ES2985429A1 - Eco-sustainable method of regeneration of products (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for eco-sustainable regeneration of products. The invention has great advantages in allowing the recovery of huge quantities of industrial, urban, mineral, vegetable, organic waste, etc., in a completely eco-sustainable way in a cold, clean and smoke-free process. To do this, said waste is crushed or deformed to be mixed and encapsulated with an aqueous polymeric dispersion based on styrene and acrylic acid esters, to finally obtain a moldable and projectable product, capable of adopting very diverse shapes and physical-mechanical properties, depending on the recycled material used and the similarity of the original product from which it comes. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Eco-sustainable method of regeneration of products

TECHNICAL SECTOR

The present invention relates to a new eco-sustainable method of regenerating products by chemical micro-encapsulation of their particles or nanoparticles, from a preselection of products that may be mineral, vegetable, plastic, organic, synthetic and even hybrid (mixture composed of more than one product), preferably originating from various industrial, agricultural, urban waste and by-products, whether mineral, vegetable, plastic, organic or synthetic as well as hybrids or compounds, through their classification, subsequent treatment and convenient mixing or beating with a translucent but colorable aqueous polymeric dispersion and its subsequent eco-sustainable application process at its destination, such as on an object or directly on a work.

The invention is applicable in the construction sector, the leather industry, the automotive industry, furniture, crafts, thermal and acoustic insulation, waterproofing, fashion, decoration, etc.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is therefore to offer a significant environmental and functional improvement, as well as an aesthetic one, in the different areas of practical application described above, without neglecting a contribution to energy savings, by determining a thermo-decorative protective barrier that will form the visible interior or exterior skin of any constructive, decorative, etc. element coated or encapsulated with it.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Until now, the vast majority of waste products from, for example, tanning, processing and polishing leather have ended up in controlled landfills.

A similar situation occurs with other by-products from different industries.

The present application aims to solve these problems by means of the total encapsulation and assembly of each and every one of the residual particles and their subsequent agglomeration, forming again, in this case, an organic hydro-mortar with multiple industrial, thermal, functional and at the same time, decorative applications, as well as for the fashion industry.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

The method of the invention aims to give a new use to waste and by-products of very diverse nature, among which the following can be highlighted as merely exemplary:

Minerals: mineral fibres and wool, ceramics, aggregates, cutting and polishing sludge in quarries and industry, foundry dust, abrasive blasting sands, etc.

Vegetables: Wood and cork dust and sawdust, rubber, vegetable fibers, olive stones, nutshells, rice husks and straw, etc.

Organic: Leather tanning waste, wool and animal hair, dry fruit and vegetable waste, etc.

Synthetics: Crushed remains of containers and packaging, polyurethane panels, polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, phenolic foams, foam rubber, plastics in general, etc.

This new eco-sustainable method of reintegrating waste products and by-products into the value chain also includes coupling by pouring, gluing or spraying this new product obtained onto any object as a thermo-elastic, waterproof, highly functional and decorative coating or encapsulation such as sheet metal, glass, methacrylate, plastic, polyester, rubber, stone, concrete, ceramic, stoneware, wood, cork, mineral, vegetable and artificial fibres, plaster, foam rubber, polyester, polystyrene, polyurethane, polyisocyanurate, etc.

To this end, and more specifically, the method of the invention starts with a first phase of preselection of at least one of the residual products or by-products described, their treatment, crushing and cutting or deformation if necessary until obtaining the desired measurements and formats, normally less than 4 mm in length or diameter.

Once the residual products or by-products have been treated, they undergo a mixing and encapsulation phase with an aqueous polymer dispersion based on styrene and acrylic acid esters and their subsequent joint hermetic packaging, thus remaining minimally unaltered for more than 9 months.

The hydromembrane obtained after its application and in contact with the air begins its curing process, normally for a time between 8 and 48 hours, on the corresponding supports, although this time can be accelerated by compaction, chemical application or by heat.

This entire process can be carried out at room temperature, thus avoiding energy costs and the generation of carbon footprints.

Optionally, before or during the curing phase, reinforcing fibres, chemical accelerators, binders or colourants could be added, depending on the characteristics of the final product sought.

As regards the proportions of components used, the treated residual product could represent between 50 and 75% by volume of the final product, while the acrylic product would represent between 25 and 50% by volume.

The product thus obtained consists of a non-cementitious, impermeable and flexible hydro-mortar that allows the artificial reproduction of a piece with an appearance and characteristics practically identical or very similar to the original product of its origin, as well as the "à la carte" creation of new hybrid or composite products, with an appearance, density and resistance that can be modified at will depending on their destination or application.

In the case of using by-products from the mining industry, since it is a process that is the reverse of that which occurs in the extraction and consumption of mineral raw materials such as stone, marble or granite, reusing their particles, nanoparticles or residual quarry sludge, a compact artificial agglomerated product can be obtained again with practically the same physical-mechanical characteristics as the original minerals of its origin.

In the case of the treatment of by-products or plant waste, such as cork, wood, rice husk and straw, etc., an artificial plant product can be reproduced again with practically the same physical-mechanical characteristics as the original plants of its origin.

In the case of the treatment of by-products or organic waste such as leather, wool or animal hair, an artificial organic product with practically the same physical-mechanical characteristics as the original organic products of its origin can be reproduced again and again in a continuous manner.

In the case of the treatment of by-products or mixed waste, this allows the creation, practically on demand, of new products capable of combining the different qualities of each of them to form collaborative hybrid products that improve and compensate for their own limitations, being able to provide constructive, decorative and architectural solutions that could not be achieved separately, such as, for example, litho/ceramic (liquid stone on ceramic), thermo/stone (stone paste on insulation), “leather-glass” (leather paste on glass), leather paste on metal, cork paste on metal, and so on.

In this sense, by using low-density and flexible residual products such as cork or leather, under high mechanical resistance products such as steel, it is possible to create metal/cork or metal-leather cladding tile-type panels with their perimeters freely rounded and without mordant, easier to cut automatically and without damaging the edge of their cutting means.

It is also worth highlighting the fact that thanks to the elasticity of the hydro-membrane, a flexible and resistant product is obtained, very suitable for use as a universal adhesion bridge, anti-vibration products, industrial finishes without retraction, repair and sealing of all types of cracks and fissures, tread layers and pavement repair, very efficient in the architectural restoration of monuments, etc.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that will be made below and in order to help better understand the characteristics of the invention, in accordance with a preferred example of its practical implementation, a set of drawings is included as an integral part of said description, in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

Figure 1.- Shows an enlarged perspective detail of a material obtained from the eco-sustainable regeneration method object of the present invention.

Figure 2.- Shows a perspective view of an example of practical application of the invention in which the material is used as a decorative and insulating coating in obtaining walls.

Figure 3.- Shows a perspective view of another example of practical application of the invention in which the material is used as a continuous thermo-decorative leather coating on a glass object.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the figures shown, and merely as an example, in the method of the invention the material to be recycled was started from a mixture of solid waste or by-products (1) such as mineral wool, sludge, sand, etc., plus reinforcing fibers.

This base material accounts for between 50 and 75% of the volume of the final product, and is subjected to a crushing process until particles are normally obtained that are less than 4 mm long or in diameter.

It is then mixed with an aqueous polymer dispersion (2) in a proportion between 25 and 50% by volume, based on styrene and acrylic acid esters.

The product obtained is applied by spreading, casting or projection onto any support, either directly onto a vertical or horizontal wall on site or onto any type of prefabricated object or panel, as a thermo-decorative coating, which in the exemplary embodiment aims to obtain modular cladding panels (3) such as those shown in figure 2, which are susceptible to being fixed by means of adhesive, single staples (6) or double staples (6') or by any other conventional means on insulating panels (4) of the S.A.T.E. type in the formation of a wall (5) constituting a coating that in addition to insulating from humidity, thermally and acoustically, has a modular decorative appearance that makes them extremely practical and interesting for use in green construction.

However, as previously stated, the invention is applicable in countless areas depending on the waste or by-products from which it is obtained, and, as a mere example, we can mention the production of hydromembranes (3') from leather, cork or glass waste, duly embedded in the acrylic material, for the production of glass containers (6), such as that shown in figure 3, offering a great thermo-decorative capacity, maintaining or increasing the performance of the new object to be formed, by virtue of the physical-chemical characteristics of the different materials or mixtures thereof from which it is obtained.

Claims (1)

1§.- Eco-sustainable method of regeneration of products, which, starting from waste or by-products of a mineral, vegetable, organic, synthetic nature, or a mixture of them, is characterized by the establishment of the following operational phases: a) Pre-selection of one or more of the residual products or by-products of a mineral, vegetable, organic or synthetic nature. b) Treatment, crushing, cutting or deformation of these until obtaining particles of a size normally less than 4 mm in length or diameter. c) Mixing of residual products or by-products of a mineral, vegetable, organic or synthetic nature or a group of these with an aqueous polymeric dispersion based on styrene and acrylic acid esters, where the product or mixture of treated residual products participates in a proportion between 50 and 75% by volume of the final product, while the aqueous polymeric dispersion based on styrene and acrylic acid esters participates in a proportion between 25 and 50% by volume. d) Hermetic packaging. 2§.- Eco-sustainable method of regeneration of products, according to claim 1§, wherein accelerating additives, binders, reinforcing fibers or colorants are added to the mixture. 3§.- Eco-sustainable regeneration method of products, according to claim 1, wherein the product obtained after the method is applied as a coating or encapsulation on an object or surface.