WO1997031972A1

WO1997031972A1 - Method of shrinking foamed resin and apparatus therefor

Info

Publication number: WO1997031972A1
Application number: PCT/JP1997/000475
Authority: WO
Inventors: Masahide Uchino
Original assignee: Japan Field Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 1996-03-01
Filing date: 1997-02-21
Publication date: 1997-09-04
Also published as: JPH09291170A

Abstract

Vapor of a shrinking agent and a foamed resin are contacted with each other to cause shrinkage of a large amount of the resin with a small amount of the agent. Further, the vapor of the shrinking agent in contact with the foamed resin is recovered in the same shrinkage vessel to be immediately condensed and liquefied in a condensing section to enable reuse, and so it is not necessary to separate the shrinking agent and the foamed resin from each other in a separate process. The vapor of the shrinking agent and the foamed resin (2) are contacted with each other in the shrinkage vessel (1) to cause shrinkage of the resin (2), and the vapor of the shrinking agent in the shrinkage vessel (1) is introduced into the condensing section (9) to be condensed and liquefied. The shrinking agent (10) liquefied is circulated to a vapor generating section (6) for re-evaporation and turned into vapor of the shrinking agent.

Description

Specification

Method and apparatus for shrinking foamed resin

The present invention shrinks foamed resins such as foamed polystyrene and foamed polyurethane used as packaging materials, and transports, stores, and recycles these foamed resins that are regarded as waste. It is intended to make it easier. Background art

Conventionally, in order to achieve the above object, a foamed resin molded article such as foamed polystyrene or foamed polyurethane is heated by heat as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-63529. A device that melts and softens and blocks has been proposed.

Further, by irradiating the plastic waste with radiation as in the invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-79972, the plastic waste can be degraded and decomposed into small pieces. There is something that did.

Further, as disclosed in JP-A-6-8244, JP-A-6-63530, and JP-A-5-263365, the foamed resin can be shrunk or dissolved. There is one in which a contracting agent is brought into contact with a foamed resin in a liquid state, and the foamed resin is dissolved or shrunk to recover the foamed resin.

However, the method of melting and softening a foamed resin with heat to block the foamed resin requires a large amount of heat energy and has a disadvantage that odor is generated due to thermal decomposition of the resin. I have.

In addition, the method of irradiating plastic waste such as foamed resin with radiation to degrade plastic waste and decompose it into small pieces uses radiation, which may have a negative impact on the environment. In addition, it has the disadvantage that it requires a variety of equipment for radiation protection and requires a great deal of cost to dispose of plastic waste. In addition, there is a method in which a contracting agent capable of shrinking or dissolving the foamed resin is brought into contact with the foamed resin in a liquid state, and the foamed resin is recovered by dissolving or shrinking the resin. However, since the shrinking agent is used in a liquid form, it has a disadvantage that a large amount of shrinking agent is required. In addition, in order to separate the foaming plastic dissolved and mixed in the shrinking agent from the shrinking agent, it is necessary to separate these mixtures in a step different from the shrinking step of the foamed resin. It has many drawbacks in the work of shrinking the foamed resin, and has the disadvantage of making the apparatus expensive. Disclosure of the invention

The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages, enables a large amount of foamed resin to be shrunk and recovered with a small amount of a shrinking agent, and collects the shrinking agent used for the shrinking in a separate process from the shrinking operation. Instead, it is intended to be possible in the same process, and to enable quick, inexpensive and inexpensive shrinkage of foamed resin.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is characterized in that the foaming resin is shrunk by vaporizing a shrinking agent of the foaming resin and bringing the shrinking agent vapor into contact with the foaming resin. That is what you do.

In the second invention, the foaming resin is shrunk by heating the shrinking agent of the foaming resin in the steam generating section to vaporize the shrinking agent and bringing the shrinking agent vapor into contact with the foaming resin in the shrinking tank. Simultaneously, the condensing agent vapor in the shrinking tank is introduced into the condensing section to be condensed and liquefied, and the liquefied condensing agent is circulated to the steam generating section to be vaporized, thereby producing condensing agent vapor. It is.

Further, an apparatus embodying the invention of the above method comprises a steam generating section for heating and evaporating the shrinking agent of the foamed resin, and communicating with the steam generating section to introduce the shrinking agent vapor to remove the foamed resin inside. It consists of a shrinking tank that shrinks and a condensing section that introduces a shrinking agent vapor in the shrinking tank to condense and liquefy.

At the lower end of the foaming resin shrinkage tank, an outlet for shrinking foaming resin is provided, and a screw extruder is connected to this outlet to connect the shrinking foaming resin. The fat may be extruded under pressure by a screw extruder.

At the lower end of the foamed resin shrinkage tank, an outlet for the shrinked foamed resin is provided, and by introducing compressed gas into the shrinkage tank, the shrinked foamed resin is pressurized by the compressed gas. It may be one that can be pushed out from the outlet.

Further, the shrink tank may be one in which the wall surface can be heated. The contact between the shrinkage agent vapor and the foamed resin may be performed under reduced pressure.

Further, the steam generating section, the shrinkage tank, and the condensing section may be connected to a pressure reducing mechanism so as to be able to reduce the pressure.

Further, the steam generating section may be formed outside the shrink tank so that the shrink agent vapor generated in the steam generating section can be introduced into the shrink tank.

Further, the steam generator may be formed inside the shrink tank so that the shrink agent vapor can be generated in the shrink tank.

In addition, the shrinking agent of the foamed resin is selected from aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, ketones, glycol ethers, naphthenic hydrocarbons, paraffin hydrocarbons, limone, and higher alcohols. One or a plurality of selected types may be used.

Further, the foamed resin may be foamed polystyrene.

Further, the foamed resin may be foamed polyurethane.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the contracting agent of the foamed resin is vaporized by heating and the vaporized resin is brought into contact with the foamed resin. It can be easily contracted. In addition, the contact between the foaming resin and the shrinking agent is such that since the shrinking agent is vaporized, the steam can efficiently contact the entire outer peripheral surface of the foaming resin. The contact efficiency can be significantly increased as compared with the case of contacting with a liquid shrinking agent.

In addition, a small amount of contracting agent is used because the contracting agent is used as steam. As a result, a large amount of steam can be generated, and the efficiency of contact with the foamed resin can be compared with that of the conventional liquid contraction agent and the foamed resin, and the efficiency can be improved.

Also, if the shrinkage agent vapor is introduced into a certain shrinkage tank, and if the shrinkage agent vapor is brought into contact with the foamed resin in a closed state in this shrinkage tank, the shrinkage agent vapor is introduced into the shrinkage tank. After the shrinkage agent vapor comes into contact with the foamed resin, it is introduced into the condensing section to be collected and condensed and liquefied. Then, the condensed and liquefied shrinkage agent is circulated to the steam generating section, where it can be vaporized and used for shrinkage of the foamed resin. It can be used for shrinking foamed resin. This eliminates the need to separate the shrinking resin and shrinking agent in a separate step from the shrinking step, unlike the case of using a conventional liquid shrinking agent, and collects the shrinking agent in the same step as the shrinking step. It is possible to do.

In addition, by setting the condensation section, shrinkage tank, steam generation section, etc. in a reduced pressure state using a pressure reducing mechanism such as a vacuum pump, it is possible to generate steam at a low boiling point, and the inside of these systems is kept at low temperature. It can be converted. Therefore, when a flammable solvent or the like is used as a shrinking agent, it is possible to perform a safe shrinkage operation of the foamed resin, together with the fact that air does not easily exist inside.

Further, it becomes possible to heat the inside of the shrinkage tank. The inside of this shrinkage tank is heated by making the shrinkage tank a double wall, and circulating superheated steam between the double wall, so that the surface of the shrinkage tank becomes high temperature. This facilitates volatilization of the steam flowing into the shrinkage tank. Then, the solvent adhering to the surface of the foamed resin that has come into contact with the shrinkage agent vapor can be quickly volatilized and guided to the condensing section, so that waste of the shrinkage agent and waste of the shrinked foamed resin can be reduced. It is possible to prevent the incorporation of a contracting agent.

Also, by heating the shrink tank, the shrinked foamed resin does not harden and can be kept in a soft state.

The flowability of the shrinked foamed resin during the next step of the regeneration process Can be maintained, and processing becomes easier. The shrinked foamed resin is treated by introducing the foamed resin having fluidity into a screw extruder from a discharge port provided at a lower end or the like, and pressurizing the resin in the screw extruder to appropriately press the resin. The regenerated resin is discharged to the outside in the form of a plate, a plate, or a string, so that the processing of the regenerated resin in a later process can be facilitated.

Further, the process of discharging the contracted foamed resin to the outside may be performed by introducing a compressed gas into the inside of the contraction tank and using the pressure of the compressed gas. In this case, the inlet and outlet of the shrinkage agent vapor communicating with the shrinkage tank are closed, and the discharge port provided at the lower end of the shrinkage tank is opened. Then, compressed gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide is introduced into the shrinkage tank. With the pressure of this compressed gas, the foamed resin in the shrinkage tank is pushed out from the discharge port to discharge the foamed resin to the outside. The foamed resin in the shrink tank is forcibly pushed out by the compressed gas. In addition, it is possible to facilitate the processing of the recycled resin in the post-process.

Further, the steam generating section may be formed outside the shrink tank so that the shrink agent vapor generated in the steam generating section can be introduced into the shrink tank via a pipe or the like.

Further, the steam generating section may be formed inside the shrink tank, a liquid shrinking agent may be introduced into the shrink tank, and the steam generating section may generate the shrinking agent vapor in the shrink tank.

The shrinking agent used to shrink the foamed resin is aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, xylene and styrene, and chlorinated hydrocarbons such as tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene. Acetone, methylethylketone, methylbutylketone, methylisobutylketone, etc. for ketones such as len and dichloromethane, and methylcellosolve, cellosolve, and butylcell for glycol ethers. Solvents and other naphthenic hydrocarbons include cyclohexanone, methylenocyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, methylcycloexanol, and normaldecane for paraffin hydrocarbons. Noremarandecane, etc., limonene, higher alcohol In the class, one or more kinds selected from organic solvents such as butyl carbitol can be used. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the second embodiment showing a state in which two shrinkage tanks are provided. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the third embodiment showing a state in which a condensed portion is formed inside the shrinkage tank. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the fourth embodiment showing a state in which a compressed gas introduction valve is provided in a shrinkage tank. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fifth embodiment showing a state in which a steam generator is provided inside the shrinkage tank. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. (1) is a shrinkage tank, which is provided with a foaming resin (2) provided at an upper end thereof through a hopper (3) to open / close valves (4) ( The foamed resin (2) introduced through 5) comes into contact with the shrinkage agent vapor supplied from the steam generating section (6) through the supply valve (7), and the foamed resin (2) is internally formed. ).

The shrinkage steam used for shrinking the foamed resin (2) is benzene, toluene, xylene, styrene, etc. for aromatic hydrocarbons, and tetrachloro for chlorine-based hydrocarbons. Glycols such as acetone, methylethylketone, methylbutylketone, methylisobutylketone, etc. for ketones, such as loethylene, trichloroethylene, dichloromethane, etc. For ethers, methylcellosol, cellosol, butylcellosolve, etc.For naphthenic hydrocarbons, cyclohexanone, methylcyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, methylcyclohexanol, etc. A kind selected from organic solvents such as normaldecane and normalandecan for halaffin hydrocarbons and organic solvents such as limonene and butylcarbitol for higher alcohols Others can be constituted Ri by the plurality of types, these contractions agent (1 0) and heated At a the steam generator (6), as a shrinking agent vapor shrinkage tank (1) on the It is introduced from the department.

In the shrinking tank (1), an appropriate baffle plate (8) is provided at the center to prevent the foamed resin (2) charged from the charging hopper (3) from dropping rapidly toward the lower end. ), The foamed resin (2) is widely dispersed in the shrinkage tank (1) by the baffle plate (8) to improve the contact with the shrinkage agent vapor. I have. If the steam introduced into the shrinkage tank (1) has a specific gravity higher than that of air, it falls downward and makes contact with the foamed resin (2). After the contraction of (2), it is led to the condensing section (9), where it is liquefied and collected in this condensing section (9).

The condenser (9) is filled with cooling water (32) inside the cooling tank (31), and a flow pipe (33) for the contraction agent vapor is introduced into the cooling water (32). By disposing, the condensing agent vapor inside the distribution pipe (33) is condensed. Also, a cooling water inlet pipe (34) and a cooling water outlet pipe (35) are formed in the cooling tank (31), and the cooling water (32) is led to a cooling section (not shown) and circulated. In this way, the temperature of the cooling water (32) is kept constant. Also, the shrink tank (1) has an outer peripheral wall (11) formed of a double wall, By circulating the superheated steam through the distribution section (12), the temperature in the shrinkage tank (1) is increased, and the volatilization and recovery of the shrinkage agent vapor after contact with the foamed resin (2) is facilitated. At the same time, it becomes possible to promote the softening of the shrinkable foamed resin (2) and to impart fluidity. The superheated steam is introduced from the inlet pipe (36), discharged from the outlet pipe (37), led to the heating section (not shown), and again led to the inlet pipe (36) for recirculation. It is.

In addition, the shrinkable foamed resin (2) having fluidity is supplied from a discharge port (19) at the lower end of the shrinkage tank (1) to a screw connected via a discharge valve (13) (14). It is guided into a user extruder (15), and is extruded as a regenerated resin (21) in an appropriate shape such as a plate or a wire to facilitate reprocessing in the next step.

In addition, the liquefied contracting agent (10) of the contracting agent vapor condensed in the condensing section (9) Is led to the condensing section (9), and after being cooled in the condensing section (9), is led to the condensate tank (16). Also, a decompression mechanism (17) composed of a vacuum pump or the like is connected to the condensate tank (16), and by operating the decompression mechanism (17), the condensate tank (16) is operated. ), It is possible to reduce the pressure in the condensing section (9), the shrinkage tank (1) and the steam generation section (6) connected to the shrinkage tank (1).

This reduced pressure enables the generation of the shrinkage agent vapor at a lower temperature than the boiling point at normal atmospheric pressure, so that when a flammable solvent or the like is used for the shrinkage agent vapor, It is possible to shrink the foamed resin (2) in a safe, safe and low-air condition, and to perform safe work. In addition, when the pressure in the shrinkage tank (1) is reduced, the shrinkage agent vapor on the surface adhering to the shrinked foamed resin (2) is easily volatilized by coming into contact with the steam, and the condensing part (9) It is possible to lead to.

Thus, the shrinkage of the foamed resin (2) and the recovery of the shrinkage agent (10) used for this shrinkage can be performed simultaneously while performing shrinkage work in one shrinkage tank (1). As a result, it is possible to efficiently perform the shrinking operation of the foamed resin (2).

The condensing agent (10) condensed in the condensing section (9) and led to the condensed liquid tank (16) passes through the flow pipe (18) to the steam generating section (6). It is circulated, heated in the steam generating section (6) and vaporized, and can be led to the shrinkage tank (1). For this reason, a small amount of the shrinking agent (10) can be used repeatedly, and the work of shrinking the foamed resin (2) can be performed at low cost.

A normal pressure tank (27) communicating with the outside air is interposed between the condensate tank (16) and the circulation pipe (18). One end of a flow pipe (18) is connected to the lower end of the normal pressure tank (27). By providing the normal pressure tank (27), it is possible to introduce the pressure reducing agent (10) into the steam generating section (6) under reduced pressure by utilizing the pressure difference. In addition, since the flow pipe (18) is in contact with the contracting agent (10) at the lower end of the atmospheric pressure tank (27), the pressure in the steam generating section (6) is reduced. It does not affect the state.

In addition, between the condensate tank (16) and the atmospheric pressure tank (27), a first on-off valve (28) and a second on-off valve (29) are led out at a fixed interval. It is arranged in series with the pipe (30). Then, the first on-off valve (28) is opened and closed while the second on-off valve (29) is closed. Then, a contraction agent (10) enters between the first on-off valve (28) and the second on-off valve (29), and the contraction agent (10) is supplied to the second on-off valve (29). It is introduced into the normal pressure tank (27) by opening. Further, since the first on-off valve (28) is closed, it does not hinder the depressurized state of the condensate tank (16).

In addition, two on-off valves (4) and (5) are arranged vertically in the upper part of the shrink tank (1) of the foamed resin (2) so that they can be individually controlled. At the lower end, two discharge valves (13) and (14) are provided at the top and bottom. By providing two on-off valves (4) and (5) and two discharge valves (13) and (14) in this way, it is possible to maintain the pressure in the shrinkage tank (1) while maintaining the pressure. The foamed resin (2) can be charged from the input hopper (3) and the shrinked foamed resin (2) can be extruded into the screw extruder (15).

That is, if the upper open / close valve (4) is opened while the lower open / close valve (5) is closed, the foamed resin (2) reaches the lower open / close valve (5) from the charging hopper (3). I do. In this state, the upper open / close valve (4) is closed, and the lower open / close valve (5) is opened, so that the upper open / close valve (4) and the lower open / close valve (5) are arranged. The foamed resin (2) falls into the shrinkage tank (1) and the communication between the charging hopper (3) and the shrinkage tank (1) is shut off by the open / close valve (4) at the top Have been. Therefore, there is no connection between the shrink tank (1) and the outside by the above operation, and the depressurized state in the shrink tank (1) is always maintained.

Similarly, the upper discharge valve (13) is opened, the contracted foaming resin (2) is guided to the lower discharge valve (14), and the upper discharge valve (13) is closed. When the lower discharge valve (14) is opened, the contraction tank (1) is contracted to the screw extruder (15) while the connection to the outside is cut off. It is possible to derive foam resin (2). By doing so, it is possible to perform the shrinking operation of the foamed resin (2) continuously by using one shrink tank (1).

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, two shrinkage tanks (1) are arranged in parallel, and the foamed resin (2) is alternately arranged in the shrinkage tank (1). By performing the shrinking work, the shrinking work of the foamed resin (2) can be more efficiently performed.

In this case, one of the shrinkage tanks (1) is filled with a foamed resin (2) in advance, and the foamed resin (2) is brought into contact with the shrinkage agent vapor generated from the steam generator (6). Perform contraction work. After this shrinking operation is completed, while the shrinked foamed resin (2) is being introduced into the screw extruder (15), the foamed resin is shrunk in the other shrinkage tank (1). By performing the shrinking operation of (2) and repeating this alternately, the shrinking operation of the foamed resin (2) can be performed continuously.

In this way, when the shrinkage of the foamed resin (2) is performed alternately, it is not always necessary to provide two on-off valves (4) (5) and two discharge valves (13) (14). Alternatively, the on-off valves (4) and (5) and the discharge valves (13) and (14) may be provided one by one in one shrink tank (1). Furthermore, by installing two on-off valves (4) (5) and discharge valves (13) (14) in the shrinkage tank (1), it is possible to continuously shrink the foamed resin (2). Can be made to proceed simultaneously in the two tanks, and more efficient shrinkage of the foamed resin (2) can be performed.

In the above two embodiments, the pressure inside the shrinkage tank (1) is always kept at a reduced pressure by a pressure reducing mechanism (17) such as a vacuum pump. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, a pressure reducing mechanism (17) such as a vacuum pump is not provided in the system, so that the apparatus can be simplified.

In this case, it is convenient when the shrinking agent (10) for shrinking the foamed resin (2) has a low boiling point. Low boiling shrinking agent (10) In the case of using a foam, it is possible to work at a low temperature, and it is not necessary to lower the steam generation temperature by decompression or the like. ) Contraction work can be performed.

In this case, a heater (20) heated by a heater, superheated steam or the like is formed on the outer periphery of the steam generator (6), and the heater (20) generates heat when heated by the heater (20). The steam is led to the shrinkage tank (1) via the supply valve (7). The shrink tub (1) has a charging lid (24) openable and airtight in an opening (22) at the upper end thereof through a packing (23).

In addition, a cooling coil (25) for condensing the solvent vapor is wound below the opening (22). Then, in the shrinking tank (1), the shrinking agent vapor after contact with the foamed resin (2) rises upward and is condensed and liquefied by the cooling coil (25). The liquefied contracting agent (10) is collected in a collecting groove (26) facing the lower side of the cooling coil (25), and the steam generating section is formed from the collecting groove (26). It can be recirculated to (6) and reheated in the steam generator (6) to be used as shrinkage agent vapor.

Also in this case, a screw extruder (15) is formed at the lower end of the shrinkage tank (1) through a discharge valve (13), and the screw extruder (15) is formed from the screw extruder (15). It is possible to extrude a recycled foam resin material of any shape and reuse it.

In the above three embodiments, a screw extruder (15) is connected to the lower end of the shrinkage tank (1) via a discharge valve (13). The force that allows the regenerated foamed resin material to be extruded from (15) In another different embodiment, without connecting the screw extruder (15), as shown in FIG. By introducing a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide gas or nitrogen gas into the shrinkage tank (1), the shrinked foamed resin (2) is pressurized and pushed out from the discharge port (19). It is possible to put out.

The method of introducing the compressed gas is as follows: a flow pipe (18) that connects the shrinkage tank (1) and the steam generation section (6) communicates with the shrinkage tank (1) and the steam supply valve (7). By providing a compressed gas generator (not shown) in the pit via a compressed gas introduction valve (38), compressed gas is introduced into the shrinkage tank (1) from this compressed gas generator. It is possible. When the foamed resin (2) is contracted, the compressed gas introduction valve (38) is closed.

A third on-off valve (39 :) is provided between the shrinkage tank (1) and the cooling tank (31). The third on-off valve (39) is opened during the contraction work, so that the flocculant vapor can be discharged from the contraction tank (1) to the cooling tank (31) side, and during the discharge work. The closed state prevents compressed gas from flowing into the cooling tank (31). Then, a discharge pipe (41) is connected to a lower end of the shrink tank (1) through a discharge valve (13), and the discharge pipe (41) is connected to the cooling water (32). It is placed in the filled regeneration tank (42), and the molten foamed resin (2) is solidified so that it can be regenerated. Also, a cutout (43) is connected to the discharge pipe (41) so that the solidified shrinkable foam resin (2) can be cut to an appropriate size.

As another different embodiment, an appropriate nozzle (44) is connected to the above-mentioned cutter (43) to adjust the degree of solidification of the molten foamed resin (2), or to use cooling water. By blowing from the nozzle (44) without solidifying without cooling by (32), the foamed resin (2) can be made into thread, cotton, plate, rod, etc. It can also be processed into a recycled resin (21) of an appropriate shape. By this processing, reprocessing in the next process is further facilitated. Also, the cutter section (43) provided with the nozzle (44) can be used by connecting to the screw extruder (15) of the first to third embodiments. is there. Further, the nozzle (44) and the shrinkage tank (1) may be directly connected via the discharge valve (13) without providing the cut part (43).

In the shrinkage tank (1) as described above, when shrinking the foamed resin (2), the compressed gas introduction valve (38) and the discharge valve (13) are closed, and the shrinkage agent vapor is released. The supply valve (7) and the third on-off valve (39) are opened to circulate the shrinkage agent vapor to shrink the foamed resin (2). And the shrinking work is finished Then, the supply valve (7) and the third on-off valve (39) are closed. In addition, the discharge valve (13) is opened to communicate the discharge port (19) with the discharge pipe (41), and the compressed gas introduction valve (38) is opened to compress the gas. The gas is introduced into the shrink tank (1).

The shrinkage tank (1) is pressurized by the pressure of the compressed gas, and the shrinkable foamed resin (2) having fluidity is discharged from the discharge port (19) through the discharge pipe (41). It is pushed out. Since the discharge pipe (41) is disposed in the regeneration tank (42), the shrinkable foamed resin (2) having fluidity in the discharge pipe (41) is supplied with cooling water (32). ) To cool and solidify. Then, due to the pressure of the compressed gas, the solid foamed resin (2) flows in the direction of the cut part (43), and the solid foamed resin (2) flows through the cut part (43). In addition, the foamed resin (2) is processed into an appropriate shape and size, thereby facilitating operations such as regeneration processing and transportation in the next process. In addition, by providing an appropriate nozzle (44) instead of the cutter (43) or a part of the cutter (43), a thread, cotton, plate, rod, etc. In the next step, it can be processed into a recycled resin (21) with a desired shape that is easy to handle. In this case, it is necessary to adjust the viscosity of the molten foamed resin (2) according to the processing shape. In addition, this processing operation can be performed using the pressure of the compressed gas, and a series of operations can be easily performed.

As described above, the foamed resin (2) is forcibly moved by the pressure of the compressed gas without providing a device such as a screw extruder (15) at the outlet (19). Then, it flows through the discharge pipe (41) in the direction of the cutter (43) and is discharged outside. In addition, in this discharge process, by providing a regeneration tank (42) and a cut-out part (43), it is possible to process the waste into a state that can be easily regenerated at the same time as the discharge. . By simply introducing compressed gas, it is possible to perform the discharge and processing of shrinkable foamed resin (2) as part of the work, thereby simplifying the work process and improving work efficiency. Becomes

In the above four embodiments, the steam generating part (6) is formed separately outside the shrinking tank (1), and the shrinking agent vaporized in the steam generating part (6) is shrunk. In a different embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a steam generating section (45) is provided at one side of the shrinking tank (1), and the shrinking tank (1) is provided. The contraction agent vapor may be generated within the parentheses.

The steam generating section (45) is formed by attaching a panel containing a heater or the like through which superheated steam is circulated to the bottom of the shrink tank (1). Heating is possible so that a small amount of the contracting agent (10) is dropped on the part (45) and vaporized instantaneously. Further, the steam generating section (45) may be formed by using an appropriate existing apparatus as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-284601. The contraction tank (1) can be supplied with the liquid contraction agent (10) from the atmospheric pressure tank (27) via a supply valve (7).

In the steam generating section (45) as described above, in order to generate the contracting agent vapor, the liquid contracting agent (10) in the normal pressure tank (27) is supplied to the contracting tank (1) through the supply valve (7). ) Supply inside. This shrinking agent (10) is dropped in small amounts from the upper end of the shrinking tank (1) onto the surface of the steam generating section (45) in order to facilitate evaporation. Then, the shrinkage agent (10) that has reached the steam generation section (45) is instantaneously vaporized by the heat of the steam generation section (45), so that it is located at one side of the shrinkage tank (1). Is filled with contractile vapor. In addition, since the shrink tank (1) raises the internal temperature by flowing heated steam through the flow section (12) of the outer peripheral wall (11), the heat also evaporates the shrink agent (10). Is promoted. The shrinking agent vapor shrinks the foamed resin (2) in the shrinking tank (1) as in the above four embodiments. Then, the condensing agent vapor is led to the condensing section (9) through the distribution pipe (33) and condensed, and the condensed condensing agent (10) is condensed into the condensate tank (16). ) And the atmospheric pressure tank (27), and then supplied again into the shrink tank (1) via the flow pipe (18).

In order to discharge the contracted foamed resin (2) to the outside, close the supply valve (7) and the third on-off valve (39), close the compressed gas introduction valve (38) and discharge valve (13). This is done by releasing the gas and introducing the compressed gas into the shrinkage tank (1). In this way, only a small amount of the contracting agent (10) is dropped into the steam generator (45). Thus, it is possible to efficiently generate steam, and it is possible to circulate a small amount of shrinkage agent (10) to recycle and reuse the foamed resin (2) at low cost. it can.

Further, in the above embodiment, the inside of the shrinkage tank (1) is formed by the steam generation section (45) provided inside the shrinkage tank (1) and the heating steam circulated to the external circulation section (12). While keeping the temperature, the shrinking agent (10) is evaporated. However, in another different embodiment, if the heat retaining effect and the evaporating ability can supply a sufficient amount of heat to the shrinkage tank (1), the shrinkage is performed only by the heating means by the steam generating section (45). It is not necessary to provide a heat retention means by generating a heating agent and generating a heating agent vapor. Further, the heating means of the circulation section (12) may be used as the steam generation source without providing a separate heat source for generating steam inside the shrinkage tank (1). Industrial applicability

The present invention shrinks foamed resins such as foamed polystyrene and foamed polyurethane used as packaging materials, and transports, stores, and recycles these foamed resins that are regarded as waste. It facilitates

Further, since the present invention involves contacting the shrinkage agent vapor with the foamed resin, it is possible to shrink a large amount of the foamed resin with a small amount of the shrinkage agent. Allows shrinkage.

In addition, the shrinkage agent vapor that has come into contact with the foamed resin is recovered in the same shrinkage tank, and is immediately condensed and liquefied in the condensing section connected to the shrinkage tank, so that it can be reused. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the work of separating the shrinking resin and the foamed resin that has shrunk again after the shrinkage as in the related art, thereby enabling the inexpensive and quick shrinkage of the foamed resin.

In addition, since the shrinking agent vapor is brought into contact with the foamed resin, a large amount of the shrinking agent is not mixed into the foamed resin, and high-quality foamed resin can be regenerated. In particular, by heating the shrinkage tank, volatilization of the shrinkage agent vapor adhering to the foamed resin can be promoted, and a higher quality foamed resin can be recovered. It is possible to make money.

Claims

Claims. A method for shrinking a foamed resin, comprising: evaporating a shrinkage agent of a foamed resin; and bringing the shrinkage agent vapor into contact with the foamed resin to thereby shrink the foamed resin. -The foaming resin shrinking agent is heated in the steam generator to evaporate it, and the shrinkage is caused by the shrinkage of the foaming resin by bringing the shrinkage into contact with the steam in the shrinking tank. A method for shrinking a foamed resin characterized by introducing a condensing agent vapor in a tank into a condensing section to condense and liquefy, and circulating the liquefied condensing agent to a vapor generating section to vaporize it to form a condensing agent vapor. . A steam generating section for heating and evaporating the shrinking agent of the foamed resin, a shrinking tank communicating with the steam generating section and introducing shrinking agent vapor to shrink the foamed resin inside, and a shrinkage tank in the shrinking tank. A foaming resin shrinking device characterized by comprising a condensing section for condensing and liquefying by introducing a shrinking agent vapor. At the lower end of the foamed resin shrinkage tank, a discharge port for shrinked foamed resin is provided, and a screw extruder is connected to this outlet, and the shrinked foamed resin is discharged by a screw extruder. 3. The method for shrinking a foamed resin according to claim 2, wherein the resin can be extruded by applying pressure. At the lower end of the foamed resin shrinkage tank, an outlet for shrinked foamed resin is provided, and a screw extruder is connected to this outlet, and the shrinked foamed resin is pressurized by a screw extruder. 4. The foamed resin shrinking device according to claim 3, wherein the device is capable of being pushed out. At the lower end of the foamed resin shrinkage tank, an outlet for shrinkage f≤ resin is provided, and compressed gas is introduced into the shrinkage tank to pressurize the shrinked foamed resin with compressed gas. 3. The method for shrinking a foamed resin according to claim 2, wherein the foamed resin can be pushed out from an outlet. An outlet for the contracted foamed resin is provided at the lower end of the foamed resin shrinkage tank, and compressed gas is introduced into the shrinkage tank to pressurize and discharge the contracted foamed resin with the compressed gas. 4. The foam resin shrinking device according to claim 3, wherein the device can be pushed out from an outlet. 7. The method for shrinking a foamed resin according to claim 2, wherein the shrink tank has a wall surface capable of being heated. 8. The foaming resin shrinking device according to claim 3, wherein the shrinking tank has a wall surface capable of being heated. 0. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact between the shrinkage agent vapor and the foamed resin is performed under reduced pressure.

3. The method for shrinking a foamed resin according to claim 2, wherein the steam generating section, the shrinking tank, and the condensing section are connected to a pressure reducing mechanism so that the pressure can be reduced.

2. The foaming resin shrinking device according to claim 3, wherein the steam generating section, the shrinking tank, and the condensing section are connected to a pressure reducing mechanism so that the pressure can be reduced.

3. The claim is characterized in that the steam generating section is formed outside the shrinking tank, and the contracting agent vapor generated in the steam generating section can be guided to the shrinking tank. The method for shrinking a foamed resin according to the above item.

4. The range of claim 3 or 12 wherein the steam generating section is formed outside the shrink tank so that the shrink agent vapor generated in the steam generating section can be introduced into the shrink tank. A foam resin shrinking device as described in the above.

5. The method for shrinking a foamed resin according to claim 2 or claim 11, wherein the steam generating portion is formed inside the shrinking tank, and the shrinking agent vapor can be generated in the shrinking tank. .

6. The foam resin shrinking device according to claim 3 or 12, wherein the steam generating portion is formed inside the shrinking bath, and is capable of generating a shrinking agent vapor in the shrinking bath. .

7. Shrinking agents for foamed resin include aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, ketones, glycol ethers, naphthenic hydrocarbons, hydrocarbons, limonene, The method for shrinking a foamed resin according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the method comprises one or more kinds selected from higher alcohols.

8. Shrinking agents for foamed resins include aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, ketones, glycol ethers, naphthenic hydrocarbons, paraffinic hydrocarbons, limone, and higher alcohols. 4. The shrinking device for foamed resin according to claim 3, wherein the shrinking device is a member selected from the group consisting of one or more types.

9. The method for shrinking a foamed resin according to claim 1, wherein the foamed resin is foamed polystyrene.

0. The foamed resin shrinking device according to claim 3, 5 or 7, wherein the foamed resin is foamed polystyrene. 1. The foamed resin is foamed polystyrene. 7. The method for shrinking a foamed resin according to claim 1, wherein the foam is a resin.

2. The foaming resin shrinking device according to claim 3, 5 or 7, wherein the foaming resin is foamed polyurethane.