Injection device, processing system, and processing method

Abstract

An injection device (10) comprises a receiving part (110), a conveyance part (120), a decomposition process region (130), an irradiation device (140), an injection part (150), and a delivery port (160). The receiving part (110) receives a processing target from outside. The conveyance part (120) conveys the processing target received from the receiving part (110) while heating the processing target and supplies the processing target downstream. The decomposition process region (130) has, downstream of the conveyance part (120), a space that can retain a preset amount of the processing target. The irradiation device (140) irradiates the processing target with microwaves in the decomposition process region (130). The injection part (150) pushes, to the outside of the decomposition process region (130), the processing target that has received microwaves and that has been thermally decomposed. The delivery port (160) is a flow path for delivering, to the outside, the processing target that has been pushed out by the injection part (150).

Description

Injection device, processing system, and processing method

[0001] The present invention relates to an injection device, a processing system and a processing method.

[0002] There is a technique called chemical recycling, which is a technology for breaking down waste plastic and extracting reusable substances.

[0003] For example, the treatment device described in Patent Document 1 heats waste plastics to thermally decompose chlorine-based polymers to generate chlorine compounds, and separates the waste plastics into molten waste plastics and the chlorine compounds.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-317072

[0005] Further improvements in recycling technology are expected in order to realize a recycling-oriented society.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and has an object to provide an ejection device and the like that efficiently recovers reusable substances.

[0007] The injection device according to the present disclosure has a receiving section, a transporting section, a decomposition treatment area, an irradiation device, an injection section, and a delivery port. The receiving section receives the treatment object from the outside. The transporting section transports the treatment object received from the receiving section while heating it, and supplies it downstream. The decomposition treatment area has a space downstream of the transporting section that can retain a predetermined amount of the treatment object. The irradiation device irradiates microwaves onto the treatment object in the decomposition treatment area. The injection section pushes the treatment object that has been thermally decomposed by the microwaves out of the decomposition treatment area. The delivery port is a flow path that sends the treatment object pushed out by the injection section to the outside.

[0008] In the processing method according to the present disclosure, a processing system performs the following steps: The processing system receives an object to be processed inside the processing system; The processing system heats and transports the received object to a decomposition processing area provided downstream; The processing system retains a preset amount of the object to be processed in the decomposition processing area; The processing system irradiates microwaves onto the object to be processed in the decomposition processing area; The processing system pushes the object to be processed, which has been thermally decomposed by the microwaves, out of the decomposition processing area through an outlet provided further downstream.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an ejection device, a processing system, and a processing method that efficiently recover reusable materials.

[0010] Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a processing system according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of an injection device according to a first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of a processing method according to a first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram of an injection device according to a second embodiment. Fig. 5 is a configuration diagram of a processing system according to a third embodiment.

[0011] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential means for solving the problems. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0012] First Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a processing system according to the first embodiment. The processing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of each component for ease of understanding. The processing system 1 thermally decomposes a processing target M10 to recover a first product M21 and a second product M22. The processing system 1 mainly includes an injection device 10, a secondary battery 200, a separation device 300, a storage device 400, and a control unit 500.

[0013] The following describes the injection device 10. The injection device 10 receives and thermally decomposes the treatment object M10. The injection device 10 mainly includes a receiving section 110, a transport section 120, a decomposition treatment area 130, an irradiation device 140, an injection section 150, and a delivery port 160.

[0014] The receiving unit 110 is an opening that receives the processing object M10 from the outside into the injection device 10. The receiving unit 110 supplies the received processing object M10 to the inside of the cylinder 100 of the injection device 10. The receiving unit 110 may include a feeder for weighing and receiving the processing object M10.

[0015] The processing object M10 includes at least a resin and a catalyst used to thermally decompose the resin. The resin may be, for example, any thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or polyamide (PA), or any thermosetting resin such as epoxy, unsaturated polyester, polyimide, or polyurethane. The thermoplastic or thermosetting resin may also be a composite material containing carbon fiber, glass fiber, or cellulose nanofiber. The catalyst includes a substance that generates heat when exposed to a specified microwave and promotes the thermal decomposition of the resin. More specifically, the catalyst is an electromagnetic wave absorber such as iron oxide or carbon fiber. The catalyst may also include a substance that promotes thermal decomposition, such as citric acid.

[0016] The transport section 120 transports the processing object M10 received from the receiving section 110 while heating it, and supplies it downstream. The transport section 120 includes a screw that is housed in a cylindrical cylinder 100 and supported so as to be freely rotatable. The transport section 120 transports the processing object M10 to a decomposition processing area 130 provided downstream of the cylinder 100. The transport section 120 is configured to be able to control the amount of the processing object M10 sent to the decomposition processing area 130.

[0017] The screw includes a shaft extending along the extension direction of the cylinder 100 and a spiral flight provided on the outer periphery of the shaft. As the screw shaft rotates, the flight continuously pushes and moves the treatment object M10 supplied to the cylinder 100 in the rotational direction and downstream direction. As a result, the screw transports the treatment object M10 while stirring it. The transport unit 120 also includes a temperature control device 170 provided in at least a portion of the cylinder 100. The temperature control device 170 heats the cylinder 100. As a result, the transport unit 120 can transport the treatment object M10 while heating it. The transport unit 120 may stir or knead the heated treatment object M10 while transporting it.

[0018] The temperature control device 170 includes any heater capable of controlling temperature, such as a sheath heater, a coil heater, or a ceramic heater. The temperature control device 170 may also be a heat medium heater that circulates a heated fluid. The temperature control device 170 may also include, for example, a chiller unit that circulates a cooled fluid, or may include cooling fins or a cooling fan to promote heat dissipation.

[0019] The decomposition processing area 130 has a space capable of retaining a preset amount of the processing target M10 downstream of the transport section 120. The decomposition processing area 130 is a space for allowing the processing target M10 to absorb the microwaves irradiated by the irradiation device 140.

[0020] The irradiation device 140 irradiates microwaves onto the processing target M10 in the decomposition processing region 130. The microwaves are, for example, electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 300 MHz to 30 GHz, preferably 2.45 GHz (2.45 gigahertz). The irradiation device 140 includes at least a magnetron that generates microwaves. The output of the magnetron is, for example, approximately 1000 watts. The irradiation device 140 irradiates the decomposition processing region 130 for, for example, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Note that the magnetron output and irradiation time of the irradiation device 140 shown here are merely examples, and the operation of the irradiation device 140 in this embodiment is not limited to the example shown here.

[0021] When the irradiation device 140 irradiates the decomposition treatment area 130 with microwaves, the treatment target M10 remaining in the decomposition treatment area 130 receives the microwaves. Of the treatment target M10 that receives the microwaves, materials that absorb microwaves, such as electromagnetic wave absorbers, are heated and their temperature rises. Accordingly, the resins present in the treatment target M10 are also heated and thermally decomposed. At this time, the temperature inside the decomposition treatment area 130 is, for example, 400 to 900 degrees Celsius.

[0022] The heated resin undergoes polymer decomposition, converting into hydrogen, lower hydrocarbons, organic gases, and other intermediate products. Further microwave irradiation by the irradiation device 140 advances the thermal decomposition, and a first product M21 and a second product M22 can be produced from the treatment target M10. The first product M21 is a gas and contains hydrogen. The second product M22 is a substance other than the first product M21 and contains carbon. The carbon is, for example, carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The irradiation device 140 stops irradiating the treatment target M10 after the treatment target M10 has been decomposed into the first product M21 and the second product M22.

[0023] The ejection unit 150 pushes the treatment target M10, which has been thermally decomposed by microwaves, out of the decomposition treatment region 130. The ejection unit 150 is provided, for example, at the tip of a screw of the conveyance unit 120. In this case, the ejection unit 150 is provided so as to be movable together with the screw in the extension direction of the cylinder 100 (the left-right direction in the figure). The ejection unit 150 enters the decomposition treatment region 130 and ejects the first product M21 and the second product M22 generated from the treatment target M10 out of the decomposition treatment region 130. More specifically, the first product M21 and the second product M22 are pushed out of the cylinder 100 through an outlet 160 provided at the downstream end of the cylinder 100.

[0024] The outlet 160 is a flow path for sending the treatment object M10 extruded by the injection section 150 to the outside. The outlet 160 is provided at the downstream end of the cylinder 100. The outlet 160 is connected to the separation device 300. Therefore, the first product M21 and the second product M22 extruded from the decomposition treatment region 130 are supplied to the separation device 300 via the outlet 160.

[0025] The above has described the injection device 10. With the above-described configuration, the injection device 10 thermally decomposes the received treatment object M10, and supplies the first product M21 and second product M22 produced after the thermal decomposition to the separation device 300. In addition, at least one irradiation device 140 is provided downstream of the receiving section 110, and it is possible to change the microwave irradiation conditions among the multiple irradiation devices 140.

[0026] The secondary battery 200 supplies power to the injection device 10. More specifically, for example, the secondary battery 200 can supply power to the irradiation device 140 of the injection device 10. The secondary battery 200 is, for example, a lithium ion battery.

[0027] The secondary battery 200 can also store power generated from renewable energy. The secondary battery 200 shown in FIG. 1 receives power from a wind power generation system 90. With this configuration, the treatment system 1 having the secondary battery 200 performs thermal decomposition of the treatment target M10 while reducing the environmental load. The wind power generation system 90 is one aspect of a power generation system that uses renewable energy. A power generation system that uses renewable energy may use, for example, solar light or geothermal energy. A power generation system using renewable energy may also include a system that generates power using, for example, a hydrogen boiler that uses the generated hydrogen.

[0028] The secondary battery 200 may be a recycled product (a reused product). A recycled product includes, for example, a battery that was used in an electric vehicle or the like but was removed from the electric vehicle or the like because it no longer meets the specifications for use in the electric vehicle or the like. By using a recycled product as the secondary battery 200, the processing system 1 can reduce the environmental impact.

[0029] The separation device 300 receives the first product M21 and the second product M22 from the injection device 10 and separates at least the first product M21 and the second product M22. The separation device 300 delivers the first product M21 to the storage device 400 via the delivery pipe 310. The storage device 400 compresses and stores the received first product M21, for example. The separation device 300 may also have a function of removing gases other than hydrogen from the first product M21 supplied to the storage device 400. For example, if the first product M21 contains carbon dioxide, the separation device 300 removes carbon dioxide from the first product M21 by a water displacement method. With this configuration, the separation device 300 extracts hydrogen from the pyrolyzed treatment target M10.

[0030] The separation device 300 also discharges the separated second product M22 to the outside from the discharge port 320. When the second product M22 contains substances other than carbon, the separation device 300 may have a function of separating the carbon from the other substances. With this configuration, the separation device 300 extracts carbon from the pyrolyzed treatment target M10.

[0031] The control unit 500 is communicatively connected to at least the injection device 10 and controls the operation of the injection device 10. The control unit 500 is a control device including a calculation device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and a communication interface. The control unit 500 may also be communicatively connected to the secondary battery 200 and the separation device 300 and control the injection device 10 while acquiring data from these devices.

[0032] The processing system 1 has been described above. In the processing system 1, the irradiation device 140 of the injection device 10 irradiates the processing target M10 with microwaves to heat the processing target M10 to a temperature at which hydrogen can be separated. The irradiation device 140 also irradiates the processing target M10 with microwaves to heat the processing target M10 to a temperature at which carbon can be separated. As a result, the separation device 300 separates and extracts hydrogen from the pyrolyzed processing target M10. The separation device 300 also further separates and extracts carbon from the pyrolyzed processing target M10.

[0033] The treatment system 1, with the above-described configuration, recovers hydrogen and carbon from the treatment target M10. The treatment target M10 includes, for example, waste plastic. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly include ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. The treatment system 1 can contribute to ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns by recovering reusable hydrogen and carbon from waste plastic. Furthermore, the treatment system 1 can receive at least a portion of the power for the devices used in the treatment system 1 from renewable energy. This allows the treatment system 1 to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.

[0034] Next, the injection device 10 will be further described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of the injection device 10. For ease of understanding, the injection device 10 is shown partially in cross section. The injection device 10 mainly comprises a receiving section 110, a screw 121, a decomposition treatment area 130, an irradiation device 140, an injection section 150, and a delivery port 160. The injection device 10 further comprises a temperature control device 170 and a composite drive section 600.

[0035] For convenience of explaining the positional relationships of the components, a right-handed Cartesian coordinate system is used in Fig. 2. Furthermore, when Cartesian coordinate systems are used in Fig. 3 and subsequent figures, the X-, Y-, and Z-axis directions in Fig. 2 coincide with the X-, Y-, and Z-axis directions of these Cartesian coordinate systems, respectively.

[0036] The cylinder 100 is cylindrical and accommodates a screw 121. The combined drive unit 600 is connected to the upstream end of the cylinder 100, which corresponds to the left side in Figure 2. The cylinder 100 also has a receiving unit 110 at the upper part on the upstream side. The cylinder 100 also has a delivery port 160 at the downstream end, which corresponds to the right side in Figure 2.

[0037] The composite drive unit 600 includes a drive device for driving the screw 121. The drive device includes, for example, a motor and a reducer. The composite drive unit 600 has a mechanism for rotating the screw 121. The composite drive unit 600 also has a mechanism for linearly moving the screw 121.

[0038] Here, the rotation of the screw 121 refers to the rotation of the screw 121 along its axis. As the screw 121 rotates, the treatment object M10 is transported downstream. The linear movement of the screw 121 refers to the reciprocating movement (advance and retreat movement) of the screw 121 linearly along the axis of the screw 121. As the screw 121 moves linearly, the ejection section 150 provided at the tip of the screw 121 sends the treatment object M10 remaining in the decomposition treatment region 130 to the delivery port 160.

[0039] The receiving section 110 includes a first receiving section 111 and a second receiving section 112. The first receiving section 111 is located relatively upstream of the second receiving section 112. The second receiving section 112 is located relatively downstream of the first receiving section 111. The first receiving section 111 is an inlet for receiving the resin M11. The second receiving section 112 is an inlet for receiving the catalyst M12.

[0040] The receiving unit 110 may have a feeder or a hopper. In this case, the receiving unit 110 may have a function of adjusting the amount of catalyst M12 according to the amount of resin M11 to be introduced. Alternatively, the receiving unit 110 may have a function of adjusting the amount of resin M11 according to the amount of catalyst M12 to be introduced. With this configuration, the injection device 10 can improve the degree of freedom in combining the resin M11 and the catalyst M12.

[0041] The screw 121 is one embodiment of the conveying section 120 shown in FIG. 1 . The screw 121 is supported by a composite drive section 600 provided at the upstream end of the cylinder 100 so as to be rotatable and translatable. The screw 121 conveys while mixing the treatment object M10 containing the resin M11 and the catalyst M12. The screw 121 has at least a shaft extending from the upstream side to the downstream side and a spiral flight provided around the shaft. In addition to the spiral flight, the screw 121 may have an uneven shape for stirring or kneading the treatment object M10.

[0042] The screw 121 has an injection section 150 at its downstream tip. When observed along the extension direction of the cylinder 100, the shape of the injection section 150 is similar to the cross section of the cylinder 100, and there is a gap between the injection section 150 and the cylinder 100 that is large enough to allow the processing object M10 to be pushed downstream through the gap.

[0043] The injection section 150 can send the treatment target M10 remaining in the decomposition treatment region 130 to the delivery port 160 by linearly moving the screw 121. The surface of the injection section 150 facing the decomposition treatment region 130 may have an uneven shape. This allows the injection section 150 to agitate the treatment target M10 remaining in the decomposition treatment region 130.

[0044] In this case, the screw 121 may rotate to agitate the treatment target M10 remaining in the decomposition treatment area 130 while the irradiation device 140 is irradiating microwaves. The rotational movement of the screw 121 at this time is referred to as the agitation operation. The agitation operation has a different rotational speed and direction from the rotational movement (referred to as the transport operation) when the screw 121 transports the treatment target M10 to the decomposition treatment area 130. For example, the agitation operation has a slower rotational speed than the transport operation. Alternatively, the rotational direction of the agitation operation may be opposite to the rotational direction of the transport operation. The screw 121 may have a backflow prevention ring 122 in the portion supporting the injection unit 150.

[0045] A temperature control device 170 is provided on the outer periphery of the cylinder 100. The temperature control device 170 heats the treatment object M10 being transported from the upstream side to the downstream side by the screw 121. The temperature control device 170 may have a thermometer for measuring the temperature of the cylinder 100. By the temperature control device 170 heating the treatment object M10, the treatment object M10 is efficiently thermally decomposed in the decomposition treatment area 130.

[0046] The delivery port 160 provided at the downstream end of the cylinder 100 is a nozzle-shaped flow path that delivers the treatment object M10 extruded by the injection unit 150 to the outside. The delivery port 160 may be provided with a valve that can be opened and closed.

[0047] A decomposition treatment area 130 is provided near the delivery port 160 on the downstream side of the cylinder 100. The inner wall of the cylinder 100 in the decomposition treatment area 130 is made of a material that easily reflects microwaves, such as stainless steel.

[0048] An irradiation device 140 is provided adjacent to the decomposition treatment region 130. The irradiation device 140 generates microwaves and irradiates the decomposition treatment region 130 with the microwaves. Therefore, the cylinder 100 has a structure that allows the microwaves generated by the irradiation device 140 to pass through to the decomposition treatment region 130 in at least a portion of the decomposition treatment region 130. In other words, at least a portion of the inner wall of the cylinder 100 includes a portion that can irradiate the decomposition treatment region 130 with microwaves. The irradiation device 140 has a timer for measuring the microwave irradiation time. The irradiation device 140 may include a thermometer for measuring the temperature of the decomposition treatment region 130. The irradiation device 140 may include a thermometer for measuring the pressure of the decomposition treatment region 130.

[0049] The microwave-passable structure may be, for example, a structure in which an antenna for irradiating the microwaves generated by the irradiation device 140 to the decomposition treatment region 130 is exposed. The microwave-passable structure may include, for example, a member that passes the microwaves generated by the irradiation device 140 but does not pass the treatment target M10 or the pyrolyzed first product M21 and second product M22.

[0050] Next, a processing method executed by the processing system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the processing method according to the first embodiment. The processing shown below may be, for example, instructions issued by the control unit 500 to each component.

[0051] First, the injection device 10 adjusts the temperature of the cylinder 100, which is a processing furnace (step S11). More specifically, the temperature control device 170 of the injection device 10 adjusts the output so that the thermometer installed in the cylinder 100 indicates a temperature within a preset range.

[0052] Next, the receiving section 110 of the injection device 10 receives the processing object M10 (or the resin M11 and the catalyst M12) into the cylinder 100 (step S12).

[0053] Next, the screw 121 conveys the received treatment object M10 while heating it (step S13). The screw 121 supplies a predetermined amount of treatment object M10 to the decomposition treatment area 130 provided downstream.

[0054] Next, the screw 121 causes a preset amount of the processing target M10 to remain in the decomposition processing area 130 (step S14). At this time, the screw 121 stops the conveying operation after the preset amount of the processing target M10 has been supplied to the decomposition processing area 130.

[0055] Next, the irradiation device 140 irradiates the processing target M10 with microwaves in the decomposition processing area 130 (step S15). Note that the irradiation time and irradiation power of the microwave irradiation process by the irradiation device 140 may be set in advance. The irradiation time and irradiation power of the microwave irradiation process by the irradiation device 140 may be feedback-controlled by observing at least one of the temperature and pressure of the decomposition processing area 130. When a predetermined stop condition is met, the irradiation device 140 terminates the microwave irradiation.

[0056] Next, the ejection unit 150 pushes the treatment target M10, which has been thermally decomposed by the microwaves, out of the decomposition treatment region 130 through the outlet 160 provided further downstream (step S16). More specifically, the ejection unit 150 moves from the upstream side to the downstream side and pushes the treatment target M10 present in the decomposition treatment region 130 out through the outlet 160. At this time, the treatment target M10 has been decomposed into the first product M21 and the second product M21. After the ejection unit 150 pushes the treatment target M10 out of the decomposition treatment region 130, it moves upstream.

[0057] Next, the separation device 300 separates and extracts the received processing target M10 (the first product M21 and the second product M22) (step S17). When the separation device 300 separates and extracts the first product M21 and the second product M22, the processing system 1 ends the processing.

[0058] Once the above-described process is initiated, steps S12 to S17 are executed continuously in parallel. By repeating such intermittent operations, the injection device 20 continuously pyrolyzes the processing target M10. This allows the processing system 1 to efficiently pyrolyze the processing target M10. Therefore, the processing method shown in FIG. 3 can efficiently recover reusable materials.

[0059] The above has described Embodiment 1. With the above-described configuration, this embodiment can provide an injection device, a processing system, and a processing method that efficiently recover reusable materials.

[0060] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the injection device. Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram of an injection device 20 according to the second embodiment.

[0061] The injection device 20 has a metering block 21 and a decomposition processing block 22. The metering block 21 receives the processing object M10, heats the received processing object M10 while stirring or kneading it, and supplies a preset amount of the processing object M10 to the decomposition processing block 22. The decomposition processing block 22 thermally decomposes the processing object M10 received from the metering block 21, and sends the thermally decomposed processing object M10 to the separation device 300.

[0062] The metering block 21 mainly comprises a first cylinder 101 , a receiving section 110 , an extrusion screw 123 , a temperature control device 170 , and a conveyance driving section 610 .

[0063] The first cylinder 101 receives the processing object M10 (resin M11 and catalyst M12) from the receiving section 110 (first receiving section 111 and second receiving section 112) and supplies the received processing object M10 to the second cylinder 102. The first cylinder 101 houses an extrusion screw 123. A conveying drive unit 610 is connected to the upstream end of the first cylinder 101.

[0064] The extrusion screw 123 is rotatably supported by the conveyance drive unit 610. The extrusion screw 123 conveys the processing object M10 input from the receiving unit 110 downstream while stirring or kneading the processing object M10. The first cylinder 101 has a delivery port 113 at its downstream tip. The delivery port 113 is a flow path leading to the second cylinder 102. The processing object M10 conveyed by the extrusion screw 123 is sent out to the second cylinder 102 via the delivery port 113.

[0065] The conveying drive unit 610 is a drive device that rotates the first cylinder 101. The conveying drive unit 610 includes, for example, a motor and a reducer. By controlling the rotation of the conveying drive unit 610, the injection device 20 can supply a preset amount of the processing object M10 to the second cylinder 102.

[0066] The decomposition processing block 22 thermally decomposes the processing target M10 received from the metering block 21, and sends out the thermally decomposed processing target M10 (first product M21 and second product M22) to the outside of the delivery port 160. The decomposition processing block 22 mainly includes a second cylinder 102, a decomposition processing region 130, an irradiation device 140, an injection unit 150, a delivery port 160, a temperature control device 170, and an injection drive unit 620.

[0067] The second cylinder 102 has an injection drive unit 620 connected to one end (the negative X-axis side) and has a delivery port 160 at the other end (the positive X-axis side). The injection drive unit 620 supports the injection unit 150 so that it can move linearly. The injection unit 150 is a plunger that is provided on the second cylinder 102 so that it can slide without rattle.

[0068] The operation of the decomposition processing block 22 will be described below. When the decomposition processing block 22 receives the processing object M10 from the metering block 21, the emission unit 150 is located at one end (the negative side of the X-axis). Upon receiving the processing object M10 from the metering block 21, the irradiation device 140 of the decomposition processing block 22 irradiates the processing object M10 with microwaves. Then, once the thermal decomposition of the processing object M10 is complete, the emission drive unit 620 of the decomposition processing block 22 moves the emission unit 150 to the other end. As a result, the decomposition processing block 22 sends out the thermally decomposed processing object M10 from the delivery port 160. Once the delivery of the processing object M10 is complete, the emission drive unit 620 moves the emission unit 150 back to the one end.

[0069] By repeating the above operations, the decomposition processing block 22 thermally decomposes the processing object M10 received from the metering block 21 and supplies it to the separation device 300. By repeating such intermittent operations, the injection device 20 continuously thermally decomposes the processing object M10.

[0070] As described above, the injection section 150 of the decomposition processing block 22 has a pusher member different from a screw. This pusher member is configured to move linearly to push the treatment target M10 in the decomposition processing region 130 toward the delivery port 160. With this configuration, this embodiment can provide an injection device, a processing system, and a processing method that efficiently recover reusable materials.

[0071] <Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that it has a plurality of injection devices. The processing system in the third embodiment controls the operations of the plurality of injection devices to perform predetermined operations. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a processing system 2 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 5 shows two processing systems 2 in different states. The processing system 2 shown in the upper part of the figure shows the processing system 2 in state T1. The processing system 2 shown in the lower part of the figure shows the processing system 2 in state T2, which is different from state T1.

[0072] The following describes the configuration of the processing system 2. The processing system 2 has, as injection devices, a first injection device 31 and a second injection device 32. The processing system 2 also has a first separator 301, a second separator 302, a reservoir 400, and a control unit 500.

[0073] The first injection device 31 and the second injection device 32 have the same configuration as the injection device 10 shown in Fig. 2. In the first injection device 31 and the second injection device 32, the same components as those in the injection device 10 are designated by the same reference numerals. However, to distinguish between them, the components of the first injection device 31 and the second injection device 32 are designated by the letter A or B following the reference numeral, respectively. For example, the first injection device 31 has a screw 121A, and the second injection device 32 has a screw 121B.

[0074] The first injection device 31 is connected to the first separation device 301. The first injection device 31 supplies the pyrolyzed treatment object M10 to the first separation device 301. The first separation device 301 separates the received treatment object M10 into a first product M21 and a second product M22. The first separation device 301 supplies the separated first product M21 to the storage container 400.

[0075] The second injection device 32 is connected to the second separation device 302. The second injection device 32 supplies the pyrolyzed treatment object M10 to the second separation device 302. The second separation device 302 separates the received treatment object M10 into a first product M21 and a second product M22. The second separation device 302 supplies the separated first product M21 to the storage container 400.

[0076] The control unit 500 controls the operations of the first injection unit 31 and the second injection unit 32. The control unit 500 controls the injection units so that the first injection unit 31 and the second injection unit 32 alternately send out the processing object M10.

[0077] 5, the screw 121A of the first injection device 31 extrudes the object to be treated M10 from the first injection device 31 to the first separation device 301. Therefore, the first separation device 301 supplies the received first product M21 to the reservoir 400.

[0078] Meanwhile, in state T1, the screw 121B of the second injection device 32 transports the treatment target M10 to the decomposition treatment area 130B. Alternatively, the second injection device 32 thermally decomposes the treatment target M10 remaining in the decomposition treatment area 130B.

[0079] As described above, in state T1, the first injection device 31 is sending out the thermally decomposed treatment object M10, and the second injection device 32 is not sending out the treatment object M10.

[0080] 5, the screw 121A of the first injection device 31 transports the treatment target M10 to the decomposition treatment area 130A. Alternatively, the first injection device 31 thermally decomposes the treatment target M10 remaining in the decomposition treatment area 130A.

[0081] On the other hand, in state T2, the screw 121B of the second injection device 32 extrudes the treatment object M10 from the second injection device 32 to the second separation device 302. Therefore, the second separation device 302 supplies the received first product M21 to the reservoir 400.

[0082] As described above, in state T2, the first injection device 31 is not sending out the treatment object M10, and the second injection device 32 is sending out the thermally decomposed treatment object M10.

[0083] The processing system 2 alternates between the above-described state T1 and state T2. The control unit 500 of the processing system 2 controls the first injection device 31 and the second injection device 32 to alternately send out the processing target M10 as described above. This allows the storage device 400 to continuously receive the first product M21. Therefore, the processing system 2 can efficiently collect the first product M21.

[0084] The above has described the third embodiment. According to the third embodiment, it is possible to provide an ejection device, a processing system, and a processing method that efficiently recover reusable substances.

[0085] The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the invention. For example, the extruder and cylinder according to the present disclosure are not limited to twin-screw extruders. The extruder and cylinder according to the present disclosure may also be single-screw.

[0086] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-150839, filed September 19, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

[0087] 1 Processing system 2 Processing system 10 Injection device 20 Injection device 21 Metering block 22 Decomposition processing block 31 First injection device 32 Second injection device 90 Wind power generation system 100 Cylinder 101 First cylinder 102 Second cylinder 110 Receiving section 111 First receiving section 112 Second receiving section 120 Conveying section 121 Screw 123 Extrusion screw 130 Decomposition processing area 140 Irradiation device 141 First irradiation device 142 Second irradiation device 150 Injection section 160 Delivery port 170 Temperature control device 200 Secondary battery 300 Separation device 301 First separation device 302 Second separation device 310 Delivery pipe 320 Discharge port 400 Storage container 500 Control unit 600 Composite drive unit 610: Conveyance drive unit 620: Injection drive unit A12: Decomposition treatment area M10: Treatment object M11: Resin M12: Catalyst M21: First product M22: Second product

Claims

1. An injection device comprising: a receiving section which receives an object to be treated from the outside; a transport section which transports the object to be treated received from the receiving section while heating it and supplies it downstream; a decomposition processing area downstream of the transport section having a space capable of retaining a preset amount of the object to be treated; an irradiation device which irradiates microwaves to the object to be treated in the decomposition processing area; an injection section which pushes the object to be treated that has been thermally decomposed by the microwaves out of the decomposition processing area; and a delivery outlet which is a flow path for sending the object to be treated pushed out by the injection section to the outside.

2. The injection device according to claim 1, wherein the transport section has a screw that is housed in a cylinder that receives the object to be processed and is supported so as to be freely rotatable.

3. The injection device according to claim 2, wherein the screw of the transport section performs a rotational operation for stirring the object to be treated while the irradiation device is irradiating the microwaves to the object to be treated.

4. The injection device according to claim 2, wherein the injection section is supported on a tip of the screw of the transport section.

5. The injection device according to claim 2, wherein the injection section has an extrusion member different from the screw, and the extrusion member is configured to move in a straight line to extrude the treatment object in the decomposition treatment area to the delivery outlet.

6. The injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the receiving section receives the treatment object containing at least a resin, the irradiation device irradiates the microwaves to pyrolyze the treatment object so that at least hydrogen can be separated, and the injection section pushes the pyrolyzed treatment object out of the decomposition treatment area.

7. The injection device according to claim 6, wherein the receiving section includes a first receiving section for receiving the resin and a second receiving section for receiving a catalyst for promoting thermal decomposition, and the transporting section transports the treatment object containing the resin and the catalyst while mixing them.

8. The ejection device according to claim 7, wherein the irradiation device thermally decomposes the processing object by irradiating the processing object with microwaves having a frequency of 2.45 GHz.

9. A treatment system comprising: the injection device according to claim 6; and a separation device that separates and extracts the hydrogen from the treatment target sent out from the delivery port of the injection device.

10. The treatment system according to claim 9, wherein the irradiation device of the injection device pyrolyzes the treatment object so that carbon can be further separated by irradiating the microwaves, and the separation device further separates and extracts carbon from the pyrolyzed treatment object.

11. The processing system described in claim 10, comprising: a first injection device that supplies the processing object to the separation device; a second injection device that is different from the first injection device and supplies the processing object to the separation device; and a control unit that controls the operation of the first injection device and the operation of the second injection device, wherein the control unit controls the injection devices so that the first injection device and the second injection device alternately deliver the processing object.

12. The processing system according to claim 10, further comprising a secondary battery that supplies power to the irradiation device.

13. The processing system according to claim 12, wherein the secondary battery is capable of storing electricity generated by renewable energy.

14. A processing method comprising the steps of: receiving an object to be treated into a processing system; transporting the object while heating it and supplying it to a decomposition processing area provided downstream; retaining a predetermined amount of the object to be treated in the decomposition processing area; irradiating microwaves onto the object to be treated in the decomposition processing area; and pushing the object to be treated that has been thermally decomposed by the microwaves out of the decomposition processing area through an outlet provided further downstream.

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