Heated Drum Refiner for Bituminous Composite Particle Breakdown
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies are inadequate for efficiently processing construction and factory waste, particularly bituminous waterproofing membranes, due to the presence of non-recoverable components like hard solid particles, which are not effectively treated by colloidal mills or continuous filters, leading to clogging, incomplete treatment, and high operating costs.
Innovation Solution
A refiner device with a cylindrical drum and enclosure that allows independent control of rotational and axial movements, combined with heating, to efficiently process thermoplastic composite materials, including bituminous products, by shearing and stretching solid particles and fibers to microscopic sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If colloidal mills are used for fine grinding of hard particles, then particle size reduction is achieved, but the mill clogs and blades wear rapidly due to high particle concentration and hard material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional colloidal mill blade system with a high-speed rotor-stator homogenizer system. The rotor rotates at high speed (1000-10000 rpm) creating intense shear forces between the rotor surface and stationary stator, achieving particle size reduction without the clogging and wear problems of blade-based systems. This mechanical system substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining grinding effectiveness while eliminating reliability issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters by using high rotational speeds (1000-10000 rpm) of the rotor compared to traditional colloidal mills. This parameter change creates sufficient shear force for particle size reduction while the high-speed rotation prevents particle accumulation and clogging, thereby resolving the contradiction between particle size reduction and mill reliability.
2Manufacturing precision
If continuous filters are used for homogenizing and filtering, then moderate shearing is achieved, but millimeter particles are not treated and fibers sediment causing frequent maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic high-speed rotation of the rotor (1000-10000 rpm) to create intense and continuous shear forces throughout the processing chamber. This dynamic action ensures that millimeter particles and fibers are continuously subjected to shearing and dispersion forces, preventing sedimentation and ensuring complete treatment, thereby resolving the productivity issues of static filter systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The high-speed rotor creates intense mechanical agitation and vibration within the processing chamber, generating turbulent flow patterns that prevent particle and fiber sedimentation. This mechanical vibration ensures continuous treatment of all materials including millimeter particles and fibers, eliminating the incomplete treatment and frequent maintenance problems of traditional continuous filters.
3Ease of manufacture
If pretreatment is performed by shearing, heating, and grinding, then hot viscous semi-liquid product is obtained, but further treatment is required for polymers and small particles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple treatment functions (shearing, heating, grinding, homogenizing) into a single integrated rotor-stator homogenizer device. The high-speed rotor creates intense shear forces for particle size reduction, while the heated processing chamber simultaneously heats the material. This combination of functions in one device eliminates the need for multiple separate treatment steps, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor-stator homogenizer device performs multiple functions universally: it shears particles, heats materials, grinds hard particles, and homogenizes the mixture all in one operation. This multi-functionality allows the single device to replace multiple specialized treatment equipment, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining ease of manufacture for the pretreatment process.
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 refiner effectively processes macroscopic hard particles and fibers, reducing them to dimensions << 100 µm, minimizing wear and maintenance costs, and ensuring complete treatment of polymers and fillers, enhancing the reuse of bituminous materials.
Implementation Method 1
comprising a means for heating the treatment chamber
Implementation Method 2
by shearing and stretching solid particles and fibers to microscopic sizes
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~1C
Figure 2A
AI summary
A refiner for treating composite products. The invention relates to a refiner (1) for treating composite products based on thermoplastic material(s), comprising a cylindrical wall enclosure (3) defining a treatment chamber provided with at least one intake (5) for feeding in products to be treated and at least one outlet (5') for discharging treated products, and a cylindrical drum (6) movably mounted in the cylindrical enclosure (3) and smaller in diameter than the latter, with the longitudinal axes of symmetry, respectively of the outer enclosure (3) and of the inner drum (6), being parallel to each other, the refiner (1) being characterised in that it comprises a means for heating the treatment chamber (4) and in that the drum (6) is mounted in the outer enclosure (3) with the ability to rotate about its longitudinal axis (A2) and with the ability to move from its longitudinal axis (A2) in a circular trajectory about the longitudinal axis of said enclosure (3), the aforementioned two types of possible movements being controlled by independent drive and/or activation means, allowing the selective or combined implementation thereof.