Ald Vacuum Technologies Gmbh

Other

Leybold Durferrit Gmbh

Ald Vacuum Technologies Ag

Accurec Recycling Gmbh

Albrecht Melber

Erwin Wanetzky

Franz Hugo

Manfred Raschke

Wilfried Goy

Frank Schnatbaum

Reiner Sojka

Friedrich Preisser

Peter Minarski

Kyong-Tschong Rie

Paul Frankenbach

Klaus Zimmerman

Dieter Uschkoreit

A method for opening up electrochemical energy storage devices in connection with a subsequent recovery of valuable materials contained therein as secondary raw materials, in which method the energy storage devices are opened up by a thermal treatment system to remove the electrolytes and reactive substances, before the thermally treated material is subjected to processing, whereby secondary raw materials in the thermally treated material are separated from one another. The thermal treatment is performed in an indirectly heated furnace under atmospheric pressure conditions or a slight overpressure relative to the ambient pressure of up to 20 mbar in a reducing atmosphere, and influence is exerted on the course of the thermal treatment process via the reducing atmosphere, as a control variable. Furthermore, a thermal treatment system is described for removing electrolytes and reactive substances in electrochemical energy storage devices and consequently for pyrolytic opening.

Method to open up electro chemical energy storage devices and thermal treatment system

A method for breaking down electrochemical energy storage devices in conjunction with a subsequent reclamation of recyclable materials contained therein as secondary raw materials. The devices are broken down by a thermal treatment in a negative pressure environment in a process chamber to remove electrolyte and reactive substances, before the thermally treated material is subjected to downstream processing, by which the secondary raw materials are separated from one another. After introducing a batch of storage devices, in a first process step, the process chamber is evacuated with simultaneous heating of the devices to a first temperature level such that electrolytes in the devices evaporate and, due to the resulting vapor pressure, the devices are opened, wherein produced process gases containing electrolytes in the vapor phase are withdrawn from the process chamber. The devices are then heated to a second temperature level for further breakdown with a simultaneous pressure increase in the process chamber in a reducing atmosphere, before the chamber is ventilated and cooled and the broken down devices are removed, wherein the pressure increase is monitored during this second process step so that it increases continuously. Also, a thermal treatment system for removing electrolytes and reactive substances in electrochemical energy storage devices, thus for pyrolytically breaking them down.

Method and apparatus for evaporating components of multiple substance mixtures and multiple substance systems

Apparatus and method for removing metal bases from glass bulbs such as fluorescent lamps for the salvaging of raw materials therein for reuse. The method comprises providing an inductive field coil about at least one end of the glass bulb having the metal base, heating the metal base by induction to expand and loosen the same, then gripping and pulling the metal base from the bulb. The bulb is kept intact for later salvaging operations such that the removed bases are uncontaminated by mercury. The apparatus can include non-magnetic grippers such as ceramic jaws for the gripping of the metallic bases.

Inductive base detachment method

In a process for cleaning oil-wetted structural parts, a vacuum furnace (1) is first evacuated to a defined first pressure to eliminate residual air. Then an inert gas is introduced until a second, subatmospheric pressure is reached, which is above the first pressure, and the inert gas is circulated inside the vacuum furnace. To reduce the heat-up times and to conserve energy and inert gas:

Process for cleaning oil-wetted parts

Materials containing vaporizable substances are exposed successively in at least two treatment chambers (10, 13, 14), which can be closed off with respect to each other, to a series of decreasing pressures and increasing temperatures. The vaporizable substances are exhausted separately from each treatment chamber (10, 13, 14) and at least partially condensed and collected. The solid materials are discharged from the last treatment chamber (14). The treatment chambers (10, 13, 14) can be closed off against each other, against the atmosphere, and against any other units which may be connected to them downline (17, 18) by vacuum valves (11, 12, 115, 16) and are connected to vacuum lines (10a, 13a, 14a) in which condensers (10b, 13b, 14b) and vacuum pumps (10c, 13c, 14c) are installed.

Method and apparatus for thermal treatment of materials containing

Workpieces of carburizable materials, especially steels, are carburized by means of a pulsed plasma discharge in a carbon-containing atmosphere at pressures of 0.1-30 mbars and at pulsed voltages of 200-2,000 V, preferably of 300-1,000 V. A continuously applied baseline voltage, which is below the breakdown voltage, is superimposed on the pulsed voltage. The baseline voltage is preferably a direct-current voltage, which is in the range of 10-150 V, preferably of 20-100 V.

Process for carburizing workpieces by means of a pulsed plasma discharge

Workpieces of steel are hardened by carburizing the surface and then quenching. The carburizing is performed by means of a plasma discharge in a vacuum, in the presence of gaseous hydrocarbons at voltages between 200 and 2000 volts, preferably between 300 and 1000 volts, and preferably with the admixture of argon. The plasma is produced by means of electrodes operated in a vacuum, the cathode of which serves as workpiece holder and is operated by pulsed operation. In order to achieve a uniform hardness distribution and to reduce the mass flow of carbon, even in the case of irregularly shaped workpieces, the carburization is performed at a total pressure between 14 and 30 mbar, the pulse duration is selected between 110 and 10,000 .mu.sec, and the pause duration is selected between 30 and 10,000 .mu.sec. After the start-up phase has ended, the average power fed to the plasma discharge is reduced either continuously or step-wise by shortening the pulse duration and/or by prolonging the pulse duration, such that, without interruption of the pulsed operation, the carbon content at the surface of the workpiece will at no time exceed the carbon saturation limit of the steel in the austenite region.

Process for hardening workpieces in a pulsed plasma discharge

Method for the treatment of alloy steels and refractory metals such as Ti, Zr and Nb, especially for depassivation and subsequent thermochemical surface treatment in a process chamber (1, 2) under the action of pressure and temperature, wherein, in a first process step, a first gas or gas mixture from the group N.sub.2, H.sub.2 or NH.sub.3 is admitted for the depassivation into a process chamber (1), a pressure greater than 1 bar a and a temperature between 100.degree. C. and 1,000.degree. C. is established in the chamber (1), and in a second process step a second gas or gas mixture from the group of N-, C- or B-containing gases is admitted into a process chamber (1, 2) for the thermochemical surface treatment, and a temperature between 100.degree. C. and 1,000.degree. C. at a pressure greater than or equal to 1 bar a is established.

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Darmstadt, Germany

Albrecht Melber