Fiber-Granule Separation Using Electrostatic Neutralization and Screening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for separating fibers and granules in mixtures, such as those from ground pneumatic tires, are inefficient, often resulting in clumped materials and high pollution, and require significant energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method involving mechanical agitation and electrostatic neutralization to dissociate fibers and granules, followed by screening, using a combination of bipolar charges and controlled mixing to ensure effective separation without solvents or aqueous solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If screening is performed without prior dissociation, then the screening process is simpler, but the separation efficiency is poor and materials remain clumped together
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing mechanical agitation and electrostatic neutralization before the screening step. The mechanical agitation breaks down clumps of fibers and granules, while electrostatic neutralization eliminates electrostatic charges that cause materials to stick together. This preliminary dissociation ensures that when screening occurs, individual particles are separated and can be effectively sorted by size, significantly improving separation efficiency without requiring overly complex equipment.
2Manufacturing precision
If wet methods are used for separation, then separation can be achieved, but pollution is high and energy consumption is significant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces wet mechanical separation methods with a combination of mechanical agitation and electrostatic neutralization. Instead of using solvents, water, or chemical agents that cause pollution, the invention uses controlled mechanical mixing to break up clumps and electrostatic field application to neutralize charges on particle surfaces. This substitution eliminates the harmful effects associated with wet methods while achieving effective separation of fibers and granules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the mixture by applying electrostatic fields to neutralize surface charges on fibers and granules. By controlling the electrostatic potential and using specific agitation parameters (speed, duration, intensity), the process achieves separation without requiring solvents or aqueous solutions, thereby eliminating pollution while maintaining high separation quality.
3Productivity
If conventional screening is used, then the process is simpler, but energy consumption is high and separation yield is unsatisfactory
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary mechanical agitation and electrostatic neutralization to break down clumps and eliminate electrostatic adhesion before screening. This pre-treatment ensures that particles are individually separated and properly distributed, allowing the screening process to operate more efficiently with lower energy input. The preliminary dissociation prevents the need for high-energy blasting and reduces the time required for effective separation, thereby improving separation yield while reducing overall 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
The method achieves high-quality separation of fibers and granules with low energy consumption and minimal pollution, ensuring each component passes through the screen individually, enhancing the efficiency and selectivity of the screening process.
Implementation Method 1
a neutralization sub-step (S202) in which the mixture being mixed in the receptacle is exposed to bipolar charges in order to neutralize electrostatic charges of the fibers and the granules
Implementation Method 2
a screening step (S3) during which the mixture treated in accordance with the dissociation step (S2) is passed over the screen in order to retain in the receptacle a first product resulting from the mixture
Data Source
AI summary
A separation method making it possible, from a mixture containing fibers and granules, to separate the fibers from the granules is provided. The method comprises a supply step during which the mixture is brought into a receptacle provided with a screen, a dissociation step which involves carrying out, simultaneously, an agitation sub-step in which mechanical mixing of the mixture contained in the receptacle is performed and a neutralization sub-step in which the mixture being mixed in the receptacle is exposed to bipolar charges in order to neutralize electrostatic charges of the fibers and the granules, followed by a screening step during which the mixture treated in accordance with the dissociation step is passed over the screen in order to retain in the receptacle a first product enriched in fibers while a second product enriched in granules is discharged through the screen.