Metal film / resin separation method, and separation device therefor

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

Metal film / resin separation method and separation device

[0001] The present invention relates to a metal film / resin separation method and separation device for crushing synthetic resin waste with a metal film, such as aluminum foil-containing PTPs, packaging containers, CDs, DVDs, etc., and separating and recovering the metal film and synthetic resin. Note that in this specification, metal film refers to metal films including various metal foils such as aluminum foil and nickel foil, vapor-deposited films of various metals, and metal coating layers formed by metal spraying.

[0002] In recent years, packaging containers including PTPs used for packaging capsules and tablets, and aluminum foil packaging containers for packaging foodstuffs, etc. have been produced in extremely large quantities, and almost all of them are discarded after use.

[0003] Currently, such packaging containers containing aluminum foil, such as PTPs, are difficult to recycle because it is difficult to separate the aluminum foil from the synthetic resin, and most of them are landfilled as general waste or incinerated.

[0004] However, the incineration of packaging waste, such as PTPs containing aluminum foil, runs counter to social trends toward achieving a carbon-neutral, decarbonized society and limiting carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, since synthetic resins such as PVC are also incinerated, there are concerns about the release of toxic gases, and aluminum foil tends to remain unburned, so there has been a desire to establish recycling technology that can separate and recover the aluminum foil and synthetic resin.

[0005] Therefore, the present inventor proposed an aluminum foil / resin separation method in Patent Document 1 below, in which waste materials containing aluminum foil, such as PTPs, packaging containers, CDs, and DVDs, are crushed to separate and recover the aluminum foil and synthetic resin.

[0006] Patent No. 5506501

[0007] In this aluminum foil / resin separation method, hot air is blown into the separation chamber, heating the temperature inside the chamber to the appropriate temperature while rotating a rotor with blades to crush the synthetic resin waste with aluminum foil attached, separating the aluminum foil from the synthetic resin. The crushed and separated aluminum foil is sent to the aluminum recovery chamber through the perforated bottom plate below 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, where the aluminum foil and synthetic resin are separated and recovered.

[0008] This aluminum foil / resin separation method can separate the aluminum foil from the synthetic resin while crushing the aluminum foil-attached synthetic resin waste by maintaining the temperature inside the separation chamber at an appropriate separation temperature during the separation process.

[0009] However, as the bladed rotor rotates, friction between the rotor and the synthetic resin waste, and between the synthetic resin waste itself, generates heat due to frictional resistance. This frictional heat can easily cause the temperature inside the separation chamber to rise above the appropriate temperature. In particular, when a large amount of synthetic resin waste is input, the temperature inside the separation chamber can rise excessively. As a result, the synthetic resin melts inside the separation chamber, forming clumps of synthetic resin waste, making it difficult to separate. This reduces the ability to separate the aluminum foil and synthetic resin, and reduces the separation and recovery efficiency.

[0010] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a metal film / resin separation method and separation device that can efficiently separate and recover metal films and synthetic resins from synthetic resin waste with metal films such as metal foils and metal vapor deposition films with higher separation performance.

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

[0012] The above-mentioned peeling temperature is a temperature below the melting point of the synthetic resin in synthetic resin waste with a metal film, at which the synthetic resin and the metal film peel off mainly due to the difference in their expansion coefficients (thermal expansion coefficient, linear expansion coefficient), and is set depending on 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, placed in the separation chamber is agitated and crushed by the rotation of the hammer rotor. During this process, the temperature of the metal film and synthetic resin of the synthetic resin waste rises from room temperature to a peeling temperature below the melting point of the synthetic resin due to the heat generated by the external heating means, the friction between the hammer rotor and the synthetic resin waste, or the friction between the synthetic resin waste itself.

[0014] During this temperature rise, the synthetic resin, which has a thermal expansion coefficient about two to six times higher than that of the metal film (linear expansion coefficient), expands significantly relative to the metal film due to the difference between its thermal expansion coefficient and that of the metal film, causing the metal film to peel off and separate from the synthetic resin in the waste as it is being crushed.

[0015] Furthermore, for example, when a metal film and a synthetic resin are heat-sealed during manufacturing, the heat-sealing temperature between the metal film and the synthetic resin is close to the peeling temperature, making the sealed surfaces more likely to peel off, and as the film is crushed, the metal film is efficiently peeled off and separated from the synthetic resin.

[0016] Furthermore, the humidity increases when water is sprayed into the separation chamber, and the synthetic resin expands more with humidity than the metal film, which also makes it easier and more efficient for the synthetic resin and metal film to separate.

[0017] Furthermore, because the separation temperature is below the melting point of the synthetic resin, no clumps form in the synthetic resin in the separation chamber, and the metal film is easily separated from the synthetic resin with high separation ability. Furthermore, by spraying water in the separation chamber, static electricity, which tends to occur in synthetic resin waste, is suppressed, eliminating adhesion between the metal film and the synthetic resin due to static electricity and facilitating separation of the metal film and the synthetic resin.

[0018] Here, in the above-mentioned metal film / resin separation method, it is preferable that the metal film peeled off from the synthetic resin is first removed from the separation chamber by suction through a perforated plate (screen), and then the remaining synthetic resin that has been crushed in the separation chamber is removed from the separation chamber.

[0019] As a result, the crushed and peeled pieces of metal film are removed from the separation chamber through the perforated plate, while the relatively large pieces of synthetic resin remain in the separation chamber, allowing the metal film and synthetic resin to be efficiently separated and removed.

[0020] Here, the metal film removed from the separation chamber through the perforated plate is placed in a first sieving device, where the metal film is sieved to separate the remaining synthetic resin in the metal film, and the peeled synthetic resin from which the metal film has been peeled is removed from the separation chamber and placed in a second sieving device, where the peeled synthetic resin is sieved to separate the remaining metal film from the peeled synthetic resin.

[0021] As a result, the remaining synthetic resin fragments are sieved and separated from the metal film fragments, and the peeled synthetic resin is also sieved to further separate the metal film fragments from the synthetic resin. As a result, the metal film and synthetic resin can be separated and recovered efficiently with higher separation performance (separation rate).

[0022] In addition, the metal film may be introduced into a sieve box of the first sieving device to sieve the metal film, and then the remaining synthetic resin may be introduced into another sieve box to sieve the remaining synthetic resin again. In this way, the metal film and other materials that remain on top of the remaining synthetic resin in the first sieving step and cannot be separated from the synthetic resin in the second sieving step can be further separated from the synthetic resin.

[0023] In the metal film / resin separation method, the peeled synthetic resin may be introduced into a sieve box of the second sieving device to sieve the peeled synthetic resin, and then the remaining synthetic resin may be introduced into another sieve box to sieve it again. In this way, metal films and other materials that remain on the remaining synthetic resin in the first sieving step and cannot be separated can be further separated from the synthetic resin in the second sieving.

[0024] On the other hand, the metal film / resin separation device of the present invention is a metal film / resin separation device that introduces synthetic resin waste, which is synthetic resin with a metal film attached thereto, into a separation chamber within a casing, crushes the synthetic resin waste within the separation chamber, and separates and recovers the metal film and synthetic resin, and comprises: a heater attached to the casing for heating the temperature of the separation chamber; a sprinkler for spraying water within the separation chamber; a hammer rotor having a disk fixed to a rotating shaft that is rotatably supported within the separation chamber in a transverse direction of the shaft, and a plurality of hammers rotatably supported on the disk; a discharge port provided on a side wall of the casing for discharging the crushed synthetic resin waste from the separation chamber; a resin recovery chamber provided outside the discharge port; a metal recovery box that is provided in the resin recovery chamber so as to be able to rise and fall and that recovers the metal film peeled off from the synthetic resin from the separation chamber through a perforated plate; and a lifting device for lifting the metal recovery box from the resin recovery chamber to the outside of the chamber. The separation chamber is characterized by comprising: a discharge conveyor provided at the bottom of the resin recovery chamber for discharging the separated synthetic resin after the metal film has been peeled off; and a temperature regulator 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 lower than the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, at which the synthetic resin and the metal film are peeled off.

[0025] According to the metal film / resin separation device of this invention, the metal film / resin separation action described above makes it possible to efficiently separate and recover metal film and synthetic resin from synthetic resin waste with metal film such as metal foil or metal vapor deposition film with higher separation performance.

[0026] Here, the metal film / resin separation device may be configured to include a first sieve device that sieves the peeled metal film removed into the metal recovery box to separate any remaining synthetic resin in the metal film, and a second sieve device that sieves the peeled synthetic resin discharged by the discharge conveyor to separate any remaining metal film from the peeled synthetic resin.

[0027] In the metal film / resin separation device, the first sieve device may be configured to have an upper sieve box and a lower sieve box arranged in two stages, one above the other, and after the metal film is once placed in the upper sieve box and sieved, the remaining synthetic resin is placed in the lower sieve box and sieved again. In this way, the metal film and other materials that were placed on the remaining synthetic resin in the first sieve and could not be separated can be further separated from the synthetic resin in the second sieve.

[0028] In the metal film / resin separation device, the second sieve device may be configured to have an upper sieve box and a lower sieve box arranged in two stages, one above the other, and the peeled synthetic resin is first introduced into the upper sieve box and sieved therethrough, and then the remaining synthetic resin is introduced into the lower sieve box and sieved again. In this way, metal films and other materials that were not separated from the remaining synthetic resin in the first sieve can be further separated from the synthetic resin in the second sieve.

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

[0030] 1 is a front view with a partial cross section of a metal film / resin separation device showing one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a right side view of the same metal film / resin separation device; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction of the hammer rotor; FIG. 4 is a left side view of the metal recovery box, and FIG. 5 is a front view with a partial cross section of the metal recovery box; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the hammer rotor in a direction transverse to the axis; FIG. 7 is a front view with a partial cross section when the metal recovery box is raised; FIG. 8 is a plan view of the sieve box, (b) a front view of the sieve box, and (c) a right side view of the sieve box; FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged plan view of an embossed plate of the sieve box, and (b) a central cross-sectional view thereof; FIG. 10 is a front view showing the inclined state of the sieve box when installed, and (b) a right side view of the sieve box; FIG. 11 is a front view of a first sieve device and a second sieve device of another embodiment; FIG. 12 is a front view with a partial cross section of a metal film / resin separation device of yet another embodiment; FIG. 13 is a front view with a partial cross section of a metal film / resin separation device of yet another embodiment;

[0031] An embodiment of the present invention will now 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 generally configured such that synthetic resin waste, such as PTPs, metallized films, or metallized sheets, having a metal film attached to their surfaces, is introduced into a separation chamber 2 within a casing 1, a hammer rotor 16 is rotated within the separation chamber 2 to separate and recover the metal film and synthetic resin, and a first sieving device 20 and a second sieving device 25 are used to sieve the separated metal film and synthetic resin, respectively, to separate any remaining foreign matter.

[0032] 1 and 2, the casing 1 of the separation device is rectangular in plan view and box-shaped with a semi-cylindrical bottom. The top is closed with a metal plate, and the bottom plate 11 has a semi-cylindrical circumferential surface. A hopper-shaped waste inlet 8 is provided on the top of the casing 1 for introducing synthetic resin waste. Within the separation chamber 2 in the casing 1, a hammer rotor 16 is supported with its rotation shaft 17 positioned horizontally and is rotated at a predetermined speed by a motor.

[0033] 5, a corrugated bottom plate 12 is provided on the bottom plate 11 inside the casing 1. The corrugated bottom plate 12 has a wave direction that corresponds to the rotation direction of the hammers 19 of the hammer rotor 16, and the hammers 19 pass directly above the corrugated bottom plate 12 in the circumferential direction, so as to efficiently crush synthetic resin waste.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the hammer rotor 16 has a number of disks 18 attached at regular intervals to a rotating shaft 17, and four hammers 19 rotatably supported on each disk 18 at 90-degree intervals on the circumference, with the rotating shaft 17 being driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). Depending on the type of synthetic resin waste, a bladed hammer with a blade on the edge, a flat hammer without a blade, or a rod-shaped hammer is used as the hammer 19. For example, in the case of relatively large sheet-like waste made of a sheet with aluminum foil or nickel foil attached thereto, a bladed hammer is used to finely crush the waste.

[0035] The synthetic resin waste is crushed while being stirred by the rotation of the hammers 19. The hammer rotor 16 is driven by the rotation of the rotary shaft 7, and the numerous hammers 19 rotate, and with the action of the corrugated bottom plate 12 also added, the synthetic resin waste, which is prevented from sliding at the bottom and rotating, 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 at start-up, it heats the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 from room temperature to a stripping temperature below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin. The heater 13 may be an electric heater or a steam heater. A temperature regulator 10 is provided to regulate the temperature inside the separation chamber 2. The temperature regulator 10 regulates the heater 13 and the water sprinkler 6 so that the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 during operation reaches a stripping temperature at which the synthetic resin and metal film of the synthetic resin waste can be stripped.

[0037] This peeling temperature is the temperature at which the synthetic resin and the metal film adhering thereto are peeled off due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between them when they are stirred and crushed in the separation chamber 2, and is also the temperature at which they peel off without forming lumps. This peeling temperature is below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, and is set depending on the synthetic resin waste at a temperature at which the metal film peels off from the synthetic resin.

[0038] For example, when the synthetic resin waste is a PTP made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and aluminum foil, the peeling temperature is approximately 90° C. to 110° C. This peeling temperature is also close to the heat-sealing temperature that occurs on the sealing surface when aluminum foil is placed over blister-molded PVC and the aluminum foil and PVC are heat-sealed and pressure-bonded during the production of the PTP.

[0039] For example, in the case of synthetic resin waste in which Ni (nickel) foil is attached to a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheet, or in which a Ni vapor-deposited film is vapor-deposited on a PET sheet, the peeling temperature is set to about 200°C to about 250°C. For example, in the case of synthetic resin waste in which a Ni vapor-deposited film is vapor-deposited on a PE (polyethylene) sheet, the peeling temperature is set to about 100°C to about 120°C. The peeling temperature appropriate for these synthetic resins 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), and the synthetic resin stretches to its maximum relative to the metal film, allowing the synthetic resin and the metal film to be efficiently peeled off.

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

[0041] Furthermore, a temperature sensor 7 is attached to the top of the separation chamber 2, and a detection signal from the temperature sensor 7 is input to the input side of a temperature regulator 10. A heater 13 and a valve for the water sprinkler 6 are connected to the output side of the temperature regulator 10. By operating the temperature regulator 10, the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 is maintained at the above-mentioned peeling temperature.

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

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

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

[0045] During operation of the separation device, the synthetic resin waste is crushed and heated to a peeling temperature, and the crushed metal film and synthetic resin are separated. Then, the air in the separation chamber 2 is sucked through the perforated plate 3a into the metal recovery box 3. As a result, the metal film in the separation chamber 2 passes from the separation chamber 2 through the perforated plate 3 and enters 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 the discharge conveyor 5 provided at the bottom of the resin recovery chamber 4.

[0046] For this purpose, after the metal film has been sucked, 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 outlet 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 disposed horizontally at the bottom of the resin recovery chamber 4, and collects the peeled synthetic resin after the metal film has been separated, 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 transport conveyors of other structures 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 FIG. 4 , the metal recovery box 3 has an opening on the discharge port 9 side, and a perforated metal or mesh-like perforated plate 3a with multiple holes is attached to cover the opening. The perforated plate 3a may be a mesh screen. The size of the holes in the perforated plate 3a is appropriately set based on the type of metal film and the type of synthetic resin so that only the metal film passes through the perforated plate 3a and not the synthetic resin. The top of the metal recovery box 3 has a gently pointed shape that protrudes upward from the top of the resin recovery chamber 4, and a flexible duct 33 is connected to the tip of the pointed tip.

[0048] 1, a blower 34 is connected to the flexible duct 33, and the suction of the blower 34 transports the metal film in the separation chamber 2 through the metal recovery box 3 and to the first sieve device 20 (described later) via the flexible duct 33. The perforated plate 3a in the metal recovery box 3 has a mesh size that allows the crushed and peeled metal film to pass through but not the synthetic resin. As a result, during operation of the separation device, the crushed and separated metal film is sucked into the metal recovery box 3, and the peeled synthetic resin remains in the separation chamber 2 and is finally introduced into the resin recovery chamber 4 and discharged from the discharge conveyor 5.

[0049] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, an elevator 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 elevator device 30 from a lower end position in Figure 1 to an upper end position in Figure 6. At the lower 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 upper end position in Figure 6, the metal recovery box 3 stops with its bottom inserted into the upper part of the resin recovery chamber 4.

[0050] 6, when the separation and recovery of the metal film is nearly complete and the metal recovery box 3 is in the raised position, the resin recovery chamber 4 communicates with the inside of the separation chamber 2 through the discharge port 9, and as the hammer rotor 16 rotates, the synthetic resin in the separation chamber 2 is sent into the resin recovery chamber 4 and then 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 through the duct 35 to the second sieve device 25.

[0051] The lifting device 30 for the metal collection box 3 has two fluid pressure cylinders 31 attached facing upward, with the top of the metal collection box 3 connected to the tip of their piston rods 32, and lifts and lowers the metal collection box 3 with a specified 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 sieve device 20, which removes foreign matter from the separated metal film, and the second sieve device 25, which removes foreign matter from the separated synthetic resin, use sieve boxes 21 of the same structure, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the first sieve device 20 and the second sieve device 25 are configured by mounting a shallow rectangular sieve box 21 on a rocking device 26. The rocking device 26 of the first sieve device 20 and the second sieve device 25 rocks the sieve box 21 horizontally to sieve the peeled metal film or synthetic resin. The rocking device 26 is configured to convert the rotation of a motor into horizontal rocking, for example, by the rotation of a cam member and the operation of a cam follower, and rocks the sieve box 21 mounted thereon horizontally.

[0053] The first sieving device 20 equipped with such a rocking device 26 and sieve box 21 sieves and removes the remaining synthetic resin from the separated metal film, and the second sieving device 25 sieves and removes the metal film from the separated synthetic resin.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 7, an embossed plate 24 is provided on the bottom plate of the sieve box 21, and a number of embossments 24a are arranged on the embossed plate 24 parallel to the swing direction of the sieve box 21. The sieve box 21 is provided with the embossed plate 24 which is rectangular in plan view and has short and long sides, and as shown in Fig. 7(a), the swing direction of the sieve box 21 is the direction of the short side of the rectangle, i.e., the up-and-down direction in Fig. 7(a).

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

[0056] As shown in FIG. 7( a), a resin outlet 23 is provided at one end of one side wall (short side) of the sieve box 21. The resin outlet 23 is provided near one corner of the sieve box 21. When the sieve box 21 is installed, the sieve box 21 is tilted at an angle β with respect to the horizontal so that the resin outlet 23 is at its lowest position, as shown in FIG. 9( b). That is, when the sieve box 21 is installed, the side into which the metal film is introduced from the flexible duct 33 is the left end in FIG. 7( a). When the sieve box 21 is installed, the sieve box 21 is tilted at an angle α with respect to the horizontal so that this part is at its highest position, as shown in FIG. 9( a). As a result, residual synthetic resin is discharged through the resin outlet 23 during sieving and sent to a designated collection box installed outside.

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

[0058] 9(a), the inclination of the front side of the sieve box 21 is set so that the side opposite the input side (the side facing the resin outlet 23) is lower. However, since the sieve box 21 swings in the short direction, the metal film on the embossed plate 24 moves toward the side opposite the resin outlet due to the swinging motion and is discharged from the metal outlet 22. The remaining metal film then enters the metal recovery trough 22a and is sent from the metal recovery trough 22a to a designated recovery box or the like.

[0059] Next, a method for separating metal film and resin using the metal film and resin separating apparatus having the above configuration will be described.

[0060] When the separation device is started, the hammer rotor 16 is driven to rotate at a speed of approximately 500 to 750 rpm by the drive motor (not shown). At the same time, the blower 34 is started, and the air in the separation chamber 2 is sucked through the metal collection box 3 and flexible duct 33 by the action of the blower 34.

[0061] Synthetic resin waste with a metal film, such as PTP with aluminum foil, PET sheet or film with Ni foil, PET sheet or film with Ni vapor-deposited film, and PE sheet with Ni vapor-deposited film, is fed into the separation chamber 2 through the waste inlet 8.

[0062] The rotation speed of the hammer rotor 16 in the separation chamber 2 is controlled to be high if the synthetic resin waste with a metal film that is fed in is large and thick, and to be low if the synthetic resin waste is thin and small.

[0063] 1, the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 of the casing 1 gradually rises from room temperature due to heating by the heater 13, and the temperature regulator 10 adjusts the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 so that the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 reaches the stripping temperature. The temperature inside the separation chamber 2 also rises due to the operation of the heater 13 and the rotation of the hammer rotor 16, as a result of 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 caused by the frictional resistance between the synthetic resin waste and the hammer rotor 16, and the frictional heat caused by the frictional resistance between the synthetic resin waste particles themselves.

[0064] The temperature controller 10 manually or automatically controls the temperature in the separation chamber 2 based on the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 detected by the temperature sensor 7 so that the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 is maintained at a preset peeling temperature, and 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 synthetic resin waste material is crushed while being agitated by the hammers 19 of the hammer rotor 16. As the hammer rotor 16 rotates and agitates, the temperature of the crushed synthetic resin waste material with the metal film gradually rises to the peeling temperature. At this time, the synthetic resin, which has a thermal expansion coefficient approximately two to six times that of the metal film, expands significantly relative to the metal film, making the sealing surface between the metal film and the synthetic resin very easy to peel. Therefore, the crushed and agitated metal film and synthetic resin are easily peeled and separated. The peeling temperature at this time is also the temperature at which the thermal expansion coefficient of the synthetic resin is at its maximum (the temperature just before thermoplastic synthetic resin begins to melt), causing the synthetic resin to expand most relative to the metal film, efficiently separating the synthetic resin from the metal film.

[0066] Furthermore, for example, in the case of a PTP, in which the metal film and synthetic resin are heat-sealed during production, the heat-sealing temperature between the metal film and synthetic resin is close to the peeling temperature, so the sealed surfaces peel even more easily, and the metal film is efficiently peeled off and separated from the synthetic resin.

[0067] In this way, the metal film of the synthetic resin waste that has been put in is crushed and agitated, 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 regulator 10 so as not to exceed the peeling temperature, so that the synthetic resin does not melt due to heat and become a mass, and separation of the metal film and synthetic resin proceeds efficiently.

[0068] Furthermore, when the hammer rotor 16 continues to rotate and the separation device continues to operate for a certain period of time, the frictional heat of the synthetic resin waste causes the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 to rise above the peeling temperature, and accordingly, the temperature regulator 10 operates to spray water from the sprinkler 6, which lowers the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 and controls the temperature inside the separation chamber 2 to approximately the peeling temperature.

[0069] Furthermore, if the humidity inside the separation chamber 2 increases due to the water spraying, the synthetic resin will expand due to humidity, making the synthetic resin film or sheet more likely to stretch relative to the metal film. Furthermore, the increase in humidity inside the separation chamber 2 prevents static electricity, which tends to occur inside the separation chamber 2, and prevents the metal film and synthetic resin waste from sticking together due to static electricity.

[0070] As described above, synthetic resin waste such as PTPs, metal-film-coated synthetic resin sheets or films introduced into the separation chamber 2 through the waste inlet 8 is agitated and crushed by the rotation of the hammer rotor 16 in the separation chamber 2, and is heated by the heater 13, etc., until its temperature rises to the peeling temperature. Because this temperature is below the melting point of the synthetic resin, no clumps of synthetic resin are formed, and the sealing surfaces of the metal film and synthetic resin are easily peeled off due to the difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of the two, and the metal film and synthetic resin are separated.

[0071] At this time, the separation chamber 2 is being suctioned by the blower 34 through the metal recovery box 3, so that the relatively small and light metal film that has peeled off, been 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 sieve 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 sieve device 20 together with the metal film.

[0072] The hammer rotor 16 rotates for a certain period of time, crushing the introduced synthetic resin waste until the metal film is peeled off and separated. At this point, the lifting device 30 operates, and the metal recovery box 3 rises to the position shown in FIG. 6. As a result, the perforated plate 3a rises, as shown in FIG. 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 in FIG. 6, and the synthetic resin being rotated and stirred in the separation chamber 2 gradually passes from the separation chamber 2 through the discharge port 9 and enters the resin recovery chamber 4. The synthetic resin that has entered the resin recovery chamber 4 is placed on the discharge conveyor 5 at its bottom, and is sent from the discharge conveyor 5 through the duct 35 to the second sieve device 25 by the operation of the discharge conveyor 5. At this time, the metal film remaining in the separation chamber 2 is also sent to the second sieve device 25 together with the synthetic resin.

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

[0074] On the other hand, the small pieces of synthetic resin mixed in the metal film are larger than the metal film, so they do not enter the embossment 24a but move downward toward the resin discharge outlet 23, from which they are collected in a designated container or the like.

[0075] Meanwhile, the synthetic resin that has entered the resin recovery chamber 4 and been removed by the discharge conveyor 5 is sent to the second sieve device 25 and sieved. The synthetic resin that has been placed at the highest position in the sieve box 21 of the second sieve device 25 is moved downward by the swinging action of the sieve toward the resin discharge outlet 23, and is collected from the resin discharge outlet 23 into a predetermined container or the like, as described above.

[0076] Meanwhile, the finely shrunk metal film contained therein is moved by the embossments 24a of the embossing plate 24 toward the metal discharge port 22, enters the metal recovery trough 22a from the metal discharge port 22, and is recovered from the end of the metal recovery trough 22a into a predetermined container, etc. At this time, the separated synthetic resin is also sieved by the second sieve device 25, and the metal film is further separated from there.

[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 therein, while the separated and recovered synthetic resin is further sent to the second sieving device 25 and sieved to remove the metal film therein, so that the metal film and synthetic resin can be separated and recovered with a very high separation rate.

[0078] 10 shows a first sieve device 20A and a second sieve device 25A according to another embodiment. Each of the first sieve device 20A and the second sieve device 25A has two sieve boxes arranged in two tiers, one above the other, mounted on a rocking device 26, and is configured to sieve the metal film and synthetic resin twice.

[0079] That is, in the first sieve device 20A, the upper sieve box 21A and the lower sieve box 21B are arranged in opposite directions, i.e., as shown in Fig. 10, the lower sieve box 21B is attached below the upper sieve box 21A with its input side on the right and its resin discharge side on the left, in a position where they are stacked on top of each other on the rocking device 26. Note that in Fig. 10, the inclination directions of the upper sieve box 21A and the lower sieve box 21B appear to be opposite, but this is because their directions are reversed, and the inclination, with the input side higher and the resin discharge side lower, is the same for both the upper sieve box 21A and the lower sieve box 21B.

[0080] In the second sieve device 25A, the upper sieve box 21C and the lower sieve box 21D are also oriented in opposite directions. That is, as shown in Figure 10, the lower sieve box 21D is attached to the rocking device 26 below the upper sieve box 21C, with its input side on the left and its resin outlet side on the right. As above, the inclination, with the input side higher and the resin outlet side lower, is the same for both the upper sieve box 21A and the lower sieve box 21B. As a result, after the metal film or synthetic resin is sieved once in the upper sieve box 21A and the upper sieve box 21C to separate foreign matter, it is placed in the lower sieve box 21B and the lower sieve box 21D and sieved again to separate 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 sieve box 21A and sieved, and then the remaining synthetic resin is introduced into the lower sieve 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 sieve box 21C and sieved, and then the remaining synthetic resin is introduced into the lower sieve 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 separation chamber 2 to a preset peeling temperature, the synthetic resin, which has expanded greatly due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the metal film and the synthetic resin, is easily peeled off and separated from the synthetic resin. Because 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 ability.

[0083] Furthermore, the separated metal film is removed from the separation chamber 2 through the perforated plate 3a and then sieved in a sieving device to further separate the remaining synthetic resin from the metal film, and the peeled synthetic resin is also sieved in a sieving device to further separate the metal film from the synthetic resin. This allows the metal film and synthetic resin to be separated with higher separation performance (separation rate) and efficiently separated and recovered. In addition, spraying water inside the separation chamber 2 suppresses the generation of static electricity, which tends to occur in synthetic resin waste, and eliminates adhesion between the metal film and synthetic resin due to static electricity, facilitating 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 passed through a one-stage or two-stage sieving device to remove foreign matter from the metal film and synthetic resin. However, depending on the type of metal film and the type of synthetic resin, the sieving device may not be used effectively. For example, if the metal film is a vapor-deposited film, the crushed and separated metal film will be very thin, lightweight, and fine, making it difficult to separate using a sieving device.

[0085] In such a case, the hole diameter of the perforated plate 3a provided in the metal recovery box 3 is adjusted according to the outer diameter of the metal film to provide a perforated plate 3a with an optimum hole diameter and mesh, and as shown in Figure 11, when the sieve device is removed and the crushed and separated metal film is sucked into the metal recovery box 3, the fine metal film in the separation chamber 2 is sucked into the metal recovery box 3 for a certain period of time through the optimum perforated plate 3a with sufficient suction suction force.

[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, allowing the metal film and synthetic resin to be efficiently separated and recovered without using a sieve device.

[0087] 12 shows another embodiment of the metal film / resin separation device. This separation device is configured so that synthetic resin waste, such as PTPs, with a metal film attached to the surface of the synthetic resin is introduced into a separation chamber 42 within a casing 41, a hammer rotor 56 is rotated within the separation chamber 42 to separate and recover the metal film and synthetic resin, and the separated metal film and synthetic resin are then sieved by a first sieve device 20 and a second sieve device 25, respectively, to separate any remaining foreign matter.

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

[0089] 3, the hammer rotor 56 has a number of disks 56a attached at predetermined intervals to a rotary shaft 57, and four hammers 56b rotatably supported at 90-degree intervals on the circumference of each disk 56a, and the rotary shaft 57 is rotated by a motor (not shown). The hammers 56b can be plate-shaped hammers or rod-shaped hammers.

[0090] When using a rod-shaped hammer 56b, for example, if the synthetic resin waste is small, such as a PTP, the aluminum foil and synthetic resin can be separated and extracted without crushing the aluminum foil too finely. On the other hand, if the synthetic resin waste is a relatively large sheet with nickel foil, the synthetic resin sheet must be crushed, so a blade-shaped hammer is used as the hammer 56b.

[0091] The hammer rotor 56 rotates in response to the rotation of the rotary shaft 57, and the numerous hammers 56b rotate accordingly. Basically, the metal film and synthetic resin of the synthetic resin waste peel off and separate due to the difference in the expansion coefficients of the metal film and synthetic resin when the temperature rises, so the rotation of the numerous hammers 56b causes the synthetic resin waste to be moderately agitated and separated within the separation chamber 42.

[0092] Furthermore, a heater 53 is attached to the underside of the bottom plate of the casing 41, which heats the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 from room temperature to a stripping temperature below the melting temperature of the synthetic resin during cold weather or startup. An electric heater or a steam heater may be used as the heater 53. A temperature regulator 50 is provided to regulate the temperature inside the separation chamber 42. The temperature regulator 50 regulates the heater 53 and the water sprayer 46 so that the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 during operation reaches a stripping temperature at which the synthetic resin and metal film of the synthetic resin waste can be stripped.

[0093] This peeling temperature is the optimum temperature at which the metal film and the synthetic resin are peeled off without forming lumps when the synthetic resin and the metal film adhering thereto are agitated and crushed in the separation chamber 42. This peeling temperature is lower than the melting temperature of the synthetic resin, and the temperature setting of the temperature regulator 50 is set to a temperature at which the metal film peels off from the synthetic resin based on the difference in thermal expansion coefficient, mainly depending on the type of metal film and synthetic resin.

[0094] For example, when the synthetic resin waste is a PTP made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and aluminum foil, the peeling temperature is approximately 90° C. to 110° C. This peeling temperature is also close to the heat-sealing temperature that occurs on the sealing surface when aluminum foil is placed over blister-molded PVC and the aluminum foil and PVC are heat-sealed and pressure-bonded during the production of the PTP.

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

[0096] The peeling temperature for such 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), at which point the synthetic resin stretches to its maximum relative to the metal film, allowing the synthetic resin and metal film to be efficiently peeled off.

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

[0098] Furthermore, a temperature sensor 47 is attached to the separation chamber 2, and a detection signal from the temperature sensor 47 is input to the input side of a temperature regulator 50. The output side of the temperature regulator 50 is connected to the valves of a heater 53 and a water sprinkler 46. By the operation of the temperature regulator 50, the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 is maintained at the above-mentioned peeling temperature.

[0099] The temperature controller 50 may be a manual temperature controller that is manually operated, or an automatic temperature controller with a built-in temperature control circuit. If it is manual, the temperature controller 50 has a display that displays the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 based on a temperature signal sent from the temperature sensor 47, and the operator adjusts the power supply to the heater 53 and the valve of the sprinkler 46 while watching the display to maintain the temperature at the stripping temperature. If it is automatic, the temperature control circuit automatically controls the temperature based on the temperature signal sent from the temperature sensor 47 to maintain the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 at the stripping temperature.

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

[0101] 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 operation of the separation device, the synthetic resin waste is crushed and heated to a peeling temperature, and at the point when the crushed metal film and the synthetic resin are separated, the resin discharge door 44 is opened and the synthetic resin remaining in the separation chamber 42 is taken out through the resin discharge chute 51.

[0102] Meanwhile, the fine metal film that has peeled off from the synthetic resin in the separation chamber 42 is sucked and removed from the metal discharge port 49b, which is constantly open during operation of the separation device, through the metal discharge duct 52 to the outside. 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 peeled metal film is sucked 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 a suction device 59 is connected to the metal discharge duct 52 via a flexible duct 54, and the blower 59a sucks air from the separation chamber 42.

[0103] 12, the suction device 59 has a metal discharge duct 52, a flexible duct 54, and a blower 59a, and the blower 59a is connected via the flexible duct 54 and the cyclone separator 58. As a result, the blower 59a of the suction device 59 sends the air containing the metal film sucked from the separation chamber 42 through the metal discharge duct 52 and the flexible duct 54 to the cyclone separator 58, and 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 sieve device 25 located below it.

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

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

[0106] The first sieve device 20, which is equipped with the rocking device 26 and the sieve box 21, sieves the extracted synthetic resin to remove any remaining metal film, and the second sieve device 25 sieves the extracted metal film to remove any remaining synthetic resin. The configuration of the sieve box 21 is as shown in Figures 7 and 8, as described above, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0107] Next, a method for separating metal film and resin using the metal film and resin separating apparatus having the above configuration will be described.

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

[0109] In the separation device, the drive motor (not shown) is started, the hammer rotor 56 is rotated, and at the same time, the heater 53 is heated, the blower 59a is started, and the air in the separation chamber 42 is sucked through the metal discharge port 49b. The rotation speed of the hammer rotor 56 in the separation chamber 42 is set to high if the shape of the introduced metal-film-covered synthetic resin waste is large and thick, and set to low if 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 suction operation.

[0110] 12, and the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 of the casing 41 is heated and controlled by the temperature regulator 50 so that it becomes the above-mentioned peeling temperature. 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, and the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 rises due to frictional heat caused by frictional resistance between the synthetic resin waste and the hammer rotor 56, and frictional heat caused by frictional resistance between the synthetic resin waste itself.

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

[0112] The synthetic resin waste material is agitated by the hammers 56b of the hammer rotor 56, and is crushed to a suitable temperature, increasing its temperature. When the temperature of the agitated and crushed synthetic resin waste material with the metal film rises to the separation temperature due to frictional heat and the heater 53, the synthetic resin, which has a thermal expansion coefficient approximately two to six times that of the metal film, expands significantly relative to the metal film, easily separating the sealing surfaces between the metal film and the synthetic resin, and separating the crushed metal film from the synthetic resin. The separation temperature is also the temperature at which the thermal expansion coefficient of the synthetic resin reaches its maximum (the temperature just before thermoplastic synthetic resin begins to melt), allowing the synthetic resin to expand to its maximum relative to the metal film, efficiently separating the synthetic resin from the metal film.

[0113] Furthermore, for example, in the case of a PTP, in which a metal film and a synthetic resin are heat-sealed during production, the heat-sealing temperature between the metal film and the synthetic resin is close to the peeling temperature, so the sealed surfaces are easily peeled off, and the metal film is efficiently peeled off and separated from the synthetic resin.

[0114] In this way, the metal film of the synthetic resin waste that has been put in is gradually separated from the synthetic resin as it is stirred and crushed. At this time, the temperature of the separation chamber 42 is regulated by the operation of the temperature regulator 50 so as not to exceed the peeling temperature, so that the synthetic resin does not melt due to heat and form clumps, and separation of the metal film and synthetic resin proceeds efficiently.

[0115] Furthermore, when the hammer rotor 56 rotates and the separation device is operated for a certain period of time, the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 rises due to frictional heat from the synthetic resin waste, and accordingly the temperature regulator 50 operates, and water is sprayed from the water sprinkler 46, controlling the temperature inside the separation chamber 42 to the set peeling temperature. At this time, when the humidity inside the separation chamber 42 rises due to the water spraying, humidity expansion occurs in the synthetic resin, making the synthetic resin film or sheet more likely to stretch relative to the metal film and accelerating the peeling action.

[0116] The metal film peeled off from the synthetic resin is sucked by the blower 59a and passes through the metal discharge port 49b and the screen 43, then is taken out of the separation chamber 42 via the metal discharge duct 52 and the flexible duct 54, and enters the cyclone separator 58. The metal film sucked out of the separation chamber 42 is separated from the air flow in the cyclone separator 58 and placed in the sieve box 21 of the second sieve device 58, where it is sieved to remove the 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 and synthetic resin is complete, the resin discharge door 44 is opened, and in this state the hammer rotor 56 is rotated 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 sieve device 20, where it is sieved to remove any residual metal film remaining in the synthetic resin. Although not shown in the figure, the synthetic resin sieved by the first sieve device 20 can be transported to another location through a duct by air conveyance or the like, and then placed in a flexible container or the like for transport.

[0118] In this way, the rotation of the hammer rotor 56 agitates and crushes the synthetic resin waste in the separation chamber 42, and the chamber 42 is heated to a preset peeling temperature. Due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the metal film and the synthetic resin, the synthetic resin expands greatly and is easily peeled off and separated from the synthetic resin. Because the peeling temperature is below the melting point 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 ability.

[0119] The separated metal film is removed from the separation chamber 42 through a screen 43 and then sieved by the second sieving device 25, where the remaining synthetic resin is further separated from the metal film. The peeled synthetic resin is also sieved by the first sieving device 20, where the metal film is further separated from the synthetic resin. This allows the metal film and synthetic resin to be separated with higher separation performance (separation rate), allowing for efficient separation and recovery. In addition, spraying water inside the separation chamber 42 suppresses the generation of static electricity, which tends to occur in synthetic resin waste, and eliminates adhesion between the metal film and synthetic resin due to static electricity, facilitating separation of the metal film and synthetic resin.

[0120] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Casing 2 Separation chamber 3 Metal recovery box 3a Perforated plate 4 Resin recovery chamber 5 Discharge conveyor 6 Sprinkler 7 Temperature sensor 8 Waste inlet 9 Discharge outlet 10 Temperature regulator 11 Bottom plate 12 Corrugated bottom plate 13 Heater 16 Hammer rotor 17 Rotating shaft 18 Disk 19 Hammer 20 First sieve device 20A First sieve device 21 Sieve box 21A Upper sieve box 21B Lower sieve box 21C Upper sieve box 21D Lower sieve box 22 Metal discharge outlet 22a Metal recovery trough 23 Resin discharge outlet 24 Embossed plate 24a Embossed 25 Second sieve device 25A Second sieve device 26 Swinging device 30 Lifting device 31 Fluid pressure cylinder 32 Piston rod 33 Flexible duct 34 Blower 35 Duct

Claims

1. A metal film / resin separation device for feeding synthetic resin waste having a metal film attached thereto into a separation chamber in a casing, crushing the synthetic resin waste in the separation chamber, and separating and recovering the metal film and synthetic resin, comprising: a heater attached to the casing for heating the temperature of the separation chamber; A sprinkler that sprinkles water into the separation chamber; a hammer rotor in which a disk is fixed to a rotating shaft that is rotatably supported in the separation chamber in a transverse direction of the shaft, and a plurality of hammers are rotatably supported on the disk; a discharge port provided on a side wall of the casing for discharging the crushed synthetic resin waste from the separation chamber; a resin recovery chamber provided outside the discharge port; a metal recovery box that is provided in the resin recovery chamber so as to be capable of ascending and descending, and that recovers the metal film peeled off from the synthetic resin from within 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 chamber; a discharge conveyor provided at the bottom of the resin recovery chamber for discharging the peeled synthetic resin after the metal film is peeled off; a temperature regulator that adjusts the heater and the amount of water sprayed by the water sprayer to adjust the temperature in the separation chamber to a peeling temperature that is higher than room temperature and lower than the melting temperature of the synthetic resin and that separates the synthetic resin from the metal film; A metal membrane / resin separation device comprising:

2. a first sieve device for sieving the peeled metal film taken out from the metal recovery box to separate the remaining synthetic resin in the metal film; 2. The metal film / resin separation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second sieve 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 device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first sieve device has an upper sieve box and a lower sieve box arranged in two layers, one above the other, and the metal film is once placed into the upper sieve box and sieved, and then the remaining synthetic resin is placed into the lower sieve box and sieved again.

4. 3. The metal film / resin separation apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the second sieve device has an upper sieve box and a lower sieve box arranged in two tiers, one above the other, and the peeled synthetic resin is once fed into the upper sieve box and sieved, and the remaining synthetic resin is then fed into the lower sieve box and sieved again.

5. A metal film / resin separation method using the metal film / resin separation device of claim 1, in which the synthetic resin waste having the metal film attached to the synthetic resin is fed 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, While rotating the hammer rotor, the temperature in the separation chamber is increased from room temperature to a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the synthetic resin and at which the metal film and the synthetic resin are separated, thereby crushing the synthetic resin waste in the separation chamber; and maintaining the temperature within the separation chamber at the peeling temperature by spraying water from the water sprinkler into the separation chamber, thereby peeling the metal film from the synthetic resin.

6. removing the metal film, which has been peeled off from the synthetic resin and crushed, from the separation chamber by suction through the perforated plate or screen; 6. The method for separating metal film and resin according to claim 5, further comprising the step of removing the synthetic resin remaining in the separation chamber from the separation chamber.

7. The metal film removed from the separation chamber is put into a first sieve device to sieve the metal film and separate the remaining synthetic resin in the metal film; 7. The method for separating metal film and resin according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of: removing the synthetic resin from which the metal film has been peeled off and which has been crushed, from the separation chamber; introducing the synthetic resin into a second sieve device to sieve the synthetic resin, and separating the remaining metal film from the synthetic resin.

8. 8. The method for separating metal film and resin according to claim 7, characterized in that after the metal film is introduced into a sieve box of the first sieving device and sieved, the remaining synthetic resin is introduced into another sieve box and sieved, the peeled synthetic resin is introduced into a sieve box of the second sieving device and sieved, and the remaining synthetic resin is introduced into another sieve box and sieved.