and synthetic resin due to static electricity and promoting the separation of the metal film and synthetic resin.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the crushed and separated metal film removed from the metal recovery box 3 and the crushed and separated synthetic resin removed from the resin recovery chamber 4 are each subjected to a one-stage or two-stage sieving device to remove foreign matter from the metal film and synthetic resin, respectively. However, depending on the type of metal film and synthetic resin, the sieving device may not be able to be used effectively. For example, if the metal film is a vapor-deposited film, the crushed and separated metal film becomes very thin, lightweight, and fine, making sorting by the sieving device difficult.

[0085] In such cases, the diameter of the holes in the perforated plate 3a provided in the metal recovery box 3 is adjusted according to the outer diameter of the metal film to create a perforated plate 3a with an optimal diameter and mesh size. As shown in Figure 11, when the sieving device is removed and the crushed and separated metal film is sucked into the metal recovery box 3, the device is operated to suck the fine metal film in the separation chamber 2 through the optimal perforated plate 3a with sufficient suction force into the metal recovery box 3 for a reasonably long period of time.

[0086] As a result, the metal film is removed from the duct on the discharge side of the blower 34, and the synthetic resin remaining in the separation chamber 2 is then removed from the discharge side of the discharge conveyor 5. This allows for efficient separation and recovery of the metal film and synthetic resin without the use of a sieving device.

[0087] Figure 12 shows a metal film / resin separation device of yet another embodiment. This separation device is configured to accept synthetic resin waste, such as PTP, with a metal film attached to the surface of the synthetic resin, into a separation chamber 42 in a casing 41, rotate a hammer rotor 56 in the separation chamber 42 to separate and recover the metal film and synthetic resin, and then sift the separated metal film and synthetic resin using a first sieving device 20 and a second sieving device 25 to separate any remaining foreign matter.

[0088] As shown in Figure 12, the casing 41 of the separation device is formed with a rectangular plane and a square base with a roughly octagonal cross-section. The top surface is closed with a metal plate, and a hopper-shaped waste inlet 48 is provided on the top surface for introducing synthetic resin waste. Inside the separation chamber 42 of the casing 41, a hammer rotor 56 is supported with its rotation shaft 57 positioned horizontally, and the hammer rotor 56 is rotated at a predetermined speed by a motor.

[0089] Similar to the example in Figure 3, the hammer rotor 56 has a number of discs 56a mounted on a rotating shaft 57 at predetermined intervals, and four hammers 56b are rotatably supported on the circumference of each disc 56a at 90-degree intervals, with the rotating shaft 57 being rotated by a motor (not shown). The hammers 56b can be plate-shaped plate hammers or rod-shaped rod hammers.

[0090] When using the rod-shaped hammer 56b, for example, when the synthetic resin waste is small, such as PTP, the aluminum foil and synthetic resin can be separated and extracted without excessively crushing the aluminum foil. On the other hand, when the synthetic resin waste is relatively large, such as a nickel foil-attached sheet, it is necessary to crush the synthetic resin sheet, so a bladed plate-shaped hammer 56b is used.

[0091] The hammer rotor 56 has numerous hammers 56b that rotate in response to the rotation of the rotating shaft 57. Basically, the metal film and synthetic resin of the synthetic resin waste separate due to the difference in expansion rates between the metal film and the synthetic resin when the temperature rises. Therefore, the rotation of the numerous hammers 56b moderately agitates the synthetic resin waste in the separation chamber 42, resulting in separation.

[0092] Furthermore, a heater 53 is attached to the underside of the bottom plate of the casing 41 to heat the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 from room temperature to a peeling temperature below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, in cold weather or during startup. In addition to an electric heater, a steam heater may also be used for the heater 53. A temperature controller 50 is provided to adjust the temperature inside the separation chamber 42. The temperature controller 50 adjusts the heater 53 and the sprinkler 46 so that the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 during operation reaches a peeling temperature at which the synthetic resin and metal film of the synthetic resin waste can be separated.

[0093] This peeling temperature is the optimal temperature for separating the metal film from the synthetic resin without creating clumps when the synthetic resin and the metal film attached to it are stirred and crushed in the separation chamber 42. Furthermore, this peeling temperature is below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, and the temperature setting of the temperature controller 50 is set mainly according to the type of metal film and synthetic resin, to the temperature at which the metal film separates from the synthetic resin based on the difference in thermal expansion coefficients.

[0094] For example, in the case of PTP (Press-Through Packaging) using PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and aluminum foil as synthetic resin waste, the peel temperature is approximately 90°C to 110°C. This peel temperature is also close to the heat sealing temperature that occurs on the sealing surface when aluminum foil is placed on top of blister-formed PVC during PTP manufacturing and the aluminum foil and PVC are heat-sealed together.

[0095] Furthermore, in the case of synthetic resin waste in which nickel (Ni) foil is attached to a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheet, or synthetic resin waste in which a Ni vapor-deposited film is deposited on a PET sheet, the peeling temperature is set to approximately 200°C to 250°C. Also, in the case of synthetic resin waste in which a Ni vapor-deposited film is deposited on a PE (polyethylene) sheet, the peeling temperature is set to approximately 100°C to 120°C.

[0096] The appropriate delamination temperature for this type of synthetic resin waste is also the temperature at which the thermal expansion coefficient of the synthetic resin is at its maximum (the temperature just before the thermoplastic synthetic resin begins to melt). This allows the synthetic resin to stretch the most relative to the metal film, resulting in efficient delamination of the synthetic resin and the metal film.

[0097] As the hammer rotor 56 is driven to rotate and the synthetic resin waste introduced into the separation chamber 42 is stirred and crushed, frictional heat is generated due to the frictional resistance between the hammer rotor 56 and the synthetic resin waste, and the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 tends to rise above the peeling temperature. For this reason, when the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 rises above the peeling temperature, a sprinkler 6 is installed at the top of the separation chamber 42 in the casing 41 to spray water in order to lower the temperature inside the separation chamber 42.

[0098] Furthermore, a temperature sensor 47 is installed in the separation chamber 2, and the detection signal from the temperature sensor 47 is input to the input side of the temperature controller 50. The valves of the heater 53 and the sprinkler 46 are connected to the output side of the temperature controller 50. The operation of the temperature controller 50 maintains the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 at the peeling temperature.

[0099] The temperature controller 50 may be a manually operated temperature controller or an automatic temperature controller with a built-in temperature control circuit. In the manual case, the temperature controller 50 is equipped with a display that shows the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 based on the temperature signal sent from the temperature sensor 47, and the operator maintains the peeling temperature by adjusting the power supply to the heater 53 and the valve of the sprinkler 46 while looking at the display. In the automatic case, the temperature control circuit automatically controls the temperature to maintain the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 at the peeling temperature based on the temperature signal sent from the temperature sensor 47.

[0100] If the hammer rotor 56 is driven to rotate continuously for a certain period of time, even after the power to the heater 53 is turned off, the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 is likely to rise above the peeling temperature due to the frictional heat generated by the frictional resistance between the synthetic resin waste and the rotor. In this case, water is sprayed into the separation chamber 42 from the sprinkler 46 to lower its temperature and maintain the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 at the peeling temperature. This prevents the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 from rising excessively and exceeding the peeling temperature, which would cause the synthetic resin waste to clump together or result in poor separation of the metal film and synthetic resin.

[0101] As shown in Figure 12, a resin discharge port 49a is provided on one side wall of the casing 41, and a resin discharge chute 51 is provided outside the resin discharge port 49a. A resin discharge door 44 is also provided at the resin discharge port 49a, and the resin discharge door 44 is opened and closed by the operation of a fluid pressure cylinder 45. During the operation of the separation device, when the synthetic resin waste is crushed and heated to the peeling temperature and the crushed metal film and synthetic resin are separated, the resin discharge door 44 is opened, and the synthetic resin remaining in the separation chamber 42 is removed to the outside through the resin discharge chute 51.

[0102] Meanwhile, the metal film that has been detached from the synthetic resin in the separation chamber 42 and broken down into fine particles is sucked out to the outside through the metal discharge duct 52 from the metal discharge port 49b, which is constantly being sucked in during the operation of the separation device. A screen 43 or a perforated plate is provided at the metal discharge port 49b, so that the synthetic resin remains in the separation chamber 42, and only the detached metal film is sucked out and discharged through the metal discharge duct 52. The mesh size of the screen 43 or perforated plate is set according to the type of metal film and the type of synthetic resin. A blower 59a of the suction device 59 is connected to the metal discharge duct 52 via a flexible duct 54, and the blower 59a sucks in the air inside the separation chamber 42.

[0103] As shown in Figure 12, the suction device 59 has a metal discharge duct 52, a flexible duct 54, and a blower 59a, the blower 59a being connected via the flexible duct 54 and a cyclone separator 58. As a result, the blower 59a of the suction device 59 sends the air containing the metal film, which is drawn in from the separation chamber 42, through the metal discharge duct 52 and the flexible duct 54 to the cyclone separator 58. After the metal film is separated in the cyclone separator 58, the blower 59a exhausts the air to the outside. The metal film separated in the cyclone separator 58 is sent to the sieve box 21 of the second sieving device 25 located below it.

[0104] Meanwhile, below the resin discharge chute 51 at the resin discharge port 49a, the sieve box 21 of the first sieving device 20 is installed. The synthetic resin (synthetic resin from which the metal film has been peeled off and crushed) discharged from the resin discharge chute 51 is sent to the sieve box 21 of the first sieving device 20. The synthetic resin discharged from the resin discharge chute 51 can also be sent to the first sieving device 20 using a means of transport such as a belt conveyor (not shown).

[0105] The first sieving device 20 and the second sieving device 25 shown in Figure 12 are the same sieving devices as the sieving device having a sieving box 21 with the structure shown in Figures 7 and 8 described above. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the first sieving device 20 and the second sieving device 25 are constructed by mounting a shallow, rectangular prism-shaped sieving box 21 on a rocking device 26. The rocking device 26 of the sieving device rocks the sieving box 21 in the horizontal direction to sieve the peeled metal film or synthetic resin. The rocking device 26 is configured, for example, to convert the rotation of a motor into horizontal rocking by the rotation of a cam member and the operation of a cam follower, and rocks the sieving box 21 mounted on it in the horizontal direction.

[0106] The first sieving device 20, equipped with such an oscillating device 26 and a sieving box 21, sieves the extracted synthetic resin to remove any remaining metal film, and the second sieving device 25 sieves the extracted metal film to remove any remaining synthetic resin. The configuration of the sieving box 21 is as shown in Figures 7 and 8, as described above, and its explanation is omitted.

[0107] Next, a method for separating metal films and resins using the metal film / resin separation apparatus configured as described above will be explained.

[0108] Metal-film coated synthetic resin waste (for example, PTP such as aluminum foil-coated PVC) is introduced into the separation chamber 42 from the waste inlet 48.

[0109] In the separation device, a drive motor (not shown) is started, the hammer rotor 56 is driven to rotate, the heater 53 is activated, and the blower 59a is started, and air in the separation chamber 42 is sucked out through the metal outlet 49b. The rotation speed of the hammer rotor 56 in the separation chamber 42 is set to high when the shape and thickness of the metal-film-coated synthetic resin waste introduced is large, and to low when the thickness of the synthetic resin waste is thin. The resin discharge door 44 is closed, and the blower 59a of the suction device 59 performs a suction operation.

[0110] The hammer rotor 56 rotates counterclockwise as shown in Figure 12, and the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 of the casing 41 is heated and controlled by the temperature controller 50 to reach the peeling temperature described above. When the separation device is started, the temperature of the synthetic resin waste inside the separation chamber 42 gradually rises from room temperature as the heater 53 operates and the hammer rotor 56 rotates. The temperature inside the separation chamber 42 rises due to frictional heat generated by the frictional resistance between the synthetic resin waste and the hammer rotor 56, and frictional heat generated by the frictional resistance between the synthetic resin wastes themselves.

[0111] The temperature controller 50 operates manually or automatically to maintain the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 at a preset peeling temperature. If the temperature inside the separation chamber 42, as detected by the temperature sensor 47, exceeds the set peeling temperature, the valve of the sprinkler 46 is opened or closed to adjust the temperature, and water is sprayed from the sprinkler 46 into the separation chamber 42 to lower the internal temperature.

[0112] The introduced synthetic resin waste is agitated by the hammers 56b of the hammer rotor 56, crushed to a suitable degree, and its temperature rises. At this time, the agitated and crushed synthetic resin waste with metal film rises in temperature to the peeling temperature due to frictional heat and the heater 53. The synthetic resin, which has a thermal expansion coefficient of approximately 2 to 6 times that of the metal film, expands significantly relative to the metal film, and the sealing surface between the metal film and the synthetic resin easily peels off, separating the crushed metal film from the synthetic resin. Furthermore, this peeling temperature is also the temperature at which the thermal expansion coefficient of the synthetic resin is at its maximum (the temperature just before the thermoplastic synthetic resin begins to melt), so the synthetic resin expands to its maximum relative to the metal film, and the synthetic resin and metal film are efficiently separated.

[0113] Furthermore, in cases such as PTP (Press-Through Packaging), where the metal film and synthetic resin are heat-sealed during manufacturing, the heat-sealing temperature of the metal film and synthetic resin is close to the peeling temperature. This makes the sealed surface easier to peel, allowing the metal film to efficiently detach from the synthetic resin and separate.

[0114] In this way, the metal film of the synthetic resin waste that is introduced is gradually separated from the synthetic resin as it is stirred and crushed. At this time, the temperature of the separation chamber 42 is adjusted by the operation of the temperature controller 50 so as not to exceed the peeling temperature, so problems such as the synthetic resin melting and forming a lump due to heat do not occur, and the separation of the metal film and synthetic resin proceeds efficiently.

[0115] Furthermore, once the hammer rotor 56 has been rotating for a certain period of time and the separation device is in operation, the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 rises due to the frictional heat generated by the synthetic resin waste. Consequently, the temperature controller 50 activates, water is sprayed from the sprinkler 46, and the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 is controlled to the set peeling temperature. At this time, as the humidity inside the separation chamber 42 increases due to the water spraying, the synthetic resin undergoes humidity expansion, making the synthetic resin film or sheet more pliable against the metal film, thus accelerating the peeling process.

[0116] The metal film detached from the synthetic resin is sucked out by the blower 59a, passes through the metal outlet 49b and screen 43, and is removed from the separation chamber 42 via the metal outlet 52 and flexible duct 54, and enters the cyclone separator 58. The metal film removed by suction from the separation chamber 42 is separated from the airflow in the cyclone separator 58, placed in the sieve box 21 of the second sieving device 58, and sieved to remove residual synthetic resin from the metal film.

[0117] After the separation device has been operated for a predetermined time and the separation of the metal film from the synthetic resin is complete, the resin discharge door 44 is opened, and in this state, the hammer rotor 56 is driven to rotate at a low speed, and the synthetic resin remaining in the separation chamber 42 is removed from the resin discharge port 49a through the resin discharge chute 51. The synthetic resin removed from the resin discharge chute 51 is sent to the sieve box 21 of the first sieving device 20, where it is sieved and any remaining metal film in the synthetic resin is removed. Although not shown in the diagram, the synthetic resin sieved in the first sieving device 20 can be transported to another location via a duct using air transport or the like, and then transported in a flexible container or the like.

[0118] In this way, the rotation of the hammer rotor 56 agitates and crushes the synthetic resin waste in the separation chamber 42, and by heating the inside of the separation chamber 42 to a preset peeling temperature, the synthetic resin expands significantly due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the metal film and the synthetic resin, and the expanded synthetic resin easily peels off and separates from the synthetic resin. Since the peeling temperature is below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, no clumps of synthetic resin are formed, and the metal film is peeled off and separated from the synthetic resin with high separation efficiency.

[0119] The separated metal film is removed from the separation chamber 42 through the screen 43 and then sieved in the second sieving device 25 to further separate the remaining synthetic resin from the metal film. The peeled synthetic resin is also sieved in the first sieving device 20 to further separate the metal film from the synthetic resin. As a result, the metal film and synthetic resin can be separated with higher separation performance (separation rate) and efficiently separated and recovered. In addition, water is sprayed inside the separation chamber 42 to suppress the generation of static electricity that tends to occur in synthetic resin waste, eliminating the adhesion between the metal film and synthetic resin due to static electricity and promoting the separation of the metal film and synthetic resin. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 1 Casing 2 Separation room 3. Metal recycling box 3a perforated plate 4. Resin Recovery Room 5. Discharge conveyor 6. Sprinkler 7. Temperature sensor 8 Waste input port 9 Outlet 10 Temperature controller 11 Bottom plate 12 corrugated bottom plate 13 Heater 16 Hammer rotor 17 Rotation axis 18 discs 19 Hammer 20 First sieve device 20A 1st sieve device 21 Sieve box 21A Upper sieve box 21B Lower sieve box 21C Upper sieve box 21D Lower sieve box 22 Metal outlet 22a Metal recovery trough 23 Resin discharge port 24 Embossed plates 24a Embossed 25 Second sieve device 25A 2nd sieve device 26. Oscillating device 30 Lifting device 31 Fluid pressure cylinder 32 Piston Rods 33 Flexible duct 34 Blower 35 duct

Claims

1. In a metal film / resin separation apparatus, synthetic resin waste with a metal film attached to it is introduced into a separation chamber within a casing, the synthetic resin waste is crushed in the separation chamber, and the metal film and synthetic resin are separated and recovered. A heater attached to the casing to heat the temperature of the separation chamber, A sprinkler for spraying water into the separation chamber, A hammer rotor is provided, in which a disc is fixed in the transverse direction of the shaft to a rotating shaft that is rotatably supported within the separation chamber, and a plurality of hammers are pivotally supported on the disc so as to be rotatable. A discharge port is provided on the side wall of the casing for discharging the crushed synthetic resin waste from the separation chamber, A resin recovery chamber is provided outside the discharge port, A metal recovery box is provided within the resin recovery chamber so as to be movable up and down, and recovers the metal film that has been peeled off from the synthetic resin from the separation chamber through a perforated plate, A lifting device for raising the metal collection box from the resin collection chamber to the outside, A discharge conveyor is provided at the bottom of the resin recovery chamber for discharging the synthetic resin after the metal film has been removed, A temperature controller that adjusts the heater and the amount of water sprayed by the sprinkler to adjust the temperature inside the separation chamber to a peeling temperature that is higher than room temperature and below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, thereby separating the synthetic resin from the metal film. A metal film / resin separation apparatus characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. A first sieving device for separating the remaining synthetic resin from the metal film by sieving the peeled metal film removed from the metal recovery box, The metal film / resin separation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second sieving device for sieving the peeled synthetic resin removed through the discharge conveyor to separate the remaining metal film from the peeled synthetic resin.

3. The metal film / resin separation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first sieving device has an upper sieving box and a lower sieving box arranged in two stages, upper and lower, and the metal film is first put into the upper sieving box and the metal film is sieved, and then the remaining synthetic resin is put into the lower sieving box and sieved again.

4. The metal film / resin separation apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the second sieving device has an upper sieving box and a lower sieving box arranged in two stages, upper and lower, and the peeled synthetic resin is first put into the upper sieving box and sieved, and then the remaining synthetic resin is put into the lower sieving box and sieved again.

5. A metal film / resin separation method using the metal film / resin separation apparatus described in claim 1, wherein synthetic resin waste with the metal film attached to the synthetic resin is introduced into the separation chamber in the casing, and the hammer rotor is rotated in the separation chamber to separate and recover the metal film and the synthetic resin, The process involves rotating the hammer rotor while raising the temperature in the separation chamber from room temperature to a temperature below the melting point of the synthetic resin and a peeling temperature at which the metal film and the synthetic resin separate, thereby crushing the synthetic resin waste in the separation chamber. A method for separating a metal film from a resin, characterized by comprising the step of spraying water into the separation chamber from the sprinkler to maintain the temperature inside the separation chamber at the peeling temperature, thereby peeling the metal film from the synthetic resin.

6. The steps include removing the metal film, which has been peeled off and crushed from the synthetic resin, by suction from the separation chamber through the perforated plate or screen, The metal film / resin separation method according to claim 5, characterized by comprising the step of removing the synthetic resin that has been crushed and remains in the separation chamber from the separation chamber.

7. The metal film removed from the separation chamber is placed into a first sieving device, and the metal film is sieved to separate the remaining synthetic resin in the metal film. The metal film / resin separation method according to claim 6, characterized by comprising the steps of: removing the synthetic resin from which the metal film has been peeled off and crushed; putting the synthetic resin into a second sieving device; sieving the synthetic resin; and separating the remaining metal film from the synthetic resin.

8. The metal film / resin separation method according to claim 7, characterized in that the metal film is placed in the sieve box of the first sieving device and sieved, the remaining synthetic resin is again placed in another sieve box and sieved, the peeled synthetic resin is placed in the sieve box of the second sieving device and the peeled synthetic resin is sieved, and the remaining synthetic resin is again placed in another sieve box and sieved.

Images