PT104230B - PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR EXPANSION OF CORK MATERIAL BY SATURATED AND / OR OVERHEATED WATER STEAM ACTION - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a process and apparatus for expanding by means of suctioning or overheating of water vapor, which is capable of promoting the expansion of the cork by at least 5 to 30%, without recourse to substances external to the cork system. THE EXPANSION DEVICE UNDERSTANDS THREE UNITS (AU, AU ', EU', UD, UD ') FUNCTIONAL, RESPECTIVELY, DETERMINING UNIT (AU, AU'), UNIT (UE, EU ') OF EXPANSION AND UNIT , UD '), DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PHASES OF THE PROCESS OF EXPANSION OF THE CORK MATERIAL. THE EXPANSION OF CORK FOR THIS NEW PROCESS AND DEVICE IS GIVEN ON ANY CORK MATERIAL, UNDERTAKING, VIRGIN OR CORK CORK, CORK, CORK, CORK, GRANULATED OR POWDERED, AND THEIR COMBINATIONS WHERE SUBMISSION OF Said cork materials referred to the process and device results in a new cork material with improved properties.

Description

This invention relates to a method and device that allows the volumetric expansion of cork without the use of substances foreign to the cork matrix.

More specifically, it relates to a process of subjecting cork to the action of saturated and / or overheated water vapor, allowing

obtain one increase of the volume of material and that reason one addition yours income and to the device for perform the referred process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cork is a natural product of high quality and of wide industrial application, from the wine industry to the construction industry. As a raw material and due to its unique characteristics, it is much in demand worldwide but, being a natural resource, it is also limited.

Water or water vapor is already used in various stages of cork processing or in the processing of different cork derivatives. Most cork extracted from the cork oak is subjected to a water firing process at about 90 ° C for about one hour. This process, well known in the cork industry, is applied to cork planks to make them flatter. In this way, the belly-side cork cells (part of the cork that is in contact with the tree trunk) distend, resulting in the disappearance of the board buckling. This is a fundamental operation so that the board can acquire a flat shape and the necessary humidity to allow the cork to be drilled.

Water, in the form of overheated steam, is also used in the manufacture of black agglomerate, for which pre-treatment (firing) cork granulation is used, and the overheated steam may reach temperatures above 340 ° C. In this process, cork granules undergo appreciable volumetric expansion, adhesion occurs between granules, which is sufficient to avoid the use of synthetic glues, however it causes a strong degradation of cork, which considerably lowers its commercial value. This process is described in British Patent No. 16935 of 1916. In the production of black agglomerate, the expansion of cells is also accompanied by a decrease in the thickness of their cell wall and a significant chemical change (see Science and Engineering Materials A. H. Pereira and E. Ferreira, 1989, 111, pp. 217-225), which also contribute to a decrease in cork quality and, consequently, its commercial value. In addition, the black chipboard production process gives a dark color (hence the name black chipboard) to the boards thus manufactured, with a detrimental impact on aesthetics.

International application WO 014436 Ai 2004 discloses a process in which water vapor is used in the treatment of cork. However, this process is used for removing unpleasant aromas from cork and, in addition, employs relatively low temperatures (100-125 ° C) for a significant volume expansion of cork.

US 2588418 A also relates to the use of water vapor in cork treatment. However, this process is only used to disaggregate cork granules which have been mechanically compacted for transport purposes. It should be noted that the expansion produced by this process only allows to recover the original volume (prior to compaction) of the cork material.

The process and device of the present invention overcomes the problems and disadvantages of prior art processes, such as, for example, the manufacture of black agglomerate, while being compatible with processes supporting the manufacturing processes, such as, for example, cooking. cork planks, the process of removing unpleasant aromas from cork material or the disintegration of pre-compacted granules, among others, ensuring a larger, lighter and more durable expansion product (resulting product) than cork (or raw material) that gave rise to it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The expansion process of the invention may be developed in continuous or discontinuous mode and has three phases. A first phase comprises the dosing of material, which is followed by a second expansion phase and finally a third unloading or preferably cooling and unloading phase.

With respect to said first dosing phase or phase, it comprises feeding cork material to an expansion zone. In the case of a continuous process, the dosing phase is designed to feed an expansion zone and confine the vapors to that expansion zone. In the case of a discontinuous process, the dosing phase is designed to feed the expansion zone and recover the remaining water vapor in that expansion zone.

With respect to said second or expansion phase, it comprises a supply of saturated and / or overheated water vapor to an expansion zone and a confinement of said saturated and / or overheated steam to said expansion zone.

In this expansion zone all the cork material to be processed must be homogeneously subjected to the action of said saturated and / or overheated water vapor at a temperature in the range of about 150 - 340 ° C, so as to in the range of about 280 - 310 ° C and an overpressure in the range of about 0.1 to 0.5 bar for a period of time in the range of about 30 seconds to 15 minutes, preferably in the range of about about 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

With respect to said third phase or discharge phase, it comprises discharging, or preferably cooling and discharging, the product resulting from the second phase of the expansion process of the invention. This phase comprises transporting the expanded cork material out of the expansion zone through a discharge opening, characterized in that said discharge opening is sealed for containment of saturated and / or overheated steam in said expansion zone.

The present invention further relates to an expansion device comprising a metering unit, a discharge unit and an expansion unit or chamber installed between said metering and discharging units, wherein said metering unit comprises a sealing member. a cork material receiving and a cork material carrying element; said expansion unit comprises a body and an internal transport and contact mechanism and said discharge unit comprises a sealing element and a collection and transport element, wherein said dosing unit sealing element is disposed upon receipt; sealedly connected to the inlet opening of said cork material receiving, at the first end of the conveying element and upstream of said unit feed opening

Expansion UE being designed for confining saturated and / or overheated water vapor to said metering and expansion units;

said receiving cork material of the metering unit is disposed at a first end of said conveying element, connected to and disposed under said sealing element, being used for receiving cork material and for transferring to said conveying element comprising dimensions and shape appropriate to the amount of cork material to be supplied to said expansion unit;

said metering unit conveying element drives the cork material into a feed opening of said expansion unit;

said expansion unit body is hollow, comprising at least one feed opening disposed at a first end of the body at the top of the expansion unit body communicating with said metering unit transport element and is designed for permitting the feeding of cork material into the expansion unit body so as to provide cork material to said internal expansion unit transport and contact mechanism at least four overheated and / or saturated steam inlet openings arranged at a lower body part of the expansion unit and substantially uniformly distributed on the wall on either side of said body at least two saturated and / or overheated steam outlet openings arranged and distributed along the top of the unit body expansion, for steam flow, by operating the outlet openings as exhaust valves or converging to at least one exhaust valve external to the expansion chamber body, at least one thermal fluid inlet opening disposed on the transverse face of said first body end of the expansion unit or any other suitable location of the body for a preheating fluid of the expansion unit body wall, at least one thermal fluid outlet opening disposed on the transverse face of said first body end of the expansion unit or any other suitable location of the body for flow of said preheating fluid of the expansion unit body wall and at least one discharge opening disposed at the second body end opposite said first end of the feed opening at the bottom of the body connected to said collecting element and transporting the discharge unit and designed to permit the transfer of expanded cork material to said discharge unit;

said internal conveyor and contact mechanism of the expansion unit is installed within the body of the expansion unit and at the same time ensures substantially homogeneous transport and contact of the cork material with saturated water vapor and / or overheated from said body feed inlet to said discharge unit;

said discharge unit sealing member is disposed at a first end of said collection and transport element in the chamber body discharge opening and is designed for the confinement of saturated and / or overheated water vapor to said expansion units and dosing;

said unloading collection element collects the unloading material from the expanded cork expansion chamber and conveyor and carries it out of the expansion device and said metering, expansion and unloading conveyor elements have synchronized transport speeds.

said metering unit transport element, said expansion unit transport and contact element and said discharge unit collection and transport element each comprise a transport means selected from the group comprising worm screw , mechanical or steel mesh dragging belt, fluidization belt, pneumatic conveying in fluid suitable for the process or the like and combinations thereof.

Said sealing elements, respectively of the metering unit and the discharge unit each comprise a sealing means selected from the group comprising sealing metering lock, manual or electropneumatic metering, anteroom with two alternate or similar accesses and combinations thereof.

Where cork planks are used, said metering and discharge units each comprise two reciprocating translucent moving drawer drawers for receiving and distributing said planks.

The new expansion device of the invention may form an automated expansion assembly comprising at least one group of at least two expansion devices of the invention in parallel.

In a preferred embodiment the expansion device of the invention is characterized by:

said metering unit sealing member being a sealing lock;

said receiving of the dosing unit being a receiving funnel;

said metering unit transport element being a worm screw;

said expansion unit body comprises:

a cork material inlet, two overheated steam inlets disposed on the sides of the chamber body on each side, each of which is subdivided into two overheated steam inlets arranged on either side of the chamber body four steam outlets distributed along the top of the chamber body converging to a single outwardly disposed steam outlet valve over the chamber body, a thermo-fluid inlet, a thermo-fluid outlet and an expanded product outlet;

said expansion chamber transport and contact internal mechanism being a worm screw;

said discharge unit sealing member being a sealing lock;

said discharge unit collection and transport element is a worm screw and the expansion device is fed with cork shredder.

The expansion method and device of the invention utilizes any cork material selected from the group comprising falca, virgin or breeding cork, cork planks, cork waste (resulting from the manufacture of corks or transformation of cork planks), crushed cork, granulated cork or powder.

The following is a detailed description of the invention with reference to preferred embodiments (by way of example) and the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figures 1 and 2 schematically illustrate cork cells in the radial direction and in the axial / tangential direction respectively.

Fig. 3 illustrates, by means of cork photographs

obtained by scanning electron microscopy in the radial and non-radial directions, the morphology of cork before and after an expansion process.

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates an exploded view of the expansion device of the present invention.

Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a view in plant of an expansion unit of the invention. Fig. 6 schematically illustrates a side view of a expansion unit of the invention. Fig. 7 schematically illustrates a view of front of an expansion unit of the invention. Fig. 8 schematically illustrates a unit of

preferred dosage of the invention.

Fig. 9 schematically illustrates a side view of a preferred expansion unit of the invention. Fig. 10 schematically illustrates a view in plant of a preferred expansion unit of the invention.

Fig. 11 schematically illustrates a front view of a preferred expansion unit of the invention.

Fig.

schematically illustrates a preferred discharge unit of the invention.

Fig. 13 schematically illustrates a dosing unit of the device of the invention for the particular case of feeding cork planks.

Fig. 14 schematically illustrates a discharge unit of the device of the invention for the particular case of unloading cork planks.

Fig. 15 is an exemplary schematic front view of a group of two expansion chambers of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This application discloses a method and device capable of promoting the expansion of cork without the use of substances foreign to the cork system. Subsequently, the cork produced may be subjected to the usual prior art processes of the cork industry.

Any cork material may be subjected to the process and expansion device of the invention irrespective of its form, origin, quality or prior art pretreatments already carried out or to be carried out, namely, falk, virgin or reproduction cork may be used, cork boards, cork waste (resulting from the manufacture of corks or from the processing of cork boards), crushed, granulated or powder, whether or not cooked or uncooked.

For a better understanding of the changes in cork material characteristics after submission to the process and device of the present invention, some intrinsic cork characteristics are described below.

Microscopically, cork can be described as a homogeneous thin cell tissue, with no spaces between them and in a honeycomb-like honeycomb structure. Cork cells have very different shapes as seen in the radial direction (Fig. 1) or in a direction perpendicular to the radial, i.e. axial or tangential (Fig. 2).

The dimensions of these prisms, presented in Forest Ecology and Management, by A. Costa, 2003, p. 239-246, may show considerable variability, as shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1

Cell Dimensions Prism Height (μιη) 30 - 40 Prism base (μιη) 13 - 15 _z 2 Average base (cm) 4 - 6x10 “ ⁶ Wall thickness (μιη) 1-1.5 Number of cells / cm ³ 4 - 7x10 ⁷

According to Proceedings of the Royal

Society of

London

Serie A

Mathematical and Physical Sciences

J.

Gibson,

99-117, the cork sidewalls are very corrugated.

It should be noted that cork subjected to the process and device of the invention exhibits a reduction in wall corrugation.

In addition, the closed structure of the cork cells and their air interior determine a low specific weight as well as some of the mechanical properties of cork. The specific weight of cork can, however, also exhibit very significant variability, between 120 kg.m and 240 kg.m, as stated in the Bulletin of the M. Fortes Cork Forestry Products Institute, 1988, p. 65-68. This variability is essentially related to cell dimensions (wall height and thickness), cell wall corrugations and lenticel count. As with the aforementioned cork characteristics, the specific weight of the cork material subjected to the process and device of the invention is lower than those shown prior to treatment.

The cork expansion method and device of the present invention provides a resultant expansion product having less cell wall corrugation and a cell prism base size increased by about 30% (see Fig. 3). These changes at the cellular level translate into a volumetric increase and a decrease in the specific weight of the cork material used. As a result, for example, larger, lighter, more stable and resistant agglomerated cork blocks are obtained than corresponding prior art agglomerate blocks not subjected to the expansion process of the invention. These differences have a significant impact on both yield and quality of the final product, which is very desirable given the natural limitations in obtaining cork material which, being a natural product, is not unlimited.

The characteristics of the resultant product and the expansion device of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

The following describes in detail the expansion process of the present invention.

The expansion process of the invention may be developed continuously or discontinuously and has three phases, the first phase comprises the dosing of material, followed by a second expansion phase and finally a third discharge phase or preferably , cooling and discharge.

The shape of the raw material to be fed into the process (e.g. crushed or conditioned expansion process).

Thus, the first dosing step comprises feeding the cork to an expansion zone.

In the case of a continuous process, the dosing phase is designed to feed an expansion zone while ensuring a seal to prevent leakage of the vapors involved in the process.

In the case of a batch process, the dosing phase is designed to feed the expansion zone and recover the remaining water vapor in that expansion zone.

The second stage of the process, known as expansion, comprises the confinement of cork material, together with a supply of saturated and / or overheated water vapor for a certain period of time, in a common zone (expansion zone). ).

In said expansion zone, the cork material is subjected to the action of said saturated and / or overheated water vapor for a period of time in the range of about seconds seconds, preferably in the range of about 30 seconds. minutes

During this time, all the material to be treated owes to the cork in a homogeneous manner, to be exposed in a

Steam saturated and / or overheated understanding an temperature in interval in about 150 - 3 40 ° C of a mode preferred in interval in about 280 - 310 ° C and an overpressure interval in about 0.1 to 0, 5 bar.

Finally, the third stage of the expansion process, called discharge, comprises a step of discharging, or preferably cooling and discharging, the product resulting from the second stage of the expansion process of the invention. This stage comprises collecting the resulting product by means of an element of the device of the present invention, described in detail below, which ensures the confinement of vapors to the expansion and dosing zones and said collection of the expanded cork being preceded by cooling thereof. .

Surprisingly, this new cork material expansion process confers new improved characteristics, described in more detail below, to the cork material resulting from the expansion process (or resulting product) relative to the original raw material or the submitted original raw material. prior art treatment (s). In this case, the new expansion process of the invention requires a new device that reliably supports and implements said process.

To further understand the description it is noted that contact time ff refers to the length of time the cork material is in contact with saturated or overheated water vapor in the expansion phase.

In operational terms, the third phase of the expansion process is similar to the first phase of said process, except that cork material is already expanded in this third and last phase, whereby the term resulting product refers to cork material which has already passed the second stage of the proceeding and therefore

Oa is expanded.

For the same purpose, the term overpressure is considered to refer to pressure values exceeding atmospheric pressure, so that, for example, to obtain total pressure overpressure with atmospheric pressure should be added.

Referring to

Fig.

7, a supporting expansion device is described ensures the implementation of the expansion process of the invention described above.

The expansion device of the present invention should be used with operating conditions indispensable to process implementation.

Such operating conditions are, for example, as follows:

temperature: in the range of about 150 to 340 ° C;

overpressure: in the range of about 0.1 to

0.5 bar;

- contact time: in the range of about 30 seconds to 15 minutes.

Thus, the expansion device of the invention consists of three main units UA, UE, UD (Fig. 4) that relate directly to the three phases of said process.

in expansion previously described i. These UA, EU, UD will be in here against, referred to as: 1 ) unity UA in dosing, 2 ) unity EU in expansion and 3 ) unity UD in discharge. THE follow is described in detail each of these

units UA, UE, UD of the expansion device of the present invention.

1) Dosing unit

The dosing unit UA of the device of the invention ensures the supply of the expansion unit UE (described below in

The configuration of this dosing unit UA allows the reception of cork material, the feeding of the unit

Expansion UE and sealing of vapors involved in the process.

Thus, referring to Fig.

4, said metering unit UA comprises a sealing member, a cork material receiving 1 and a cork material carrying element.

As can be seen from Fig. 4, the sealing member 3 is disposed over the receiving 1, sealedly connected to the inlet opening of said receiving cork material 1, at the first end of the conveying element 2 and upstream of the sealing member. said feed opening 6 of the expansion unit UE. This sealing member 3 is designed to seal the dosing unit UA, thereby ensuring the confinement of saturated and / or overheated water vapor to the dosing and expansion unit UA, UE. For this purpose, the sealing member 3 of the dosing unit UA shall comprise a sealing means selected from the group comprising sealing metering lock, a manual or electropneumatic butt, an anteroom with two alternate or similar accesses and combinations thereof.

Said receiving 1 of the dosing unit UA is disposed at a first end of said conveying element 2, connected to and disposed under said sealing member 3, being used to receive the cork material to be expanded and to transfer it to said transport element 2.

It is to be noted that the design of the dimensions and shape of the reception 1 is related to the amount, type and shape of cork material that can be supplied to the transport element 2 without agglomeration and therefore excess of said material in said element. 2 shipping. The design of the reception 1 is also related to the amount of cork material that said expansion unit UE can handle at any given time, so as to ensure a suitable and homogeneous contact of this material with saturated water vapor and / or overheated. Thus, the description of the dimensions of the various constituent elements of the expansion device of the present invention will not take place here, since the operation of the new expansion device does not depend on such dimensions that only condition the production values to be achieved.

With respect to the transport element 2 of the dosing unit UA, it has the important function of leading the cork material to expand into a feed opening 6 of said expansion unit UE.

conveyor member 2 of the dosing unit UA comprises a conveyance selected from the group comprising, worm screw, suitable steel mechanical trailing belt or web, fluidizing belt, process suitable pneumatic fluid transport or the like and combinations thereof. which ensure that the cork material is fed to said expansion unit UE.

Expansion unit

Figures 5, 6 and 7 schematically show several views of an expansion unit UE of the invention (also referred to herein).

description as a camera EU expansion). It is EU unit in expansion is designed to process the contact of material in cork with steam of saturated water

and / or overheated. To this end, the expansion unit UE receives the expanding cork material from said dosing unit UA and then processes it in accordance with the expansion process described above, ensuring, upon expansion, the transfer of the material. expanded cork (also referred to herein as the resulting product) to a UD discharge unit to be described below.

Thus, the expansion chamber UE comprises a body 4 and an internal transport and contact mechanism 5 within said body 4. The body 4 is made of a material suitable for the operating conditions and has any shape that fits the configuration. of said internal conveyor and contact mechanism 5 of cork material installed therein.

said body 4 of the expansion chamber UE is hollow comprising openings communicating with its interior for the entry and exit of cork, steam and thermofluid material.

Said wall openings of the expansion chamber UE body 4 comprise:

at least one feed opening 6;

at least four saturated and / or overheated steam inlet ports 7;

at least two steam outlet openings 8;

fur any less, an opening 9th in input from thermofluid; fur any less, an opening 10 in output from thermofluid and fur any less, an opening 11 in discharge;

wherein said at least one feed opening 6 is disposed at a first top end of the expansion chamber body 4 (Figs. 5 and 6) and communicates with said transport element 2 of the UA unit. the dosage described above and being designed to allow the cork material to be fed into the expansion chamber body 4 to thereby supply the cork material to said internal transport and contact mechanism 5 to be described below;

said at least four saturated and / or overheated steam inlet openings 7 are disposed in a lower body portion 4 of the expansion chamber UE (Fig. 6) and distributed substantially evenly on the wall on either side of the body. 4, whereby it is possible to supply steam under the desired conditions into the expansion chamber UE by means of support equipment such as, for example, a boiler;

said at least two vapor outlet openings 8 are disposed and distributed along the top of the expansion chamber UE body 4 (Fig. 5) so as to allow the flow of steam used in the expansion process within the body Expansion chamber 4, the outlet openings 8 functioning as exhaust valves or being able to converge via pipes or pipes to at least one exhaust valve external to the expansion chamber body 4;

said thermofluid inlet and outlet openings are disposed on the transverse face of a first end of the body 4 (Fig. 7), but may be arranged elsewhere in the expansion chamber body. These openings 9, 10 serve, respectively, to admit and drain a fluid suitable for preheating the body wall 4, whose circulation and temperature control are ensured by any support equipment known to those skilled in the art and said at least a discharge opening 11 is disposed at a second end of the body 4 opposite said first end of the feed opening 6 at the bottom of the body 4 (Figs. 5 and 6) and is connected to a collecting element 13 and conveying the discharge device UD of the expansion device of the invention and being designed to permit the transfer of expanded cork material to said discharge UD unit described below.

It is to be understood that the term thermofluid refers to any fluid, suitable and known to those skilled in the art, that circulates within pipes on the outer wall surface of the expansion chamber body UE to heat said wall at process start-up, such as avoid high temperature gradients within the body 4 due to contact with hot steam which would lead to condensation and consequent loss of performance, as well as accumulation of water within the expansion chamber body 4 which would be detrimental to the equipment and the cork material to expand. Thermofluid is supplied and collected through, respectively, the inlet opening 9 and the thermofluid outlet opening 10 via any support equipment known to those skilled in the art. This support equipment circulates or interrupts the flow of the fluid and also ensures that its operating temperature is maintained.

The internal transport and contact mechanism 5 of the expansion chamber UE of the present invention is installed inside the body 4 of the expansion unit UE and its function is to ensure substantially homogeneous transport and contact of the cork material. expanding with saturated and / or overheated water vapor from said feed opening 6 to said outlet opening 11 of expansion chamber body 4.

For this purpose, said conveying and contacting mechanism 5 should receive the cork material from the feed opening 6 of the expansion chamber body 4 at one end and guide that cork material to the other end which communicates to it. with the discharge opening 11 of the

Body 4, wherein said material is transferred to said discharge UD unit. During transport of material, it is subjected to physical contact with the atmosphere of saturated and / or overheated vapor existing within the body 4 of the device of the invention, under the temperature and pressure conditions described above, resulting in the expansion of such material. cork as mentioned above in relation to the expansion process.

As will be appreciated, in order to achieve optimum expansion of the cork material, the transport and contact mechanism 5 must ensure that the cork material contacts the surrounding atmosphere in a substantially homogeneous manner. To this end, the cork material must be rolled as it is transported from the feed opening 6 to the discharge opening 11 so that its entire surface is subjected under equal conditions to saturated and / or overheated steam. . Thus, the conveying and contacting mechanism 5 must be capable of performing this dual function and may adopt any configuration which permits it, and must therefore be selected from the group comprising auger screw, steel mechanical trailing belt or mesh fluidization mat, pneumatic conveying in suitable process fluid or the like and combinations thereof.

It is further noted that the conveying and contacting mechanism 5 shall be made of a resistant material suitable for exposure to an atmosphere of saturated and / or overheated steam and contact with the cork material, as well as to a permanent operating regime. .

At the end of the transport path of the cork material, the cork material will be in expanded condition and will therefore be transferred through the discharge opening 11 to said discharge UD unit already as a product of the process and device expansion of the invention.

In general, the transport speed of the transport and contact mechanism 5 should be synchronized with the feed and flow rates of the respective units.

Dosing and discharging UA, UD of the invention, to prevent material agglomeration at either the inlet of the expansion chamber UE and the outlet thereof and thus to optimize the process throughput.

On the other hand, the speed of the conveying and contacting mechanism 5 depends on the desired contact time for the process should be within the stated values, within about 30 seconds to minutes, of contact of the cork material with steam. saturated and / or overheated under the conditions previously defined.

It should also be noted that in the design of worm-type or similar screw-conveying and conveying mechanisms 5, it is contemplated that the cork material will increase in size along the path due to the expansion process, whereby The pitch dimensions of said auger, or similar mechanism 5, should increase in the direction of the transport movement to avoid agglomeration of the resulting product in the discharge opening 11 for the discharge UD unit.

The following describes said expansion device discharge unit UD of the present invention.

Discharge unit

The discharge unit UD of the expansion device of the present invention flows out of the product resulting from the expansion chamber UE while ensuring the confinement of saturated and / or overheated water vapor to the expansion and dosing units UE, UA.

For this purpose, the discharge unit UD of the invention comprises a sealing member 12 and a collecting and conveying member 13, respectively, for sealing said discharge opening 11 of the body 4 of the EU chamber and collecting the expanded cork material from that opening 11. and transport it out of the expansion device of the present invention to support units (not shown) for later storage, selection, treatment, etc.

sealing member 12 of the discharge UD unit is disposed at a first end of the collection and transport member 13 in the discharge opening 11 of the expansion chamber body 4 and is designed to seal that opening 11 and thereby confine the vapor and / or overheated water to the EU, AU expansion and dosing units. Accordingly, the sealing member 12 of the UD discharge unit should be selected from the group comprising sealing, manual rear or electropneumatic dosing sluice, anteroom with two alternate or similar accesses and combinations thereof.

said collecting and conveying element 13 comprises a conveying means selected from the group comprising worm screw, steel mechanical trailing belt or suitable web, fluidizing belt, pneumatic fluid transport suitable for the process or the like and combinations thereof.

Note that all said transport mechanisms 2, 5 and 13, due to their operating characteristics, require mechanical or other type drive. This drive will be guaranteed by means, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, etc. which are not part of the invention (known to those skilled in the art), and which should be outside the expansion device of the invention, namely the expansion chamber UE, to simplify maintenance work without having to stop or disassemble device components expansion, which would dictate production and yield losses.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, referring to Figs. 13 and 14, if cork planks are used, each of the dosing and discharge units UA, UD should comprise at least two watertight drawers 14 with movement. of alternating translation, for reception and distribution of the boards.

Thus, in the case of the dosing unit UA opening boards, drawers

14, while one of the drawers receives the board or cork, the other feeder drawer of the distribution unit and, in view of the next instant change at all times, the access of one of them is arranged on the

Expansion UE for movement of functions, drawers 14 reciprocating allowing collection of cork planks while the other drawer 14 feeds the expansion unit UE. With respect to the UD discharge unit (Fig. 14), it should comprise two watertight drawers 14 with alternating translational movement, respectively for collecting the expanded product and its freckle from the UD discharge unit, which ensure the tightness of the UE chamber. of expansion.

In another embodiment of the present invention the expansion device of the present invention forms an automated expansion assembly comprising at least one group of at least two parallel operating expansion devices served by their operating support equipment. . Fig. 15 schematically illustrates such a group of two expansion chambers.

Said equipment supporting the operation of the expansion device of the present invention comprises at least:

a boiler for the production of water vapor required for the expansion process;

an overheating apparatus at the expansion device inlet to establish the desired final temperature for the expansion process;

an expanding cork feeder for supplying raw material to the expansion device;

a freckle condenser of the water vapor recovery expansion device and its transformation to the liquid state for later reuse;

a condensate recuperator from the expansion device for later reuse;

a water reserve tank connected to, a condenser cooling and water replacement system for compensating for water vapor losses of the device;

a water filter;

a thermofluid circulation control apparatus (not shown); and a product routing system (not shown) resulting from the expansion device (or set of devices) for integrating expanded cork material into its respective subsequent production process.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, with reference to Figs. 8 to 12, they show a preferred expansion device which is designed to expand crushed cork, comprising:

1) one UA 'dosing unit,

2) an EU 'expansion chamber and

3) a discharge UD 'unit.

In Fig. 8, according to the expansion device described above, there is shown a preferred device metering unit UA 'comprising, respectively, a sealing 3' seal, a receiving funnel 1 'and a screw 2' of wherein said sealing lock 3 'is installed on said receiving funnel 1' which in turn is disposed at a first end of said transport screw 2 'and placed perpendicular thereto.

said seal locks at the confining end of units steam

UA ',

EU 'from cork material to sealant for said

3 'seal is arranged over-water in a manner of overheating funnel 1' and expansion.

receiver for those

Note that the expand will be transferred from the receiving 3 'funnel 1' lock.

said receiver funnel is parallelepiped and open at its upper and lower ends, tapering towards its lower end. Its upper end opening is sealed to said sealing lock 3 'and serves for the admission of cork crushing from a feed duct well known to those skilled in the art. Its lower end opening faces said screw

2 'transport screw, receiving funnel being disposed perpendicular to said transport screw' to provide said cork shredder.

said conveying screw 2 'receives the cork crusher from the receiving funnel 1' at its first end and conveys it to an expanding cork material inlet 6 'of said expansion chamber UE'.

Figures 9 to 11 show various views of a preferred expansion chamber UE 'of the present invention. In this preferred embodiment the expansion chamber UE 'comprises, respectively, a cylindrical chamber body 4' and a transport and contact screw 5 'within said body 4', comprising the body chamber 4 'of the UE' Preferred Expansion:

an inlet 6 'of cork material;

two 7 'inlets of overheated steam;

four 8 '' steam outputs;

a thermofluid inlet 9 ';

a thermofluid outlet 10 'and an expanded product outlet 11';

wherein said expanding cork material inlet 6 'is disposed at a first body end 4' on top of the body 4 'of the expansion chamber UE' and is designed to allow the supply of the cork material to expand inwardly. the expansion chamber body 4 '(Figs. 9 and 10);

said two steam inlets 7 'are disposed outwardly and at the sides of the chamber chamber UE' on either side, each of said steam inlets 7 'being subdivided into at least two openings Ί' 'of steam inlets arranged on either side of the expansion chamber body 4 'for a more comprehensive distribution of steam into the expansion chamber UE' (Figs. 10 and 11);

said four steam exits 8 '' are distributed along the top of the expansion chamber body 4 ', converging to a single steam exhaust valve 8' externally disposed above said expansion chamber body 4 ' (Figs 9, 10 and 11);

said thermofluid inlet 9 'and outlet 10' are disposed on the transverse face of a first expansion chamber body end 4 '(Fig. 9, 10 and 11) and said expanded product outlet 11' (Fig. 9 ) is disposed at a second body end 4 'opposite said first body end 4' at the bottom of body 4 'to allow transfer of the expanded product to the discharge unit UD'.

Referring to Fig. 9, it shows a 5 'endless transport and contact screw for guiding the cork material to the expanded product outlet 11' and at the same time ensuring a substantially homogeneous contact between said cork material and the cork material. overheated steam.

Referring to Fig. 12, a discharge unit U 'is shown according to this preferred embodiment, comprising respectively a sealing lock 12' and a collection and transport screw 13 '.

Said unloading unit sealing lock 12 'is disposed at the product outlet 11' resulting from the expansion chamber UE 'at a first end of the collection and transport screw 13' and is designed to confine the steam. saturated and / or overheated water to said EU ', AU' expansion and dosing units.

said unloading unit collecting and transporting screw 13 'picks up the expanded cork material from the product outlet 11' resulting from the expansion chamber UE 'and transports it out of the preferred expansion device.

The following describes in detail the characteristics of the product resulting from the process and expansion device of the present invention.

It is surprisingly found that by virtue of the process and expansion device of the present invention, the resulting product thereof has improved characteristics, notably in physical and mechanical terms, without, however, observing macroscopic differences or losing their closest ones. capital gains. The main differences observed physically and mechanically are in particular in terms of:

i) cell wall corrugation and its size, ii) material specific weight and iii) tensile strength and dimensional stability of the cork agglomerate produced from expanded cork.

Thus, the product resulting from the new process and expansion device exhibits, in relation to its physical properties, an increase in its dimensions (Fig. 3). The average value of the cork cell prism base upon submission to the process and expansion device of the invention is found to increase from 13 pm to 17 pm, corresponding to an increase of about 30%. Therefore, cork obtained after expansion treatment is different because it has larger cells and slightly thinner walls. This change is very significant because it gives the resulting product a substantial volume increase of about 30% which produces a significant improvement in material yield.

Referring to Table 2 below, it can be seen that following the action of the new process and device for expanding cork material by subjecting it to overheated steam, the specific weight of that of saturated water and / or cork material shows a substantial decrease due to the above-mentioned increase in cell size by about 15-30%. Decreasing the specific weight of cork, in addition to being associated with increased material yield (less material used for the same application), is also associated with improved cork quality (the higher the specific cork weight the worse the quality). this) which represents a commercial added value.

TABLE 2

Cork samples Specific Weight with 20% Humidity (kg / m ³ ) Specific Weight Decrease (%) Before After THE 109 94 14th B 102 84 18 W 102 86 16 D 117 86 26 AND 115 87 24

Referring to Table 3 below, with respect to the breaking strength of agglomerate produced from expanded cork by means of the new process and expansion device, it is found that the values of said breaking stress increase in a range of about 30% to 60 ° C. %, that is to say, cork agglomerates produced from the process product and expansion device of the invention have tensile strengths about 30% to 60% higher than cork agglomerates produced from raw materials. Cork press without expansion. This also represents a business added value.

TABLE 3

Cluster Type Burst Stress (kPa) Without expansion With expansion 1 638 836 2 587 933 3 568 876

The foregoing Tables 1 and 2 support the foregoing with respect to the cell size and specific weight values of cork samples, which occur before and after submission of these samples to the process and expansion device of the present invention.

It can be concluded that the submission of cork feedstock to the new process and expansion device of saturated and / or overheated water vapor, within a time period of about 30 seconds to 15 minutes, allows for expansion of the starting material between 5 and 30%. During the process the maintenance of humidity and the reduction of specific weight are observed.

Cork, in the form of hawk, virgin or reproduction cork, cork planks, cork waste (resulting from the manufacture of corks or the processing of cork planks), ground, granulated or powder, cooked and uncooked subjected to the saturated and / or overheated water vapor expansion process and device of the invention as described above, there is a cell size increase of about 30%. This increase in cell size, in addition to implying a decrease in specific weight, results, after the granulation process, in an increase in the amount of higher value material.

Cork agglomerate, produced from cork expanded by a saturated and / or overheated water vapor submission process, as described above, exhibits substantial increases in tensile strength values that may range from about 30% to about 60%. %.

Cork, in the form of hawk, virgin or reproduction cork, cork planks, cork waste (resulting from the manufacture of corks or the processing of cork planks), ground, granulated or powder, cooked and uncooked subjected to the new process and expansion device of saturated and / or overheated water vapor presents volumetric increases up to about 30% which are reflected in lower specific weight, larger cell size, higher rupture stress and better stability of the agglomerated blocks produced at from her.

The new process and expansion device does not suffer from the problems associated with prior art processes which cause the degradation of cork material due to the use of very high temperatures above 350 ° C, thus obtaining through this new process and expansion device, a better and more profitable product.

The following are examples of the application of the new process and expansion device and its results.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Expansion of cork material subjected to saturated water vapor by a batch expansion process.

Cork milled samples were placed in contact with saturated steam at different time intervals and at different pressures. The expansion results, presented in Table 4 below, show that, for the tested samples, a cork expansion of 20% occurred.

TABLE 4

Time (min) Vapor Pressure (kg / cm ² ) Temperature Steam (° C) Humidity (%) Expansion (%) Initial Last 4 1 120 15 35 20 8th 1 120 15 44 20 12 1 120 15 43 20 4 2 125 15 45 20

Example 2: Expansion of cork material subjected to superheated water vapor by a batch expansion process.

Crushed cork was subjected to overheated water vapor at a temperature of 200 ° C and an overpressure of 0.6 kg / cm2 for 8 minutes, giving an apparent expansion of about 30%.

Example 3: Expansion of cork material subjected to saturated water vapor by a continuous expansion process.

Different types of cork broken underwent a cork expansion process with overheated water vapor at 1 minute time intervals. The expansion results, shown in Table 5 below, show that for the samples tested, there was an expansion of about 13% to 26%.

TABLE 5

Samples of cork Specific weight with 20% Humidity Humidity Apparent expansion with 20% humidity (kg / m ³ ) Before After Before After THE 109 94 21 21 13

(continuation)

Samples of cork Specific weight with 20% Humidity Humidity Apparent expansion with 20% humidity (kg / m ³ ) B 102 84 24 22 17 W 102 86 19 14th 16 D 117 86 6th 6th 26 AND 115 87 6th 6th 24

Example 4: Expansion of cork material with overheated water vapor, wherein the resulting cork material was subsequently crushed.

A batch of broken cork stew was subjected to the cork expansion process of the invention with overheated water vapor at minute time intervals.

After the expansion process was carried out, the cork was subjected to a traditional granulation process and the granulate obtained compared to broken non-expanded granulate.

Using

Table 6 below shows that there has been a decrease in the specific weight of the granules and an improvement in the quality of the materials, for example an increase in the amount of low density granules.

TABLE 6

Grain Type Specific Weight with 20% Humidity (kg / m ³ ) Amount (¾ to material ) Without With Without With treatment treatment treatment treatment BD 0.5 / 1 54-57 52-57 0.52 1.58 BD 1/2 54-59 51-56 1.91 5.79 BD 2/3 60-64 54-60 15.34 20, 16 BD 3/4 64-68 60-64 19.73 18, 10 BD 4/5 65-69 61-64 11.39 10.75

Example 5: An expansion device of the invention is fed to cork granules having a particle size in the range of 2 to 40 mm and its operating conditions comprise a temperature in the range of about 280 to 310 ° C, an overpressure in the range of about 0.1 to 0.5 bar and a contact time in the range of about 1 to 2 minutes, giving expansion values in the range of about 7 to 25%.

The examples of the expansion process of the invention are complemented by Table 4 which shows the percentage expansion values observed in the saturated water vapor cork material in a discontinuous expansion process and by Table 5 which shows the percentage expansion values of the cork material. cork material subjected to overheated water vapor in a continuous expansion process.

The new process and device for expanding saturated and / or overheated water vapor cork material described above may be subject to numerous modifications and variations to be performed by one skilled in the art to meet the requirements which are, however, contained within the scope of the protection of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (13)

A process for expanding saturated and / or overheated water vapor cork material, comprising a first dosing phase, a second expansion phase and a third discharge phase wherein: said first dosing phase comprises a feed of cork material to an expansion zone, said second expansion phase comprises a feed of saturated and / or overheated water vapor at a temperature in the range of about 150 340 ° C for an expansion zone for a period of time ranging from about seconds to 15 minutes and a confinement of said saturated and / or overheated vapor to said expansion zone and said third discharge phase comprises a conveyor. Cork material expanded out of the expansion zone through a discharge opening, characterized in that said discharge opening is sealed for containment of saturated and / or overheated steam in said expansion zone. Process for the expansion of saturated and / or overheated water vapor cork material according to claim 1, characterized in that in the expansion phase the 3 4 5 saturated water vapor temperature in the range Overheating and / or overheating process will comprise a 310 ° C. saturated and / or overheated water vapor cork material of claims 1 and the vapor action to be carried out within the ranges of about Steam process of 2, of one of a water expansion claim in a continuous mode characterized in that in the saturated water and / or time period overheated expansion phase comprises 30 seconds to 5 minutes. of saturated and / or overheated cork material of 1, characterized in that it is or discontinued. The process of expanding saturated and / or overheated water vapor cork material of claim 1, preceded by expanded. Non-action device according to that performed by action according to comprising unit (UD; comprising cooling expansion of one unit (UA; the phase of material discharge material is from cork cork Dosing unit UA ') and a discharge, further characterized by a dosing and discharge expansion unit (UE; UE'), wherein said unit (UA; Dosage UA ') comprises a receiving (1; 1') of cork material and a cork element; said expansion unit (UE; UE ') comprises a body (4; 4') and an internal transport and contact mechanism (5; 5 '); said discharge unit (UD; UD ') comprises a sealing element (12; 12') and a collection and transport element (13; 13 ') and wherein said unit sealing element (3; 3') The dosing device (UA) is arranged over the reception (1), sealedly connected to the inlet opening of said reception (1) of cork material, at the first end of the transport element (2) and upstream of the said opening ( 6) supply unit of the expansion unit (UE), being designed for the confinement of saturated and / or overheated water vapor to said dosing and expansion units (AU, AU '; EU'); said cork material receiving (1; 1 ') of the dosing unit (UA; UA') is disposed at a first end of said conveying element (2; 2 '), connected to said element (3, 3') seal and disposed underneath it, being used to receive cork material and to transfer it to said conveying element (2; 2 ') and comprising dimensions and shape suitable to the amount of cork material to be supplied to said unit (UE; ') Of expansion; said transport unit (2; 2 ') transport element (UA; UA') drives the cork material into a feed opening (6; 6 ') of said expansion unit (UE; UE'); said body (4; 4 ') of the expansion unit (UE; UE') is hollow, comprising at least one feed opening (6; 6) disposed at a first end of the body (4; 4 ') at the top of the expansion unit body (4; 4 '), communicating with said dosing unit (UA; UA') transport element (2; 2 '), is designed to allow the feeding of cork material inwardly. expansion unit body (4; 4 ') so as to provide cork material to said internal conveyor and contact mechanism (5; 5') of the expansion unit (UE; UE ') at least four openings ( 7; 7 ') saturated and / or overheated steam inlet arranged in a lower body part (4; 4 ') of the expansion unit (UE; UE') and distributed substantially evenly on the walls on either side of said at least two saturated and / or overheated steam outlet openings (8; ') arranged and distributed along the top of the body (4; 4 ') of the steam flow expansion unit (UE; UE') by either operating the outlet openings (8; 8 '') as exhaust valves or converging to at least at least one exhaust valve (8 ') outside the expansion chamber body (4; 4'), at least one thermofluid inlet opening (9; 9 ') disposed on the transverse face of said first body end ( 4; unit (EU; or in any other preheating fluid allowing a wall of at least one thermofluid outlet opening (10; 10 ') disposed on the transverse face of said first body end (4; unit (EU; or at any other suitable location of the body (4; 4 pre-flow of the wall of said heating fluid body (4 ; 4 ') expansion unit and at least, an opening (11; 11 ') from discharge willing at second end of body (4,4 ' ), opposite The said first far end gives opening (6; 6 ') of feed, on the low of body (4 ; 4 ' ), linked to that element (13; 13 ') collection and unit transportation (UD; UD ') in discharge and designed to allow the transfer in material in expanded cork to the referred unity (UD; UD ') of discharge; said expansion unit (5; 5 ') internal transport and contact mechanism (UE; UE') is installed within the body (4; 4 ') of the expansion unit (UE; UE ^r ) and simultaneously ensures substantially conveying and contacting the cork material with saturated and / or overheated water vapor from said body feed inlet (4; said discharge unit (UD; UD '); said element (12; discharge unit seal is disposed at a first end of said element (13; collection and transport, in the chamber discharge opening, being designed for the confinement of saturated and / or overheated water vapor to said dosage units; said discharge unit (13; 13 ') collection and transport element (UD; UD') collects the expanded cork material from the discharge chamber (11; 11 ') discharge chamber (UE; UE') and transports it out of the expansion device and said elements (2, 5, 13; 2', 5 ', 13 ') in transport of units (UA, EU, UD; UA ' , EU ', UD ') in dosing, expansion and discharge have speeds in synchronized transport. Cork material expansion device according to claim 6, characterized in that said metering unit transporting element (2; 2 '), said metering element (5; 5'). transport and contact of the expansion unit (UE; UE ') and said collection unit transport and collection element (13; 13') of discharge unit (UD; UD ') each comprise a means of transport selected from the group. comprising worm screw, suitable mechanical steel drag or web, fluidizing belt, pneumatic fluid transport suitable for the process or the like and combinations thereof. Cork material expansion device according to claim 6, characterized in that said sealing member (3; 3 ') of the dosing unit (UA; UA') and said sealing member (12; 12 ') The discharge unit (UD; UD ') each comprises a sealing means selected from the group comprising sealing, hand-operated or electropneumatic metering closure, anteroom with two alternate or similar accesses and combinations thereof. Cork material expansion device according to claim 6, characterized in that said dosing and discharge units (UA, UD) comprise two reciprocating translucent watertight drawers (14) for receiving and dispensing planks. cork. Expansion device of claims 6 to automated assembly of at least one group of by parallel expansion. Expansion device according to claims 6 to 8, cork material according to 9, characterized in that it forms an expansion comprising at least two cork material devices according to: said metering unit sealing member (3 ') is a sealing lock; said receiving (1 ') of the dosing unit (UA') is a receiving funnel; said metering unit carrying element (2 ') is a worm screw; said body (4 ') of the expansion unit (UE') comprises: an inlet (6 ') of cork material, two overheated steam inlets (7') disposed externally and at the sides of the chamber body (4 ') on either side, each subdivided into two openings ( 7 '') overheated steam inlet arranged on either side of the chamber body (4 '), four steam outlets (8' ') distributed along the top of the chamber body converging to a single valve (8') of an exhaust vent disposed above the chamber body (4 '), a thermofluid inlet (9'), a thermofluid outlet (10 ') and an expanded product outlet (11'); said internal expansion chamber (5 ') transport and contact mechanism (UE') being a screw; said discharge unit sealing member (12 ') is a sealing lock; said unloading unit (UD ') collecting and transport element (13') is a worm screw and the expansion device is fed with cork shredding. Use of the cork material expansion process according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the cork material is selected from the group comprising falca, virgin cork or reproduction cork planks, cork waste from the manufacture of corks. or the processing of boards of cork, crushed, granulated or powdered cork. Use of the cork material expansion device according to claims 6 to 11, characterized in that the cork material is selected from the group comprising falca, virgin cork or cork planks, cork waste from the manufacture of corks or the processing of boards of cork, crushed, granulated or powdered cork.