Device for coating aggregates, method and uses

Abstract

The invention relates to a mixing device adapted to manufacture bituminous mixes comprising:at least one means for conveying at least one granulate, such as a recycled aggregate, towards a malaxator and/or a drying drum, said conveyor means having an upper face adapted to receive the granulate,several groups of infrared emitter(s), disposed in line with said upper face of said at least one conveyor means and which are adapted to emit a wavelength which substantially corresponds to the maximum wavelength in the determined absorption spectrum of said at least one granulate at a desired temperature, each group of infrared emitters being adapted to emit a specific wavelength which is different for each group, said at least one conveyor means being adapted to and/or configured so as to withstand the electromagnetic radiations emitted by said groups of infrared emitters.The invention also relates to the method for implementing the aforementioned device, as well as uses thereof.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A mixing device adapted to manufacture bituminous mixes comprising:
 at least one means for conveying at least one granulate having a determined absorption spectrum at a desired temperature towards a malaxator and/or a drying drum, said conveyor means having an upper face adapted to receive the granulate,   several groups of infrared emitter(s), disposed in line with said upper face of said at least one conveyor means and which are adapted to emit a wavelength which substantially corresponds to a maximum wavelength in the determined absorption spectrum of said at least one granulate at the desired temperature, each group of infrared emitters being adapted to emit a specific wavelength which is different for each group, said at least one conveyor means being adapted to and/or configured so as to withstand the electromagnetic radiations emitted by said groups of infrared emitters.   
     
     
         16 . The mixing device according to  claim 15 , wherein the wavelength of said groups of infrared emitter(s) ranges from 0.7 μm to 1 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The mixing device according to  claim 16 , wherein the wavelength of said groups of infrared emitter(s) ranges from 1 to 80 μm. 
     
     
         18 . The mixing device according to  claim 16 , wherein the wavelength of said groups of infrared emitter(s) ranges from 1 to 50 μm. 
     
     
         19 . The mixing device according to  claim 15 , comprising at least one enclosure disposed so as to form a tunnel with at least one portion of said at least one conveyor means and which has an internal face on which all or part of said groups of infrared emitter(s) are arranged. 
     
     
         20 . The mixing device according to  claim 19 , which comprises:
 a conveyor means for each type of granulates; or   a conveyor means for different types of granulates.   
     
     
         21 . The mixing device according to  claim 20 , wherein said mixing device comprises:
 one single enclosure, each group of infrared emitter(s) being distributed over different portions of said enclosure, so that the device is provided with the same conveyor means for different types of granulates;   different enclosures, each enclosure being specific to one conveyor means, which, in turn, is dedicated to one type of granulates and each group of infrared emitter(s) being distributed over a different enclosure, so that said device is provided with different conveyor means for different types of granulates.   
     
     
         22 . The mixing device according to  claim 15 , wherein the groups of infrared emitter(s) are in the form of panels of infrared emitter(s). 
     
     
         23 . The mixing device according to  claim 22 , wherein each group of infrared emitter(s) is in the form of one or several panel(s) of infrared emitter(s). 
     
     
         24 . The mixing device according to  claim 22 , wherein 1 to 20 panel(s) of infrared emitter(s) each comprising from 1 to 50 emitter(s), is/are arranged on said internal face of said at least one enclosure. 
     
     
         25 . The mixing device according to  claim 15 , wherein the infrared emitters consist of carbon infrared emitters. 
     
     
         26 . The mixing device according to  claim 19 , wherein the distance “d” between the internal face of said at least one enclosure where the panel(s) of infrared emitter(s) is positioned and said upper face of said conveyor means ranges from 10 mm to 250 mm. 
     
     
         27 . The mixing device according to  claim 26 , wherein the distance “d” ranges from to 200 mm. 
     
     
         28 . The mixing device according to  claim 26 , wherein the distance “d” ranges from nm to 100 nm. 
     
     
         29 . The mixing device according to  claim 22 , wherein the tunnel extends according to a longitudinal axis X, the lateral spacing denoted “y” between two panels of emitter(s), considered in a sectional plane transverse to the longitudinal axis X, ranges from 600 mm to 1200 mm. 
     
     
         30 . The mixing device according to  claim 29 , wherein the lateral spacing denoted “y” ranges from 600 mm to 800 mm. 
     
     
         31 . The mixing device according to  claim 22 , wherein the longitudinal spacing denoted “z” between two panels of emitter(s), considered in the longitudinal plane X, ranges from 0 to 100 mm. 
     
     
         32 . The mixing device according to  claim 31 , wherein the longitudinal spacing denoted “z” between two panels of emitter(s), considered in the longitudinal plane X, ranges from 50 mm to 100 mm. 
     
     
         33 . The mixing device according to  claim 31 , wherein the longitudinal spacing denoted “z” between two panels of emitter(s), considered in the longitudinal plane X is 100 mm. 
     
     
         34 . A method for implementing the mixing device according to  claim 15 , comprising the following steps:
 (a) determining, at a desired temperature, the maximum wavelength in the absorption spectrum determined by spectrography of several types of granulates to be heated up which are different;   (b) disposing on said mixing device several groups of infrared emitter(s), each group of infrared emitter(s) being adapted to or being configured so as to emit substantially the wavelength determined at step (a) for a given type of granulates;   (c) successively conveying via said conveyor means, each type of granulates in line with said group of infrared emitter(s) that corresponds thereto and applying the wavelength so as to heat the granulates by thermal radiation;   (d) conveying each type of heated granulates from step (c) towards the malaxator and/or the drying drum including at least one hydrocarbon binder, so as to manufacture a bituminous mix.   
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the several type of granulates are selected from recycled aggregate or virgin granulates. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the drying drum further includes at least one virgin granulate.