- Email: [email protected]
Process control introduces new low rate powder feeder
/
EQUIPMENT
Plastics recycling plant separates flame retardants Japanese company Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. claims that it has developed the first plastics recycling system capable of separating flame retardants from used plastics while maintaining its original physical properties. The company says that the system has the potential to accelerate the recycling of end-of-life consumer electronics. The company plans to release a commercial version of the system by the end of March 2004. Some brominated compounds used as flame retardants are
said to generate brominated dioxins when incinerated at low temperature. For this reason, plastics containing such compounds are currently discarded. For example, plastics in end-of-life T V sets (which account for 20% of the total weight) are incinerated at temperatures high enough not to generate brominated dioxins or sent to landfills for disposal, while glass and metal (which exceed 60% of the total weight) are recycled. Therefore, recycling of plastics containing flame retardants is
a key step in increasing the recycling ratio. Matsushita Hectric says that the newly developed system recycles plastics containing flame retardants by first crushing the plastic parts. The pieces are heated until they become soft and a liquid solvent is added. The solvent mdts only the flame retardants, separating them from the plastic. This is accomplished using newly developed kneading technology that employs counter current extraction, says the company. New functional additives can
then be added to the plastic to provide the desired properties, allowing it to be moulded into various shapes. The company adds that the process is performed at relatively low temperature (160-200°C), and therefore it does not change or damage the physical characteristics of the plastic. This means it is possible to use recycled plastic rather than virgin plastic for some parts of new products. Contact: Matsushita Electric www. matsushita, co.jp
Process Control introduces new low rate powder feeder Process Control Corporation has introduced a new low-rate gravimetric powder feeder for use with non free-flowing materials. The company says that the gravimetric powder feeder is designed to meter accurately hard to flow powder materials at rates as low as 0.2 PPH. Constructed completely of stainless steel, the powder feeder can be used as either a standalone feeder or part of a continuous blending system for blending together powder and pellet
•
Q
materials. The feeder uses a single spiral, hollow shaft auger to meter the material accurately. The drive system is a PWM type that uses a DC gearmotor, with an encoder, for accurate motor speed information feedback. This lets the system maintain a consistent RPM. According to Process Control, the weighing system is designed to filter out noise effectively and vibration that can wreak havoc with any feeding system, especially a very low rate feeder.
Q
Plastics Additives &
The company adds that the powder feeder comes equipped with a removable lid for hand feeding the power and a finger guard to protect operators from the agitator when adding material. The agitator within the powder feeder prevents material from bridging or clumping. Both the auger drive gearmotor and the agitator drive motor are latched onto the hopper using quick-disconnect plugs so they can be quickly removed from the feeder. The operator interface control panel, or mini-op, is the same used in our Gravitrol ® extrusion control systems and X-Series continuous gravimetric blending systems. Also, the control panel can use the popular PCCWeb ® software. This allows remote monitoring and control of feeder activity through a standard PC via an Ethernet connection.
CompoundingJanuary~February2003
14
In addition, field wiring on the powder feeder has been kept to an absolute minimum. Both the weigh and drive modules are mounted in the same enclosure as the operator panel and are all pre-wired. The operator panel should be mounted within the standard 3 metres (10 feet) of the feeder or, as an option, it can be remotely mounted up to around 300 metres (1000 feet) away from the drive and weigh modules. The company says that the Process Control ultra low rate powder feeder can handle rates from as low as 0.2 PPH up to 80 PPH, depending on the material. Contact:
Process Control Corporation Tel: +1 7 7 0 4 4 9 8 8 1 0 Fax: + l 770 449 5445 w w w . p rocess-contro l. corn
EQUIPMENT
Plastics recycling plant separates flame retardants Japanese company Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. claims that it has developed the first plastics recycling system capable of separating flame retardants from used plastics while maintaining its original physical properties. The company says that the system has the potential to accelerate the recycling of end-of-life consumer electronics. The company plans to release a commercial version of the system by the end of March 2004. Some brominated compounds used as flame retardants are
said to generate brominated dioxins when incinerated at low temperature. For this reason, plastics containing such compounds are currently discarded. For example, plastics in end-of-life T V sets (which account for 20% of the total weight) are incinerated at temperatures high enough not to generate brominated dioxins or sent to landfills for disposal, while glass and metal (which exceed 60% of the total weight) are recycled. Therefore, recycling of plastics containing flame retardants is
a key step in increasing the recycling ratio. Matsushita Hectric says that the newly developed system recycles plastics containing flame retardants by first crushing the plastic parts. The pieces are heated until they become soft and a liquid solvent is added. The solvent mdts only the flame retardants, separating them from the plastic. This is accomplished using newly developed kneading technology that employs counter current extraction, says the company. New functional additives can
then be added to the plastic to provide the desired properties, allowing it to be moulded into various shapes. The company adds that the process is performed at relatively low temperature (160-200°C), and therefore it does not change or damage the physical characteristics of the plastic. This means it is possible to use recycled plastic rather than virgin plastic for some parts of new products. Contact: Matsushita Electric www. matsushita, co.jp
Process Control introduces new low rate powder feeder Process Control Corporation has introduced a new low-rate gravimetric powder feeder for use with non free-flowing materials. The company says that the gravimetric powder feeder is designed to meter accurately hard to flow powder materials at rates as low as 0.2 PPH. Constructed completely of stainless steel, the powder feeder can be used as either a standalone feeder or part of a continuous blending system for blending together powder and pellet
•
Q
materials. The feeder uses a single spiral, hollow shaft auger to meter the material accurately. The drive system is a PWM type that uses a DC gearmotor, with an encoder, for accurate motor speed information feedback. This lets the system maintain a consistent RPM. According to Process Control, the weighing system is designed to filter out noise effectively and vibration that can wreak havoc with any feeding system, especially a very low rate feeder.
Q
Plastics Additives &
The company adds that the powder feeder comes equipped with a removable lid for hand feeding the power and a finger guard to protect operators from the agitator when adding material. The agitator within the powder feeder prevents material from bridging or clumping. Both the auger drive gearmotor and the agitator drive motor are latched onto the hopper using quick-disconnect plugs so they can be quickly removed from the feeder. The operator interface control panel, or mini-op, is the same used in our Gravitrol ® extrusion control systems and X-Series continuous gravimetric blending systems. Also, the control panel can use the popular PCCWeb ® software. This allows remote monitoring and control of feeder activity through a standard PC via an Ethernet connection.
CompoundingJanuary~February2003
14
In addition, field wiring on the powder feeder has been kept to an absolute minimum. Both the weigh and drive modules are mounted in the same enclosure as the operator panel and are all pre-wired. The operator panel should be mounted within the standard 3 metres (10 feet) of the feeder or, as an option, it can be remotely mounted up to around 300 metres (1000 feet) away from the drive and weigh modules. The company says that the Process Control ultra low rate powder feeder can handle rates from as low as 0.2 PPH up to 80 PPH, depending on the material. Contact:
Process Control Corporation Tel: +1 7 7 0 4 4 9 8 8 1 0 Fax: + l 770 449 5445 w w w . p rocess-contro l. corn