Method of processing solid waste mixture, and apparatus thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a method (200) of processing solid waste mixture to generate composite polymer granules (188), which, among various uses, can be used as construction material The present invention also provides an apparatus (100) for manufacturing said composite polymer granules (188).

Description

[0001] METHOD OF PROCESSING SOLID WASTE MIXTURE, AND APPARATUS THEREOF

[0002] FIELD OF INVENTION

[0003] The present invention generally relates to the field of waste recycling, particularly recycling of solid waste products. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus to recycle a solid waste mixture into a composite polymeric material.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] This section is intended to provide information relating to the field of invention and thus, any approach or functionality described herein should not be assumed to qualify as prior art merely by its inclusion in this section.

[0006] Solid waste refers to organic and / or inorganic solid wastes produced as by-product of domestic and / or industrial consumption of resources. Some examples include, without limitations, food wastes, wood, paper, plastic, metal, glass, leather, textiles, rubber etc. Conventionally, municipal solid waste (MSW) is dumped at a landfill, which then becomes legacy waste. The legacy waste is then processed. While some of the components of the solid waste may be recyclable, however, a majority of the components are not recyclable. Furthermore, the rate of generation of solid waste typically outstrips any rate of managing the solid wastes, thus leading to overcrowding in landfills. This may cause public health concern due to decomposing organic matter, which may attract unbridled bacterial, and fungal growth on them, resulting in emission of noxious gases such as methane, hydrogen sulfide, etc. Resources required to manage this may result in extremely large, and unjustified expenses.

[0007] The solid waste may be converted to useful materials, such as composite polymeric materials. Such material may be used in construction, infrastructure development, and also as raw material for further processing of other composite material. However, such processes face some limitations, such as difficulties in developing a scalable process to manage the large quantity of solid waste being generated. Further, such processes may not be cost- and energy-effective, thereby resulting in processes that may not be feasibly deployed. Furthermore, such processes may result in generation of noxious matter that may be potent pollutants to nature.

[0008] There is, therefore, a requirement in the art for an effective means to transform solid waste into useful materials, such as polymeric materials by techniques which mitigate at least some of the limitations stated above.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This section is intended to introduce one or more aspects and / or embodiments of the present invention in a simplified form and is not intended to identify any key advantages or features of the present invention.

[0010] In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing solid waste mixture. The method comprises: pulverizing a solid waste mixture to generate coarse solid waste particles; subjecting the solid waste particles to a first treatment protocol comprising at least a chemical treatment to obtain dried and purified precursor particles; treating the precursor particles with at least a thermoplastic resin to form a pulp; subjecting the pulp to a second treatment protocol comprising at least an irradiation treatment to obtain dried and purified precursor pulp; subj ecting the precursor pulp to a third treatment protocol comprising at least a moisture reduction treatment to obtain a dried composite precursor pulp; and solidifying the dried composite precursor pulp to generate composite polymer granules.

[0011] In an aspect of the present invention, the step of solidifying the dried composite precursor pulp to generate composite polymer granules comprises treating the composite polymer granules with at least a thermoplastic stabilizer; and treating the composite polymer granules with at least a chemical plasticizer.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, the solid waste mixture is a heterogenous solid waste mixture comprising at least an organic material, at least an inorganic material, or combinations thereof.

[0013] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the solid waste mixture comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0014] In an aspect of the present invention, the size of particles of the solid waste particles is in the range of 2 millimetres (mm) to 8mm.

[0015] In an aspect of the present invention, the chemical treatment comprises subjecting the solid waste particles to at least an oil-based binder and a water-based binder to generate a blended mixture.

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, the first treatment protocol further comprises scrubbing the blended mixture to facilitate deagglomeration of the blended mixture; and heating the blended mixture at a first temperature to decrease a moisture content and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the blended mixture.

[0017] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a moisture content of the blended mixture after being subjected to the first treatment protocol is less than or equal to 25%; and a content of VOCs of the blended mixture after being subjected to the first treatment protocol is less than or equal to 15%. In an aspect of the present invention, the second treatment protocol comprises grinding the pulp to extract cellulose content from the pulp to obtain a ground pulp. In yet another aspect, the irradiation treatment comprises irradiating the ground pulp with ultraviolet light and compressing the ground pulp to obtain precursor pulp.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, a moisture content of the precursor pulp is less than 5%.

[0019] In an aspect of the present invention, the third treatment protocol comprises treating the precursor pulp with at least a catalyst and a bonding agent; drying the treated precursor pulp at a predetermined temperature to decrease at least the moisture content and VOCs in the precursor pulp; and compacting the dried precursor pulp to generate the composite precursor pulp.

[0020] In an aspect of the present invention, the dried composite precursor pulp is subjected to cooling and shaping processes to obtain composite polymer granules.

[0021] In an aspect of the present invention, the composite polymer granules comprise polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in the range of less than or equal to 12%.

[0022] In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composite polymer granule comprising PET in the range of less than or equal to 12%.

[0023] In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing solid waste mixture. The apparatus comprises: a separator; a crusher; a chemical tank; at least a scrubber; a sizing compartment; a pulp processor; a grinder; an ultraviolet (UV) compartment; and a rotary drier.

[0024] In an aspect of the present invention, the separator comprises at least one of a metal detector, a magnet, and a gravity separator to obtain a first fraction comprising metallic components and heavy components, and a second fraction comprising a remaining portion.

[0025] In an aspect of the present invention, the crusher pulverizes a second fraction comprising non-metallic components obtained from the separator to particle size in the range of 2mm to 5mm.

[0026] In an aspect of the present invention, the chemical tank comprises at least a first compartment comprising at least an oil-based binder, and at least a second compartment comprising at least a water-based binder.

[0027] In another aspect of the present invention, at least a scrubber comprises a first compartment comprising a plurality of discs to deagglomerate clumped particles obtained from chemical treatment of particles obtained from chemical tank.

[0028] In another aspect of the present invention, the sizing compartment temperature is in the range of 60-80°C, and the particles obtained from the scrubber are dried. In another aspect of the present invention, at least a scrubber comprises a second compartment comprising a plurality of discs to remove moisture and VOCs from the particles obtained from the sizing compartment.

[0029] In another aspect of the present invention, the grinder extracts cellulosic material.

[0030] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus comprises an air emission duct comprising a plurality of filters to capture VOCs prior to releasing into external air.

[0031] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

[0032] The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. These and other details of the present invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the scope of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 1A illustrates a schematic view of an apparatus for processing solid waste mixture, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] FIGs. IB to IF illustrate schematic representations of processing of the solid waste mixture by the apparatus of FIG. 1A, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary schematic flow diagram of a method of processing of solid waste mixture, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one another or in any combination with other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or may address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein. Example embodiments of the present invention are described below, as illustrated in various drawings, in which the same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings.

[0038] The present invention provides a method for processing solid waste mixture. The method comprises: pulverizing a solid waste mixture to generate coarse solid waste particles; subjecting the solid waste particles to a first treatment protocol comprising at least a chemical treatment to obtain dried and purified precursor particles; treating the precursor particles with at least a thermoplastic resin to form a pulp; subjecting the pulp to a second treatment protocol comprising at least an irradiation treatment to obtain dried and purified precursor pulp; subjecting the precursor pulp to a third treatment protocol comprising at least a moisture reduction treatment to obtain a dried composite precursor pulp; and solidifying the dried composite precursor pulp to generate composite polymer granules.

[0039] In an embodiment, the solid waste mixture is a heterogenous solid waste mixture including at least an organic material, at least an inorganic material, or combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the solid waste mixture is a municipal solid waste (MSW). In an embodiment, the organic material may comprise any one or more of food wastes, wood, paper, textiles, leather, rubber, monomers and / or polymers including carbon chains, etc. In an embodiment, the inorganic material may comprise one or more of glass, metals, sand, mortar, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the solid waste mixture comprises at least an organic material and at least an inorganic material. In an embodiment, the weight ratio of organic material to inorganic material is in the range of 1 : 10 to 10: 1. In an embodiment, the solid waste mixture comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In an embodiment, the size of coarse solid waste particles obtained from pulverizing the solid waste mixture is in the range of 2 millimetres (mm) to 8mm.

[0040] In an embodiment, the step of solidifying the dried composite precursor pulp to generate composite polymer granules includes treating the composite polymer granules with at least a thermoplastic stabilizer; and treating the composite polymer granules with at least a chemical plasticizer.

[0041] In an embodiment, the chemical treatment of the first treatment protocol comprises subjecting the coarse solid waste particles to at least an oil-based binder and a water-based binder to obtain a blended mixture. In an embodiment, the oil-based binder is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based binders. In a preferred embodiment, the oil-based binder is PVA. In another preferred embodiment, the PVA is used in a dosage of about 15 kilograms (kg) per ton of the solid waste. In an embodiment, the water-based binder is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based binders. In a preferred embodiment, the waterbased binder is PVA. In another preferred embodiment, the PVA is used in a dosage of about 15 kg per ton of the solid waste. In an embodiment, the oil- and water-based binders are sprayed on the coarse solid waste particles concurrently. In another embodiment, the oil- and water-based binders are sprayed on the coarse solid waste particles sequentially. In an embodiment, the first treatment protocol further includes scrubbing the blended mixture to facilitate deagglomeration of the blended mixture; and heating the blended mixture at a first temperature to decrease a moisture content and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the blended mixture to obtain purified and dried precursor particles. In an embodiment, the temperature at which the blended mixture is heated is in the range of 60 to 80 degrees Celsius (°C).

[0042] In an embodiment, a moisture content of the blended mixture after being subjected to the first treatment protocol is less than or equal to 25%; and the content of VOCs of the blended mixture after being subjected to the first treatment protocol is less than or equal to 15%. In an embodiment, VOCs can be at least one of benzene, benzo-pyrene, and methane. In an embodiment, other noxious gases may be at least one or more of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide.

[0043] In an embodiment, the thermoplastic resin to treat the precursor particles to form a pulp is selected from the group consisting of thermo-softening plastic resin. In a preferred embodiment, the thermoplastic resin is thermo-softening plastic resin. In another preferred embodiment, the thermo-softening plastic resin is used in a dosage of about 10 kg per ton of the solid waste. In another preferred embodiment, the thermo-softening plastic resin is used at a temperature of about 40 °C.

[0044] In an embodiment, the second treatment protocol comprises grinding the pulp to extract cellulose content from the pulp to obtain a ground pulp. Due to extraction of the cellulose, the ground pulp may have an enriched cellulosic content. In an embodiment, cellulose content in the ground pulp is in the range of 20 to 35%. In another embodiment, the second treatment protocol comprises an irradiation treatment of the ground pulp with ultraviolet light to obtain dried and purified precursor pulp. In an embodiment, the UV light treated ground pulp is compressed to obtain dried and purified precursor pulp. The moisture content of the dried and purified precursor pulp is less than 5%.

[0045] In an embodiment, the third treatment protocol comprises treating the dried and purified precursor pulp with at least a catalyst and at least a bonding agent. In an embodiment, the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of polymer stabilizers. In a preferred embodiment, the polymer stabilizer is used in a dosage of about 5 kg per ton of the solid waste. In an embodiment, the bonding agent is selected from the group consisting of synthetic waxes. In a preferred embodiment, the bonding agent is polyethylene wax. In another preferred embodiment, the polyethylene wax is used in a dosage of about 5 kg per ton of the solid waste. In an embodiment, the third treatment protocol further comprises drying the treated precursor pulp at a predetermined temperature to decrease at least the moisture content and VOCs in the precursor pulp; and compacting the dried precursor pulp to generate the composite precursor pulp.

[0046] In an embodiment, the treated precursor pulp is dried at a temperature in the range of 60 to 100 °C. In an embodiment, the moisture content of the dried precursor pulp is not more than about 5-7%. In a preferred embodiment, the moisture content of the dried precursor pulp is not more than 5%. In an embodiment, the VOCs content of the dried precursor pulp is not more than about 15%. In a preferred embodiment, the VOCs content of the dried precursor pulp is not more than about 12%.

[0047] In an embodiment, the dried composite precursor pulp is subjected to cooling and shaping processes to obtain composite polymer granules.

[0048] In an exemplary implementation, the method comprises pulverizing a sample of MSW to generate coarse solid waste particles having a size in the range of between 2 and 8mm. The solid waste particles are treated with an oil- and water-based binder comprising PVA in a dosage for each of the oil- and water-based binder being 15kg per ton of the MSW. The treated blended mixture is scrubbed and heated at a temperature of between 60 and 80 °C to obtain better amalgamated and purified dried precursor particles. The precursor particles are treated with a thermoplastic resin comprising a thermos-softening plastic resin in a dosage of 10kg per ton of solid waste to obtain the pulp. The pulp is then ground so that the cellulosic material from the pulp is extracted to enrich the pulp with cellulose. The ground pulp has a cellulosic content in the range of 20-35%. The ground pulp is subjected to irradiation treatment by being irradiated with UV radiation so that the moisture content in the ground pulp is reduced further to less than 5%, to obtain the dried and purified precursor pulp. The precursor pulp is treated with a catalyst comprising a polymer stabilizer in a dosage of 5kg per ton of MSW. The precursor pulp is further treated with a bonding agent comprising polyethylene wax in a dosage of 5kg per ton of MSW. The chemically treated precursor pulp is dried in a rotary drier to obtain composite precursor pulp. The composite precursor pulp is further dried to transform into the composite polymer granules.

[0049] The present invention further provides a composite polymer granule comprising PET in the range of less than or equal to about 12%. In an embodiment, the composite polymer granules are prepared by a method as substantially described herein. In an exemplary application, the composite polymer granules are used in preparation of polymeric construction blocks used in building and road construction.

[0050] The present invention also provides an apparatus for processing solid waste mixture. The apparatus comprises a separator; a crusher; a chemical tank; at least a scrubber; a sizing compartment; a pulp processor; a grinder; an ultraviolet (UV) compartment; and a rotary drier. In an embodiment, the separator comprises at least one of a metal detector, a magnet, and a gravity separator to obtain a first fraction comprising metallic components and heavy components, and a second fraction comprising a remainder of the solid waste mixture.

[0051] In an embodiment, the crusher pulverizes the second fraction obtained from the separator to particle size in the range of 2mm to 5mm.

[0052] In an embodiment, the chemical tank comprises at least a first compartment comprising at least an oil-based binder, and at least a second compartment comprising at least a water-based binder.

[0053] In an embodiment, the scrubber comprises a plurality of discs to deagglomerate clumped particles obtained from chemical treatment of particles obtained from the chemical tank.

[0054] In an embodiment, the sizing compartment temperature is in the range of 60-80°C, and the particles obtained from the scrubber are dried in the sizing compartment.

[0055] In an embodiment, the scrubber comprises a plurality of discs to remove moisture and VOCs from the particles obtained from the sizing compartment.

[0056] In an embodiment, the grinder extracts cellulosic material.

[0057] In another embodiment, the apparatus includes an air emission duct comprising a plurality of filters to capture VOCs prior to releasing them into external air.

[0058] FIG. 1 A illustrates a schematic view of an apparatus 100 for processing solid waste mixture 170, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] FIGs. IB to IF illustrate schematic representations of a processing of the solid waste mixture 170 by the apparatus 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Referring to FIGs. 1A to IF, the apparatus 100 is configured to convert the solid waste mixture 170 to a composite polymeric material. The composite polymeric material may be used in construction, infrastructure development, and also as raw material for further processing of other composite materials. The composite polymeric material is constituted out of components present in the solid waste mixture 170. The solid waste mixture 170 is a heterogenous solid mixture including at least an organic material, at least an inorganic material, or a combination thereof. Some examples of organic materials are, without limitations, food wastes, wood, paper, leather, textiles, rubber, PET, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc. Some examples of inorganic materials are, without limitations, glass, sand, mortar, metals, etc.

[0061] The apparatus 100 includes a waste pit 102. The waste pit 102 is adapted to receive and store the solid waste mixture 170. The waste pit 102 includes at least one storage pit or well (not shown in figure) that is adapted to storing solid wastes, liquid wastes, or a combination thereof. In alternate embodiments, the waste pit 102 may include one or more storage pits or wells. The apparatus 100 further includes a separator 104. The separator 104 is adapted to receive the stored solid waste mixture 170 from the waste pit 102. The apparatus 100 includes a transporting means 106 to transport the solid waste mixture 170 from the waste pit 102 to the separator 104. The transportation means 106 may be any, such as, without limitations, a conveyer belt, and a cable trolley. In the illustrated embodiment, the transporting means 106 is a conveyor belt. The separator 104 further includes a metallic detector-separator integrated with the transportation means 104 to separate out the metallic components from the solid waste mixture 170, as the solid waste mixture 170 is being transported therethrough.

[0062] The separator 104 is configured to separate the received solid waste 170 into first and second fractions, including metallic, and heavy components, and the remainder of the solid waste, respectively. The separator 104 includes at least one of a metal detector, a magnet, and a gravity separator to facilitate obtaining of the first and second fractions.

[0063] In the illustrated embodiment, the separator 104 is a jigging machine. The jigging machine is a gravity-based separator. The jigging machine adapted to separate the solid waste based on a weight and / or size of the solid waste. Heavy components such as construction blocks may be separated out of the solid mixture. In embodiments of the present invention, the heavier components may include metals and construction blocks. The jigging machine may further be provided with a metal detector-separator, such as a magnetic detector-separator, or an eddy current detector-separator to identify and separate out metallic components from the solid waste mixture 170, thereby obtaining the first and second fractions. The first fraction including the metallic components and the heavy components such as construction blocks may be discarded for purposes of the present invention.

[0064] The apparatus 100 further includes a crusher 108. The crusher 108 is adapted to pulverize the solid waste mixture obtained from the separator 104. Specifically, the crusher 108 is adapted to pulverize the second fraction (i.e., the non-metallic fraction) obtained from the separator 104. The crusher 108 includes a plurality of stages (not shown in figure), each adapted to pulverize the second fraction into smaller sizes. For example, the crusher 108 includes a pre-crusher adapted to break up the received second fraction into slightly smaller pieces. The crusher 108 further includes subsequent crushing stages. Once the second fraction passes through the crusher 108, the second fraction is pulverized to obtain coarse solid waste particles 174. In some embodiments, sizes of particles of the solid waste particles 174 is in a range of 2 mm to 8 mm.

[0065] The apparatus 100 further includes a chemical tank 110, at least a scrubber 112, and a sizing compartment 114. The chemical tank 110 is adapted to receive the solid waste particles 174 from the crusher 108. The scrubber 112 is adapted to, subsequently, receive material from the chemical tank 110. The sizing compartment 114 is adapted to then receive material from the scrubber 112.

[0066] The chemical tank 110 includes at least a first compartment and at least a second compartment (not shown in figure). The at least first compartment includes at least an oil-based binder, and the at least second compartment includes at least a water-based binder. The scrubber 112 includes a first compartment (not shown in figure). The first compartment includes a plurality of discs (not shown in figure). The sizing compartment 114 includes a compartment in which material is heated to a first temperature and thoroughly mixed. The first temperature is in the range of 60 to 80 °C.

[0067] The solid waste particles 174 are subjected to the first treatment protocol including at least the chemical treatment to obtain dried and purified precursor particles 178. The chemical treatment occurs in the chemical tank 110, while at least a portion of the remainder of the first treatment protocol may occur in the scrubber 112, and the sizing compartment 114. The chemical treatment includes subjecting the solid waste particles 174 to at least the oil-based binder and the waterbased binder to generate a blended mixture 176. The solid waste particles 174 are transported on a conveyor through the chemical tank 110, where the oil-based binder and the water-based binder are sprayed on top of the solid waste particles 174. The chemical treatment may result in the blended mixture 176 having a waxy consistency. The water- and oil-based binders may amalgamate organic and inorganic matter, while further mitigating bacterial and fungal growth in the blended mixture 176. Use of the binders may furthermore neutralize some toxic products present in the blended mixture 176.

[0068] The blended mixture 176 is then scrubbed in the scrubber 112 to facilitate deagglomeration of the blended mixture 176. The plurality of discs of the scrubber 112 deagglomerate clumped particles in the blended mixture 176 from the chemical tank 110. The plurality of discs deploy a rubbing action on the blended mixture 176 resulting in a more uniform distribution of the particles of the heterogenous solid wastes present in the blended mixture 176.

[0069] The deagglomerated blended mixture 176 is subsequently heated at the first temperature (i.e., 60-80 °C) in the sizing compartment 114 to decrease the moisture content and the content of VOCs in the blended mixture 176. Furthermore, the application of heat to the blended mixture 176 may further promote amalgamation of the particles of the blended mixture 176 with the chemicals (i.e., the water- and oil-based binders) added in the chemical tank 110.

[0070] The at least one scrubber 112 includes a second compartment (not shown in figure) disposed so as to receive the blended mixture 176 from the sizing compartment 114. The second compartment includes a plurality of discs. The second compartment is adapted to remove moisture and VOCs from the blended mixture 176 to obtain the precursor particles 178.

[0071] The apparatus 100 further includes a pulp processor 116. The pulp processor 116 is adapted to receive the precursor particles 178 into one or more compartments of the pulp processor 116. The precursor particles 178 are treated with at least a thermoplastic resin to form a pulp 180.

[0072] The apparatus 100 further includes a grinder 118, and an ultraviolet (UV) compartment 120. The grinder 118 is adapted to receive the pulp 180 from the pulp processor 116. The UV compartment 120 is adapted to receive material from the grinder 118. Specifically, the UV compartment 120 includes a UV bed (not shown in figure) and a plurality of radiation sources (not shown in figure) arranged and adapted to emit UV light towards the bed. In an example, the radiation source is a 110-microwatt UV lamp. Furthermore, the UV compartment 120 may have a blower (not shown in figure) that generates an airflow within the UV compartment 120. The airflow is about 2400 cubic feet per minute (CFM).

[0073] The pulp 180 is subjected to the second treatment protocol including at least the irradiation treatment to obtain dried and purified precursor pulp 184. The irradiation treatment occurs in the UV compartment 120, and at least some of the remainder of the second treatment protocol occurs in the grinder 118.

[0074] The pulp 180 is ground in the grinder 118 for extraction of any cellulosic material present within the pulp 180 to obtain a ground pulp 182. Extracting the cellulosic material facilitates enrichment of the resulting ground pulp 182 with cellulose. The ground pulp 182 is subsequently irradiated in the UV compartment 120 with UV light. Irradiation may cause further dehydration of the ground pulp 182, causing compression of the ground pulp 182 to obtain the precursor pulp 184. In some embodiments, the moisture content in the precursor pulp 184 is less than 5%. Further, irradiation with UV may cause densification of the precursor pulp 184.

[0075] The apparatus 100 further includes a granulation device 122, a second chemical tank 124, and a rotary drier 126. The granulation device 122 is adapted to receive the precursor pulp 184 from the UV compartment 120. The second chemical tank 124 is then adapted to receive material from the granulation device 122. The rotary drier 126 is then adapted to receive material from the second chemical tank 124.

[0076] The precursor pulp 184 is subjected to the third treatment protocol including at least the moisture reduction treatment to obtain a dried composite precursor pulp 186. The moisture reduction treatment occurs in the rotary drier 126, while at least some of the remainder of the third treatment protocol occurs in granulation device 122 and with the aid of the second chemical tank 124. The precursor pulp 184 passes through the granulation device 122, where the precursor pulp 184 is converted to granules of the precursor pulp. The granules of the precursor pulp 184 are subsequently treated with at least the catalyst and the bonding agent in the second chemical tank 124.

[0077] The treated precursor pulp 184 is dried in the rotary drier 126 at a predetermined temperature to further decrease at least the moisture content and the volatile material content in the precursor pulp 184. The predetermined temperature is in the range of 60 to 100 °C. Further, the rotary drier 126 is integrated with a tightening screw 128. The tightening screw 128 is adapted to compact the dried precursor pulp 184 to generate the composite precursor pulp 186. The composite precursor pulp 186 is further solidified in the tightening screw 128 and is converted to composite polymer granules 188. Specifically, the composite precursor pulp 186 is subjected to cooling and shaping processes to obtain the composite polymer granules 188.

[0078] The composite polymer granules 188 may be treated with at least a thermoplastic stabilizer. In some embodiments, the composite polymer granules 188 may be further treated with at least a chemical plasticizer. Application of the thermoplastic stabilizer may promote uniformity of the composite polymer granules 188, and addition of the chemical plasticizer may promote smoothness of the composite polymer granules 188.

[0079] The composite polymer granules 188 may further be passed through a pellet making apparatus (not shown in figure) to generate pellets of the composite polymer granules 188, that may be stored, and transported more efficiently.

[0080] The apparatus 100 further includes an exhaust apparatus including at least an air blower 130, and an air emission duct 132. The air blower 130 is integrated or coupled with the rotary drier 126. In some embodiments, the air blower 130 may further be coupled with the scrubber 112. The exhaust apparatus is adapted to accumulate and safely evacuate VOC and other noxious vapors that may be generated in any one or both of the scrubber 112 and the rotary drier 126 during their respective operations. In an embodiment, the noxious vapors are selected from a group consisting of methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfur dioxide.

[0081] The air blower 130 is a tightening air blower. The air blower 130 is adapted to create a vortex within the rotary drier 126, causing emitted gases (such as, the VOCs and other noxious gases) to be collated at a low-pressure region within the created vortex. The air blower 130 is further configured, such that the collated gases are passed through to the air emission duct 132. The air emission duct 132 is configured with a plurality of filters, and other toxin neutralization means to neutralize toxic products and to adsorb, absorb and / or filter out other particulate and gaseous products that may be harmful to the environment. The purified gases may then be vented into the atmosphere. Purified gases may be defined as having harmful components such as particle matter, and gases such as ammonia, methane etc. that are well within regulatory standards.

[0082] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary schematic flow diagram of a method 200 of processing of solid waste mixture 170, according to an embodiment of the present invention. At step 202, the method 200 includes pulverizing the solid waste mixture 170 to generate coarse solid waste particles 174. At step 204, the method 200 further includes subjecting the solid waste particles 174 to the first treatment protocol including at least the chemical treatment to obtain dried and purified precursor particles 178. At step 206, the method 200 further includes treating the precursor particles 178 with at least the thermoplastic resin to form the pulp 180. At step 208, the method 200 further includes subjecting the pulp 180 to the second treatment protocol including at least the irradiation treatment to obtain dried and purified precursor pulp 184. At step 210, the method 200 further includes subjecting the precursor pulp 184 to the third treatment protocol including at least the moisture reduction treatment to obtain a dried composite precursor pulp 186. At step 212, the method 200 further includes solidifying the dried composite precursor pulp 186 to generate composite polymer granules 188.

[0083] The step of solidifying the dried composite precursor pulp 186 to generate composite polymer granules 188 includes treating the composite polymer granules 188 with at least the thermoplastic stabilizer; and treating the composite polymer granules 188 with at least the chemical plasticizer.

[0084] The composite polymer granules 188 is constituted from different components of the solid waste mixture 170. Thus, the composite polymer granules 188 includes PET in the range of about 12%. Table 1 below provides an exemplary composition of the composite polymer granules 188 produced by the method 200 described herein.

[0085] Table: 1: Exemplary composition of the composite polymer granules 188

[0086] Thus, the present invention provides a method 200 for processing solid waste mixture 170, and an apparatus 100 thereof. The method 200 and the apparatus 100 may be adapted to be scalable to accommodate increased rates of consumption, by the apparatus 100, of solid waste mixture 170. Further, the present invention provides a means to convert a majority of components of the solid waste, including materials, such as PET and PVC, into a useful polymeric composite material, thus improving an effectiveness and efficiency of the apparatus 100. The method 200 and apparatus 100 are further provided with means to thoroughly purify any noxious emissions, so that any adverse impact on the environment is limited.

[0087] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described hereinabove, it may be appreciated that various changes, adaptations, and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments may be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0088] LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0089] 100 Apparatus for Processing Solid Waste Mixture

[0090] 102 Waste Pit

[0091] 104 Separator

[0092] 106 Transporting Means

[0093] 108 Crusher Chemical Tank Scrubber Sizing Compartment Pulp Processor Grinder Ultraviolet Compartment Granulation Device Second Chemical Tank Rotary Drier Tightening Screw Air Blower Air Emission Duct Solid Waste Mixture Solid Waste Particles Blended Mixture Precursor Particles Pulp Ground Pulp Precursor Pulp Composite Precursor Pulp Composite Polymer Granules Method -212 Method Steps

Claims

I / We Claim:

1. A method (200) for processing solid waste mixture (170), the method (200) comprising: pulverizing (202) a solid waste mixture (170) to generate coarse solid waste particles (174); subjecting (204) the solid waste particles (174) to a first treatment protocol comprising at least a chemical treatment to obtain dried and purified precursor particles (178); treating (206) the precursor particles (178) with at least a thermoplastic resin to form a pulp (180); subjecting (208) the pulp (180) to a second treatment protocol comprising at least an irradiation treatment to obtain dried and purified precursor pulp (184); subjecting (210) the precursor pulp (184) to a third treatment protocol comprising at least a moisture reduction treatment to obtain a dried composite precursor pulp (186); and solidifying (212) the dried composite precursor pulp (186) to generate composite polymer granules (188).

2. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step (212) of solidifying the dried composite precursor pulp (186) to generate composite polymer granules (188) comprises: treating the composite polymer granules (188) with at least a thermoplastic stabilizer; and treating the composite polymer granules (188) with at least a chemical plasticizer.

3. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solid waste mixture (170) is a heterogenous solid waste mixture comprising at least an organic material, at least an inorganic material, or combinations thereof.

4. The method (200) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the solid waste mixture (170) comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

5. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein sizes of particles of the solid waste particles (174) is in the range of 2 millimetres (mm) to 8mm.

6. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chemical treatment comprises subjecting the solid waste particles (174) to at least an oil-based binder and a water-based binder to generate a blended mixture (176).

7. The method (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first treatment protocol further comprises: scrubbing the blended mixture (176) to facilitate deagglomeration of the blended mixture (176); and heating the blended mixture (176) at a first temperature to decrease a moisture content and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the blended mixture (176).

8. The method (200) as claimed in claim 7, wherein a moisture content of the blended mixture (176) after being subjected to the first treatment protocol is less than or equal to 25%; and a content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the blended mixture (176) after being subjected to the first treatment protocol is less than or equal to 15%.

9. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second treatment protocol comprises grinding the pulp (180) to extract cellulose content from the pulp (180) to obtain a ground pulp (182), and wherein the irradiation treatment comprises irradiating the ground pulp (182) with ultraviolet light and compressing the ground pulp (182) to obtain precursor pulp (184).

10. The method (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein a moisture content of the precursor pulp (184) is less than 5%.

11. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third treatment protocol comprises: treating the precursor pulp (184) with at least a catalyst and a bonding agent; drying the treated precursor pulp (184) at a predetermined temperature to decrease at least the moisture content and volatile material content in the precursor pulp (184); and compacting the dried precursor pulp (184) to generate the composite precursor pulp (186).

12. The method (200) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the dried composite precursor pulp (186) is subjected to cooling and shaping processes to obtain composite polymer granules (188).

13. The method (200) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the composite polymer granules (188) comprise polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in the range of less than or equal to 12%.

14. A composite polymer granule (188) comprising PET in the range of less than or equal to 12%.

15. A solid waste mixture processing apparatus (100) comprising: a. a separator (104); b. a crusher (108); c . a chemical tank (110); d. at least a scrubber (112); e. a sizing compartment (114); f . a pulp processor (116); g. a grinder (118); h. an ultraviolet (UV) compartment (120); and i. a rotary drier (126).

16. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the separator (104) comprises at least one of a metal detector, a magnet, and a gravity separator to obtain a first fraction comprising metallic components, and a second fraction comprising non-metallic components.

17. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the crusher (108) pulverizes a second fraction obtained from the separator (104) to particle size in the range of 2mm to 5mm.

18. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the chemical tank (110) comprises at least a first compartment comprising at least an oil-based binder, and at least a second compartment comprising at least a water-based binder.

19. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least a scrubber (112) comprises a first compartment comprising a plurality of discs to deagglomerate clumped particles obtained from chemical treatment of particles obtained from chemical tank (110).

20. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sizing compartment (114) temperature is in the range of 60-80°C, and the particles obtained from the scrubber (112) are dried.

21. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least a scrubber (112) comprises a second compartment comprising a plurality of discs to remove moisture and VOCs from the particles obtained from the sizing compartment 9114).

22. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the grinder (118) extracts cellulosic material.

23. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the apparatus (100) comprises an air emission duct (132) comprising a plurality of filters to capture VOCs prior to releasing into external air.

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