Cellulose Particle Blasting for Substrate Color Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing paper recycling methods using blasting grits can damage the recording medium and introduce impurities, making it difficult to recycle the paper effectively.

Innovation Solution

A processing device using a powder of cellulose particles to remove color material from a substrate, minimizing damage and allowing for efficient recycling by suppressing impurities, with features like double-walled conduit construction, adjustable nozzle configurations, and a refrigerant to manage heat and improve removal efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If blasting grit is used to remove color material from substrate, then color material removal efficiency is improved, but substrate damage occurs and impurities are introduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor material removal efficiencyVSAvoidsubstrate damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter of the blasting particles from traditional hard materials (sand, metal grit, glass grit) to cellulose particles. This parameter change allows the particles to be sufficiently hard to remove color material while being soft enough to prevent substrate damage, as cellulose has lower hardness than the substrate it processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses cellulose particles that have the same chemical composition as the substrate material. This homogeneity ensures that when particles remain on the substrate after processing, they do not constitute impurities, thereby solving the problem of introducing harmful impurities during the color removal process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #33Homogeneity

2Productivity

If harder blasting material is used to improve color material removal, then removal efficiency is improved, but substrate damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor material removal efficiencyVSAvoidsubstrate strength
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the hardness parameter of blasting particles by selecting cellulose, which has intermediate hardness between soft materials and traditional hard blasting grits. This parameter optimization enables effective color material removal while maintaining substrate integrity, avoiding the damage caused by overly hard particles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If traditional blasting grit is used for color removal, then processing speed is improved, but recycling difficulty increases due to impurities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidrecycling ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses cellulose particles that match the chemical composition of the substrate. This homogeneity ensures that residual particles from the blasting process are chemically identical to the substrate material and do not constitute impurities, thereby maintaining ease of recycling while achieving efficient color removal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #33Homogeneity

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The method effectively removes color material from substrates without damaging them, enabling convenient recycling and producing high-quality recycled paper by using cellulose particles that do not introduce impurities, even if some particles remain.

Implementation Method 1

a refrigerant to be discharged along with the particles

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRefrigeration: Cooling

Data Source

PatentEP3396060B1Processing device, sheet manufacturing apparatus, processing method, and sheet manufacturing method
Publication Date: 2022.06.01 SEIKO EPSON CORP
  • EP3396060B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3396060B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3396060B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A processing device, a sheet manufacturing apparatus, a processing method, and a sheet manufacturing method that suppress damage to a substrate when removing color material from the substrate, and are useful for recycling the substrate after color material is removed, are provided. A processing device has a color material removal device including at least one discharge nozzle configured to discharge particles containing cellulose to a substrate holding color material, and remove the color material from the substrate. The color material removal device preferably has a double-walled conduit construction having an internal conduit and an external conduit in which the internal conduit is inserted, at least one of an opening to the internal conduit and an opening to the external conduit functioning as the discharge nozzle.