JP7650192B2 - Polyurethane foam carbonization treatment method, polyurethane foam carbonized product, and polyurethane foam carbonization treatment device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a processing method for producing a carbonized material from polyurethane foam by carbonization, the carbonized material, and a carbonization processing device.

Conventionally, when trying to dispose of urethane foam as waste, it is bulky, which causes disposal problems, especially when it is treated as industrial waste. As a countermeasure, one method of disposing of urethane foam is to convert it into a carbonized product. For example, Patent Document 1 shows a method of carbonizing organic matter. This method uses a catalyst used to decompose and carbonize organic matter such as food waste, and uses one or more of granular activated carbon, carbon powder, and binchotan charcoal in concentrated sulfuric acid or fuming sulfuric acid. Organic matter can be decomposed and carbonized by sulfonation treatment at a temperature of 160 to 200°C.

JP 2011-143396 A

However, this method poses a problem when applied to urethane foam. Urethane foam is decomposed by hydrolysis and then carbonized. Urethane foam does not inherently contain moisture and does not absorb water easily even when water is added. Therefore, even if urethane foam is heated using a catalyst such as concentrated sulfuric acid, it is difficult to hydrolyze and therefore cannot be carbonized.

The object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the past and to provide a method for carbonizing urethane foam, a carbonized product, and a processing device.

The urethane foam carbonization method according to the first aspect of the present invention is a method for carbonizing urethane foam, and includes a first processing step in which the urethane foam is crushed or pulverized to open the cell structure and generate a first processed product, a second processing step in which the first processed product is reduced in volume and a second processed product is generated, a third processing step in which the second processed product is hydrated while increasing its volume to absorb water and generate a third processed product, and a fourth processing step in which the third processed product is placed in a carbonization furnace, an acid catalyst is added, and the product is carbonized under heating conditions to generate a fourth processed product, which is a carbonized product.

According to this, the first treated material is easily absorbed because the cell structure is opened by the crushing or pulverization process in the first treatment step. The second treatment step reduces the volume of the first treated material to produce a second treated material, and the third treatment step increases the volume of the second treated material while absorbing water to produce a third treated material. This allows the third treated material to absorb a large amount of water. The fourth treatment step uses an acid catalyst to subject the third treated material to hydrolysis and carbonization under heating conditions, but because water is released from the third treated material, the treatment can be continued. This means that the fourth treatment step can produce a fourth treated material from the third treated material.

The urethane foam carbonization method may also produce the first processed product by performing the kneading process when the urethane foam is hard urethane and performing the pulverizing process when the urethane foam is soft urethane.

In addition, in the second processing step of the urethane foam carbonization method, the first processed material may be reduced in volume to produce the second processed material by repeating suction and compression of the first processed material in a constant cycle.

The urethane foam carbonization method may also include gradually increasing the volume of the second treated material in the third treatment step, and continuing the water addition process during the third treatment step to cause the second treated material to absorb water and produce the third treated material.

In addition, the urethane foam carbonization method may be carried out in the fourth treatment step by adding the acid catalyst in an amount sufficient to carbonize all of the third treated material, or by allowing a treatment time sufficient to carbonize all of the third treated material.

In these cases, the first treatment step can perform treatment appropriate to the type of urethane foam. The second treatment step can produce a second treatment step with an enhanced compression effect by repeating the suction and compression of the first treatment step in a fixed cycle. The third treatment step can produce a third treatment step with a high water absorption rate by continuously adding water during the process. Furthermore, the fourth treatment step can more reliably carbonize the material by providing a concentration, amount, or treatment time of acid catalyst sufficient for carbonization.

In addition, the urethane foam carbonization method may be such that the water absorption rate of the third treated material is 1 to 50% due to the hydration treatment in the third treatment step. In this case, since the water absorption rate of the third treated material is 1 to 50%, the fourth treatment step can continue the carbonization process without causing a decrease in the temperature of the carbonization furnace.

In addition, in the urethane foam carbonization treatment method, when the urethane foam is hard urethane, in the second treatment step, the volume of the second treated product is reduced to a volume ratio of 1 to 50% of the volume of the first treated product, and in the water addition treatment in the third treatment step, the amount of water added to the second treated product is 10 to 110 milliliters per minute when the volume of the second treated product is 1 liter, the volume ratio is a value converted from the bulk density of the first treated product and the density of the second treated product, and the bulk density of the first treated product is The density is calculated by passing the first treated material through a funnel with an opening diameter of 20 mm into a beaker with an internal volume of 1 liter, allowing the material to freely fall into the beaker, filling the beaker to the top, measuring the weight of the first treated material filled in the beaker, and dividing the weight by the internal volume of the beaker; the density of the second treated material may be calculated by inserting the first treated material into a compressor with an internal cylinder diameter of 50 mm, compressing it for 10 seconds with a compressive force of 14 megapascals, measuring the length, converting it to a volume, and measuring the weight.

In this case, in the second processing step, the first processed material is reduced in volume to a volume ratio suitable for the third processing step, and in the third processing step, the water absorption amount of the third processed material is adjusted to an amount suitable for the fourth processing step, so that the carbonization process in the fourth processing step can be carried out more appropriately.

The urethane foam carbonized material according to the second aspect of the present invention contains 60-75% by weight of carbon, 4.5-5.5% by weight of hydrogen, and 4.5-5.5% by weight of nitrogen. As the carbon content of the urethane foam carbonized material is 60-75%, it may be used as an additive, bulking agent, color toning agent, etc. for various materials.

The urethane foam carbonized material treatment device according to the third aspect of the present invention includes a volume reduction device that reduces the volume of a first treated material, which is urethane foam that has been crushed or pulverized, to produce a second treated material, an expansion hydration device that increases the volume of the second treated material while hydrating it to absorb water, to produce a third treated material, and a carbonization furnace that carbonizes the third treated material to produce a fourth treated material.

According to this, the urethane foam carbonization treatment device can produce a second processed material from a first processed material, produce a third processed material from the second processed material, and further produce a fourth processed material from the third processed material.

The volume reduction device of the urethane foam carbonization treatment device may include a cylinder that stores the first treated material, an inlet for feeding the first treated material into the cylinder, and a piston that slides within the cylinder to suck in and compress the first treated material.

In this case, the piston in the volume reduction device sucks in the first treatment material and compresses it, thereby further enhancing the volume reduction effect.

The urethane foam carbonized material processing device may include an expansion hydration device that includes an expansion path connected to the volume reduction device and a hydration device that adds water to the second treated material sent to the expansion path and absorbs the water, and the expansion hydration device may be a device that generates the third treated material by continuously adding water to the second treated material sent to the expansion path.

In this case, the extended hydration device can send the second treated material to the extended path because the extended path is connected to the volume reduction device. Furthermore, the extended hydration device continuously adds water to the second treated material in the extended path, so that a third treated material that has absorbed water can be produced.

The urethane foam carbonized material treatment device includes an expansion path connected to the volume reduction device,
a water adding device that adds water to the second treatment material sent to the expansion path and absorbs the water;
The extended hydration device may be a device that produces the third treated product by continuously adding water to the second treated product sent to the extended path until it is discharged from the extended path.

In this case, the extended hydration device can send the second treated material to the extended path because the extended path is connected to the volume reduction device. Furthermore, the extended hydration device can generate a third treated material that has absorbed more water by continuously adding water to the second treated material sent to the extended path until it is discharged from the extended path.

In addition, the urethane foam carbonized material treatment device may have an extension path that includes an inlet adjacent to the volume reduction device and an outlet for discharging the third treated material, and when the second treated material flows in through the inlet, goes through a process of generating the third treated material, and is discharged from the outlet, the extension path may have a second flow path area at the outlet that is larger than the first flow path area at the inlet.

In this case, when the second treated product flows in from the inlet, goes through the process of generating the third treated product, and is then discharged from the outlet, the expansion path has a larger second flow path area at the outlet than the first flow path area at the inlet. Therefore, the second treated product expands in the process of generating the third treated product, making it easier to absorb water, and the third treated product can be in a more water-absorbed state.

In addition, the urethane foam carbonized material processing device may have an outer shell of the expansion passage divided into multiple parts by an opening groove that is continuously formed from the inlet to the outlet, and the expansion passage may have an area of the second flow path larger than the area of the first flow path as the outlet widens during the process in which the second processed material flows in from the inlet and the third processed material is discharged from the outlet.

In this case, the outer shell of the extension path is divided into multiple parts by an open groove that is continuously formed from the inlet to the outlet. The extension path has a larger second flow path area than the first flow path area because the outlet widens as the second treated product flows in from the inlet and the third treated product is discharged from the outlet. The second treated product gradually expands in the process of being generated into the third treated product, making it easier to absorb water, and the third treated product can be in a more water-absorbed state.

The urethane foam carbonized material treatment device may also have the expansion path formed in a truncated cone shape so that the flow path area gradually increases from the inlet to the outlet. In this case, the expansion path is formed in a truncated cone shape so that the flow path area gradually increases from the inlet to the outlet. Therefore, the second treated material gradually expands in the process of being produced into the third treated material, making it easier to absorb water, and the third treated material can be in a more water-absorbed state.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a urethane foam carbonization treatment device 1. FIG. This is an image diagram showing the state before and after the grinding process of rigid urethane in the first processing step, where (a) shows the state of the rigid urethane before processing, and (b) shows the first processed material 11 after the grinding process in the first processing step. This is an image diagram showing the state before and after the soft urethane is crushed in the first processing step, where (a) shows the state of the soft urethane before processing, and (b) shows the first processed material 11 after crushing in the first processing step. 1 is a diagram showing the state in which a first processing material 11 is fed into a volume reduction device 3 in a urethane foam carbonization treatment device 1. FIG. This is a diagram showing the second processing step in the volume reduction device 3 in the urethane foam carbonization processing device 1. This is a diagram showing the third treatment process in the extended hydration device 4 in the urethane foam carbonization treatment device 1. 1A and 1B are oblique views showing the expansion hydration device 4 of the urethane foam carbonization treatment device 1, in which (a) shows the expansion path 9a having an opening groove 25, and (b) shows the expansion path 9b formed in a truncated cone shape from the inlet 23 to the outlet 24. 1 is an image diagram of each processed product produced by the second processing step through the fourth processing step, where (a) shows the second processed product 12, (b) shows the third processed product 13, and (c) shows the fourth processed product 14. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring the bulk density of the first processed product 11 in the examples. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring the density of the second processed product 12 in the examples.

The following describes the urethane foam carbonization method, urethane foam carbonized material, and urethane foam carbonization processing device that embody the present invention, with reference to the drawings. Note that the description of the embodiment of the invention and the drawings referred to are used to explain the technical features that may be adopted by the present invention. The present invention is not limited to these. The configuration of the device shown in the drawings is merely an illustrative example and is not intended to be limiting.

The urethane foam carbonization method of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. As shown in Figure 1, the urethane foam carbonization method includes a first processing step in which urethane foam 10 is crushed or pulverized to open the cell structure and generate a first processed product 11. Next, a second processing step is included in which the first processed product 11 is reduced in volume to generate a second processed product 12. Next, a third processing step is included in which the second processed product 12 is hydrated while increasing its volume to absorb water and generate a third processed product 13. Furthermore, a fourth processing step is included in which the third processed product 13 is placed in a carbonization furnace 5, an acid catalyst 15 is added, and the product is carbonized under heating conditions to generate a fourth processed product 14, which is a carbonized product.

Next, each processing step will be described. The configuration of the urethane foam carbonization processing device 1 and its description will be described later. First, the first processing step will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, in the first processing step, when the urethane foam 10 is hard urethane, a crushing process is performed to generate the first processed material 11. As shown in FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b), when the hard urethane is subjected to a crushing process, the cell structure is opened as shown in FIG. 2(b) from the independent cell structure shown in FIG. 2(a). Also, as shown in FIG. 3, when the urethane foam 10 is soft urethane, a crushing process is performed to generate the first processed material 11. As shown in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b), the soft urethane becomes the first processed material 11 in a finely crushed state.

Next, the second processing step will be described. In the second processing step, the first processing material 11 is reduced in volume by repeating the suction and compression of the first processing material 11 in a fixed cycle to generate the second processing material 12. As shown in FIG. 4, the first processing material 11 is fed into the cylinder 6 of the volume reduction device 3 from the feed port 7. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5, compression is performed by moving the piston 8 in the compression direction, and suction of the first processing material 11 is performed by moving the piston 8 in the opposite direction to the compression direction, which is repeated in a fixed cycle. The second processing material 12 is in a compressed state inside the volume reduction device 3.

Next, the third treatment step will be described. In the third treatment step, the volume of the second treatment product 12 is gradually increased, and water is continuously added during the third treatment step, causing the second treatment product 12 to absorb water and producing the third treatment product 13. As shown in FIG. 5, the second treatment product 12 is in a compressed state by moving the piston 8 in the compression direction. Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the second treatment product 12 is pushed out by the piston 8 and moves toward the discharge port 24 while expanding. During the third treatment step, water 26 is continuously supplied from the water adding device 22 to add water, so that the second treatment product 12 absorbs water while expanding and produces the third treatment product 13.

Next, the fourth treatment step will be described. The fourth treatment step is carried out by at least either adding an amount of acid catalyst 15 sufficient for all of the third treatment material 13 to be carbonized under heating conditions, or allowing a treatment time sufficient for all of the third treatment material 13 to be carbonized.

As shown in FIG. 1, the third processed material 13 is put into the carbonization furnace 5 together with the acid catalyst 15. The heating conditions are preferably those of 80 to 200°C. The third processed material 13 is entirely carbonized to produce the fourth processed material 14, which is a urethane foam carbonized material. If the heating conditions are below 80°C, the material cannot be carbonized. As will be described later, if the heating conditions exceed 200°C, 4,4'-methylenedianiline may be generated.

<Description of the process of generating the fourth processed product 14 from the third processed product 13>
Next, a process in which the fourth processed product 14 is produced from the third processed product 13 in the fourth processing step will be described. The third processed product 13 contains moisture because it is added with water in the third processing step. In the fourth processing step, the third processed product 13 is hydrolyzed when an acid catalyst 15 is added and the product is placed under heating conditions. The hydrolysis produces isocyanate, amine compounds, and polyol. The third processed product 13 is heated under strong acidic conditions by the acid catalyst 15, which promotes hydrolysis. Furthermore, the isocyanate and amine compounds are trapped by the acid catalyst 15, and the polyol is carbonized by thermal decomposition to produce the fourth processed product 14, which is a urethane foam carbonized product.

Next, the range of values for each process step will be explained. In the third process step, the water absorption rate of the third processed material 13 due to the hydration process is in the range of 1 to 50%. A more preferable range of water absorption rate is 10 to 20%.

Next, when the urethane foam 10 is rigid urethane, in the second processing step, the volume of the second processed material 12 is reduced to a volume ratio of 1 to 50% of the volume of the first processed material 11. If the first processed material 11 contains almost no other substances than rigid urethane, it is more preferable that the volume of the second processed material 12 is reduced to a volume ratio of 5 to 6% of the volume of the first processed material 11. In the water addition process of the third processing step, the amount of water added to the second processed material 12 is 10 to 110 milliliters per minute when the volume of the second processed material 12 is 1 liter. It is more preferable that the amount of water added to the second processed material 12 is 75 to 110 milliliters per minute when the volume of the second processed material 12 is 1 liter. The method of measuring and converting the volume ratio will be described later.

As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 8, the second processed material 12 in FIG. 8(a) is processed in a third processing step to produce the third processed material 13 in FIG. 8(b), and the fourth processed material 14, which is a urethane foam carbonized material shown in FIG. 8(c), is processed in a fourth processing step.

<Effects of the carbonization method for urethane foam>
As described above, the urethane foam carbonization method has the following effects. According to the urethane foam carbonization method, the first processed material 11 is crushed or pulverized in the first processing step to open the cell structure, so that it is more likely to absorb water. In the second processing step, the first processed material 11 is reduced in volume to generate the second processed material 12, and in the third processing step, the second processed material 12 is increased in volume while absorbing water to generate the third processed material 13. Thus, the third processed material 13 can absorb a large amount of water. In the fourth processing step, the third processed material 13 is hydrolyzed and carbonized under heating conditions using an acid catalyst 15, and water 26 is released from the third processed material 13, so that the processing can be continued. Thus, in the fourth processing step, the fourth processed material 14 can be generated from the third processed material 13.

The urethane foam carbonization method also has the following effects in each processing step. In the first processing step, appropriate processing can be performed depending on the type of urethane foam 10. Rigid urethane has a closed cell structure and therefore does not absorb water as is. By carrying out a kneading process, the cell structure can be opened, making the first processed material 11 capable of absorbing water. Since soft urethane has an open cell structure, the crushing process can reduce the volume, making the second processing step and subsequent steps easier. Although soft urethane has water absorption properties due to its open cell structure, it is difficult for it to absorb water as is due to the surface tension of water.

In the second processing step, the first processed material 11 is sucked and compressed repeatedly in a constant cycle, thereby enhancing the compression effect and producing the second processed material 12. In the third processing step, water is added continuously during the process, so the third processed material 13, which has a large water absorption capacity, can be produced. Urethane foam does not absorb water easily due to the surface tension of water, but the second and third processing steps make it easier to absorb water. The first processed material 11 is compressed in the second processing step to become the second processed material 12. Furthermore, when the second processed material 12 expands in the third processing step, the gaps between the cell layers widen. The second processed material 12 is hydrated at this time, so the water absorption capacity exceeds the surface tension of water, and the third processed material 13, which has a large water absorption capacity, can be produced.

In addition, the fourth treatment step can achieve more reliable carbonization by providing a sufficient concentration, amount, or treatment time of sulfuric acid for carbonization. The third treatment material 13 is fed into the carbonization furnace 5 in a state where it has absorbed sufficient water, so that the carbonization process can continue.

The fourth treatment step, when carried out under heating conditions of 80-200°C, has the following additional effects. When urethane foam is carbonized under heating conditions exceeding 200°C, 4,4'-methylenedianiline may be generated. In contrast, when the heating conditions are set to 200°C or less, the generation of 4,4'-methylenedianiline can be prevented. Furthermore, when the heating conditions are set to 80°C or more, carbonization can be performed.

Here, we will explain about 4,4'-methylenedianiline. 4,4'-methylenedianiline has effects on the human body, and the following concerns are raised. Short-term exposure can affect the liver, resulting in liver dysfunction. In terms of the risk of inhalation, if dispersed, airborne particles can rapidly reach harmful concentrations. Repeated or long-term contact can cause skin sensitization, affect the liver, and may also be carcinogenic.

Several methods have been proposed for treating urethane foam. For example, there is a method for continuously recovering the polyamine compounds and polyol compounds that are the raw materials for polyurethane resin. In this method, polyurethane resin is dissolved in a solubilizing agent containing a polyamine compound, low molecular weight glycol, or amino alcohol, and after removing solids as necessary, it is brought into contact with liquid water at 200 to 320°C for hydrolysis. In this case, the urethane foam needs to be heated to above 200°C. This can result in the generation of 4,4'-methylenedianiline.

There is also another method for recovering polyamine and/or polyol compounds. Polyurethane is decomposed by heating at 120 to 250°C in the presence of a polyamine compound. This method separates polyurethane into a liquid containing the decomposed polyol and urea bodies soluble in the polyol, and a solid containing the urea bodies which are insoluble. The other method is to hydrolyze the decomposed material with high-temperature, high-pressure water. In this case, too, the polyurethane foam needs to be decomposed by heating at a high temperature of over 200°C and under pressure with high-pressure water. This may result in the generation of 4,4'-methylenedianiline.

In contrast to these methods, the urethane foam carbonization method of the present invention, when treated under heating conditions of 200°C or less, is effective in preventing the generation of 4,4'-methylenedianiline.

In addition, in the urethane foam carbonization method, since the water absorption rate of the third processed material 13 is 1-50%, the carbonization process can be continued in the fourth processing step without causing a drop in the temperature of the carbonization furnace 5. Furthermore, if the water absorption rate of the third processed material 13 is 10-20%, the third processed material 13 can supply water in the fourth processing step without excess or deficiency, so the carbonization process can be continued more stably.

In addition, when the urethane foam 10 before the first processing step is a hard urethane, in the urethane foam carbonization processing method, in the second processing step, the first processed material 11 is reduced in volume to 1 to 50%, which is a volume ratio suitable for the third processing step. In the water addition process in the third processing step, the amount of water added to the second processed material 12 is 10 to 110 milliliters per minute when the volume of the second processed material 12 is 1 liter, so the amount of water absorbed by the third processed material 13 is adjusted to an amount suitable for the fourth processing step. This allows the carbonization process in the fourth processing step to be carried out more appropriately.

When the urethane foam 10 before the first processing step is a hard urethane, it is more preferable that the volume of the second processing material 12 is reduced to a volume ratio of 5 to 6% of the volume of the first processing material 11. Also, it is more preferable that the amount of water added to the second processing material 12 in the water addition process in the third processing step is 75 to 110 milliliters per minute when the volume of the second processing material 12 is 1 liter. In this case, the carbonization process can be continued more stably in the fourth step.

<Explanation of urethane foam carbonized material>
Next, the urethane foam carbonized product will be described. The urethane foam carbonized product (fourth processed product 14) produced by the urethane foam carbonization method already described has the following composition. The urethane foam carbonized product contains 60 to 75% by weight of carbon, 4.5 to 5.5% by weight of hydrogen, and 4.5 to 5.5% by weight of nitrogen. As the carbon content of the urethane foam carbonized product is 60 to 75% by weight, it may be used as an additive, extender, color toning agent, etc. for various materials.

<Configuration of urethane foam carbonization treatment device>
Next, the configuration of the urethane foam carbonization processing device 1 used in the above-mentioned urethane foam carbonization processing method will be described. As shown in Figure 1 and Figures 4 to 7, the urethane foam carbonization processing device 1 includes a volume reduction device 3 that reduces the volume of a first processed material 11 that has been crushed or pulverized to produce a second processed material 12. It also includes an expansion hydration device 4 that increases the volume of the second processed material 12 while hydrating it to absorb water and produce a third processed material 13, and a carbonization furnace 5 that carbonizes the third processed material 13 to produce a fourth processed material 14.

Next, the configuration of the volume reduction device 3 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. The volume reduction device 3 includes a cylinder 6 that stores the first processed material 11, an inlet 7 for feeding the first processed material 11 into the cylinder 6, and a piston 8 that slides inside the cylinder 6 to compress and suck the first processed material 11. As shown in Figure 4, the volume reduction device 3 has a piston 8 that moves in a constant cycle inside the cylinder 6 in a compression direction toward the right side in Figure 4 and a suction direction toward the left side in Figure 4. The cylinder 6 is formed of a cylindrical member as an example, but is not limited to this shape. The inlet 7 is formed at the top of the cylinder 6, but is not limited to this position, and may be provided, for example, on the lower side or on a side surface in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of Figure 4. The piston 8 has a planar tip perpendicular to the moving direction, but is not limited to this shape.

Next, the configuration of the extended hydration device 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The extended hydration device 4 includes an extended path 9 connected to the volume reduction device 3, and a hydration device 22 that adds water 26 to the second treatment product 12 sent to the extended path 9 to absorb it. The extended hydration device 4 is a device that generates a third treatment product 13 by continuously adding water to the second treatment product 12 sent to the extended path 9.

To explain in more detail, as shown in FIG. 6 etc., the extended hydration device 4 includes an extension passage 9 connected to the cylinder 6, and a hydration device 22 that adds water to the second process material 12 sent to the extension passage 9 and absorbs it. The piston 8 moves in a direction that compresses the first process material 11, thereby generating the second process material 12 and sending it to the extension passage 9. The extended hydration device 4 is a device that generates the third process material 13 by continuously adding water to the second process material 12 sent to the extension passage 9 until it is discharged from the extension passage 9.

The example shown in Figures 4 to 7 includes a connecting passage 21 that connects the volume reduction device 3 and the extended water adding device 4. The connecting passage 21 is located between the cylinder 6 and the extended passage 9, and has an opening 21a for sending the second treatment product 12 to the extended water adding device 4. Although not shown, the connecting passage 21 is held by hydraulic pressure so that the opening 21a does not expand.

Next, the extension path 9 will be described. The extension path 9 has an inlet 23 adjacent to the volume reduction device 3 and an outlet 24 for discharging the third treated material 13. When the second treated material 12 flows in from the inlet 23, passes through the process of generating the third treated material 13, and is discharged from the outlet 24, the extension path 9 has a second flow path area S2 at the outlet 24 that is larger than the first flow path area S1 at the inlet 23. The opening 21a in the connecting path 21 is formed so as to open to a range equal to or larger than the inlet 23. Alternatively, the connecting path 21 may not be formed, and the cylinder 6 and the extension path 9 may be directly connected.

Next, the configuration of the extension path 9a, which is a first example of the extension path 9, will be described. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the outer shell of the extension path 9a is divided into multiple parts by the opening groove 25 that is continuously formed from the inlet 23 to the outlet 24. In the example shown in FIG. 7(a), the opening groove 25 is formed in two places opposite each other, and the outer shell of the extension path 9a is divided into two. Note that the opening groove 25 may be formed in three or more places, and the outer shell of the extension path 9a may be divided into three or more. As shown in FIG. 4, etc., in the state in which the second processed material 12 does not flow in, the first flow path area S1 and the second flow path area S2 are approximately the same area. As shown in FIG. 6, in the process in which the second processed material 12 flows in from the inlet 23 and the third processed material 13 is discharged from the outlet 24, the outer shell of the extension path 9 is elastically deformed, and the outlet 24 widens, so that the second flow path area S2 becomes larger than the first flow path area S1.

Next, the configuration of the extension path 9b, which is a second example of the extension path 9, will be described. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the extension path 9b is formed in advance in a truncated cone shape so that the flow path area gradually increases from the inlet 23 toward the outlet 24. In the extension path 9b, the second flow path area S2 is steadily larger than the first flow path area S1.

<Effects of the urethane foam carbonization treatment device 1>
As described above, the urethane foam carbonization processing apparatus 1 has the following effects. The urethane foam carbonization processing apparatus 1 can produce a second processed material 12 from a first processed material 11, produce a third processed material 13 from the second processed material 12, and further produce a fourth processed material 14 from the third processed material 13. The volume reduction device 3 has an inlet 7, so that the first processed material 11 can be directly fed into the cylinder 6. The piston 8 compresses and sucks the first processed material 11, so that the volume reduction effect can be further enhanced.

As shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, the extended hydration device 4 can send the second treated material 12 to the extended path 9 because the extended path 9 is connected to the volume reduction device 3. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, the extended hydration device 4 adds water to the second treated material 12 sent to the extended path 9, so that a third treated material 13 that has absorbed water can be produced.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 etc., the extended hydration device 4 can send the second treated material 12 directly to the extended path 9 because the extended path 9 is connected to the cylinder 6. Furthermore, the extended hydration device 4 can generate a third treated material 13 that has absorbed more water by continuously adding water to the second treated material 12 sent to the extended path 9 until it is discharged from the extended path 9.

As shown in FIG. 7 etc., in the state where the second treated product 12 flows in through the inlet 23, goes through the process of generating the third treated product 13, and is discharged from the outlet 24, the second flow path area S2 at the outlet 24 is larger than the first flow path area S1 at the inlet 23. Therefore, the second treated product 12 that flows in through the inlet 23 expands toward the outlet 24, making it easier for the third treated product 13 to absorb water.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), in the extension path 9a, which is a first example of the extension path 9, the first flow path area S1 and the second flow path area S2 are approximately the same before the second treated material 12 flows in. When the second treated material 12 flows in from the inlet 23, the second flow path area S2 of the outlet 24 expands as it moves toward the outlet 24. Therefore, the second treated material 12 gradually expands during the process of generating the third treated material 13, making it easier to absorb water, and the third treated material 13 can be in a more water-absorbed state.

As shown in FIG. 7(b), the second example of the extension path 9, extension path 9b, is formed in advance in a truncated cone shape so that the flow path area gradually increases from the inlet 23 toward the outlet 24. Therefore, the second treatment product 12 gradually expands in the process of being produced into the third treatment product 13, making it easier to absorb water, and the third treatment product 13 can be in a more water-absorbed state.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples.

An example will be described in which the urethane foam carbonization processing device 1 is used to carbonize rigid urethane to produce a urethane foam carbonized material (fourth processed material 14). In the first processing step, the rigid urethane scraps were crushed and then kneaded to produce the first processed material 11. This processing changed the rigid urethane from a closed-cell state to an open-cell state.

Next, in the second processing step, the first processing material 11 was fed into the volume reduction device 3, and the piston 8 was operated at a pressure of 14 megapascals to reduce the volume. As shown in Figure 5, the piston 8 repeatedly moved in the compression direction and the opposite direction as indicated by the arrow in a 10-second cycle. After a second processing material 12 with a sufficiently reduced volume was produced, it moved to the third processing step.

The volume of the second processed material 12 was reduced to 5.5% of the volume of the first processed material 11. The volume ratio of 5.5% at this time was determined by measuring and converting as follows. The volume ratio is a value converted from the bulk density of the first processed material 11 and the density of the second processed material 12.

As shown in FIG. 9(a), the bulk density of the first processed material 11 was measured by passing the first processed material 11 through a funnel 32 with an aperture 33 of 20 mm into a beaker 31 with an internal volume of 1 liter, and allowing it to freely fall into the beaker 31. As shown in FIG. 9(b), the first processed material 11 was filled to the top of the beaker 31. The bulk density was determined by measuring the weight of the first processed material 11 filled in the beaker 31 and dividing it by the internal volume of the beaker 31, which is 1 liter. The bulk density at this time was 36 grams/liter.

The density of the second processed material 12 is calculated by inserting the first processed material 11 into a compressor 34 with a cylinder inner diameter 35 of 50 mm, compressing it for 10 seconds with a compression force P of 14 MPa, measuring the length 36, converting it to volume, and measuring the weight, as shown in FIG. 10. The density at this time was 653 g/L. A volume ratio of 5.5% was calculated from the bulk density of 36 g/L and the density of 653 g/L.

The third treatment step was carried out by transitioning from the state shown in Figure 5 to the state shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 5, the piston 8 compressed the second treatment material 12, and as shown in Figure 6, the piston 8 pushed the second treatment material 12 into the expansion path 9. As shown in Figure 6, the second treatment material 12 was sent to the expansion path 9, and at the same time, water was added from the water adding device 22. The amount of water added per minute was 30 to 45 milliliters per liter, calculated from the volume of the expansion path 9. The water absorption rate of the third treatment material 13 after the third treatment step was measured and was 10 to 20% by weight.

In the fourth processing step, as shown in FIG. 1, the third processed material 13 was put into the carbonization furnace 5, and the acid catalyst 15 was also put in. The acid catalyst 15 was a carbonization catalyst made by impregnating binchotan charcoal with concentrated sulfuric acid. The fourth processing step in the carbonization furnace 5 was carried out under heating conditions of 160°C. A sufficient amount of the carbonization catalyst was added until the third processed material 13 was completely carbonized to become the fourth processed material 14. The fourth processing step was continued for a sufficient time until the catalytic reaction was completely completed.

The fourth processed product 14, the carbonized urethane foam, became black powder as shown in Fig. 8(c). In the above-described embodiment, the carbonization treatment of the urethane foam was carried out three times, and the results of the component analysis shown in Table 1 below were obtained.

The results showed that the mixture contained 60.3-61.4% carbon by weight, 5.2-5.3% hydrogen by weight, and 5.1-5.4% nitrogen by weight. These are the results of the example.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 urethane foam carbonization treatment device 3 volume reduction device 4 expansion hydration device 5 carbonization furnace 6 cylinder 7 inlet 8 piston 9, 9a, 9b expansion path 10 urethane foam 11 first treated material 12 second treated material 13 third treated material 14 fourth treated material 15 acid catalyst 22 hydration device 23 inlet 24 outlet 25 open groove 26 water 31 beaker 32 funnel 33 bore 34 compressor 35 cylinder inner diameter P compression force S1 first flow path area S2 second flow path area

Claims (14)

A method for carbonizing a urethane foam, comprising the steps of:
a first processing step in which the urethane foam is subjected to a kneading or pulverizing process to open the cell structure and generate a first processed product;
A second processing step of reducing the volume of the first processed product to generate a second processed product;
a third treatment step in which the second treatment product is subjected to a water-adding treatment while increasing its volume to absorb water, thereby producing a third treatment product;
A urethane foam carbonization method comprising a fourth processing step of putting the third processed material into a carbonization furnace, adding an acid catalyst, and carbonizing the material under heating conditions to produce a fourth processed material which is a carbonized material. The urethane foam carbonization method according to claim 1, wherein the first processing step generates the first processed product by performing the kneading process when the urethane foam is hard urethane and performing the pulverizing process when the urethane foam is soft urethane. The urethane foam carbonization method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second processing step reduces the volume of the first processed material by repeating the suction and compression of the first processed material in a constant cycle to produce the second processed material. The method for carbonizing urethane foam according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the third processing step gradually increases the volume of the second processed material, and the hydration process is continued during the third processing step, thereby causing the second processed material to absorb water and generate the third processed material. The urethane foam carbonization method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fourth treatment step is carried out in at least one of the following conditions: adding the acid catalyst in an amount sufficient to carbonize all of the third treatment material; or allowing a treatment time sufficient to carbonize all of the third treatment material. The urethane foam carbonization method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the water absorption rate of the third treated material is 1 to 50% due to the hydration treatment in the third treatment step. When the urethane foam is a rigid urethane foam,
In the second processing step, the volume of the second processed product is reduced to a volume ratio of 1 to 50% of the volume of the first processed product,
In the water addition process of the third treatment step, the amount of water added to the second treatment product is 10 to 110 milliliters per minute when the volume of the second treatment product is 1 liter;
The volume ratio is a value calculated from the bulk density of the first processed product and the density of the second processed product,
The bulk density of the first treated product is a density obtained by passing the first treated product through a funnel having an aperture of 20 mm into a beaker having an internal volume of 1 liter, allowing the first treated product to freely fall into the beaker so that the beaker is filled to the top, measuring the weight of the first treated product filled in the beaker, and dividing the weight by the internal volume of the beaker;
The density of the second treated material is a density calculated by inserting the first treated material into a compressor having a cylinder inner diameter of 50 millimeters, compressing it for 10 seconds with a compression force of 14 megapascals, measuring its length, converting it to volume, and measuring its weight. A method for carbonizing a urethane foam according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A volume reduction device that reduces the volume of a first treated material, which is a urethane foam that has been crushed or pulverized, to generate a second treated material;
an extended hydration device for hydrating and absorbing the second treated product while increasing its volume to generate a third treated product;
A urethane foam carbonization treatment device comprising a carbonization furnace that carbonizes the third treated material to produce a fourth treated material. The volume reduction device comprises:
A cylinder for storing the first processed material;
An inlet for introducing the first processed material into the cylinder;
The apparatus for carbonizing a urethane foam according to claim 8 , further comprising a piston that slides within the cylinder and sucks in and compresses the first treated material. The extended hydration device is
An expansion path connected to the volume reduction device;
a water adding device that adds water to the second treatment material sent to the expansion path and absorbs the water;
The urethane foam carbonization treatment apparatus according to claim 8 or 9 , wherein the expansion hydration device is a device for generating the third treated material by adding water to the second treated material sent to the expansion path. The extended hydration device is
An expansion path connected to the volume reduction device;
a water adding device that adds water to the second treatment material sent to the expansion path and absorbs the water;
The urethane foam carbonization treatment device described in claim 8 or 9 , wherein the expansion hydration device is a device that produces the third treatment material by continuously adding water to the second treatment material sent to the expansion path until it is discharged from the expansion path. The extension path includes an inlet adjacent to the volume reduction device and an outlet for discharging the third processed product,
In a state in which the second treated product flows in from the inlet, undergoes a process in which the third treated product is generated, and is discharged from the outlet,
The apparatus for carbonizing a urethane foam according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein the extension path has a second flow passage area at the discharge port that is larger than a first flow passage area at the inlet port. The outer shell of the extension path is divided into a plurality of parts by an open groove formed continuously from the inlet toward the outlet,
The urethane foam carbonization treatment device of claim 12, wherein the expansion path has a second flow path area larger than the first flow path area as the discharge outlet widens during the process in which the second treatment material flows in through the inlet and the third treatment material is discharged from the discharge outlet . The apparatus for carbonizing a urethane foam according to claim 12 , wherein the extension path is formed in a truncated cone shape such that a flow path area gradually increases from the inlet toward the outlet.

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