FI88760C - FOERFARANDE FOER BEHANDLING AV KABELMATERIAL ELLER LIKNANDE - Google Patents

Description

38760

A method of handling cable material or the like

The invention relates to a method for treating cable material 5 or the like, wherein the cable material or the like is crushed, granulated and screened, as a result of which at least a part of the cable material or the like can be separated, such as plastic, rubber, wood or similar sheath material and metal. lip-based core material, in particular a cable material or the like having a viscous grease, oil, wax-based or similar filler material in a liquid or solid state as a sub-material, such as an insulating, impregnating, lubricating and / or the like, for treating the filling material or the like is contacted with the medium during processing. The method according to the invention is intended in particular for treating cable material, such as telecommunication, power cables or the like, for at least partial reuse thereof.

Traditionally, two different methods have been used to treat cable material, depending on the cable material.

For the treatment of so-called dry cables, a method in which the cable material has been crushed, granulated and screened has been used with good success, whereby the mechanical treatment has resulted in the separation of metallic and non-metallic materials of the cable material. Such dry cables, such as electrical wires or the like, comprise an electrically conductive core material surrounded by a dry, insulating sheath material. As an insulating part of the sheath material, a rubber or plastic sheath or the like can be used, in addition to which the cable can then also comprise a powdery or solid mass, such as fabric yarns or the like.

5 In the past, a method based on melting or combustion has been used to treat so-called grease cables. In this case, e.g. the cable material is initially preheated in a heating apparatus, such as an oven, whereby the sheath, insulation and filling materials surrounding the metal core material of the cable melt or burn, and the solid core material can be removed from the heating apparatus. After this, the so-called post-combustion equipment with a very high combustion temperature ensures the burn-out of non-metallic materials such as plastics, rubbers or the like. By grease cables is meant in this context cables in which the component material is a viscous grease, oil, wax-based or similar filler material in liquid or solid form, such as insulation, impregnation, lubricant and / or the like.

The advantage of the former method is its environmental friendliness, so that the method itself does not pose 25 immediate environmental risks. However, the method is not suitable for the so-called for handling grease cables, because due to the viscous filler material of such cables, such as, for example, petrolatum, bitumen or paraffin, the equipment does not operate in connection with these cables. In this case, the filling material causes both the granulation and the screening equipment to become vaulted, whereby the conveyor equipment is clogged before a long time or an overflow occurs in the process. In such test runs, even at the initial stage, 35 sufficiently clean screening results have not been obtained due to the contaminating effect of the filler material. Efforts have been made to utilize the dry separation method by various parties

3 β R 7 6 O

e.g. a mineral-containing dry matter for the absorption of fat, in which case other additives and / or special arrangements required by the process have generally also had to be used. However, with the current know-how, the 5 dry separation methods have not achieved a commercially good enough result, in which case wet separation methods, which are clearly less favorable in terms of technology and environmental disadvantages, have generally had to be used. corrosion problem-10 mat. Naturally, the use of mineral-containing dry matter causes wear on the process equipment.

The latter method includes both direct and indirect environmental risks due to cable burning. Depending on the types of plastic used in the cables, the method may also cause direct smoke and odor nuisance to the environment. In addition, there are special provisions for certain types of plastic, so that their incineration can only be carried out 20 in appropriate waste incineration plants.

One such particularly harmful substance is PVC. Therefore, when using the incineration method, the cable material to be incinerated should be sorted on the basis of flammability, in which case hazardous waste, such as PVC-containing cables, should be delivered to the relevant facilities. In practice, however, such sorting is not possible without a chemical analysis of the cable material in question. In practice, the incineration method 30 can therefore never be completely certain of the quality of all the material to be incinerated, in which case there is always a risk of so-called incineration. development of super toxins during incineration. In order to minimize safety risks, the application of the method requires continuous monitoring of such processes as well as emission measurements at certain intervals.

4 H 7 6 O

Thus, the methods currently in use do not allow for a technically and economically advantageous treatment of the cable material or the like, which makes it possible to achieve a good result by environmentally friendly means.

The object of the method according to the present invention is to provide a decisive improvement over the above-mentioned drawbacks and thus to substantially increase the state of the art in the art. To achieve this purpose, the method according to the invention is mainly characterized in that said filler material is absorbed into the plant-derived medium during the treatment, whereby the treatment results in the separation of the cable material or the like filler bound to said plant-based medium.

The main advantages 20 of the method according to the invention are the simplicity and reliability of its operating principle and the equipment and process applying it. In addition, the invention enables the advantageous properties of the equipment applying it compared to the current methods in use, also from the point of view of both environmental and occupational safety. The equipment or process applying the method according to the invention does not pose any actual environmental risks, nor do occupational safety risks, which arise either directly or indirectly, e.g. in combustion-based processes, from a combustion event. Especially compared to combustion plants, the plant operating with the method according to the invention is also considerably more cost-effective due to the low self-operating power required by the process.

5 S λ 7 6 ϋ

Other dependent claims set out preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention.

In the following description, the invention is illustrated in detail while referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1a shows a cross-section of a so-called of the dry 10 cable, Fig. Ib shows a cross section of the so-called of grease cable, and Fig. 2 schematically shows the operating principle of a process in an apparatus applying the method.

The method according to the invention is applied to treat cable material 1 or the like, whereby the cable material 1 or the like is crushed A, granulated B and screened C. The treatment results in separating at least some of the cable material 1 or the like, such as plastic, rubber. , a wood-based or similar sheath material 1a and a metal-based core material Ib.

According to the invention, the so-called to treat a fat cable or the like with a viscous, liquid or solid filler le as a partial material, said filler le is impregnated in the plant-derived medium 2 during the treatment, whereby the treatment results in separating the cable material 1 or the like into the plant-bound medium le. 35

6: 'r>) i v- · U

Figure 1a shows as an example the cross-section of the so-called dry cable. The cable then consists of metal conductors Ib, (e.g. copper, aluminum, brass), plastic sheaths 1a surrounding them and a mass Id, such as fabric wires or the like, placed between the plastic sheaths 1a of the conductors Ib and the outer sheath of the cable.

Figure Ib shows the so-called. a grease cable in which the conductors Ib 10 are surrounded, for example, by an impregnated paper layer lp surrounded by a plastic sheath la. A mass Id is placed between the outer sheath of the cable and the plastic sheaths 1a of the conductors ib. A grease, oil, wax-based or similar filler material le, such as bitumen, petrolatum or paraffin, is used as the insulating and impregnating agent for the paper layers lp surrounding the conductors Ib. Also, the mass id is usually impregnated with a corresponding substance.

According to the process shown in Fig. 2, the absorption of the filler material 20 into the plant-derived medium 2 is effected by contacting the medium 2 and the cable material 1 in a crushing step A, whereby the filler material le 20 binds to the medium 2 during processing.

In the crushing step A, the medium 2 is fed by a feed device 3, such as a pneumatic, mechanical or similar conveyor, to the crushing apparatus 4 formed by one crusher and to the intermediate storage 5 In connection with crushing-35 step A, iron-based substances 1Fe are removed from the cable material 1 by means of crushing equipment 4 and

7 r 8 7 OU

with a metal removal device 6 placed between the intermediate storage 5, such as, for example, an electromagnetic actuator or the like. The filler material le bound to the medium 2 is removed in a screening step C5 by a removal device 7, which is in the embodiment shown, a wind screen based on the difference in the specific weights of the sub-materials of the cable material 1 to be treated.

10 In the test run of the process according to the method, growth medium with a specific gravity of about 100 kg / m3, a moisture content of about 20%, a mineral content in the dry matter of about 3% and a particle size (dimension in one direction) of n 8 mm 15 and with about 50% of the total particles less than 1 mm in size.

The process according to Fig. 2 takes place in such a way that in the crushing step A the cable material 1 is transferred to the crusher 4 by the lifting device 9. The medium 2 is fed to the crusher 4 by the first feed device 3a. 2. The crushed cable material 1 and the medium 2 The electromagnetic actuator 6 arranged in connection with the first conveyor 11 removes iron-containing particles 1Fe from the crushed material stream 1, 2 passing through the conveyor 11 to the tank 12. The intermediate storage 5 is fed with a second feed device 3b by means of a medium 2. equalizing the amount of crushed material stream 1, 2 passing to the granulation step B.

In the granulation step B, the crushed material stream 1, 2 transferred from the intermediate storage 5 by the second conveyor 13a is fed to successive granulators 14.

8 θ87θϋ The number of granulators 14 used in the treatment can be varied depending on the quality of the cable material 1 to be treated.

In screening step C, the granulated material stream 1, 2 is fed to a first vibrator screen separator 15a fitted with a wind screen 7. As it passes through the screen surface, the air stream carries the lightest 10 , such as fat le and a portion of the mass Id fed to the cyclone 16. The first separator 15a separates 15 the heaviest core material, such as copper Ib, into the container 17 and a lighter specific sheath material, such as plastic 1a, and a portion of the mass Id for the further process. The material stream entering the further process may also contain particles 20 from the core material Ib, which in the illustrated application are separated in a second separator 15b. The fine screening performed in the second separator 15b makes it possible to finally separate the jacket material 1a and a part of the mass Id from the core material Ib. The base material 1a of the jacket-25 can be further passed, e.g. by a conveyor, to a suitable further processing.

The process applying the method thus results in pure copper Ib, greasy growth water 30, le, Id and a jacket material 1a having a specific gravity between the above, and a mass Id.

Thus, with the method according to the invention, it is possible to separate the completely environmentally friendly reusable core material Ib from the cable material 1. The greasy growth peat to be removed from the cyclone 16 is also as such e.g.

9 ο 8 / ο ϋ The jacket material 1a to be grounded and from the second separator 15b is reusable in one form or another.

It is clear that the invention is not limited to the application described above, but can be considerably modified within the framework of the basic idea due to the overall scope of the process already applying the method. The apparatus 10 applying the method according to the invention can be implemented with devices different in number and mode of operation from those shown. Thus, the constructions related to the supply and removal of the medium can be implemented in many ways, whereby in addition, for example, a medium 15 of a quality different from that described above can be mixed e.g. with a liquid before or in connection with the cable material.

Claims (8)

A method of treating cable material or the like, wherein the cable material (1) or the like is crushed (A), granulated (B) and screened (C), whereby the result of the treatment is at least part of the sorted sub-materials of the cable material (1). ) or the like, such as the plastic, guniini, wood-based or similar casing material (1a) and the metal 1-based core material of the sheet (Ib), wherein in particular in the treatment of the cable material (1) or the like, its sonic material contains a viscous material. grease-, oil-, wax-based or such filler material (le), in liquid or solid state, such as an insulating, impregnating, lubricating and / or the like, for sorting the filler material (le) cable material (1) or the like during treatment, is brought into contact with a medium (2), characterized in that said filler material (1c) is absorbed during treatment in a plant-based medium (2), The result of the process is that of the filler material (1) or sorted by the filler material (1c) bound in said plant-based medium (2). 25 Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the plant-based medium (2) is fed at the crushing stage (A) through an input device (3), such as one or more pneumatic, mechanical or similar conveyors, into one of a or several crushing plants comprising crushing device (4) and / or a balancing device (5) located in connection with the crushing device (4), such as an intermediate bearing, a conveying device or the like, thereby regulating the mass flow. From the crushing stage (A) to the granulation stage (B) concerning the crushed cable material (1) or the like. 14: 8 Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the filling material (1c) bound in the plant-based medium (2) is removed in connection with the granulation stage (B) and / or the screening stage (C) 5 by a removal device (7), the function is based on the difference between the specific weight of the sub-materials in the cable material (1) or the like to be treated. 10 A method according to claim 3, in which for the sorting of the filling material, a flow device (7) is used, such as a wind screen or the like, characterized in that the flow device (7) which removes the filling material (2) bound in the plant-based medium (2) le) is arranged in connection with the device (15a) aiming at the sieving stage (C), such as preferably a separator or the like operating with the shaking screen principle. 20 Process according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that as the plant-based medium (2) a peat, wood-based or similar substance is used, with a specific weight of 50-150 kg / m3. 25 6. A process according to claim 5, characterized in that as the plant-based medium (2), a peat-based substance, such as peat or the like, having a moisture content of less than 30% is used. 30 Process according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, as the plant-based medium (2), a peat-based substance, such as plant peat or the like, with a dry matter content in the dry matter less than 5% is used. 15 ·> Η7θϋ 8. A process according to claim 5, 6 or 7, characterized in that as the plant-based medium (2) a peat-based substance, such as peat or the like, having a particle size (dimension in a direction) of 0.1 is used. -10 mm and 30-70% of the total number of particles of size less than 1 mm.