WO2006115105A1

WO2006115105A1 - Treatment apparatus for waste panel and method for treating waste panel

Info

Publication number: WO2006115105A1
Application number: PCT/JP2006/308075
Authority: WO
Inventors: Toshiaki Muratani; Takamichi Honma
Original assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
Priority date: 2005-04-25
Filing date: 2006-04-17
Publication date: 2006-11-02

Abstract

This invention provides a method for treating a waste panel that is low in environmental loading, that is, produce substantially no waste and can save energy. In the method for treating a waste panel, a waste panel comprising a glass substrate, a liquid crystal layer, an electrode, and a polarizing plate is treated. This method comprises carrying out the following steps in that order, that is, a crushing step (S1) of crushing a waste panel, a liquid crystal recovery step (S2) for recovering a liquid crystal, an indium recovery step (S3) for recovering indium as a material for an electrode, and a glass recovery step (S4) for recovering glass.

Description

Specification

Waste panel processing apparatus and waste panel processing method

Technical field

The present invention relates to a waste panel processing apparatus and a waste panel processing method.

In particular, the present invention relates to a waste panel processing apparatus and a waste panel processing method capable of recovering materials used for liquid crystal panels such as liquid crystal and indium.

Background art

[0002] In recent years, the amount of general waste and industrial waste has increased, and there is a concern about the remaining years of landfill of these wastes. In addition, with increasing environmental awareness, more environmentally conscious industrial activities are required. Under such circumstances, there is a growing demand from the government for the reduction of emissions of industrial waste that also emits factory power, and household appliances and information devices that are no longer needed, as well as requests for promoting recycling. . This is the same for liquid crystal display devices and liquid crystal panels.

[0003] The power of the manufacturing plant for liquid crystal panels Most of the defective liquid crystal panels that are discharged are buried in disposal sites. In addition, liquid crystal display devices and liquid crystal panels contained in waste such as home appliances and information equipment are small in amount of waste. Along with shredder dust containing a large amount of waste, it is either landfilled or incinerated!

[0004] However, in recent years, the demand for liquid crystal displays has been increasing rapidly both in Japan and overseas with the progress of an advanced information-oriented society because it can save power and save resources. In this way, it is predicted that the number of liquid crystal displays using a liquid crystal panel having a large display area will increase in view of the rapid increase in production volume of liquid crystal displays.

[0005] Therefore, when these liquid crystal displays become industrial waste, the amount of waste liquid crystal panels is expected to increase rapidly, and the amount of treatment is expected to become extremely large. However, it has been confirmed that it cannot be handled by landfill or incineration as in the past.

[0006] Further, as the production volume of liquid crystal displays increases, the indium used as a material for the liquid crystal displays is increased. A large amount of materials such as liquid crystals will be consumed. This liquid crystal is a very expensive material, and indium is a rare metal. Therefore, since there is a concern about the depletion of these materials, it is desired to recover and reuse the liquid crystal and indium by some method. It is also desirable to recycle and reuse glass, which accounts for the majority of the weight of LCD panels, as it saves resources.

Accordingly, there is a demand for establishment of a technique capable of efficiently processing a large amount of waste liquid crystal panels and collecting materials used in the liquid crystal panels. There are a plurality of disclosed methods for treating the waste liquid crystal panel and recovering the liquid crystal contained in the liquid crystal panel (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4).

[0008] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose an economical method of treating a waste liquid crystal panel, which can be ideally recycled with little waste by collecting and reusing a glass substrate, liquid crystal, or the like. Is disclosed. Patent Document 3 discloses a method of recovering glass and indium by detoxifying and removing liquid crystals and organic substances (films) from a waste liquid crystal display device without using an organic solvent. Patent Document 4 discloses a liquid crystal panel that has been used and a method for recovering a liquid crystal composition safely and economically.

[0009] In the configurations of Patent Documents 1 and 2, first, a step of peeling the polarizing plate is performed. However, the polarizing plate is firmly bonded to the glass substrate, and it is very difficult to peel it off. This becomes more prominent as the display area of the liquid crystal panel increases. In Patent Document 1, a process of crushing the glass is performed after the process of peeling the polarizing plate. This is because it is difficult to crush the glass substrate on which the polarizing plate is provided. It is.

[0010] That is, Patent Documents 1 and 2 have disadvantages in terms of feasibility and economical aspects that include processes that are difficult to realize and that have many processes for recovering liquid crystal materials and metal materials. Has a point.

[0011] Further, in Patent Document 3, the organic compound containing the liquid crystal compound is decomposed by bringing it into contact with a solid heat medium in an atmosphere below the melting point of the glass substrate and above the thermal decomposition temperature of the liquid crystal compound. The metal is separated. For this reason, facilities and energy for thermally decomposing organic compounds are required. This configuration also collects glass and indium. Recover the liquid crystal!

[0012] In Patent Document 4, a circuit board or the like on which a polarizing plate or a driving IC is mounted is removed using a cutter or the like, and then the glass is cut and then heated to 80 ° C or higher. The liquid crystal composition is separated and recovered by being immersed in water. For this reason, facilities and processes for cutting glass are required. In addition, hot water at 80 ° C or higher is used, and energy is required to separate and recover the liquid crystal composition. Furthermore, this configuration does not recover materials such as indium.

[0013] That is, according to Patent Documents 3 and 4, it is impossible to collect all of the liquid crystal material and the metal material! /, And! /, Problems, as well as economical disadvantages in terms of equipment and energy. If so, there are problems.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-305501 (published on October 31, 2001)

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-337305 (published on December 7, 2001)

Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-137804 (published on May 22, 2001)

Patent Document 4: JP-A-2002-166259 (published on June 11, 2002)

Disclosure of the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a waste panel processing apparatus capable of crushing a glass substrate provided with a polarizing plate, a liquid crystal panel, and the like. By collecting the liquid crystal material and metal material used in the tank, it is possible to process with almost no waste, and without requiring energy to perform the process (with energy saving), The purpose is to realize a method for processing waste panels with a low environmental impact that can be processed in a simple manner.

[0015] In order to solve the above problems, the waste panel processing method according to the present invention is a medium comprising a pair of glass substrates and a medium that is sandwiched between the pair of glass substrates and optically modulates by applying a voltage. An electrode disposed on the side facing the medium layer of at least one glass substrate, and a polarizing plate disposed on the side opposite to the surface facing the medium layer of at least one glass substrate. A panel processing method comprising: a crushing process for crushing the waste panel; a medium recovery process for recovering the medium; an electrode material recovery process for recovering the material contained in the electrode; and the glass To perform the glass recovery process It is a feature.

[0016] According to the above configuration, the waste panel has a pair of glass substrates, a medium layer, an electrode, and a polarizing plate, and in the crushing step, the waste panel having these members is crushed. . In other words, in the crushing process, waste panels that have been discarded (with a polarizing plate) are crushed.

[0017] Then, perform a medium recovery process on the waste panel crushed in the crushing process! / Speak.

Thereby, the medium adhering to the waste panel can be recovered. Here, the medium is sandwiched between a pair of glass substrates, and optically modulates according to a voltage applied between the glass substrates.

[0018] Then, an electrode material recovery step is performed on the waste panel after the medium is recovered. Thereby, the electrode material adhering to the waste panel can be collected. Here, the electrode is disposed on the surface of at least one glass substrate facing the medium layer, and is for applying a voltage to the medium layer. It may be provided on one or both of the pair of glass substrates. The electrode material is a material contained in this electrode, V, and the electrode is formed using this electrode material.

[0019] Then, a glass recovery process is performed on the waste panel after the electrode material is recovered.

Thereby, the glass to which the medium and the electrode material are not attached can be collected. In other words, it is possible to obtain a glass in which various materials used for the panel, which are the medium and the electrode material, are collected.

[0020] As described above, by performing the crushing step, the medium recovery step, the electrode material recovery step, and the glass recovery step in this order, it is possible to realize a process with almost no waste. . That is, since each material contained in the waste panel such as a medium and electrode material is collected in each process, waste can be reduced.

[0021] Further, it is possible to contribute to energy saving by performing the above steps in the order described above. In other words, since the waste panel is first crushed, the processing can be performed easily by using a crushed piece that does not require any processing on the waste panel. Furthermore, by performing the medium recovery step and the electrode material recovery step in this order, the members are recovered in the order of the member force provided on the side farther from the glass substrate. In other words, from the exposed part Therefore, the medium and the electrode material can be easily recovered without using wasted energy.

[0022] Furthermore, since the glass remains after each of these materials is recovered, the glass can be easily recovered. In other words, each process also serves the purpose of facilitating the execution of subsequent processes, and it can be seen that this order is a natural flow. Therefore, each material contained in the waste panel can be recovered with less energy.

[0023] In addition, since it is not necessary to first crush the waste panel and perform some processing, the present invention can be realized regardless of the panel size (display area). Large panels can easily be processed.

[0024] As described above, the waste panel can be easily treated, and the waste panel processing method can be realized with low environmental load when the energy is saved so that almost no waste is generated.

In order to solve the above problems, the waste panel processing method according to the present invention includes a pair of glass substrates and a medium sandwiched between the pair of glass substrates and optically modulated by applying a voltage. An electrode disposed on the side facing the medium layer of at least one glass substrate, and a polarizing plate disposed on the side opposite to the surface facing the medium layer of at least one glass substrate. A panel processing method, wherein a crushing step of crushing the waste panel and a medium recovery step of recovering the medium are performed in this order.

[0026] According to the above configuration, the waste panel has a pair of glass substrates, a medium layer, an electrode, and a polarizing plate, and in the crushing step, the waste panel having these members is crushed. . In other words, in the crushing process, waste panels that have been discarded are crushed. And the medium recovery process is performed to the waste panel crushed in the crushing process. From this, the medium adhering to the waste panel can be recovered. Here, the medium is sandwiched between a pair of glass substrates, and optically modulates according to the voltage applied between the glass substrates.

[0027] In this manner, since the waste panel is first crushed, the treatment can be performed using the crushed pieces that do not require any processing on the waste panel, so that the treatment becomes easy. Also, because the waste panel does not need to be crushed and processed in the first place, the size of the panel ( This can be realized regardless of the display area, and even a panel having a large display area can be easily processed.

[0028] In order to solve the above problems, the waste panel treatment method according to the present invention is a medium comprising a pair of glass substrates and a medium that is sandwiched between the pair of glass substrates and optically modulates by applying a voltage. An electrode disposed on the side facing the medium layer of at least one glass substrate, and a polarizing plate disposed on the side opposite to the surface facing the medium layer of at least one glass substrate. A panel processing method, characterized in that a crushing step of crushing the waste panel and an electrode material recovery step of recovering a material contained in the electrode are performed in this order.

[0029] According to the above configuration, the waste panel has a pair of glass substrates, a medium layer, an electrode, and a polarizing plate, and in the crushing step, the waste panel having these members is crushed. . In other words, in the crushing process, waste panels that have been discarded are crushed. Then, an electrode material recovery process is performed on the waste panel crushed in the crushing process. As a result, the electrode material adhering to the waste panel can be recovered. Here, the electrode is disposed on the surface facing the medium layer of at least one glass substrate, and is for applying a voltage to the medium layer. It may be provided on one or both of the pair of glass substrates. The electrode material is a material contained in this electrode, and the electrode is formed using this electrode material.

[0030] As described above, since the waste panel is first crushed, the processing can be performed using the crushed pieces that do not require any processing on the waste panel, so that the processing becomes easy. Also, since it is not necessary to crush the waste panel first and perform any processing, it can be realized regardless of the panel size (display area), and even a panel with a large display area is easy. Can be processed.

[0031] In order to solve the above problems, the waste panel processing apparatus according to the present invention is a waste panel processing apparatus including a rotary crushing means and a stationary crushing means, and the rotary crushing means includes: It has a plurality of flat crushing portions, and the plurality of crushing portions are arranged so that the planes of at least two rupture portions face different directions.

[0032] According to the above configuration, the rotary crushing means and the fixed crushing means are provided. By using these means, the waste panel can be crushed. In addition, the rotary crushing means has a plurality of flat crushing parts, and these crushing parts are arranged so that the planes of at least two crushing parts face different directions. Waste panels can be crushed at different times.

[0033] It should be noted that the planes of the crushing parts are arranged in different directions means that the direction of the widest area in the planar crushing part and the direction perpendicular to the surface is different in each crushing part. It is in the state where it is arranged so that. That is, each crushing part is arranged so that the normal direction of each plane is different.

[0034] With this, the waste panel can be crushed by a plurality of crushing portions arranged in various directions by one rotation of the rotary crushing means, and can be crushed at various timings. Therefore, the waste panel can be efficiently crushed.

[0035] Still other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood from the following description.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention and is a diagram showing a flow of a method for treating a waste liquid crystal panel.

FIG. 2, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a waste liquid crystal panel.

FIG. 3, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a crusher used in a crushing step.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the present invention and is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a crushing unit.

FIG. 5, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a diagram showing a liquid crystal recovery step.

FIG. 6, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a diagram illustrating an indium recovery step.

FIG. 7, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a crushing unit.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION [0037] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7 as follows.

First, the waste panel used in the waste panel processing method according to the present embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, a waste liquid crystal panel will be described as an example of a waste panel. This waste liquid crystal panel is a liquid crystal panel to be discarded.

[0039] The above-mentioned waste liquid crystal panel refers to, for example, a liquid crystal panel discarded from a liquid crystal panel manufacturing factory, a liquid crystal panel discarded from a production factory such as an information display device and a video display device, and the market. Liquid crystal panels etc. discharged from the liquid crystal display device used in discarded information display devices and video display devices.

[0040] In addition, examples of the waste liquid crystal panel applicable to the present invention include a liquid crystal panel including an active element (not shown) such as a TFT (Thin Film Transistor), a TN (Twisted Nematic) liquid crystal panel, Examples include discarded liquid crystal panels such as STN (Super Twisted Nematic) liquid crystal panels.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the waste liquid crystal panel 30 (waste panel) according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the waste liquid crystal panel 30 is bonded to a pair of transparent glass substrates la and 1b via a seal member 2 arranged in a frame shape along the periphery of the glass substrates la and lb. The liquid crystal layer (medium layer) 3 is filled with liquid crystal (medium) in the meantime. That is, the waste liquid crystal panel 30 has a configuration in which the liquid crystal layer 3 is sandwiched between a pair of glass substrates la and lb.

[0042] Polarizing plates 4a and 4b are bonded to the surfaces of the glass substrates la and lb opposite to the liquid crystal layer 3 by adhesives, respectively. In addition, on the surface of the glass substrate la on the liquid crystal layer 3 side, a transparent electrode (ITO (Indium Thin Oxide) film) with a color filter 5 mainly composed of an organic substance and a transparent film (ITO (Indium Thin Oxide) film) containing indium (In) (Electrode) 7 and an alignment film 8 having organic physical strength are laminated in this order. In addition, an antireflection film 6 made of metallic chromium is formed in the gap between the color filters 5.

On the other hand, on the surface of the glass substrate lb on the liquid crystal layer 3 side, a bus electrode 9 made of a metal film such as tantalum, aluminum or titanium, a pixel electrode made of a transparent film (ITO film) containing indium 10. An alignment film 11 made of an organic material is laminated in this order. Next, a method for treating the waste liquid crystal panel 30 having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a flow of a processing method of the waste liquid crystal panel 30 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing method of the waste liquid crystal panel 30 of the present invention includes a crushing process Sl, a liquid crystal recovery process (medium recovery process) S2, an indium recovery process (electrode material recovery process) S3, and a glass recovery process. S4 is performed in this order. As a result, the waste liquid crystal panel 30 can be processed with energy saving, and the liquid crystal, indium, glass and other materials used in the waste liquid crystal panel 30 can be recovered. This will be specifically described below.

[0045] As a method for treating the waste liquid crystal panel 30 according to the present invention, first, the crushing step S1 is performed.

The crushing step S1 is a step of crushing the waste liquid crystal panel 30 using a crusher. That is, it is a process of breaking the polarizing plates 4a and 4b and crushing the glass substrates la and lb. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the crusher 12 used in the crushing step S1. As shown in FIG. 3, the crusher 12 includes an input device 13, an input hopper 14, a crushing unit 15, a flexible container 16, a weigh scale 17, a dust collector 18, and a control panel 19.

The input device 13 is used to input the waste liquid crystal panel 30 to the input hopper 14. For example, when the charging hopper 14 is provided at a high place, the charging machine 13 transports the waste liquid crystal panel 30 from a low place to a high place and inputs it to the charging hopper 14. The waste liquid crystal panel 30 thrown into the throwing hopper 14 is thrown into the crushing unit 15.

The crushing unit 15 crushes the waste liquid crystal panel 30 that has been input. Details of the configuration of the crushing unit 15 and the method of crushing the waste liquid crystal panel 30 by the crushing unit 15 will be described later. The waste liquid crystal panel 30 crushed to a predetermined size by the crushing unit 15 is collected by the flexible container 16 and calibrated by the weighing scale 17 and then discharged. The dust collector 18 collects dust generated by crushing the waste liquid crystal panel 30 by the breaker unit 15. The control of these members is performed using the control panel 19.

[0048] Next, the configuration of the crushing unit 15 will be specifically described. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the crushing unit 15. As shown in FIG. 4, the crushing unit 15 includes a crushing unit 20 that crushes the waste liquid crystal panel 30 that has been input, and an outlet 21 that discharges the crushed waste liquid crystal panel 30.

[0049] The crushing part 20 includes a side wall part 22, a screen 23, a rotary shaft 24, a rotor 25, a rotary blade (rotary type Crushing means) 26 and a fixed blade (fixed crushing means) 27. The side wall portion 22 is a wall for forming a space for the crushing portion 20. The inner surface of the side wall portion 22 may further include an inner surface plate 28 that has a stronger material force than the side wall portion 22. The screen 23 is a so-called sieve having many holes of a predetermined size. Only the crushed pieces (cullet) of the waste liquid crystal panel 30 crushed to a size smaller than the size of the hole pass through the screen 23.

[0050] The rotor 25 is a member having a substantially triangular prism shape, and a rotating shaft 24 is integrally provided at a central portion thereof. A plurality of rotary blades 26 (rotary cutters) are attached to each surface of the approximately triangular prism of the rotor 25 by fasteners such as bolts. The fixed blade 27 is attached to the side wall portion 22 with a fastener such as a bolt.

[0051] At least tip portions of the rotary blade 26 and the fixed blade 27 are formed using a cemented carbide material or a ceramic material. A cemented carbide material is a material having a Vickers hardness of at least 11.8 GPa, such as WC—Co alloy, WC—TiC Co alloy, WC—TiC—TaC (NbC) —Co alloy, etc. Materials can be mentioned.

[0052] The rotary blade 26 (tip end) may be formed using a cemented carbide material, and the fixed blade 27 (tip end) may be formed using a ceramic material. The blade 26 (tip portion) may be formed using a ceramic material, and the fixed blade 27 (tip portion) may be formed using a cemented carbide material.

[0053] As the rotary shaft 24 rotates, the rotor 25 and the rotary blade 26 rotate, and the rotary blade 26 and the fixed blade 27 come to intersect with each other at a constant interval. Yes. Specifically, when the rotary shaft 24 and the rotor 25 are rotated in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4 by a drive motor (not shown) or the like, the rotary blade 26 provided on the rotor 25 is also rotated. Then, the waste liquid crystal panel 30 thrown into the upper part of the crushing section 20 passes through a portion where the rotary blade 26 and the fixed blade 27 intersect with each other at a constant interval. 27.

Here, the configuration of the rotary blade 26 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration when the crushing unit 15 is viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 7, the rotary blade 26 provided on each surface of the rotor 25 has a plurality of crushing portions 29a, 29b and 29c. Is provided. The plurality of crushing portions 29 a to 29 c have a planar blade force, and a plurality of crushing portions 29 a to 29 c are arranged in the rotation axis direction of the rotary blade 26 (the longitudinal direction of the rotor 25). The crushing parts 29a to 29c are arranged so that the planes face in different directions.

[0055] The above-mentioned "arranged so that the flat surfaces of the crushing portions 29a to 29c face different directions" means that the directional force perpendicular to the widest surface of the crushing portions 29a to 29c This refers to a configuration that is different in the sections 29a to 29c. That is, the normal direction of each plane of the crushing portions 29a to 29c is different.

[0056] Further, in the present embodiment, when each crushing portion 29a to 29c provided on the rotor 25 and arranged so that each plane faces in a different direction is set as one unit, a plurality of units are arranged. Yes. In each of these units, the crushing portions 29 a to 29 c are arranged along the rotation axis direction of the rotary blade 26.

That is, the force of each of the crushing portions 29a to 29c is arranged so as to be slightly shifted with respect to the rotation direction A shown in FIG. And in this Embodiment, the rotary blade 26 has the structure by which this crushing part 29a-29c was arrange | positioned continuously. The arrangement direction (plane direction) of each of the crushing parts 29a to 29c can be set as appropriate according to the specifications as long as the inclination is a positional relationship that can crush the waste panel 30. it can.

[0058] In this manner, as the rotary blade 26, the plurality of crushing portions 29a to 29c are arranged with the arrangement directions of the respective planes being different, and the waste panels 30 are arranged by continuously arranging them. It can be efficiently crushed. Further, with such a configuration, even when the waste panel 30 in a state where the polarizing plates 4a and 4b are provided on the glass substrates 1a and lb, the polarizing plates 4a and 4b are broken, It can be crushed by crushing the glass substrates la and lb.

[0059] When the crushed piece force of the crushed waste liquid crystal panel 30 is smaller than the hole provided in the screen 23, it is discharged from the discharge port 21 through this hole. On the other hand, if it is larger than the crushing force of the crushed waste liquid crystal panel 30 than the hole provided in the screen 23, it will be repeatedly crushed until it becomes smaller than this hole!

[0060] Thereby, the waste liquid crystal panel 30 can be crushed to a desired size, and crushed pieces of uniform size can be obtained. The desired size is determined by the rotary blade 26 and the fixed blade 27. Can be set as appropriate by adjusting the interval. As a size of the fragment suitable for the treatment method of the present invention, for example, lmn! Can be ~ 5mm.

As described above, by crushing the waste liquid crystal panel 30 using the crusher 12, it becomes possible to increase the reaction area for the chemical used in the subsequent process. Further, by using the crusher 12, the waste liquid crystal panel 30 in which the polarizing plates 4a and 4b are provided can be broken.

[0062] Next, a liquid crystal recovery step S2 is performed. The liquid crystal recovery step S2 is a step of recovering the liquid crystal adhering to the crushed pieces of the waste liquid crystal panel 30 crushed in the crushing step S1. In other words, the liquid crystal recovery step S2 is a step in which the liquid crystal is dissolved in the organic solvent and recovered by washing the crushed pieces with an organic solvent (solvent) that dissolves the liquid crystal. As a result, the liquid crystal can be easily and reliably collected.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a liquid crystal recovery step S2 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, first, the crushed pieces of the waste liquid crystal panel 30 crushed in the crushing step S1 are placed in a plurality of holes (a cullet container). The cullet container should be sized so that the fragments will not pass through. Next, the cullet container containing the crushed pieces is immersed in a container (solvent container) containing an organic solvent that dissolves the liquid crystal to wash away the liquid crystal. As a result, the liquid crystal adhering to the debris is dissolved in the organic solvent through the hole in the cullet container.

[0064] Thereafter, the cullet container is also taken out of the solvent container force, so that the organic solvent in which the liquid crystal is dissolved remains in the solvent container. The organic solvent containing the liquid crystal is distilled (evaporated) under reduced pressure to remove the organic solvent and obtain a liquid crystal as a residue.

[0065] Examples of the organic solvent for dissolving the liquid crystal include acetone. However, usable organic solvents are not particularly limited as long as they can dissolve liquid crystals. Liquid crystals have a sufficiently high boiling point compared to organic solvents such as acetone. Therefore, the organic solvent can be distilled at a temperature sufficiently lower than the boiling point of the liquid crystal. That is, by using the liquid crystal recovery step S2 according to this embodiment, the liquid crystal and the organic solvent can be easily separated.

[0066] Further, in the liquid crystal recovery step S2, when the liquid crystal is dissolved in the organic solvent, part or all of other organic substances (for example, an alignment film, a polarizing plate, a color filter, etc.) are dissolved in the organic solvent. The However, even in this case, only the liquid crystal can be easily recovered by fractional distillation using the difference in boiling point between the liquid crystal and other organic substances.

[0067] In the above description, the crushed pieces are placed in a hollow hole, a container (cullet container), and immersed in a container (solvent container) containing an organic solvent. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is not a thing. For example, the crushed pieces may be directly put into a container containing an organic solvent and immersed in the organic solvent, and then the crushed pieces may be removed by filtration. In addition, the liquid crystal attached to the crushed pieces can be removed and collected using ultrasonic waves.

[0068] Next, an indium recovery step S3 is performed. The indium recovery step S3 is a step of recovering indium adhering to the crushed pieces from which organic substances have been removed in the liquid crystal recovery step S2. That is, this indium recovery step S3 is a step of recovering indium by dissolving it in the acid solution by washing the fragments using an acid solution in which indium is dissolved. As a result, high-purity indium can be easily and reliably recovered.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an indium recovery step S3 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, first, the crushed pieces from which organic substances have been removed in the liquid crystal recovery step S2 are placed in a container containing an acid solution and stirred. As a result, the metal containing indium adhering to the fragments is dissolved in the acid solution. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the liquid crystal recovery step S2 is performed first, the alignment films 4a and 4b provided on the transparent electrodes 7 and 10 containing the ink are removed ( Or partly peeled). For this reason, the acid solution is likely to come into contact with the transparent electrodes 7 and 10, and indium can be efficiently dissolved.

[0070] The acid solution used in this step is not particularly limited as long as it is an acid solution that dissolves indium. As such an acid solution, for example, a solution containing hydrochloric acid as a main component is preferably used, and a mixed solution of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid is particularly preferable. When a liquid for mixing hydrochloric acid and nitric acid is used, indium can be dissolved at room temperature.

[0071] Indium adhering to the debris dissolves in the acid solution as chloride (indium chloride). In addition to indium, the acid solution may be aluminum, titanium, molybdenum, for example. Then, the metal that adheres to the crushed pieces dissolves.

[0072] Next, an acid solution force fragment in which a metal such as indium is dissolved is removed (solid-liquid separation). This can be done, for example, by filtration. As a result, the metal-containing acid solution remains in the container. Thereafter, the metal-containing acid solution from which the crushed pieces have been removed is passed through an indium ion-absorbing resin (resin). This ion adsorption resin for indium is a resin that selectively adsorbs only indium. That is, indium in the acid solution is adsorbed by the ion adsorption resin for indium, and other metals pass through as they are. Therefore, indium and other metals can be separated by passing the metal-containing acid solution through the ion adsorption resin for indium (indium separation).

[0073] Then, the metal-containing acid solution is passed through the ion adsorption resin for indium, and then water is passed through. That is, water is allowed to flow through an indium ion adsorption resin in which only indium is adsorbed. As a result, the indium adsorbed on the resin flows out as hydroxide (indium hydroxide). By collecting the effluent, a solution in which indium is dissolved (indium recovery solution) can be recovered. An indium sludge (solid indium hydroxide) can be obtained by adding an alkali such as sodium hydroxide to the indium recovery solution to neutralize it (neutralizing solution) and dehydrating with anhydrous sodium sulfate or the like. .

[0074] According to this method, it is possible to concentrate indium dissolved in the acid solution from the crushed piece, and to collect high-purity indium.

[0075] Next, a glass recovery step S4 is performed. The glass recovery step S4 is a step of recovering the crushed pieces after the metal is removed in the indium recovery step S3. In other words, the glass recovered in this step is a crushed piece after the organic matter is removed in the liquid crystal recovery step S2 and the metal is removed in the indium recovery step S3, and it adheres to the waste liquid crystal panel 30. Glass with various materials removed.

[0076] In the glass recovery step S4, the crushed pieces obtained after the solid-liquid separation in the indium recovery step S3 are recovered, and the crushed pieces are washed and dried. As a result, it is possible to obtain glass to which various materials are not attached. That is, by simply performing the liquid crystal recovery step S2 and the indium recovery step S3 in this order, various materials can be adhered as a result! /, And a dark glass can be obtained. Further, the glass is washed and dried. Just to get a clean glass cullet. wear.

[0077] In the liquid crystal recovery step S2, in addition to recovering the liquid crystal, organic matter other than the liquid crystal may be recovered. In this case, each organic substance can be efficiently recovered by performing fractional distillation using the difference in boiling point of each organic substance to be recovered. In addition, in the indium recovery step S3, in addition to recovering indium, metals other than indium may be recovered. In this case, according to the type of metal to be recovered other than indium, it can be recovered by using an adsorption resin dedicated to that metal.

[0078] As described above, even when the liquid crystal panel is disposed of, various materials (organic substances such as liquid crystal, metals such as indium and glass) remaining on the waste liquid crystal panel can be recovered, and the waste Can be realized.

[0079] It should be noted that the present invention includes a pair of glass substrates, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the glass substrates, a transparent electrode provided on the facing surface side of the liquid crystal layer of each glass substrate, and the facing surface. A method for treating a waste liquid crystal panel having a polarizing plate provided on the opposite side, the crushing step for crushing the waste liquid crystal panel, and the liquid crystal recovery step for collecting a liquid layer contained in the crushed waste liquid crystal panel And an indium recovery process for recovering indium contained in the crushed waste liquid crystal panel, and a glass recovery process for recovering liquid crystal and glass contained in the waste liquid crystal panel after recovering indium in this order. It can also be expressed as a liquid crystal panel processing method.

[0080] In the present embodiment, the crushing step, the liquid crystal recovery step, the indium recovery step, and the glass recovery step are performed in this order. However, in the present invention, for example, only the crushing step and the liquid crystal recovery step are performed. It can also be performed in this order, and only the crushing process and the indium recovery process can be performed in this order. Furthermore, only the crushing step, the liquid crystal recovery step, and the glass recovery step can be performed in this order, and only the crushing step, the indium recovery step, and the glass recovery step can be performed in this order. In addition, the glass recovery process may be started from the time when the individual liquid is separated in the indium recovery process.

In the present embodiment, the waste liquid crystal panel is not limited to the force described above as the waste panel. The present invention can also be applied to discarded flat display panels such as plasma display panels, inorganic EL (Electro Luminescence) panels, and organic EL panels. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope shown in the claims. In other words, embodiments obtained by combining technical means appropriately changed within the scope of the claims are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0083] The waste panel processing method according to the present invention, as described above, recovers the material contained in the electrode, the crushing step of crushing the waste panel, the medium recovery step of recovering the medium. Since the electrode material recovery process and the glass recovery process for recovering the glass are performed in this order, the waste panel can be easily processed and energy saving is achieved with almost no waste. There is an effect that the environmental load is small! / And the processing method of the waste panel can be realized.

[0084] Further, in the waste panel processing apparatus according to the present invention, as described above, the rotary crushing means has a plurality of flat crushing sections, and the plurality of crushing sections include at least two crushing sections. Since the plane of the crushing part is arranged in different directions, the waste panel can be efficiently crushed.

In the waste panel processing method according to the present invention, in the crushing step, it is preferable to crush the waste panel using a crusher having a rotary crushing means and a fixed crushing means arranged at regular intervals. . According to the above configuration, by using a crusher having a rotary crushing means and a fixed crushing means, it is possible to crush the waste panel with the polarizing plate attached.

[0086] Note that the rotary crushing means rotates around a certain rotation axis, and a waste panel is inserted into a portion where the rotary crushing means and the stationary crushing means cross each other. Is to be crushed. As a result, it is not necessary to perform any processing on the waste panel to be processed, so that the waste panel can be easily processed. In addition, since the cutting edge means are arranged at a constant interval, the waste panel can be crushed to a desired size (a size that facilitates subsequent processing) by setting this interval as appropriate. Can do.

In the waste panel treatment method according to the present invention, in the crushing step, it is preferable to break the polarizing plate and crush the glass substrate. According to said structure, even if it is a waste panel with the polarizing plate attached to the glass substrate, it can be reliably crushed. In the waste panel treatment method according to the present invention, in the medium recovery step, it is preferable to recover the medium using a solvent that dissolves the medium. According to the above configuration, the medium can be easily collected and can contribute to energy saving.

[0089] In the waste panel treatment method according to the present invention, in the electrode material recovery step, it is preferable to recover the material contained in the electrode. According to the above configuration, the electrode material can be easily collected and can contribute to energy saving.

In the waste panel treatment method according to the present invention, in the electrode material recovery step, it is preferable to recover the material contained in the electrode by dissolving it in an acid solution. According to the above configuration, the electrode material can be recovered at room temperature, so that it can be easily recovered and can contribute to energy saving.

In the waste panel treatment method according to the present invention, in the electrode material recovery step, it is preferable to recover the material by using a resin that is contained in the electrode and adsorbs only the material. According to the above configuration, it is possible to reliably recover only the electrode material even when a substance different from the electrode material is present, and it is possible to easily recover the electrode material and to save energy. Can contribute.

In the waste panel processing method according to the present invention, the medium is preferably a liquid crystal.

According to the above configuration, liquid crystal that is an expensive material can be recovered, which is environmentally advantageous and economically advantageous.

[0093] In the method for treating a waste panel according to the present invention, the material contained in the electrode is preferably indium. According to the above configuration, indium, which is a rare metal, can be recovered, which is environmentally advantageous and economically advantageous.

[0094] In the waste panel processing apparatus according to the present invention, the rotary crushing means includes a plurality of crushing units arranged so that the planes are in different directions as one unit. It is preferred to be placed repeatedly.

[0095] According to the above configuration, the plurality of crushing portions arranged so that the planes face in different directions are further provided in a plurality of units. In other words, the above configuration is a configuration in which several crushing portions are arranged repeatedly so that the planes face in different directions. And the crushing part of the same inclination is the structure arrange | positioned repeatedly by the fixed space | interval. As a result, the waste panel can be crushed more efficiently.

[0096] In the waste panel processing apparatus according to the present invention, the plurality of crushing sections are preferably provided along the rotation axis direction of the rotary crushing means. According to the above configuration, since the plurality of crushing portions are provided along the rotation axis direction of the rotary crushing means, the interval between the rotary crushing means and the fixed crushing means is kept at an appropriate interval. And waste panels can be crushed more efficiently.

[0097] In the waste panel processing apparatus according to the present invention, the waste panel has a pair of glass substrates and a polarizing plate disposed on the side opposite to the facing surface of at least one glass substrate. It is preferable that the polarizing plate is broken by the rotary crushing means and the fixed crushing means to crush the glass substrate. According to the above configuration, even a waste panel with a polarizing plate attached to a glass substrate can be reliably crushed.

[0098] It should be noted that the specific embodiments or examples made in the section of the best mode for carrying out the invention are merely to clarify the technical contents of the present invention. Various modifications can be made within the spirit of the present invention and the following claims, which should not be construed as narrowly limited to only examples. Industrial applicability

[0099] As described above, the waste panel processing apparatus and waste panel processing method of the present invention can process waste panels with little energy consumption, for example, for televisions and the like. It can be widely applied as a processing method when disposing of image display devices such as personal computer monitors. Therefore, the present invention can be suitably used in an industrial field for manufacturing an image display device, an industrial field for processing waste, and the like.

Claims

The scope of the claims

[1] A pair of glass substrates, a medium layer that is sandwiched between the pair of glass substrates and optically modulates by applying a voltage, and is disposed on a surface facing the medium layer of at least one glass substrate. And a polarizing plate disposed on the opposite side of the surface facing the medium layer of at least one glass substrate,

Crushing step of crushing the waste panel;

A medium recovery step for recovering the medium;

An electrode material recovery step of recovering the material contained in the electrode;

A method for treating a waste panel, wherein the glass collecting step for collecting the glass is performed in this order.

[2] The waste panel according to claim 1, wherein in the crushing step, the waste panel is crushed using a crusher having a rotary crushing means and a fixed crushing means arranged at regular intervals. Processing method.

[3] The method for treating a waste panel according to claim 2, wherein, in the crushing step, the polarizing plate is broken to crush the glass substrate.

[4] The method for treating a waste panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, in the medium recovery step, the medium is recovered using a solvent that dissolves the medium.

[5] The method for treating a waste panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the electrode material recovery step, the material contained in the electrode is chemically recovered. .

[6] The waste panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in the electrode material recovery step, the material contained in the electrode is recovered by being dissolved in an acid solution. Processing method.

[7] The electrode material recovery step according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the material is recovered using a resin that adsorbs only the material contained in the electrode. Of disposing of waste panels.

[8] The method for treating a waste panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the medium is a liquid crystal.

[9] It is contained in the electrode !, and the material strength is indium. The waste panel processing method described in 1 above.

[10] A pair of glass substrates, a medium layer that is sandwiched between the pair of glass substrates and optically modulates by applying a voltage, and is disposed on the opposite surface side of the medium layer of at least one glass substrate. And a polarizing plate disposed on the opposite side of the surface facing the medium layer of at least one glass substrate,

Crushing step of crushing the waste panel;

A waste panel processing method comprising performing a medium recovery step of recovering the medium in this order.

[11] A pair of glass substrates, a medium layer that is sandwiched between the pair of glass substrates and optically modulates by applying a voltage, and is disposed on the opposite surface side of the medium layer of at least one glass substrate. And a polarizing plate disposed on the opposite side of the surface facing the medium layer of at least one glass substrate,

Crushing step of crushing the waste panel;

A method for treating a waste panel, comprising performing an electrode material recovery step of recovering a material contained in the electrode in this order.

[12] A waste panel processing apparatus comprising a rotary crushing means and a fixed crushing means, wherein the rotary crushing means has a plurality of flat crushing portions,

The waste panel processing apparatus, wherein the plurality of crushing parts are arranged such that at least two crushing parts have different planes.

[13] The rotary crushing means is characterized in that a plurality of crushing parts are repeatedly arranged when the plurality of crushing parts arranged so that the planes face in different directions are one unit. The waste panel processing apparatus according to claim 12.

14. The waste panel processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of crushing portions are provided along a rotation axis direction of the rotary crushing means.

[15] The waste panel includes a pair of glass substrates and a polarizing plate disposed on the side opposite to the facing surface of at least one glass substrate,

The polarizing plate is broken by the rotary crushing means and the fixed crushing means, and the glass substrate is broken. The processing of the waste panel according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized by: