ITLE20120008A1 - MATERIAL OBTAINED FROM CONGLOMERATE OF POSIDONIA OCEANICA BEACHED WITH DIFFERENT WASTE AND BINDER MATERIAL. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Material obtained from Posidonia oceanica conglomerate beached with different waste material and binder.

FIELD OF THE TROVATO:

The invention involves the use of beached Posidonia oceanica, suitably processed and shredded, combined with different types of materials that can be classified as special non-hazardous waste, such as rubber granules from the processing of end-of-life tires, dry mulch from pruning from agricultural processes or public green, industrial waste deriving from wood processing, or among solid urban waste or similar, such as types of, non-recyclable plastic and polystyrene. The conglomerates in question guarantee the reuse of organic materials and waste with little or no use and therefore with high disposal costs.

The compounds obtained are structured in different articles with different densities and can be used in various applications, such as: furniture, energy efficiency, acoustics and more.

STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE

The management of beached Posidonia oceanica remains and other types of waste

Posidonia oceanica is a marine plant, belonging to the marine phanerogams species, with roots, stem, partly underground (rhizome), ribbon-like leaves and flowers. Like a normal plant, Posidonia also sheds its leaves periodically. These leaves are "beached" by the currents along the coast and deposited along the shore, forming large accumulations called banquettes. The management of these biomasses, classified as “urban and assimilable” waste, is particularly difficult. The large quantities found along multiple stretches of coasts in Italy and throughout the Mediterranean basin represent an extremely burdensome problem for coastal municipalities, concessionaires and, for different reasons, for bathing users, annoyed and discouraged by the presence of these plant residues. The disposal of these biomasses in landfills involves heavy costs, accentuated by the difficulty of the same selection, treatment and MSW landfill plants to accept the beached material. The mechanical removal of posidonia, for the purpose of disposal, also involves the involuntary removal of considerable quantities of sandy material from the coasts, contributing to the alterations of the sedimentary balances of the coasts. The management solutions proposed by the Ministry of the Environment (Circular 17 March 2006-DPN / VD 2006/08123) often do not reconcile with the needs of using the coast for tourism purposes and temporary movements are made impracticable due to the considerable volumetric masses present. along the coasts.

Equally complex and burdensome, in terms of costs and impact on the environment, is the question of the disposal of other types of waste, such as end-of-life tires, both for users and waste treatment companies, and for public administrations. . The latter, in particular, are often forced to use multiple economic resources to compulsorily carry out costly remediation interventions from such materials scattered throughout the territory. A report by Legambiente and Ecopneus regarding the disposal of tires, reports that approximately one hundred thousand tons of tires are unloaded in illegal sites every year (Energy and Environment Report of November 2010 by Affari & Finanza).

The management of further solid urban waste or similar, such as particular types of non-recyclable plastic (all containers that do not bear the initials PE, PET and PVC, such as toys, CD cases, cassette tapes, video cassettes, durable plastic goods such as household items , household appliances, furnishing accessories, etc .; the types of plastic that have residues of organic materials or dangerous substances such as paints, glues, pharmaceutical products, etc.) and polystyrene for packaging, not associated with any compensation provided by Recycling consortia, but used in multiple products, entail high disposal costs or, in the case of unsorted municipal waste, problems related to the filling of landfills "as is" or the dispersion of fumes with incineration. Special non-hazardous waste, such as dry pruning mulch from agricultural or public green processing and industrial waste deriving from wood processing, even if with multiple reuse solutions practiced, still entail difficulties in terms of recycling methods, due, for example, to , the absence of suitable systems at short distances. Such situations, therefore, nullify the benefits related to reuse, discouraging the practice of recycling and favoring its uncontrolled abandonment or illegal disposal.

Brief review on the state of the art in literature

By reviewing the state of the art in terms of patents relating to the materials treated, as regards Posidonia oceanica, there is no great ferment in the literature, except on technologies developed for the growth or monitoring of the plant, or on uses pharmaceuticals of the same. Some information is present (from UIBM) on questions n. CS2007A000018 (Cardillo, Nicastro 2007), and n. KR2012A000004 (Rende, Rocca 2012), where they are found far from the problem of disposing of beached waste or its use in the fields of construction or energy efficiency.

With regard to the other types of materials that can be classified as special non-hazardous waste, or among solid urban waste and similar, an international search for patents and patent applications was carried out, relating to the topic "Reuse of secondary raw material conglomerate (MPS)" , through the Thomson Innovation database on US patents (since 1971), European (since 1979), WIPO, on German patents (since 1987), on national patents (IMPADOC data since 1968) and on abstracts of Japanese, Korean and Chinese documents ( since 1976).

The prior art search, carried out under the heading "Reuse of conglomerate of different second raw material", highlighted the existence of various documents concerning the recycling of used tires and forms of reuse and recovery of the second raw material (Out of use tire - ELT , paper, wood waste, plastic waste, etc.) for innovative technical products with low environmental impact.

There are many practices that involve the creation of various semi-finished products and / or artifacts destined for various uses, such as railway, construction, industrial, agricultural, etc., in order to highlight their physical-mechanical characteristics, especially sound absorption and transmittance. Among these we include the following patents: n. GB351938A (Dunlop Rubber co. 1930), no. JP2001317003A (The Earth kk 2000), n. KR2004000208A (Sinseung Engineering Con. 2002), no. JP11061713A (Kanemura 1997), no. US3561308 (Ehrlich 1971), no. US4757949 (Horton 1988).

Various procedures have also been identified for the reuse of waste materials in order to contain the problem of their accumulation in landfills and reduce the causes of pollution; in this regard we report: n. ES2112676A1 (Casado 1994), n. KR2003013495A (Lee Joo Hyung 2003), no. KR2002075820A (Kim In Jung 2001), no. KR2003086145A (Joong, University in Korea 2002), no. US5055339A (Eder, Burger, Reitinger 1989), no. EP354526A (Lecrerc & Lecrerc 1990), n. EP350807A (Schaumstoffwerk Greiner Gmbh 1990), no. US4643271A (Coburn 1987), no. DE3438368A (Kaiser 1986).

In most of the findings examined, recycled rubber granules are used together with other secondary raw materials deriving from waste. In general, the recovery and reuse of the following materials is proposed: discarded tires, wood, such as crates, crates already used for fruit and vegetables, fibers and cork dust, remnants of sawmills, joinery and the like, fragments of wood, straw rice, wheat straw, barley straw and their mixtures, dry agricultural waste; paper, waste and cardboard fiber, carbohydrate particles (cellulose); plastic materials of a synthetic, thermoplastic and thermosetting nature which, as is well known, are sometimes indestructible, as they are not biodegradable, including unprocessed plastic waste, packaging film, expanded polystyrene (polystyrene), polyethylene (bottles for containing detergents or food, toys, plastic caps, pipes for the transport of water and natural gas, covering film for electric and telephone cables, garden furniture, etc.), polypropylene (home furnishings, vases, cases, etc.), PVC; rubber, synthetic and natural, vulcanized, gutta-percha, virgin rubber granules; natural and / or synthetic fibers in general, leather waste, textile fibers; building materials and architectural waste, cement waste, crumbling ceramic, sand, gypsum, lime, coal, asphalt; glass fiber waste and related mixtures; steel and metal components; not falling into a specific category we also have: food peels, ashes from household waste, leftovers, paint, dyes, dust from incinerators, organic and inorganic additives, carbonates, potassium chloride, antioxidants, antiozonants, industrial waste. In the light of the documents identified in the bibliographic research, we can conclude that the creation of a conglomerate based on beached Posidonia oceanica, with the addition of secondary raw material deriving from solid materials of special non-hazardous waste or urban or assimilated waste presents a novel character.

An object of the proposed invention is to provide an opportunity for the recycling of beached posidonia and further secondary raw material (MPS) deriving from special non-hazardous waste and urban or similar waste, currently with little or no recycling or with high costs of disposal, for the creation of products to replace wood or materials used in the field of energy efficiency or sound absorption, thus reducing the use of slowly renewing or non-renewable materials, and decreasing the impact on the environment and production costs.

The processes known up to now in the field of reuse of waste materials of any nature and origin, not only exclude the use of beached waste, but often do not provide satisfactory data from a practical point of view as, to obtain products with good mechanical resistance , it is essential to resort to particular cycles of preparation of the second raw material and to the use of different additives that make the final products uneconomical.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION:

Creation of specimens with Posidonia oceanica and binder

Numerous experimental tests have been carried out which involved the use of beached Posidonia oceanica, used individually or in combination with other secondary raw materials, for the creation of artifacts.

Preliminarily, the feasibility of producing conglomerates consisting only of posidonia and binder was assessed. As regards the preparatory methods of the leaves of this biomass, it should be pointed out that, as found by other researches, only 30% by weight of the beached waste consists of Posidonia oceanica while the remaining 70% by weight includes sand and crushed stone. For the purposes of the realization of the invention, the biomass must be largely separated from the sand; this operation can be carried out using the high difference in specific weight between the two components involved. For the realization of specimens, to be subjected to study and observation, the Posidonia oceanica collected was roughed on the spot from the sand by a sieve and subsequently dried. The waste thus obtained was used either in the state as it is or with different granulometries: medium grinding, fine grinding, fine grinding mixed with pulverized posidonia.

Specimens measuring 10 x 10 x 2 cm and 100 x 30 x 2 cm were made using presses, while two different types of binder were used as an adhesive: polyurethane foam or liquid adhesive. single-component polyurethane based (isocyanate). The results, described below, were achieved as a result of repeated practical experiments.

Preliminarily, it should be noted that in the production of specimens (10 x 10 x 2 cm) with a quantity of posidonia fixed in 60 g, used as it is without grinding procedures, and one of binder fixed in 6 g (10% by weight of the compound), both adhesives, guarantee good agglomeration performance. In detail, however, the foamed binder offers greater structural rigidity to the product, while the liquid binder provides a product with considerable elasticity.

The liquid adhesive manages to completely wet the 60 g of Posidonia ensuring ease of mixing, while the polyurethane foam has a lower mixing capacity of the product.

The creation of specimens measuring 100 x 30 x 2 cm, using 900 g of posidonia and 90 g of binder, has instead shown that the use of foamed binder involves a weakening of the product as the degree of wettability guaranteed by the foam is lower than that provided by the liquid binder for the same amount of weight used. Therefore, always using 10% by weight of binder, it has been found that the liquid adhesive guarantees better performance for the creation of the articles.

Creation of specimens with Posidonia oceanica and binder with the addition of other second raw material

Further processing tests involved the combination of beached Posidonia oceanica with one or more different secondary raw materials (MPS) deriving from solid materials classified as special non-hazardous waste or urban or similar waste. In detail, the following materials were combined with biomass:

- rubber from end-of-life tires;

- non-recyclable plastic;

- polystyrene for packaging for separate and non-separate collection;

- industrial waste deriving from wood processing;

- dry mulch from green pruning and from agricultural industry;

These materials can be used as such to bring out the aesthetic appearance of the components emerging on the surface of the product, such as vegetable chips, wood shavings, or they are added to the semi-finished product after grinding in the mill, until the solid parts are reduced. in small fragments, acting as beneficial charges to the product obtained in terms of structural rigidity.

Here are just a few brief descriptions of the many artifacts obtained, through numerous experimental cycles, with the combination of Posidonia with one or more MPS. The beached Posidonia oceanica, used as it is or with different degrees of grinding, was mixed with rubber from discarded tires. Using granules obtained from mechanical shredding, having diameters between 1 and 2 mm, various molding tests were carried out.

For the production of 10 x 10 x 2 cm specimens to the quantity of posidonia (60 g) rubber granules increasing by weight (respectively 60, 90 and 150 g) were added using 10% by weight of liquid polyurethane binder. It has been found that the addition of the rubber granule gives the product characteristics of elasticity combined with greater impact resistance. These properties increase with the increase in the percentage of rubber.

The same considerations are valid for the specimens with dimensions of 100 x 30 x 2 cm. In this case, the quantity of Posidonia oceanica (900 g) was added with rubber granules increasing in weight (900, 1,200 and 2,000 g respectively), always using the 10% by weight of liquid polyurethane binder.

Further tests involved the combination of posidonia with non-recyclable plastic, polystyrene, dry mulch from green pruning and from agricultural industry, industrial waste deriving from wood processing, suitably shredded to variable grain sizes according to the various types of compound or used in such a way. Which.

The specimens were made with the aforementioned materials in the two formats already mentioned. The characteristics that emerged highlight the loss of flexibility guaranteed by the rubber granule, the only one among MPS, to be able to confer this property on the product. On the other hand, however, the combination of posidonia and hard non-recyclable plastic determines a greater structural rigidity of the product. The latter feature is found in the mixture of posidonia and shredded green waste from pruning. In this case, however, there is a lower specific weight of the conglomerate but, at the same time, a loss of the degree of permeability in the product compared to the specimens described above with the use of rubber and plastic granules.

Characteristics of the samples obtained

For all the specimens made, using the biomass stranded individually or in combination with other MPS, the experimental tests have shown that as the granulometry of the components decreases, mixing with both types of binders used is easier, but at the same time, it is reduced. the aggregating capacity of the same, making the final product more fragile and more prone to crumbling. Therefore, while noting the best performance of the liquid binding agent, it can be observed that the quantities of the binders, even if to varying degrees depending on the type used, must be increased according to the degree of grinding chosen for the components of the manufactured articles.

It emerged that the liquid binder offers the best performance, both in terms of reduced quantities that can be used, and in terms of the physical-mechanical characteristics of the manufactured article. In fact, specimens with marked tensile strength, woody appearance and color (chipboard), absence of molding contraction are obtained. Furthermore, the materials obtained, cut with a saw, have interspaces of limited size. By combining the use of the liquid binder with an ever-increasing molding pressure, higher densities of the products are obtained and therefore the performance of materials similar to wood, except in cases where rubber granules are used. In fact, under the action of a lKg hammer, the higher density specimens are able to resist for a long time before breaking, while in situations of reduced density, only a blow is needed to determine the loss of structural integrity. The forming pressure is beneficial as:

- ensures that the entire cavity of the mold is filled, to eliminate or minimize unwanted voids resulting from a very viscous initial mixture;

- reduces the porosity and permeability of the resulting material, making it more solid and durable;

- forces the MPS fragments into closer contact with the binder, thus increasing the bonding area and the strength of the adhesive bonds.

To further benefit the structural stiffness of the final or semi-finished products, cavities can be provided for Γ insertion of reinforcing elements to be mounted inside.

The calibrated additive, chosen from time to time, with different grain sizes and different binders, allows you to vary the physical-mechanical characteristics of the mixtures and semi-finished products and manufactured articles, giving particular characteristics depending on the predominant waste material used. Depending on the specific uses for which the manufactured articles or semi-finished products are intended, it is possible to adequately vary the components of the corresponding compounds and the molding pressures used. The many experiments carried out have shown that, in order to better optimize the final performance of the product, it is possible to foresee multiple combinations of several products deriving from different compounds. These combinations allow to concentrate in a single product multiple performances guaranteed by variable physical-mechanical properties, typical of rigid, elastic and intermediate-behavior materials, as well as products with sound-absorbing and thermal insulation qualities.

By way of example only, we report a case of potential coupling obtained from manufactured articles with a different starting compound. Experiments have been carried out with the union, through adhesive distributed on the adjacent layer of finished or semi-finished products, consisting of a conglomerate of posidonia only and a conglomerate of posidonia and hard non-recyclable plastic. In this way it is possible to associate the sound-absorbing and thermal insulation properties of the mixture of posidonia only, with the structural rigidity of the product in which hard, non-recyclable plastic is added to the stranded biomass.

The invention, obtainable by mixing Posidonia with binder and with further second raw material, offers the possibility of a new recovery at the end of its life cycle in the identified use. Through a shredding and subsequent re-molding procedure, it is possible to repeat the process of creating the product, regardless of the components of the conglomerate used in the first phase and without loss of performance of the final product. Implementation methodology

A possible procedure for the preparation of products made with Posidonia oceanica beached with the addition of one or more secondary raw materials (MPS), includes several phases:

a) Supply of beached Posidonia oceanica;

b) grinding of posidonia, or use as it is for specific applications;

c) finding a binder;

d) identification of the quantities of posidonia and binder functional to the physical-mechanical characteristics of the product to be obtained;

e) mixing of the Posidonia preparation with the identified binding agent. In this phase, the addition of different MPS is foreseen, deriving from solid materials of urban or assimilated waste or special non-hazardous waste with a different degree of granulometry, based on the physical-mechanical characteristics and uses of the products to be obtained;

f) shaping of the conglomerate to obtain the final product.

The stages of the manufacturing process may include the addition of dye in order to give the finished and / or semi-finished products the desired final color, as well as any flame-retardant fillers, catalysts and other beneficial material to the mixture in order to better meet the needs of the final product.

Fields of application

The invention can be used in many sectors, given the extreme versatility of the manufactured articles and considering the different physical-mechanical properties of the obtainable conglomerates.

- building, energy efficiency and acoustic insulation.

The mixture of beached posidonia and other MPS remains is particularly suitable for creating functional layers for thermal insulation and energy saving in buildings. Equally performing are the uses in the field of sound absorption.

- furniture components and coatings.

The versatility of shaping of posidonia and MPS conglomerates is well suited for the creation of furnishing components. The invention proves to be an excellent substitute for wood in coatings, flooring, furniture and fixtures. To the mechanical characteristics is added a high aesthetic appearance of the products obtainable with simple finishing operations, such as sanding, addition of external layers of resin, transparent or tinted varnishes.

Furthermore, the final product can also be coated with laminated sheets of various kinds.

- creation of artifacts

Given the aforementioned practicality of processing the mixtures of materials mentioned, it is possible to create and repeat in series multiple artifacts to be used in various sectors.

Claims (1)

CLAIMS 1) - Development of a material obtained from beached Posidonia oceanica and binder capable of producing an autonomous mixture of said Posidonia oceanica for the manufacture of finished or semi-finished products, furthermore characterized by the fact that Posidonia oceanica is subject to a processing phase in to which other additional material is added. 2) - Development of a material according to claim 1, in which said Posidonia oceanica is used in the state as it is or in particles with different grinding granulometry. 3) - Development of a material according to claim 1, in which said Posidonia oceanica derives from the waste washed away by the sea currents along the coast and deposited along the shore, forming substantial accumulations called banquettes. 4) - Development of a material according to claim 1, in which said binder is selected from the group consisting of polymerizable binders, polymeric solutions, aqueous or other dispersions of different physical nature, suitable for obtaining said finished or semi-finished products. 5) - Development of a material according to claim 1, in which said additional material is selected from the group consisting of rubber from out of use tires, non-recyclable plastic material, polystyrene for waste packaging, industrial waste deriving from wood processing, dry mulch from green pruning and agricultural industry, generating different types of compounds. 6) - Development of a material according to claims 1 and 5, in which said additional material is used in the state as such or in particles with different grinding granulometry. 7) - Development of a material according to claims 1,2, 4, 5 and 6, in which said autonomous mixtures are suitable for the manufacture of finished or semi-finished products obtained by molding or forming between rolls. 8) - Development of a material according to claim 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7, comprising a plurality of said finished or semi-finished products, in which the proportions by weight of Posidonia oceanica, binder and added material are different, how different are also the forming pressures, thus obtaining multiple couplings and differentiated densities of this material. 9) - Development of a material according to claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, characterized by variable physical-mechanical properties, typical of rigid, elastic and intermediate-behavior materials, as well as products capable of guarantee sound absorption and energy efficiency. 10) - Development of a material according to claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, in which at least one of the finished or semi-finished products can provide cavities for the insertion of reinforcing elements mounted in the recess of said cavities. 11) - Development of a material according to claim 1, in which variable quantities of stabilizers, chemical seaming agents, catalysts, lubricants, dyes, flame retardant fillers and other are provided. 12) - Development of a material as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, with application in the following fields: a) energy efficiency, b) sound insulation, c) coatings and furnishings, d) creation of artifacts.