MXPA00008995A - Method and device for recycling and decontaminating bag type objects such as disposable gloves for white rooms - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a cleaner (3) arranged upstream of a sorting station (1), having an outlet (8) open inside a closed chamber (9) whereof the air is conditioned and wherein the bag type objects are displaced towards a dryer (10). The conditioning station (13), downstream of the dryer is also located in the closed chamber, thereby limiting the particular contamination generated by the ambient air. The invention is useful for treating disposable gloves for white rooms.

Description

PROCESS AND APPARATUS TO RECYCLE AND DECONTAMINATE CAVITIES SUCH AS DISPOSABLE GLOVES FOR CLEAN ROOMS • Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the decontamination of cavities made of natural material (latex) or plastic materials such as polyethylene or polypropylene, or again, with non-porous or micro-porous polymers, which QP 10 are , usually, disposable after use and which are used more specifically in atmospheric environments controlled Antecedents of the Invention. More precisely, the present invention relates to a process and to an apparatus for recycling and decontaminating said disposable cavities for clean rooms. Therefore, the referred articles can be both bags and plastic gloves made of natural or synthetic latex, vinyl or any other polymer. Also included are all articles that have the shape of cavities and that the water permeability of them is very low or practically none. Therefore, the only exceptions, in practice, are water permeable articles such as textile articles or any other item that has the ability to wash and dry efficiently in domestic or industrial washers and dryers. It is difficult to dry non-porous cavities since the water that enters them at the time of washing them is very difficult to clean. delete. There are, in fact, important factors that prevent drying, in particular the surface tensions between the two thin inner layers that "trap" the water and the inability of the steam to pass through the cavity due to the non-porosity of the water. referred materials. QP 10 This is true for the gloves that are currently used in clean rooms and which are discarded each time the people who use them leave the room, that is, approximately every two hours. DE1 642 128 describes a process for recycling and decontaminating cavities such as disposable gloves. The process according to the present invention allows the gloves to be recycled several times and, therefore, that they can be used again as new gloves, without reducing their quality for secondary uses, thereby reducing their cost average and the proportion of waste items. It can be seen that the process and the apparatus according to the present invention are related to intentional products more especially for areas of controlled atmosphere and that, for this reason, the characteristics of the decontamination bath as well as the detergents used are very important. Some decontaminating liquids are, in fact, responsible for causing damage to the material and detergents may be the cause of residual contamination in the articles, which is incompatible with their use in the processes that are carried out in areas of controlled atmosphere . To date, decontamination has been carried out on industrial machines with deionized, filtered water, as well as with a detergent containing nonionic, cationic or anionic surfactants. The washing parameters, such as the time, the temperature, the centrifugal speed of drying and the number of cycles are variable, as are the volumes of water and the amounts of detergent used. In addition, to prevent water from entering the cavities, which subsequently have drying problems, they are tied around in bundles to make them watertight. For its part, the drying is carried out in conventional industrial type dryers. The only factors that regulate the drying time are the temperature and the volume of material that is loaded in the drum. This type of treatment is derived from the decontamination of intentional textiles for areas of controlled atmosphere and it can be easily appreciated that they only allow the decontamination of the outer faces of the cavities. Now, in the case of gloves or cavities already used in areas of controlled atmosphere, it is not enough to wash only one face, one of the two faces is necessary to eliminate the perspiration of the user and, on the other, the elements of dirt due to the operation performed, since the glove must be restored to its (original configuration both physically and with respect to the absence of particles and bacteria. The present invention allows these drawbacks to be avoided by providing a process and an apparatus by means of which a cavity or a glove can be washed on both sides, inside and outside, and therefore, a recycled product f 10 can be obtained and / or decontaminated, at a lower cost than the same product when it is new, which makes it possible, at the same time, to limit the industrial waste of the referred materials.

Summary of the Invention. A first object of the present invention is, therefore, a process for recycling and decontaminating cavities such as disposable gloves for clean rooms, a process which consists of: - In providing the selection of the cavities, indelibly marked, as well as as your counting and the implementation of a computerized tracking; - Carry out the washing and decontamination of the cavities, as well as the equipment, using water that is treated so as not to be contaminants for washing and rinsing; - In transferring the washed cavities, inside a sealed, conditioned cover, to a drying unit equipped with devices that limit the contamination of the products; QP - In transferring the dry cavities to a station packaging located inside the sealed cover, where they are placed in bags; - In directing the cavities packed outside the sealed cover. Another main object of the present invention is an apparatus 10 for recycling and decontaminating cavities such as disposable gloves for clean rooms. To implement the process, an apparatus wherein a washing machine, placed in downstream of a sorting station, has an opening of an exit door inside a sealed cover, whose air is conditioned and in which the cavities are displaced in the direction of a dryer in the same way as they were placed on the cover (J) sealed. Other features and particular advantages of the present invention will arise from the following description of a exemplified embodiment wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which is a schematic representation of the recycling and decontamination apparatus according to the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawing. Figure 1 schematically represents an apparatus for recycling and decontaminating gloves.

Detailed Description of the Invention. The gloves, which bear indelible marks to water and solvents, are collected in a selection station 1. The gloves on the right side are turned and selected, either by hand or automatically according to their size, in the case of QP 10 those that are considered not to have indelible stains, that do not have cuts or breaks. Those that are considered not to be recycled are discarded. Due to the use of computerized tracking of such marks, the number of articles per size, the number of articles disposed of and the number of items are counted. times of recycling of the selected articles and that are considered satisfactory. Computerized monitoring also makes it possible to determine, based on real time, who the customers are using them and how the sizes used are expanded, allowing the manufacturer to design their production programs according to actual consumption. In addition, it makes it possible to process the documents of the sales chain, as well as readjust new articles automatically for each client, thereby complying with their industrial requirements and monitor in the module, either fixed or mobile, all parameters required for, and essential for, the correct operation of the module, allowing all operations to be stopped when one of the parameters no longer meets specifications that allow decontamination corresponding to industrial needs of the destiny of the recycled products. At the exit of the selection station 1, the gloves 2 (dashed line arrow) are directed towards a washing machine 3, in which they are introduced by means of a door 4. The washing machine, placed in downflow to the sorting station, is supplied by W 10 a unit of production of ultra pure water 5. This water is obtained by filtering activated charcoal at least 5 microns. A washing agent is added to the wash water with at least one nonionic or cationic surfactant of the quaternary ammonium type or a mixture of these surfactants. Also, at least one disinfectant with bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal and oxidizing properties is added. The water is deionized or treated by osmosis. The rinse water that is introduced into the washing machine is preferably filtered to at least one micron. The decontamination water is deionized and filtered to at least 0.45 microns. The washing machine 3 is equipped with a non-return valve 6 in the waste water discharge valve 7, as well as with at least one cartridge, not shown, to filter at least one micron, placed in the ventilation tubes of the machine. All the elements are designed for a fluid circulation and are of a non-polluting material, that is, one that allows only a minimum release of ions or metal particles in the water P due to the different parts that are in contact with the water. The washing machine is equipped with an opening of an exit door 8 inside a sealed cover 9, which, therefore, limits the particle pollution generated by the ambient air. The gloves placed in the washing machine are subjected to at least one washing operation, at least one W 10 rinse operation, at least one decontamination operation and at least one centrifugal drying operation. After the gloves are recovered through the door 8, they are placed through the cover 9, as shown by the solid line arrow, towards a dryer 10, whose access door 15 1 1 is inside the cover . An airtight apparatus allowing mechanical agitation of the products is placed inside the dryer 10. Internally hot clean air circulation is also provided, filtered at least 1 μm, from a supply source 12, originating a negative pressure of at least 50 mbar. Therefore, the drying of the cavities of zero porosity or very low porosity is achieved in a time that makes it possible to maintain the competitiveness of the products obtained. A complementary apparatus for the ionization of the air is also provided, making it possible for according to the indicated industrial requirements, the contamination of residual particles present in the cavities or in the gloves is reduced and, in particular, the number of particles with dimensions of less than 1 μm can be significantly reduced or the electrostatic charges of QP can be modified. the cavities or gloves. 5 After this drying operation, the gloves are directed (arrow with dotted line), still in the sealed cover 9, towards a packing station 13 inside said cover, downstream of the dryer 10. The cavities or gloves are introduced therein in bags or blister packs, by QP 10 example of polyethylene or polypropylene, which are clean with respect to particles and are made in the form of single or double packages, with tight joints and under partial vacuum. Once packaged, the items are directed out of the sealed cover 9. 15 Within this cover, where the washing, drying and packing operations and the transfers between P stations are carried out, and in which the equipment and personnel required to perform the different operations and manual tasks, the air is conditioned and controlled with a supply of clean, fresh air at a rate of renewal every hour of at least equal to 10. This environment, commonly known as a "clean room", is necessary to ensure cleanliness with respect to the essential particles for the treated products by the device. Consistently, the operators who are in charge of these operations use at least gloves, special cap and one-piece clothing with characteristics similar to those used in clean rooms according to current regulations. If certain operations are carried out by means of automatic systems, they must be adapted in such a way that they do not contaminate. Therefore, the process according to the present invention provides a technical and industrial competitive solution for recycling cavities or gloves of zero porosity or low porosity. This makes it possible, in fact, in comparison with the processes used up to now, to efficiently wash both faces of the referred products by means of, in particular, a specific drying technique that allows the evaporation of the liquid phase that is present inside. of the cavities or gloves while, at the same time, reduces, due to the recycling operation, the price of the cost of the product in relation to that of a new product. The process also reduces the waste of the referred products sent to the garbage deposit or to the incinerator, allowing its recycling and, consequently, its reuse, at a low cost price, something that is currently carried out on an industrial scale in the case of highly porous materials of the textile type, but very little and in a non-profitable manner, in the case of the products to which said process refers.

Claims (10)

1. R E I V I N D I C A I N N E S Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following CLAIMS is claimed as property: 5 1. Process to recycle and decontaminate cavities (2) such as disposable gloves for clean rooms, further characterized because it consists of: - In providing the selection of the cavities, marked in W 10 indelible form, as well as their counting and the implementation of a computerized follow-up; - Carry out the washing and decontamination of the cavities, as well as the equipment, using water that is treated so as not to be contaminants for washing and rinsing; 15 - In transferring the washed cavities, inside a sealed cover (9), conditioned, for a drying unit equipped with P devices (1 1) that limit the contamination of the products; - In transferring the dry cavities to a packing station (13) located inside the sealed cover, where 20 put in bags; - In directing the cavities packed outside the sealed cover (9).
2. 2. The process for recycling and decontaminating as described in claim 1, further characterized in that the cavities (2) are turned to the right and are selected according to their size after being indelibly marked individually to the water and to the solvents.
3. 3. The process for recycling and decontaminating as described in Claim 1, further characterized in that a washing agent with at least one non-ionic or cationic surfactant or a mixture of these surfactants is added to the washing water. and at least one disinfectant having bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal and oxidizing properties.
4. 4. The process for recycling and decontaminating as described in Claims 1 and 3, further characterized in that the cavities (2) are subjected to at least one operation 15 of washing, at least one rinsing operation, at least one decontamination operation and at least one centrifugal drying P operation.
5. 5. The process for recycling and decontaminating as described in Claim 1, further characterized in that, in the drying unit (10), hot filtered air flow is provided to at least 1 μm and a negative pressure of at least 50 mbar
6. 6. The process for recycling and decontaminating as described in Claims 1 and 5, further characterized in that the contamination of particles in the cavities is reduced
7. QP (2) by potentially modifying its electrostatic charges. 7. The process for recycling and decontaminating as described in claim 1, further characterized in that the cavities (2) are introduced into bags made in the form of single or double packages with tight joints and under a vacuum • 10 partial.
8. 8. An apparatus for recycling and decontaminating cavities such as disposable gloves for clean rooms, to implement the process as described in the Claims 1 to 15 7, further characterized in that, a washing machine (3) placed downstream of a selection station (1) has an opening of tP) an exit door (8) inside a sealed cover (9) whose air is conditioned, and in which the cavities (2) are placed in the direction of a dryer (10) and in which a sorting station 20 (13), downstream of the dryer, is also placed in the sealed cover.
9. 9. An apparatus for recycling and decontaminating as described in Claim 8, further characterized in that the The washing machine (3) is equipped with a non-return valve (6) in the waste water discharge valve (7), as well as with at least one cartridge to filter at least one micron placed in the waste water pipes. ventilation of the drum of the machine. •
10. 10. An apparatus for recycling and decontaminating as described in Claim 9, further characterized in that the circulation of clean hot air through the dryer (10) comes from a supply source (12) external to the cover. sealed (9). SUMMARY A washing machine (2), placed in the downstream of a sorting station (1), has an exit door (8) inside a sealed cover (9) whose air is conditioned and where the cavities are placed (2) in the direction of a dryer (10). In the sealed cover, a packing station (13) is also placed in the downstream of the dryer. Therefore, particle pollution caused by ambient air is limited. Application for the treatment of disposable gloves for clean rooms.