Industrial manufacturing process of mixtures of foamed polyurethane granules from the recycling of insulated aluminum slats

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns an industrial manufacturing process (P) of mixtures of foamed polyurethane granules (G) from the recycling of aluminium slats (D) insulated with foamed polyurethane, with steps of: supply of the slats and scraps of slats (D); storage of said materials to be recycled (D); automatic feeding of cutting machines (MD); automatic feeding of pre-grinding machines (PM); collection of the polyurethane component (PU); recovery of the aluminium (AL); recovery of the foamed polyurethane (PU) powders; agglomeration of the collected powders; lastly, packaging of the mixture of polyurethane (PU) granules thus obtained, without the contribution of chemical substances and without using process water. The mixture of rigid foamed polyurethane (PU) granules thus obtained via the present process (P) is called "GRISOPOL"® (G).

Description

[0001] dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 “INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF MIXTURES OF FOAMED POLYURETHANE GRANULES FROM THE RECYCLING OF INSULATED ALUMINIUM SLATS” ***** The present invention concerns an innovative process for the industrial manufacturing of mixtures of foamed polyurethane granules from the recycling of insulated aluminium slats. The present invention is totally innovative, since no other similar methods for the industrial production of mixtures of foamed polyurethane granules from the recycling of insulated aluminium slats currently exist in the known art. Moreover, the patents that currently exist relate to methods applied to polyurethane foams, also recycled, which result in different products, having the fundamental drawback of using chemical additives during the production process, usually for the purpose of producing panel-type finished products. The document EP4036364 discloses the recycling of aluminium slats insulated with foamed polyurethane in which the foamed polyurethane is incinerated. dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 DE10014349, EP3766594 and the publication FIORE S. et AL: "Automobile Trituratore residui in Italia: Caratterizzazione e opportunità di valorizzazione" document the separate recovery of aluminium and foamed PU from composites of aluminium and PU foam (DE’349) or from shredding residues which comprise both materials (EP’594 and Fiore et al.. DE’349 describes an impactor which physically separates the PU foam from the metals, including aluminium, followed by separation of the materials using a separation drum. EP3766594 and the publication FIORE S. et AL illustrate the separation of the aluminium from the "fibrous dust" using a densimetric table. The object of the present industrial manufacturing process is, therefore, to industrially produce a recycled product consisting of granular mixtures of foamed polyurethane obtained from recycled material and / or industrial waste, in such as way as not to use any chemicals and / or other additives. A further object, certainly no less important than the preceding one, is to transform foamed polyurethane panels into a mixture of granules dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 adapted to be subsequently re-usable for a plurality of various other purposes in the construction sector and in all those activities where absorbent materials are required in the case of spillage of oily and insulating materials. Said objects are achieved by the present method of industrial production of granular mixtures of recycled foamed polyurethane, as better specified in claims 1-11 attached at the foot of the present description. These objects and consequent advantages, in addition to the characteristics according to the present invention, will be more clearly evident from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred solution, described below by way of non-limiting example, of a method for the industrial production of granular mixtures of recycled foamed polyurethane, in particular evident from the attached drawing, in which: - Fig.1 is a schematic view of a flow chart showing a process P, by way of non-limiting example, of industrial manufacturing of mixtures of granules M of recycled foamed polyurethane, according to the present invention. dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 From the attached figure it is easy for a person skilled in the art to deduce the inventive idea, since an innovative industrial manufacturing process P of mixtures of granules M of recycled foamed polyurethane has been devised, adapted to solve said current problems of the known art, in particular being able to recycle the foamed polyurethane transforming the latter into small granules adapted to be recyclable. The present industrial manufacturing process P of mixtures of granules M of recycled foamed polyurethane is totally innovative, since no similar process has ever been implemented at industrial level, and it is also inventive, since it fully solves the problem of guaranteeing optimal recycling of aluminium slats insulated with rigid foamed polyurethane, given that the present process has been conceived in order not to use any chemicals, namely it brilliantly and optimally solves recycling of the component elements of insulated aluminium slats, with the separation and total recovery of both the aluminium and the rigid foamed polyurethane, reducing the latter to a mixture of granules of dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 foamed polyurethane having given diameter dimensions. Said granules are characterized by the fact that they can be produced in both low and high density, and also in densities to fully meet various customer requirements. The granules have closed cells with size ranging from one tenth of a millimetre to four millimetres, namely dimensions equivalent to those between fine sand and very fine gravel. The product to be recycled, consisting of said mixtures of granules M of rigid foamed polyurethane, is called “GRISOPOL”® or granular mixture of rigid foamed polyurethane with high and low density. The mixture of granules of foamed polyurethane obtained with the present process P consists of a mixture obtained by mixing granules of recycled foamed polyurethane having a minimum density equivalent to rigid foamed polyurethane at low density, equal to fifty-two kilograms per cubic metre, which usually has the appearance of a mixture of yellow granules, together with granules of rigid foamed polyurethane with higher density, equivalent to rigid foamed polyurethane dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 at high density equal to three hundred kilograms per cubic metre, which usually has the appearance of a mixture of green granules. In a preferred solution, the mixture of granules can be produced according to the density required by the customer, provided that it falls between approximately fifty and three hundred kilograms per cubic metre, namely a density comprised between low density polyurethane and high density polyurethane. As a further precaution, it should be remembered that rigid foamed polyurethane has been a common and widely used product for decades in the construction sector, since it has good heat- insulating characteristics at very competitive prices, being in turn obtained from a process of polyaddition of polyisocyanates, polyalcohols polyesters / polyethers and water, controlled by catalysts, stabilizers and other additives, obtaining a cellular polyurethane foam with closed cells. In the light of the above, it can be seen that the present industrial manufacturing process P, purposely designed to recycle said materials constituting the scraps of the slats, and also dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 the slats themselves made of insulated aluminium of old civil and / or industrial roller shutters, via separation of the metallic component consisting of the aluminium AL from the polyurethane component consisting of rigid foamed polyurethane, and crushing of the polyurethane insulating means present inside the slats of roller shutters and relative waste into granular mixtures, can produce mixtures of closed cell foamed cellular polyurethane granules, in appropriate mixtures, having density that can be defined on a time by time basis according to customer needs or predetermined according to prevailing market requirements. In a preferred non-limiting solution, the industrial manufacturing process P of mixtures of granules of foamed polyurethane from the recycling of insulated aluminium slats comprises the production steps listed below, as shown schematically in Fig.1: ➢ First step F1: supply step of aluminium slats and scraps D, with said slats insulated with rigid polyurethane foam to be recycled, having both low and high density; dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 ➢ Second step F2: storage step of said material to be recycled D in environments protected from bad weather and in special storage baskets CS; ➢ Third step F3: automatic feeding step of the cutting machine MD with the slats D or scraps of slats D to be recycled; ➢ Fourth step F4: automatic feeding step of the hopper of a pre-grinding machine PM, designed to coarsely shred the incoming pieces of slats D, thus facilitating separation of the metal component, formed of the aluminium laminates constituting the external portion of the slats, from the internal polyurethane insulating part, from which it separates in this processing step; ➢ Fifth step F5: collection step of the polyurethane component constituting the insulating element of the slats D and transfer to special shredding machines MZ, in order to obtain a mixture of granules G of sizes between one tenth of a millimetre and four millimetres; ➢ Sixth step F6: separation step of the shredded material T which, via a conveyor belt NT, is taken to a separation means MS of the two components forming said shredded material T, namely a heavier component, the metallic dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 aluminium AL component, from the lighter one, the component made up of foamed polyurethane PU, with said separator means MS which chops up and distinguishes said shredded material T, separating from each other said component parts consisting of the aluminium AL and the granules of polyurethane PU, by means of a densimetric table TD, also via the joint action, if necessary, of an air blower and suction means MS, designed to further facilitate the separation thereof; ➢ Seventh step F7: recovery step of the aluminium AL, where the aluminium AL shavings are introduced into the hopper of a machine designed to press and transform the shredded aluminium into small cylinders called “briquettes” B and, for this reason, said machine is called a “briquetting” machine MB; upon exiting the briquetting machine MB, the briquettes B are placed each time in special storage boxes SB; ➢ Eighth step F8: recovery step of the foamed polyurethane PU powders, during which the foamed polyurethane powders, namely the polyurethane granules smaller than one tenth of a millimetre, produced from the third to the seventh dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 processing step (F3, F4, F5, F6, F7) of the slats D to be recycled and, in particular, during the sixth step F6 of separation of the aluminium component AL from the polyurethane component PU, are extracted via a recovery means MR through suction, which guarantees the total elimination thereof; ➢ Ninth step F9: agglomeration step of the powders collected in the eighth step F8, where said powders with diameter smaller than one tenth of a millimetre are increased in diameter, so that their new diameter measures more than one tenth of a millimetre, by means of an agglomeration medium MA thereof, in such a way as to make all the material constituting the powdery polyurethane PU component recyclable; ➢ Tenth step F10: collection and packaging step of the mixture of polyurethane PU granules thus obtained, during which the granules of said dimensions calibrated in diameter of polyurethane PU separated from the heavier aluminium AL component in step F6, together with the granules coming from the agglomeration step F9, are collected by predetermined weight in special containers or bags, subsequently dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 labelled, constituting the mixture of rigid foamed polyurethane granules called “GRISOPOL”®, thus obtained with the process P hereunder. Said mixture of rigid foamed polyurethane PU granules called “GRISOPOL”® G is characterized in that it is very suitable for use as an absorbent medium for oily substances in the event of the accidental spillage thereof, and as an insulating medium in the construction sector, by blowing the mixture G thus obtained into the cavities of walls and floors. In a preferred but non-limiting solution, said agglomeration medium MA agglomerating the polyurethane powder having dimensions smaller than one tenth of millimetre, during said ninth step F9, acts by means of a vaporized solution of adhesive polyurethane foam, in a composition substantially identical to the one constituting the foamed polyurethane granules, but having a high adhesive power, together with rapid setting, of said polyurethane powders smaller than one tenth of a millimetre, but without having any expansive character, in order to obtain optional adhesion and agglomeration of the particles of said polyurethane powder, so as to obtain dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 granules having diameter greater than one tenth of a millimetre but, in any case, less than four millimetres and with highly stable and durable closed cells, resistant to hot-cold cycles and insensitive to humidity and condensation. Said mixture of rigid foamed polyurethane granules called “GRISOPOL”® G, thus obtained with the process P hereunder is fireproof and self- extinguishing in class B2. In a preferred but non-limiting solution, said pre-grinder PM is made using an I.R.S. Italia brand machine, type MR, model 1740, specifically designed and built. In a preferred but non-limiting solution, said conveyor belt NT is made using the brand type BELT 400x400, specifically and recently designed and built. In a preferred but non-limiting solution, said separation means MS is made using an I.R.S. Italia brand machine, type EASY, model 300, specifically and recently designed and built. In a preferred but non-limiting solution, said briquetting machine is of the CO.MA.FER brand, model Metalpress 500 EVO, recently designed and built. dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 In a preferred but non-limiting solution, for implementing the separation of the heavier aluminium AL component from the lighter one consisting of the mixture of granules and the polyurethane PU powder, a system equipped with an air blowing and suction means can be used as an aid to or in place of the densimetric table TD; said system is completed by said powder recovery means MR. In a preferred but non-limiting solution, said separation means MS, together with the synergy of said air blowing and suction means, the densimetric table TD and the powder recovery means MR, do not use any process water, so as not to require costly and problematic on-site purification plants or authorizations for discharge into the sewer. In a preferred but non-limiting solution, the minimum production capacity for a quantity entering the pre-grinder PM of slats D and scrap of slats D equal to a flow rate of one hundred kilograms per hour produces a shredded product T of equivalent weight, which on average at the exit of the separation means MS results in the production of approximately ninety kilograms of dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 briquettes B of aluminium AL per hour and approximately ten kilograms of mixtures of closed cell foamed polyurethane granules per hour. Said minimum production capacities can be easily increased even more than double and beyond, by adopting machines having greater production capacity or a plurality of machines in parallel. In a preferred but non-limiting solution, said foamed polyurethane adhesive foam for the agglomeration of small diameter powders is obtained in the necessary percentages during said industrial manufacturing process P. In a preferred but non-limiting solution, with the present industrial manufacturing process P, mixtures of closed cell foamed polyurethane granules having predefined dimensions G can be obtained from recycled material and / or industrial waste, such as said slats or scraps of insulated slats D, in such a way as not to require the use of chemicals and / or other additives substantially different from the recycled products. In another preferred solution, said mixtures of foamed polyurethane granules G are collected in bags to be subsequently re-used as insulating dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 means for a plurality of purposes in the construction sector. In a further preferred solution, said mixtures of foamed polyurethane granules (G) can be used in all activities requiring absorbent materials in the event of spillage of oily and insulating substances. The fundamental advantage of the present invention with respect to the known art therefore lies in the fact that the process has been conceived in order not to require the use of any chemical additive different from the products to be recycled, namely the rigid foamed polyurethane and the aluminium. Advantageously, said mixtures of foamed polyurethane granules G collected in bags are suitable for subsequent re-use as absorbent means of oily substances in the event of the accidental spillage thereof. A further advantage of said mixtures of foamed polyurethane granules G collected in bags is given by the fact that they are also suitable for subsequent re-use as insulating materials for a plurality of purposes in the construction sector or in all those activities requiring small- dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 dimension materials to be blown into the cavities of walls and for the insulation of floors, since they are also miscible with cement mortar. Another undoubted advantage of the present process consists in the fact that it has been designed in order to minimize energy consumption, while guaranteeing a high production rate. Further undoubted advantages derive from the fact of having minimized both the costs of recycling and manufacturing of the mixtures of polyurethane granules G obtained by the present industrial manufacturing process, and the costs required for recovery of the aluminium AL, in small cylinders like briquettes, which facilitate the transport and handling thereof, and also inclusion with optimal and accurate weighings in foundries and in the various industrial reutilization processes of said briquettes. It is also evident that numerous modifications, adaptations, integrations, preferred solutions and replacements of component elements with other functionally equivalent ones can be made to the embodiment examples previously described for merely illustrative non-limiting purposes, dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 without departing from the protective scope of the following claims. *****

[0002] dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 KEY AL Metallic component made of aluminium to be recycled and recycled in briquette. B Cylinders of recycled aluminium or briquettes. CS Baskets for storage of slats and scraps of slats. D Slats or scraps of slats made of aluminium insulated with low and high density polyurethane PU, to be recycled. F1 First supply step of the slats D made of aluminium insulated with low and high density polyurethane PU, to be recycled. F2 Second step of storage of the material for recycling consisting of said slats in covered environments in special storage baskets CS. F3 Third step of automatic feeding of the cutting machine MD with the slats D or the scraps of slats D to be recycled. F4 Fourth step of automatic feeding of the hopper of a pre-grinder machine PM, designed to coarsely shred the pieces of incoming slats D, thus facilitating separation of the metallic component, formed of the laminates of aluminium constituting the external portion of the slats, from the polyurethane inner insulating part, dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 from which it separates in this processing step. F5 Fifth step of collection of the polyurethane component constituting the insulating element of the slats and transfer thereof into special shredding machines MZ, in order to obtain a mixture of granules with sizes between one tenth of a millimetre and four millimetres. F6 Sixth step of separation of the shredded material T, which, via a conveyor belt NT, is taken to a separation means MS of the two components forming said shredded material T, namely a heavier component, the metallic one made of aluminium AL, from the lighter one, the one consisting of foamed polyurethane PU, with said separation means MS chopping up and distinguishing said shredded material T, separating the component parts thereof from one another, by means of a densimetric table TD, and also, if necessary, via the combined action of an air blowing and suction means MS. F7 Seventh step of recovery of the aluminium AL, where the aluminium shavings AL are introduced into the hopper of a machine designed to press and transform the shredded aluminium into small dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 cylinders called “briquettes” B and, for this reason, said machine is called a “briquetting” machine MB; upon exiting the briquetting machine MB, the briquettes B are placed each time in special storage boxes SB. F8 Eighth step of recovery of the foamed polyurethane PU powders, during which the foamed polyurethane powders, namely the polyurethane granules smaller than one tenth of a millimetre, produced from the third to the seventh processing step (F3, F4, F5, F6, F7) of the slats D to be recycled and, in particular, during the sixth step F6 of separation of the aluminium component AL from the polyurethane component PU, are extracted via a recovery means MR through suction, which guarantees the total elimination thereof. F9 Ninth step of agglomeration of the powders collected in the eighth step F8, where said powders with diameter smaller than one tenth of a millimetre are increased in diameter, so that their new diameter measures more than one tenth of a millimetre, by means of an agglomeration medium MA thereof, in such a way as to make all dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 the material constituting the powdery polyurethane component PU recyclable. F10 Tenth step of collection and packaging of the mixture of polyurethane PU granules thus obtained, during which the granules of said dimensions calibrated in diameter of polyurethane PU separated from the heavier aluminium AL component in step F6, together with the granules coming from the agglomeration step F9, are collected by predetermined weight in special containers or bags, subsequently labelled, constituting the mixture of rigid foamed polyurethane granules called “GRISOPOL”®, thus obtained with the process P hereunder. G Foamed rigid polyurethane granules having diameter between one tenth of a millimetre and four millimetres, called Grisopol®. MA Agglomeration medium MB Briquetting machine MD Cutting machine for cutting the slats D or scraps of slats D to be recycled. MR Recovery means for recovery via suction, which guarantees total elimination of the dp5241PTWO EN claiming IT 102024000015685 polyurethane powders having diameter smaller than one tenth of a millimetre. MT Shredding machines MT, designed to produce mixtures of closed cell rigid foamed polyurethane granules, having size between one tenth of a millimetre and four millimetres. MZ Shredding machine NT Conveyor belt P Industrial manufacturing process of polyurethane granules with diameter between one tenth of a millimetre and four millimetres. PM Pre-grinder machine, designed to coarsely shred the incoming pieces of slats D, thus facilitating separation of the metallic component, formed of the aluminium laminates constituting the external portion of the slats, from the polyurethane inner insulating part, from which it separates in this step of the process. PU Lighter component consisting of the mixture of polyurethane PU granules. SB Storage boxes T Material shredded by the shredding machines TD Densimetric table *****

Claims

dp5241PTWO claiming IT 102024000015685 CLAIMS 1) A manufacturing process (P) of mixtures of foamed polyurethane granules (G) from the recycling of aluminium slats (D) insulated with foamed polyurethane, characterized in that it involves the following production steps: ➢ (F1) supply of aluminium production slats and scraps of slats (D) to be recycled, wherein said slats are insulated with rigid polyurethane foam (PU) to be recycled; ➢ (F2) storage of said material to be recycled (D) in environments protected from bad weather and in special storage baskets (CS); ➢ automatic feeding (F3) of the cutting machine (MD) of the slats (D) or scraps of slats (D) to be recycled; ➢ automatic feeding (F4) of the hopper of a pre- grinding machine (PM), and subsequent coarse shredding of the previously cut pieces of slats (D), first separation of the metal component, formed from the laminates of aluminium (AL) constituting the external portion of the slats, from the internal polyurethane insulating part; 1dp5241PTWO claiming IT 102024000015685 ➢ (F5) collection of the polyurethane (PU) component insulating the slats (D); ➢ transfer of the polyurethane (PU) component to special shredding machines (MZ); ➢ obtaining of a mixture of granules (G) of sizes between one tenth of a millimetre and four millimetres; ➢ (F6) separation of the shredded material (T), via a separation means (MS) of the two components forming said shredded material (T), the heavier metallic component consisting of aluminium (AL) shavings, and the lighter one, made up of foamed polyurethane (PU), said separation means (MS) chopping up and distinguishing said shredded material (T) by means of a densimetric table (TD); ➢ recovery of the aluminium (AL) shavings by pressing and transformation of the shredded aluminium into small cylinders or "briquettes" (B) in a "briquetting" machine (MB); ➢ storage of the briquettes (B) coming out of the briquetting machine in storage boxes (SB); ➢ (F8) recovery of the foamed polyurethane (PU) powders by separation of the polyurethane granules smaller than one tenth of a 2dp5241PTWO claiming IT 102024000015685 millimetre from the powders produced in the previous processing steps (F3, F4, F5, F6, F7) of the slats (D) and scraps (D) to be recycled and via extraction by downstream blowing and / or upstream suction; ➢ agglomeration (F9) of the powders collected in the step (F8), by increase in diameter, so that the same diameter measures more than a tenth of a millimetre, using an agglomeration medium (MA) of the polyurethane (PU) powders; ➢ (F10) collection and packaging of the mixture of polyurethane (PU) granules thus obtained, with the granules of said dimensions calibrated in diameter of polyurethane PU separated from the heavier component of aluminium AL in step F6, together with the granules coming from the F9 agglomeration step, in predetermined weight, in special containers or bags, subsequently labelled, constituting the granular mixture of rigid foamed polyurethane with high and low density. 2.The manufacturing process (P) of mixtures of foamed polyurethane granules (G), according to claim 1, wherein together therewith, a 3dp5241PTWO claiming IT 102024000015685 production process of briquettes (B) of recycled aluminium (AL) is carried out.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein said agglomeration medium (MA) of the polyurethane powder having dimensions smaller than one tenth of a millimetre acts by means of a vaporized solution of adhesive polyurethane foam, having adhesive power but not an expansive character, together with setting, such as to achieve adhesion and agglomeration of the particles of said polyurethane (PU) powder, so as to obtain closed cell granules with a diameter greater than one tenth of a millimetre and less than four millimetres, with high stability and durability, resistant to hot-cold cycles and insensitive to humidity and condensation, thus producing said granular mixture of rigid foamed polyurethane with high and low density.

4. The process according to claims 1 and 3, wherein said mixture of granules of rigid foamed polyurethane is fireproof and self- extinguishing.

5. The process according to the preceding claims, wherein the heavier component made of 4dp5241PTWO claiming IT 102024000015685 aluminium (AL) is separated from the lighter one consisting of the mixture of granules and the polyurethane powder (PU) by blowing and suction of the air with said powder recovery means (MR).

6. The process according to all the preceding claims, wherein said separation means (MS), together with the synergy of said air blowing and suction means, the densimetric table (TD) and the powder recovery means (MR), do not use process water.

7. The process according to all the preceding claims, wherein the chemical additive of the products to be recycled consists of rigid expanded or foamed polyurethane (PU) with agglomeration adhesives for the agglomeration of small diameter foamed polyurethane (PU) and aluminium (AL) powders.

8. The process according to all the preceding claims, wherein said expanded polyurethane adhesive foam for agglomeration of the small diameter powders is obtained in the necessary percentages during the industrial manufacturing process (P). 5dp5241PTWO claiming IT 102024000015685 9. Use of the mixtures of foamed polyurethane granules produced according to one of the claims 1-8, as insulating means in the construction sector.

10. Use of the mixtures of rigid foamed polyurethane (PU) granules produced according to claim 9, by blowing the mixture into the cavities of walls and floors.

11. Use of the mixtures of rigid foamed polyurethane granules (G) with high and low density obtained according to the preceding claims 1-8, as absorbent materials of oily substances. ***** 6

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