KR101044439B1 - Diaper reusable method and apparatus thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for recycling diapers is provided to collect fiber, resin, and pulp from a polymer coagulant in a diaper by ozone or ultrasonic wave. CONSTITUTION: A method for recycling diapers comprises: a step of spraying washing water to a diaper; a step of unfolding the diaper by spraying pressure of washing water; a step of removing foreign materials inside the diaper; a step of pressing the diaper to remove polymer coagulant and dissociate the diaper; a step of inputting the diaper into a dissociation bath(5) of an ion producer or ultrasonic waves producer; a step of dissociating the polymer coagulant; and a step of separating the coagulant containing the foreign materials and dissociated diaper by the difference of specific gravity.

Description

Diaper recycling method and apparatus thereof {DIAPER REUSABLE METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a method for recycling a diaper and a device therefor, in particular, by disintegrating the pulverized diaper into a dissociation tank having at least one of an ion generator or an ultrasonic generator to dissociate the polymer coagulant in the diaper and at the same time the difference in specific gravity. By separating the polymer coagulant including the foreign matter and the diaper crushed matter, the diaper crushed matter floating in the upper layer of the dissociation tank is dried and recycled, and the foreign body and the polymer coagulant settled in the lower layer of the dissociation tank can be treated by waste water purification facilities, Regarding the diaper recycling method and apparatus which can recover and recycle natural pulp, functional fiber and resin, which are materials of the diaper, and can reduce landfilling or incineration, as well as lower the water content of the diaper. will be.

In general, disposable diapers absorb the body fluids excreted by physiological action, and include infant and adult diapers and, broadly, feminine sanitary napkins. Conventional disposable diapers include liquid-impermeable backsheets, liquid-permeable topsheets, and the like. It consists of an absorbent absorbing the feces of the wearer interposed between the two sheets, the band surrounding the waist and thighs.

And the absorber is usually made of pulp, superabsorbent polymer coagulant, tissue, etc., absorbed excrement through the liquid permeable top sheet at a high speed and absorbed excrement in order to prevent the absorbed excretion to contact the skin again Perform the function you own. In addition, the liquid-permeable top sheet is a synthetic nonwoven fabric or a film formed with a hole so that the body fluid can quickly pass through the absorber, but is usually used by hydrophilic treatment on the hydrophobic fibers, the liquid impermeable back sheet is absorbed in the diaper Polyethylene film is mainly used to prevent body fluids from leaking under the absorber and contaminating the wearer's clothing or surrounding environment.Velcro tapes are formed on the band to make diaper wear more convenient and to excrete when discarded after use. Tie a diaper so that it does not come out of the diaper.

On the other hand, general diapers having the above-described configuration mainly target infants, the elderly, or women, and on the other hand, because they are in contact with the skin sensitive to irritation, high-quality materials such as natural materials and high-performance materials are selected in the selection of the materials. It is mainly used, but in the past, the disposal of waste diapers has resulted in significant loss of resources due to incineration or landfill, which is the main reason that the polymer coagulant in the diaper is entangled with other fibers constituting the diaper, making it difficult to recycle. There was.

In addition, incineration or landfilling of diapers not only results in the loss of high quality resources, but also leads to significant problems in the efficient disposal of wastes. The polymer coagulants in the diapers absorb moisture from the feces as well as other By absorbing and expanding the waste water, it occupies a considerable amount of landfill space at the time of reclamation, which hinders the efficient use of landfills, and at the time of incineration, it inhibits the combustion efficiency such as the generation of harmful gases due to incomplete combustion due to the large amount of moisture absorbed by diapers. There is a problem. This problem will be even greater in view of the fact that about 5% of household waste incinerated or landfill is classified as a diaper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and recycles resources by recovering pulp, fibers and resins from waste diapers, and on the other hand, it is possible to exclude diapers from incinerated and landfilled wastes. The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the amount of water and to improve the treatment efficiency of incinerated and landfilled waste by lowering the moisture content of the waste. The polymer coagulant in the diaper is separated from the fibers and resins constituting the diaper and treated. And a diaper recycling method and apparatus therefor.

The diaper recycling method according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the crushing step of disassembling the diaper, the disintegrated diaper to the dissociation tank provided with at least one of the ion generating device or the ultrasonic generator is added to the polymer coagulant The dissociation step of separating the polymer coagulant including the foreign material and the diaper crushed material by dissociation from the diaper crushed material and the difference in specific gravity, and removing the water by discharging the diaper crushed material separated from the foreign material and the polymer coagulant floating in the upper layer of the dissociation tank Characterized by the diaper recycling method comprising a drying step.

In addition, the present invention, prior to the crushing step of the diaper recycling method, by spraying the washing water to the diaper to expand the diaper by the expansion force and the injection pressure of the washing water by the polymer coagulant absorbed the water inside the diaper unfolded There is an additional feature in the diaper recycling method further comprises a washing step of removing foreign matters, and a pressing step of primarily removing the polymer coagulant in the diaper by pressing the diaper absorbing the water in the washing step.

In addition, an ion generator or an ultrasonic generator is provided as a coagulant dissociation means inside the main body into which the washing water flows together with the disassembled diaper so that the polymer coagulant is dissociated from the disassembled diaper crush, but the diaper crush floating in the upper portion of the wash water is external. And a dissociation tank for discharging foreign substances and dissociated polymer coagulants, which are settled in the lower layer of the washing water, into a collecting tank by forming a discharging means to be discharged to the upper part of the main body and forming a foreign substance discharge line having a transfer screw at the lower part of the main body. Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a diaper recycling apparatus including a dryer for removing moisture by receiving diaper crushed products carried out from the discharge unit.

In the diaper recycling apparatus, a press for pressing the water-absorbed diaper with a pair of pressing rollers to primarily remove the polymer coagulant in the diaper, a crusher for disassembling the diaper supplied from the press, and the crusher There is another feature of the configuration of the diaper recycling apparatus further includes a sterilization tank for sterilizing the disassembled diaper to be supplied to the dissociation tank by introducing the washing water with the diaper disassembled in the ozone generator.

According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, the polymer coagulant in the diaper is dissociated in water by the method of at least one of ozone or ultrasonic wave so as to be separated by specific gravity from the fibers and resins constituting the diaper. High-quality fibers and resins and pulp used as can be recovered and recycled, thereby saving resources.

In addition, since diapers can be excluded from conventional incineration and landfills, not only can reduce the throughput of incineration and landfills, but also lower the moisture content of incineration waste, making it easier to burn completely. Along with the recycling of wastes, there is an effect that enables efficient waste disposal of landfills and waste incinerators.

1 is a flow chart showing a diaper recycling method according to the present invention
Figure 2 is a process diagram showing a diaper recycling method and apparatus according to the present invention
Figure 3 is a front view showing a sterilization tank of the diaper recycling apparatus according to the present invention
4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG.
5 is a front sectional view showing a dissociation tank of the diaper recycling apparatus according to the present invention.
Figure 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing a dissociation tank of the diaper recycling apparatus according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, a diaper recycling method and apparatus thereof according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, but first, a diaper recycling method will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The diaper recycling method according to the present invention includes a washing step, a pressing step, a crushing step, a sterilization step, a dissociation step, and a drying step in sequence as shown in FIG. See more details.

<Washing stage>

The washing step is to spray the washing water on the collected diapers so that the polymer coagulant in the diaper sufficiently absorbs water and removes the foreign substances wrapped in the diaper. Specifically, the diapers are preferably separated and collected through general homes, hospitals, and postpartum care centers. Usually, the collected diapers have foreign substances such as feces, and in some cases, Velcro tapes provided on the diaper bands. The foreign material is wrapped in the diaper to prevent the diaper from being released. In the washing step of the present invention, the diaper in the above state is introduced into the washing line 1 to spray high-pressure washing water into the diaper between transfers, The polymer coagulant in the stomach absorbs water sufficiently, and the diaper is spread by the spraying pressure of the washing water together with its expansion force, and at the same time, the foreign body can be removed from the diaper.

<Pressing step>

In the pressing step, the diaper absorbing the water in the washing step is first removed to remove the polymer coagulant in the diaper. The polymer coagulant present in the form of particles in the diaper absorbs and expands the water sufficiently in the previous washing step. By forming a lump in a gel state, the diaper in the above state is introduced into a presser (2) equipped with a pair of pressing rollers to remove the polymer coagulant from the diaper and remove the gel coagulant from the diaper. The fibers, resin, and pulp constituting the back sheet and the like can be passed through the pressing roller to primarily remove the polymer coagulant in the diaper.

<Crushing stage>

The crushing step is a step of disassembling the diaper by putting the diaper passed through the compactor 2 into a crusher 3 equipped with a pair of crushing rollers.

Sterilization Stage

The sterilization step is a step of sterilizing the disintegrated diaper crushed by the crusher (3) to the sterilization tank (4), preferably by putting the diaper crushed with washing water into the sterilization tank (4) equipped with an ozone generator 1 By sterilizing automatically, the state of a diaper crushed product and the sanitary state in each following process can be maintained favorably. In this case, the ultrasonic sterilization tank 4 may further include an ultrasonic wave generating module or induce vortex and aeration so that the foreign matter and the polymer coagulant may be separated and washed with respect to the diaper crushed product.

<Dissociation stage>

In the dissociation step, the disassembled and sterilized diaper is introduced into a dissociation tank 5 having at least one of an ion generator or an ultrasonic generator as a coagulant dissociation means, and the polymer coagulant is dissociated from the diaper crushed product. By this step, the polymer coagulant including the foreign matter is separated from the diaper crush.

That is, the diaphragm crushed material is first removed from the polymer coagulant in the previous compression step, but a small amount of the polymer coagulant adheres to the diaper crush due to viscosity, the dissociation ion contained in the cationic polymer coagulant or anionic polymer coagulant dissociation tank The polymer coagulant may be dissociated from the diaper crushed material by degrading the viscosity of the polymer coagulant by combining with metal ions of the anion or cationic electrolyte generated in the ion generating device of (5), and on the other hand, ultrasonic generation formed in the dissociation tank (5). Ultrasonic vibration of the device may dissociate the polymer coagulant adhering to the diaper crush.

In addition, the polymer coagulant dissociated by ions or ultrasonic waves settles to the bottom of the lower layer of the dissociation tank 5 together with the foreign matter. On the other hand, the diaper crushed material having a low specific gravity floats on the upper layer of the dissociation tank 5, thereby containing a polymer containing foreign matter. The flocculant and the diaper crush can be separated.

On the other hand, in the case of the dissociation tank 5 equipped with the ion generating device, the dissociation tank with the cation generator and the dissociation tank with the anion generator are continuously installed so that even if a cationic polymer coagulant or an anionic polymer coagulant is mixed, It is desirable to be able to dissociate the flocculant.

<Drying stage>

The drying step is a step of removing moisture by discharging the diaper crushed matter separated from the foreign matter and the polymer coagulant floating in the upper layer of the dissociation tank 5 to the conventional dryer 6. At this time, it is preferable to secondaryly sterilize the diaper crushed material to be carried out by further forming an ultraviolet sterilizer inside the dryer 6, and the dried and sterilized diaper crushed as described above is reprocessed and processed according to its use. Used. On the other hand, the foreign material and the polymer coagulant settled in the lower layer of the dissociation tank (5) is stored in the collection tank (55) together with the washing water, and then treated by a conventional water treatment facility.

Hereinafter, a configuration of a diaper recycling apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

The diaper recycling apparatus of the present invention includes a washing line 1, a pressing machine 2, and a crusher 3, as shown in FIG. 2, wherein the washing line 1 is a washing water spray nozzle on a conventional conveyor transfer line. Although it is preferable to form a cover (not shown) and the like so as not to scatter the high pressure washing water in the workplace, the present invention is not limited to the detailed configuration of the washing line (1), the washing line (1) Instead, a washing tank or washing chamber may be formed.

And the presser (2) is provided with a pair of pressing rollers to compress the diaper absorbed by the water in the washing line (1) to remove the polymer coagulant in the diaper primarily and put into the crusher (3), washing The polymer coagulant which absorbs water in the line 1 and expands into a gel-like mass is blown out of the diaper by a pair of compression rollers provided in the compactor 2, and then removed, such as a top sheet and a back sheet. The diaper fiber, resin, and pulp that have passed through the pressing roller are fed into a crusher 3 to be described later. On the other hand, the pair of compacting rollers provided in the compactor (2) is a cylindrical shape to puncture the outer peripheral surface so that the polymer coagulant in the gel state can be introduced into the compaction roller to be removed, the present invention is the pressing Of course, it is not limited to a detailed structure of a roller, and the press machine provided with a crimping press can also be used.

Further, the shredder of the present invention (3) is provided with a pair of shredding rollers with a cutter, so that the diaper discharged from the presser 2 is dismantled, and the present invention is not limited to the detailed configuration of the shredder 3. Do not.

The diaper crushed product dismantled by the crusher 3 is first introduced into the sterilization tank 4 and then introduced into the dissociation tank 5 and the dryer 6, which shows the structure of the sterilization tank 4. 4, the sterilization tank 4 is additionally formed at the front end of the dissociation tank 5 to introduce washing water together with the diaper dismantled in the crusher 3, but inside the ozone generator 41. By disposing the disintegrated diaper crushed by the supply to the dissociation tank (5).

Specifically, the ozone generator 41 is formed inside the cylindrical sterilization tank 4 to sterilize the diaper crushed matter with the washing water, and additionally, by forming an ultrasonic generator module 42, ultrasonic vibration Thereby allowing the polymer coagulant to separate from the diaper crush.

In addition, a water supply pipe 43 for supplying the washing water is formed on the side of the sterilization tank 4 so that vortices are generated in the sterilization tank 4 when the washing water is supplied, and compressed air is injected into the sterilization tank 4. And forming an aeration pipe 44 for aeration in the lower part of the sterilization tank 4 and further forming a rotating plate 45 for causing vortices with respect to the wash water supplied to the interior of the sterilization tank 4. Effective separation and washing of flocculants is possible.

And at the upper end of one side of the sterilization tank 4 to form a discharge port 46 for discharging the sterilized diaper crushed to the dissociation tank 5, the lower end of the sterilization tank 4 has a foreign matter discharge pipe 47 with a built-in discharge screw It is formed so that the foreign matter and polymer coagulant separated from the diaper crush can be discharged to the outside.

On the other hand, the sterilization tank 4 can be sterilized by chemical sterilization or high temperature and high pressure in addition to sterilization by ozone.

Looking at the configuration of the dissociation tank (5) and the dryer (6) with reference to Figures 2 and 5, 6, the dissociation tank (5) is a flocculant inside the main body 50 to which the washing water flows along with the disintegrated and sterilized diaper At least one of an ion generator or an ultrasonic generator is provided as the dissociation means 51 to dissociate the polymer coagulant from the disassembled diaper crushed material. In the case of providing the ion generator as the flocculant dissociation means 51, the cationic polymer The dissociation ion contained in the flocculant or the anionic polymer coagulant is combined with the metal ions of the anion or cationic electrolyte generated in the ion generator of the dissociation tank (5), thereby decreasing the viscosity of the polymer flocculant and dissociating the polymer flocculant from the diaper crush. In the case where the ultrasonic generator is formed as the dissociation means 51, the polymer coagulant adhering to the diaper crush by ultrasonic vibration is dissociated. The. On the other hand, when the ion generator is provided as a flocculant dissociation means 51, the dissociation tank with the cation generator and the dissociation tank with the anion generator are continuously installed to mix the cationic polymer coagulant or the anionic polymer coagulant. In this case, it is preferable to dissociate the polymer coagulant.

And it is preferable to form a conveyor discharge means 52 for discharging the diaper crush floating in the upper layer of the washing water to the upper side of the dissociation tank main body 50 to the dryer (6), the main body 50 A foreign substance discharge line 53 having a transfer screw 54 is formed at the lower portion of the lower portion thereof, and the foreign substance and dissociated polymer coagulant that is settled in the lower layer of the washing water are discharged to the water collection tank 55 to be purified by a conventional water treatment facility. do.

The dryer 6 receives the diaper crushed product carried out from the discharging means 52 of the dissociation tank 5 to remove moisture, and further includes an ultraviolet sterilizer inside the dryer 6 to dry the diaper crushed product with drying. It is desirable to be able to sterilize.

Hereinafter, the diaper recycling method and the operation of the apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention configured as described above, the diaper collected separately from the general home, hospital and postpartum care center, etc. into the washing line (1) When the washing water is sprayed, the polymer coagulant in the diaper absorbs the water, and the diaper is unfolded by the expansion force and the spraying pressure of the washing water, and the foreign matter buried or wrapped in the diaper is removed. The diaper is dismantled by first removing the polymer flocculant which has been introduced into the gel and expanded in a gel state, and then introduced into the shredder 3.

In addition, the disassembled diaper crushed material may be selectively sterilized by being put into the sterilization tank 4, in which the ultrasonic coagulation module 42 is further provided in the sterilization tank 4, or the polymer coagulant is separated by inducing vortex and aeration. And washing can be combined with sterilization, and the sterilized diaper crushed product is introduced into a dissociation tank 5 equipped with at least one of an ion generating device or an ultrasonic wave generator as a coagulant dissociating means 51 to disperse the polymer coagulant from the diaper crushed product. After dissociation and polymer coagulant including foreign matters are separated by the difference in specific gravity, the diaper crushed matter suspended in the upper part of the dissociation tank 5 can be discharged to the normal dryer 6 to remove the water and recycled. Do.

On the other hand, the foreign body and the polymer coagulant settled in the lower layer of the dissociation tank (5) is stored in the sump tank 55 with the washing water and then treated by a conventional water treatment facility, consisting of a polymer coagulant and the excreta as the main raw material of corn flour Treated water is a high concentration of organic wastewater, which is suitable for inflow into the anaerobic digestion system for recovery or fertilizing with methane gas.

1: washing line 2: press 3: crusher
4: sterilization tank 5: dissociation tank 6: dryer
41: ozone generator 42: ultrasonic generator module 43: water supply pipe
44: supply pipe 45: rotating plate 46: discharge port
47: foreign substance discharge pipe 50: main body 51: flocculant dissociation means
52: discharge means 53: foreign substance discharge line 55: water tank

Claims (4)

A crushing step of disassembling the diaper;
The disassembled diaper was put into a dissociation tank equipped with at least one of an ion generator or an ultrasonic generator to dissociate the polymer coagulant from the diaper crush and to separate the polymer coagulant and the diaper crush including the foreign matter by the difference in specific gravity. Dissociation step;
And a drying step of separating the foreign matter and the polymer coagulant and removing the moisture by discharging the diaper crush floating in the upper portion of the dissociation tank.
The method of claim 1;
Prior to the crushing step, by spraying the washing water to the diaper to wash the diaper by the expansion force and the injection pressure of the washing water by the polymer coagulant in the diaper absorbs the water and the washing step of removing foreign matter inside the unfolded diaper;
The diaper recycling method further comprises a pressing step of pressing the diaper absorbing water in the washing step to primarily remove the polymer coagulant in the diaper.
A coagulant dissociation means 51 is provided inside the main body 50 into which the wash water flows together with the disassembled diaper so that the polymer coagulant is dissociated from the disassembled diaper crushed material. Discharge means 52 for carrying out the diaper crushed product to the outside is formed in the upper portion of the main body 50, the lower portion of the main body 50 is formed with a foreign substance discharge line 53 having a transfer screw 54 to wash the A dissociation tank 5 for transporting the foreign substance and dissociated polymer coagulant that has sunk into the lower layer to the collecting tank 55;
Diaper recycling apparatus characterized in that it comprises a dryer (6) for receiving the diaper crush to be carried out from the discharging means (52) of the dissociation tank (5) to remove moisture.
The method of claim 3;
A presser (2) for pressing a diaper absorbing water with a pair of pressing rollers to primarily remove the polymer coagulant in the diaper;
A shredder (3) for disassembling the diaper supplied from the press (2);
Further comprising a sterilization tank (4) for introducing the washing water with the diaper disassembled in the shredder (3), but having an ozone generator (41) therein to sterilize the disassembled diaper to supply to the dissociation tank (5) Diaper recycling apparatus, characterized in that.

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