Method for separating plastics-containing mixture

Claim 1

A method for separating plastics-containing mixture from waste batteries or the like comprising a lead alloy, a polyolefin, a polystyrene and ebonite, which comprises (1) comminutating said mixture into a size of about 10mm or less; (2) separating the lead alloy from the mixture in a running liquid comprising water, sea water, brine or aqueous solutions, with the lead alloy being recovered as a residue; (3) placing the plastics mixture from which the lead alloy has been separated in a separation cell containing an aqueous liquid medium in the presence of a wetting agent in the amount of 10 to 500g per ton of mixture to be treated, said wetting agent being selected from the group consisting of sodium lignin sulfonate, calcium lignin sulfonate, tannic acid, a quebracho extract, gelatin, glue and saponin; (4) introducing gas bubbles into the cell thereby to cause the gas bubbles to selectively adhere to the surface of the polyolefin and float the polyolefin, with the polyolefin being recovered as a float; (5) adding a flotation agent in the amount of at least 10g per ton of mixture to be treated into the cell containing the plastics mixture from which the polyolefin has been separated, said flotation agent being selected from the group consisting of pine oil, cresylic acid, eucalyptus oil, camphor oil, a derivative of a higher alcohol, methylisobutyl carbinol, pyridine and o-toluidine; and (6) introducing gas bubbles into the cell thereby to cause the gas bubbles to selectively adhere to the surface of the polystyrene and float the polystyrene, with the polystyrene being recovered as a float and the ebonite being recovered as a residue.

Claim 2

A method for separating plastics-containing mixture from waste batteries or the like comprising a lead alloy, a polyolefin, a polystyrene and ebonite, which comprises (1) comminutating said mixture into a size of about 10mm or less; (2) separating the lead alloy from the mixture in a running liquid comprising water, sea water, brine or aqueous solutions, with the lead alloy being recovered as a residue; (3) placing the plastics mixture from which the lead alloy has been separated in a separation cell containing an aqueous liquid medium in the presence of a wetting agent in the amount of 10 to 500g per ton of mixture to be treated, said wetting agent being selected from the group consisting of sodium lignin sulfonate, calcium lignin sulfonate, tannic acid, a quebracho extract, gelatin, glue and saponin; (4) introducing gas bubbles into the cell thereby to cause the gas bubbles to selectively adhere to the surface of the polyolefin and float the polyolefin, with the polyolefin being recovered as a float; (5) adding a flotation agent in the amount of at least 10g per ton of mixture to be treated into the cell containing the plastics mixture from which the polyolefin has been separated, said flotation agent being selected from the group consisting of pine oil, cresylic acid, eucalyptus oil, camphor oil, a derivative of a higher alcohol, methylisobutyl carbinol, pyridine and o-toluidine; and (6) introducing gas bubbles into the cell thereby to cause the gas bubbles to selectively adhere to the surface of the polystyrene and float the polystyrene, with the polystyrene being recovered as a float and the ebonite being recovered as a residue.