Homogenization Extruder for Solid Recovered Fuel Production

The patent removes thermoplastic materials from the fuel mixture entirely, extracting the problematic binding agent that causes adhesion to extruder walls and screw breakdown. Instead, the invention relies on the natural binding properties of the waste materials themselves when processed through mechanical compression and friction, eliminating the source of equipment damage while maintaining fuel integrity.

The patent converts the previously harmful high moisture content into a beneficial feature. The moisture in the starting materials provides natural lubrication during the extrusion process, reducing friction and heat generation, and eliminating the need for energy-intensive drying operations. The invention processes materials with moisture content above 15%, turning what was considered a safety risk into a process advantage.

The patent applies different size reduction requirements to different components of the waste mixture. Instead of uniformly grinding all materials to 0.1-5 mm, the invention allows larger particle sizes for certain materials that naturally compact well, while only reducing the size of materials that require finer particles for proper densification. This localized approach to size reduction maintains compaction quality while significantly reducing overall processing time and energy consumption.

The patent transforms heterogeneous waste materials into a homogeneous fuel product through the extrusion process. The mechanical compression, friction, and mixing actions create a uniform mixture where different waste components are evenly distributed and bonded together. This homogenization ensures consistent combustion characteristics, complete burning, and minimal harmful emissions, while maintaining high energy recovery from the waste materials.