Station for recycling an enamelled glass panel and method for recycling such a panel
The recycling station efficiently separates enamel from glass panels using a crushing and surface separation module, improving the quality of recycled glass by producing high-quality cullet through a crushing and particle size sorting process.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SAINT GOBAIN VITRAGE SA
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
Existing glass recycling methods struggle to effectively separate enamel coatings from glass panels, leading to pollution and reduced quality of recycled glass due to the limitations of current pretreatment processes like sandblasting, which are inefficient and require specialized machinery.
A recycling station comprising a crushing module, surface separation module, and particle size sorting module to separate enamel-coated glass into finer and coarser fractions, utilizing tools like hammer crushers and soft hammer mills to achieve this separation.
The solution allows for efficient separation of enamel-coated glass into high-quality and low-quality cullet, enhancing the quality of recycled glass by minimizing enamel contamination and reducing the need for virgin raw materials.
Smart Images
Figure EP2025081604_15052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Description Title of the invention: Recycling station for an enameled glass panel and method for recycling such a panel. Field of the invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a recycling station for an enameled glass panel and a method for recycling such a panel. State of the art
[0002] Glass recycling is known to allow for its reuse. Recycling involves taking glass panes and crushing them to transform them into cullet, which is then injected into the furnace.
[0003] This recycling process includes a sorting stage to separate the different types of glass, such as borosilicate and soda-lime glass, and the different colors. This sorting prevents the colors from mixing, making it easier to obtain glass with the desired characteristics. Indeed, if the different types of glass are mixed without sorting, it is difficult to obtain the desired glass unless the amount of cullet is limited, thus reducing the proportion of recycled material.
[0004] However, recycling is not limited to simple glass. Indeed, for recycling to be as effective as possible, it must extend to complex types of glass, such as laminated glass or glass with special coatings like enamel. The pigments contained in these enamels are pollutants that can color or form unmelted residues in the glass produced in the melting furnace. The amount of enamel that can be incorporated into the composition without altering the glass's properties is therefore limited. This enamel must thus be separated from the glazing to obtain high-quality glass and compensate for the use of virgin raw materials with high-quality cullet.
[0005] The known solutions involve pretreating the glass by removing the enamel layer. This removal process uses an ablation machine such as a sandblaster. The drawback of this solution is that it requires a demanding pretreatment process, as it necessitates a specific machine. However, separating the enamel layer from the glass substrate is difficult, since the enamel is fired to create a continuous glass phase from the core of the substrate to the enameled surface of the glass. Description of the invention
[0006] One aim of the invention is to provide a process for recycling glass with an enamel coating in a simpler way.
[0007] This objective is achieved, at least partially, within the framework of the present invention by means of a recycling station adapted for recycling a glass panel comprising a surface coating formed by a layer of enamel, characterized in that the recycling station comprises: - a crushing module adapted to break the glass panel into pieces; - a surface separation module capable of separating the surface of the pieces equipped with the coating formed by the enamel layer from the body of said pieces of glass so as to obtain a finer fraction enriched in enamel and a coarser fraction depleted in enamel; - a particle size sorting module capable of separating the finer fraction enriched in enamel, which constitutes a first product, from the coarse fraction depleted in enamel, which constitutes a second product.
[0008] Advantageously, the particle size sorting module allows for the separation of a coarse fraction, depleted in enamel, from a finer fraction, enriched in enamel, which are obtained respectively using the surface separation module. Indeed, the enamel layer is more fragile than the glass of the glass panel (or substrate) on which said enamel layer forms a surface coating. After surface separation, the enamel layer, due to its fragility, constitutes a fraction (or first product) with dimensions smaller than those of the glass fragments forming the other fraction (or second product). Thanks to the station's particle size sorting module, it is then possible to separate each of these fractions, fine and coarse, to obtain a first product and a second product respectively.
[0009] According to one example, the crushing module includes at least one stage, said stage being equipped with a tool of the hammer type or jaw crusher.
[0010] According to one example, the crushing module includes a first stage arranged to break the glass panel into pieces and a second stage to break the pieces from the first stage into smaller pieces.
[0011] According to one example, the surface separation module includes at least one stage comprising grinding means such as a soft hammer mill, ball mill or attrition mill.
[0012] Advantageously, the said surface separation module thus makes it possible to obtain the first product called fine fraction and enriched in enamel and the second product called coarse fraction and depleted in surface enamel.
[0013] According to one example, it also includes a sorting module at the output of the surface separation module to separate the first product from the second product.
[0014] According to one example, the surface separation module comprises at least two stages, said surface separation module further comprising a sorting tool, allowing the two particle size fractions to be separated.
[0015] The invention further relates to a method for recycling a glass panel comprising a surface coating formed by a layer of enamel, said method comprising the steps of: -to obtain the glass panel equipped with the surface coating formed by the enamel layer; - break the glass panel into pieces using a crushing module; - treat said pieces of glass using a surface separation module to generate a particle size fraction concentrating the core of the bare glass substrate so as to dissociate the enamel from the substrate or at least to generate a fine particle size fraction enriched in enamel forming a first product and a second coarse particle size fraction depleted in enamel forming a second product. Description of the figures
[0016] Other features, purposes and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which is purely illustrative and not limiting, and which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings on which:
[0017] [Fig.1] - [Fig.1] schematically illustrates a coated glass panel;
[0018] [Fig.2] - [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a recycling station according to the invention;
[0019] [Fig.3] - [Fig.3] schematically illustrates a variant of a grinding module of a recycling station according to the invention;
[0020] [Fig.4] - [Fig.4] schematically illustrates the two products obtained at the outlet of the recycling station according to the invention;
[0021] [Fig.5] - [Fig.5] schematically illustrates a recycling station equipped with a sorting module, according to the invention;
[0022] [Fig.6] - [Fig.6] schematically illustrates a variant of a surface separation module of a recycling station according to the invention;
[0023] Across all figures, similar elements bear identical references. Detailed description of the invention
[0024] With reference to [Fig.1], a recycling station according to the invention is shown. This recycling station is used for recycling glass panels 100, i.e. a substrate 101 with a coating 102 such as a total or partial opaque layer.
[0025] This recycling station 1, visible in [Fig. 2], comprises, firstly, a conveyor 10. This conveyor 10 comprises, for example, a plurality of rollers or A conveyor belt. The rollers or the conveyor belt are driven in rotation by drive means. This conveyor 10 is connected to another station installed upstream. This other station is either a storage station where the glass is stored or a sorting station where the glass panels are sorted, that is to say, they are at least categorized.
[0026] This conveyor 10 is directly connected to the previous station or is connected to said previous station by an intermediate conveyor between said previous station and conveyor 10.
[0027] Conveyor 10 is also arranged between each module of recycling station 1.
[0028] The recycling station includes a crushing module 20. The crushing module 20 comprises at least one stage 21, said stage including a tool such as a hammer or jaw crusher. This crushing module is used to perform primary fragmentation. This primary crushing consists of breaking the glass panel into numerous pieces. In the case of tempered glass that has undergone treatment, this crushing allows the stresses from said tempering to be released.
[0029] In a variant shown in [Fig. 3], the crushing module can comprise two stages, such as both a hammer and a crusher. The purpose of having two stages is to have a first stage that breaks the glass panel or substrate into coarse pieces, and then to use the second stage to transform these coarse pieces into smaller fragments, as shown in [Fig. 4]. The choice of tools, such as a jaw crusher or hammer, depends on the configuration of said tools and the desired result. All fragments produced by the crushing module have the same composition and therefore, preferably, the same glass / enamel ratio.
[0030] According to the invention, the recycling station further comprises a surface separation module 30. This surface separation module aims to separate the enamel layer from the pieces of glass, this opaque layer being a source of pollution when the pieces of glass are used in a glass furnace.
[0031] The surface separation module 30 includes grinding means 31 for performing gentle grinding. This gentle grinding operation is carried out by a soft hammer mill, a ball mill, or an attrition mill. This type of mill allows for particle size separation, generating fine particles containing most of the ground top layer of enamel, and coarser grains, mainly composed of the bare glass substrate. Thus, the surface separation module separates the surface of the glass pieces containing the coating from the body of said glass pieces. The separation module surface 30 then includes at least one stage, said stage including a tool of the type soft hammer mill, a ball mill or an attrition mill.
[0032] In one example, gentle grinding is achieved using a ball mill, also known as jar grinding. This jar grinding process is carried out at a low rotational speed (<50 rpm) and for a short duration (a few minutes) to minimize the energy transferred to the material being ground. This minimization of grinding energy allows the grinding action to be concentrated on the surface of the glass fragments.
[0033] The gentle grinding performed by the surface separation module 30 allows for particle size separation and enables the isolation of two distinct products of different qualities, as shown in [Fig. 4], II. The first product, called the fine fraction (a), is enriched in enameled glass. The second product, called the coarse fraction (b), is depleted in surface enamel. It is therefore clear that the first product is considered a low-quality cullet because it contains a significant amount of enamel, while the second product is considered a high-quality cullet, meaning it is low in enamel.
[0034] After the surface separation module, the recycling station includes a sorting module 40, as shown in [Fig. 5]. This sorting module 40 is used to separate the first and second products. This separation, which can be called particle size separation, is carried out by sieving, a vibrating table, or a cyclone separator.
[0035] Indeed, the surface separation module generates products with different dimensions: the first product is intrinsically thinner than the second product.
[0036] The sorting module 40 is then configured to separate the two products. The sorting module is then capable of stacking sorting elements such as sieves or a vibrating table to perform the sorting between the first product and the second product.
[0037] The sorting module 40 is then configured to have two outputs: one for the first product and one for the second product. These outputs lead to a collection bin or secondary conveyors. These secondary conveyors then send the first and second products to their desired destinations, such as collection bins, processing modules, or an oven.
[0038] In a variant shown in [Fig. 6], the surface separation module 30 comprises at least two stages 32, each equipped with grinding means 31, the two stages 32 being separated by a sorting tool. This variant is based on the principle of processing the glass fragments in a first stage and then sorting them to remove the first product. The second product is then reprocessed in a second stage to potentially achieve better treatment. Accordingly, the characteristics of the second stage are adjusted, notably by using further grinding. Gentler grinding. This gentler grinding can be achieved with a jar grinder at a lower rotation speed (for example, less than 25 rpm). This gentle grinding can be carried out with a lower speed and / or a shorter time.
[0039] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example but is susceptible to various variants and modifications which will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0040] Thus, it is possible to use the recycling station according to the invention for the treatment of enameled glass, said station allowing the core of the pieces of glass to be separated from their residues of coatings or enamel.
Claims
Demands
1. Recycling station (1) adapted for recycling a glass panel (100) comprising a surface coating formed by a layer of enamel, said recycling station being characterized in that it comprises: - a crushing module (20) adapted to break the glass panel into pieces; - a surface separation module (30) capable of separating the surface of the pieces provided with the coating formed by the enamel layer of the body of said pieces of glass so as to obtain a finer fraction enriched in enamel and a coarser fraction depleted in enamel; - a particle size sorting module capable of separating the finer fraction enriched in enamel which constitutes a first product (a) from the coarse fraction depleted in enamel which constitutes a second product (b).
2. Recycling station according to claim 1, wherein the crushing module (20) comprises at least one stage (21), said stage being equipped with a tool of the hammer or jaw crusher type.
3. Recycling station according to claim 2, wherein the crushing module (20) comprises a first stage (21) arranged to break the glass panel into pieces and a second stage (21) to break the pieces from the first stage into smaller pieces.
4. Recycling station according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the surface separation module (30) comprises at least one stage (32) comprising grinding means (31) such as a soft hammer mill type tool, a ball mill or an attrition mill.
5. Recycling station according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a sorting module (40) at the outlet of the surface separation module (30) to separate the first product (a) from the second product (b).
6. Recycling station according to claim 4, wherein the surface separation module (30) comprises at least two stages (32), said surface separation module (30) further comprising a sorting tool, enabling the first product (a) to be removed and the second product (b) to be sent to said second stage.
7. A method for recycling a glass panel (100) comprising a surface coating (102) formed by a layer of enamel, said method comprising the steps of: -to equip oneself with the glass panel (100) fitted with the surface coating (102) formed by the enamel layer; - break the glass panel (100) into pieces using a crushing module (20); - treat said pieces of glass using a surface separation module (30) to generate a particle size fraction concentrating the core of the bare glass substrate so as to dissociate the enamel from the substrate or at least to generate a fine particle size fraction enriched in enamel forming a first product (a) and a second coarse particle size fraction depleted in enamel forming a second product (b).