Copper Wire Recovery via Inert Heat Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for recovering metal copper from coated copper-wire waste, particularly those containing chlorine-based resins, face challenges such as environmental pollution, incinerator deterioration, and inefficient separation of metals from plastics, especially when incinerating polyvinyl chloride resins, which generate dioxin and require high-temperature processes or expensive catalysts.
Innovation Solution
A method involving heat-treating coated copper-wire waste in oil or a nitrogen atmosphere at 130-300°C to carbonize and dechlorinate the chlorine-containing synthetic resin, allowing for efficient separation of metal copper from the resin, and further utilizing waste oil as a fuel or reducing oxygen pressure to minimize dioxin generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-temperature incineration is used to treat chlorine-containing resin waste, then complete combustion is achieved, but dioxin generation and incinerator deterioration occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inert atmosphere by conducting heat treatment in a nitrogen atmosphere or under reduced pressure (oxygen partial pressure ≤0.3 atm). This prevents oxidation reactions that would form dioxins while still achieving thermal decomposition of the chlorine-containing resin. The inert environment eliminates oxygen from the reaction system, thereby preventing dioxin formation during the heating process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter to a moderate range (130-300°C) rather than using high-temperature incineration. This temperature range is sufficient to carbonize and dechlorinate the resin without reaching conditions that promote dioxin formation. The patent also changes the oxygen partial pressure parameter to ≤0.3 atm, which further suppresses doxin generation while maintaining effective resin decomposition.
2Productivity
If high-temperature incineration is used to separate metal copper from resin, then separation efficiency is improved, but incinerator deterioration and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high-temperature incineration (>900°C) to a moderate range (130-300°C). This lower temperature range is sufficient to carbonize the resin and separate it from metal copper, thereby reducing energy consumption and operational costs while maintaining effective separation. The patent also changes the oxygen partial pressure to ≤0.3 atm, which aids in resin decomposition without requiring high temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal incineration process with a heat treatment process that uses nitrogen atmosphere or reduced pressure. This substitution achieves resin decomposition and metal separation through controlled thermal decomposition rather than combustion, thereby reducing energy requirements and operational costs while maintaining separation efficiency.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If chemical decomposition methods are used to process polyvinyl chloride resin, then dioxin generation is reduced, but expensive catalysts and complex processes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex chemical decomposition methods with a simpler heat treatment process. By using nitrogen atmosphere or reduced pressure conditions with moderate heating (130-300°C), the patent achieves resin decomposition without requiring expensive catalysts or complex chemical reaction systems. This substitution maintains low dioxin generation while significantly simplifying the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inert atmosphere (nitrogen) or reduced pressure conditions to create an oxygen-free environment that prevents dioxin formation. This approach achieves the goal of reducing harmful emissions without requiring complex chemical decomposition systems or catalysts, thereby simplifying the overall process while maintaining environmental safety.
4Use of energy by stationary object
If mechanical separation methods are used to separate copper wire from coating, then no thermal decomposition is required, but separation efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical separation methods with a heat treatment process that uses nitrogen atmosphere or reduced pressure. This thermal process carbonizes the resin coating, causing it to shrink and detach from the copper wire, thereby achieving efficient separation. The method combines thermal energy with inert atmosphere control to accomplish separation more effectively than mechanical means alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter to a moderate range (130-300°C) that is sufficient to carbonize the resin and facilitate separation from metal copper. This temperature range achieves effective separation without requiring high-energy incineration, thereby improving separation efficiency while maintaining reasonable energy consumption.
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
This method effectively recovers high-purity metal copper while reducing dioxin concentration and chlorine content, enabling the reuse of waste oil and converting the carbonized resin into a low-chlorine fuel, thus addressing environmental and economic concerns.
Implementation Method 1
heat-treating the waste in form of coated copper wires, each having a coating material made of a chlorine-containing synthetic resin, at 130-300° C. in oil and/or in a nitrogen atmosphere or under reduced pressure of not higher than 0.3 atmosphere
Implementation Method 2
carbonizing the coating resin by the heat treatment such that the metal copper can easily be recovered from the coated copper wires after the carbonization
Implementation Method 3
dechlorinating and carbonized the resin by the heat treatment such that the metal copper can easily be recovered
Data Source
AI summary
A method selectively recovers a useful substance from waste including a chlorine-containing synthetic resin and metal copper in a mixed state. Metal copper is recovered from coated copper-wire waste. The method includes the steps of heat-treating the waste in form of coated copper wires, each having a coating material made of a chlorine-containing synthetic resin, in oil or under a non-oxygen condition. Here, the coating material is carbonized and a chlorine content of the coating material is reduced. Then the coating material and the copper wire are separated from each other the copper wire is recovered. The chlorine-containing synthetic resin can be treated without generating dioxin.