Apparatus and method for disposal of expanded polystyrene waste
US5891403A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 17, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 6, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 17, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S422/901
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The present invention features a portable waste disposal unit designed to receive expanded polystyrene or similar polymeric waste. Waste is loaded into a waste reception chamber via a loading door. Once the loading door is closed and locked, a mechanical ram forces the waste charge downward into a removable tank containing a layer of a solvent such as perchloroethylene and an upper layer of water. The waste is dissolved in the solvent and stored until the tank is either removed or drained and the contents shipped to an appropriate waste recovery facility. The small size of the portable waste disposal unit makes it ideal for location near the source of the waste to be recycled. Significant compacting of wastes such as expanded polystyrene may be realized by dissolving the waste in a solvent such as perchloroethylene. In addition, the first step of a recycling process is effectively accomplished within the inventive unit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.