Sorting systems of automobile shredder residue to enhance recovery of recyclable materials

Abstract

Systems and methods for increasing recyclable material recovery from automobile shredder residue (4). Embodiments include separation of automobile shredder residue with a sorting system (5) such as an air sorting system, a non-ferrous automobile shredder residue air sorter, an air-locked automobile shredder residue sorting system, a non-magnetic magnetic sorter, a substantially isotropic quantization sorting system, an air-locked Z-box air classifier, low susceptance microparticle separator, a magnetic fuzz separator, a wind tunnel system, or the like perhaps with substantially horizontal laminar air flow (7) and can be used with or without out other traditional automobile shredder residue sorting systems (16) or (15) perhaps creating additional recyclable quantities and even better separated results such as with zorba and zurik and the like.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of separation of automobile shredder residue comprising the steps of:
 providing automobile shredder residue;   providing an automobile shredder residue sorting system comprising at least one air-locked wind tunnel having a first air-lock at a material introduction element and a second air-lock at a first sorted collection location;   introducing at least some of said automobile shredder residue into said wind tunnel through said first air-lock at said material introduction element;   separating materials within said automobile shredder residue by non-magnetically, path directed air sorting within said air-locked wind tunnel into at least a first collection of materials having a first common material quality; and   removing said first collection of materials from said wind tunnel through said second air-lock.   
     
     
         2 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of separating materials within said automobile shredder residue further comprises directing a flow of air through an air aligner to produce a laminar air flow in said wind tunnel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said first common material quality is at least one of weight, density, and particle size. 
     
     
         4 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said one air-locked wind tunnel is further provided with a third air-lock at a second sorted collection location;   wherein said step of separating materials within said automobile shredder residue further comprises separating said materials within said automobile shredder residue into at least a second collection of materials having a second common material quality; and   further comprising the step of removing said second collection of materials from said wind tunnel through said third air-lock.   
     
     
         5 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein said second common material quality is at least one of weight, density, and particle size and has a different value than said first common material quality. 
     
     
         6 . The method of enhanced separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said automobile shredder residue sorting system further comprises a closed loop automobile shredder residue sorting system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said automobile shredder residue sorting system further comprises an air-locked Z-box air classifier. 
     
     
         8 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of separating materials within said automobile shredder residue further comprises the step of providing a substance dwell time in said wind tunnel selected from a group consisting of a dwell time that is greater than a dwell time of a Z-box air classifier system, about a 1 second dwell time, greater than about 1 second dwell time, about 1.5 second dwell time, and about 2 seconds dwell time. 
     
     
         9 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of non-magnetically air sorting said automobile shredder residue further comprises the step of single stage sorting said automobile shredder residue. 
     
     
         10 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of non-magnetically air sorting said automobile shredder residue further comprises the step of double stage sorting said automobile shredder residue. 
     
     
         11 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of separating materials within said automobile shredder residue in said automobile shredder residue sorting system further comprises the step of directing a flow of air vertically in said automobile shredder residue sorting system. 
     
     
         12 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of separating materials within said automobile shredder residue in said automobile shredder residue sorting system further comprises the step of directing a flow of air horizontally in said automobile shredder residue sorting system. 
     
     
         13 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of separating materials within said automobile shredder residue further comprises the step of providing a flow of air through said wind tunnel at a speed between about 30 mph and about 40 mph. 
     
     
         14 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of separating materials within said automobile shredder residue further comprises the step of providing a flow of air through said wind tunnel at a speed between about 15 mph and about 35 mph. 
     
     
         15 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of separating materials within said automobile shredder residue further comprises the step of providing different air velocities at a material introduction section and at a downstream section of said wind tunnel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of separating materials within said automobile shredder residue further comprises the step of reducing air velocity in a downstream section of said wind tunnel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of separating materials within said automobile shredder residue further comprises the step of providing a downstream air velocity that is less than an air stream velocity at a material introduction section of said wind tunnel. 
     
     
         18 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of separating materials within said automobile shredder residue further comprises first providing horizontal path directed air sorting and subsequently providing vertical path directed air sorting. 
     
     
         19 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a cyclone in said automobile shredder residue sorting system. 
     
     
         20 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of size sorting said automobile shredder residue after providing said automobile shredder residue. 
     
     
         21 . The method of separation of automobile shredder residue as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein said sized automobile shredder residue comprises a size selected from a group consisting of less than about 3 inches, less than about 2.5 inches, less than about 1 inch, and less than about ⅞ inch.