hamos: Separation of contamination from ground PVC window material

Clean PVC regrind from recycling of PVC window profiles is a valuable raw material, that can be used again for the production of PVC windows. But contamination such as by rubber from seals, polyamide, plasticised PVC, etc are problematic. Such contamination can influence the possibilities of using PVC recyclate or even make the use of recyclate impossible. The rubber seals are therefore normally separated manually before shredding. This process is laborious however, only allows a low rate of throughput and is therefore not suitable for economic recycling of used windows.

The separation process used by hamos GmbH (www.hamos.com) in Penzberg/Germany works however entirely automatically, i.e. without manual pre-sorting. The PVC window profiles are firstly shredded into regrind, from which dust is then removed. The material is then largely freed of rubber and other contaminants by an EKS type of electrostatic separation equipment (Illustration right). Use is made here of the different electrostatic charge of rigid PVC compared with rubber and other substances. The PVC has purity of approx. 99.5% after this stage of separation.

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The subsequent type SEA optoelectric colour sorting equipment separates the rubber and possible colour contamination from the material, so that the PVC material (Illustration left) is distinguished by now having purity of more than 99.995 %.

The combination of the hamos EKS and SEA has proved itself many times worldwide. The process guarantees high throughput and optimum product purity, whereby other contamination that arises in window recycling, such as metals, wood, glass and minerals, are also separated out.

hamos GmbH will show this process at the fensterbau/frontale 2006 fair.

fensterbau/frontale 2006, 22-25.3.2006, Nuremberg, Hall 3, Stand 405

hamos GmbH, Penzberg/Germany

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