Non-oxidative Rubber Degradation Reactor with Reversible Auger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for dealing with waste rubber, particularly used tires, are inefficient and environmentally problematic, as they often result in low-quality recycled products, high energy consumption, and environmental contamination due to the difficulty in separating steel and rubber.
Innovation Solution
A hermetically sealed flow-through reactor is used for non-oxidative thermal degradation of rubber waste into a char product, which includes thermal reaction zones with controllable heating elements and a screw auger for agitation and transport, allowing for efficient processing of shredded tire waste with integrated steel mesh, and a system for gas extraction and product separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If physical fragmentation and shredding methods are used to process waste rubber, then the rubber can be broken up into pieces, but the steel wires and steel fragments cannot be easily separated from the rubber, resulting in contamination and low-quality recycled products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the rubber through selective depolymerization using specific reagents that break down rubber polymers into soluble fragments while leaving steel reinforcement intact. This chemical transformation enables easy separation of steel from rubber, resolving the contradiction between ease of separation and product quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the rubber component from the composite material through selective chemical dissolution, separating it from the steel reinforcement. This extraction process allows the steel to be recovered cleanly while the rubber is converted into usable chemical products, eliminating contamination issues.
2Productivity
If high-temperature pyrolysis is used to degrade rubber, then the rubber can be broken down into smaller molecules, but the energy consumption is substantial and the process is economically unviable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the rubber through selective depolymerization reactions that occur at lower temperatures than traditional pyrolysis. By using specific reagents and controlled chemical conditions, the rubber is degraded into soluble fragments with much lower energy input, making the process economically viable while maintaining high degradation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the high-energy thermal pyrolysis mechanism with a chemical depolymerization mechanism using specific reagents. This substitution of the degradation mechanism dramatically reduces energy consumption while achieving complete rubber breakdown, resolving the contradiction between productivity and energy use.
3Ease of manufacture
If chemical solvents are used to break down rubber, then the rubber can be degraded into smaller organic molecules, but the process is uneconomical and requires further treatment and disposal of resultant chemicals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a self-service approach where the degradation products of the rubber (soluble fragments) become the useful output rather than waste requiring disposal. The process is designed so that the chemical reactions produce valuable products directly, eliminating the need for additional treatment and disposal steps, thus reducing process complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts what would traditionally be harmful chemical waste products into beneficial usable outputs. The depolymerization reactions produce soluble rubber fragments that can be recovered and utilized, transforming the harmful aspect of chemical degradation into a benefit, thereby simplifying the overall process and eliminating disposal requirements.
4Productivity
If batch pyrolysis is used to process waste tyres, then the rubber can be degraded, but the process requires high temperatures (1400°C or greater) and produces ash or char with little commercial value
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters through selective depolymerization that occurs at much lower temperatures than batch pyrolysis. This chemical approach completely converts rubber into soluble fragments with high commercial value, eliminating the formation of low-value ash or char and maximizing the value of output products while maintaining high degradation rates.
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 process effectively converts rubber waste into a high-quality char product and recoverable gases, reducing environmental impact and improving the economic viability of tire waste management by minimizing energy consumption and avoiding contamination.
Implementation Method 1
non-oxidative thermal degradation of rubber in the rubber containing waste into a char product
Implementation Method 2
a screw auger located within the reactor, the screw augur configured to rotate in both the forward and reverse directions to agitate and transport the rubber containing waste
Implementation Method 3
one or more gas outlets for withdrawing gas or gases evolved during the non-oxidative thermal degradation of the rubber
Data Source
AI summary
A process for the non-oxidative thermal degradation of a rubber containing waste including: transporting the rubber containing waste along a horizontal axis of a hermetically sealed cylindrical reactor including: an inlet and an outlet, one or more thermal reaction zones arranged between the inlet and the outlet, wherein each thermal reaction zone is provided with: one or more heating elements controllable to heat the thermal reaction zone to an operating temperature for mediating the non-oxidative thermal degradation of rubber in the rubber containing waste, and one or more gas outlets for withdrawing volatile gas or gases evolved during the non-oxidative thermal degradation of the rubber; and a screw auger located within the reactor, the screw augur configured to rotate in both the forward and reverse directions to agitate and transport the rubber containing waste through the one or more thermal reaction zones in both the forward and reverse directions and to the outlet; heating the rubber containing waste, in the one or more thermal treatment zones, to a temperature above the degradation temperature of rubber for a time sufficient to produce the volatile gas or gases and the char product; operating the screw auger in both the forward and reverse directions to agitate the rubber containing waste within the reactor; and advancing the rubber containing waste along the horizontal axis to the outlet.