Method of recycling filter media
View Patent ↗A method of recycling spent filter media is disclosed. The method can include providing a cloth, the cloth being spent polymer-base filter media, removing foreign solid particles from the cloth, washing the cloth, drying the cloth and processing the dried cloth to produce polymer-base particles that can be used to produce a component. The processing of the dried cloth can include densifying and/or granulating the dried cloth. In addition, the spent cloth can have been used as metal working filtration media and the foreign solid particles removed from the cloth using a brush. In some instances, the cloth is washed using a dry cleaning process and the granulating or densifying of the cloth produces particles that can be used in an injection molding machine.
1. A method of recycling spent filter media comprising:
providing a cloth, the cloth being spent polymer-base filter media;
rolling the spent polymer-base filer media into a roll;
removing foreign solid particles from the roll of cloth by unrolling the cloth and passing the cloth past and in contact with a rotating brush;
rolling the brushed cloth back into the form of a roll;
cutting the roll of cloth into a plurality of sections;
washing the plurality of cloth sections;
drying the plurality of cloth sections; and
processing the dried cloth to produce polymer-base particles, the particles selected from a group consisting of granules, pellets and combinations thereof, and used to produce a component.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing of the dried cloth is selected from the group consisting of densifying and granulating.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloth has been used as metal working filtration media.
4. The method of claim 1 , further including removing the foreign solid particles from the cloth using a squirrel cage.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the washing the cloth is dry cleaning the cloth.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the washing the cloth is washing the cloth using soap and water.
7. The method of claim 6 , further including bailing the polymer-base particles.
8. A method of making a component out of recycled polymer-base filter media cloth, the method comprising:
providing a cloth, the cloth being spent polymer-base filter media;
rolling the cloth into a roll;
removing foreign solid particles from the roll of cloth by unrolling the roll of cloth and passing the unrolled cloth between a pair of rotating brushes, the brushes mechanically removing the foreign solid particles from the cloth;
rolling the cloth that has passed between the pair of rotating brushes back into a roll;
cutting the roll of cloth into a plurality of sections such that a plurality of rectangular sheets of cloth are produced;
washing the rectangular sheets of cloth;
drying the rectangular sheets of cloth;
processing the rectangular sheets of cloth to produce polymer particles, the particles selected from a group consisting of granules, pellets and combinations thereof and the processing selected from a group consisting of granulating and densifying;
providing an injection molding machine;
placing the particles of polymer into the injection molding machine; and
injection molding the particles of polymer to produce a component.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cloth has been used as a metal working filter media.
10. The method of claim 8 , further including spinning the rectangular sheets of cloth in a squirrel cage in order to remove additional foreign solid particles from the cloth.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein washing the rectangular sheets of cloth is dry cleaning the rectangular sheets of cloth.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the component is a dunnage for holding automotive parts.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the component is a pallet.