Illinois Institute of Technology

George K Ivanov

Hamid Arastoopour

Fyodor Shutov

Nima Shahidi

Barry Bernstein

Ecevit Bilgili

An apparatus and process for pulverization of polymeric material having a multi-component screw disposed within an elongated cylindrical housing. The multi-component screw has an independently rotatable extrusion portion and an independently rotatable pulverization portion. A cooling means is provided to maintain the fine powder material produced during the pulverization process at a desired temperature. In one embodiment of this invention, a second multi-component screw having an independently rotatable extrusion portion and an independently rotatable pulverization portion is disposed within the elongated cylindrical housing.

Apparatus and process for pulverization of a polymeric material

An apparatus for solid state shear extrusion pulverization of a polymeric material comprising an elongated hollow barrel having a feed zone, a heating zone adjacent to the feed zone, a powder formation zone adjacent to the heating zone, and a powder discharge zone adjacent to the powder formation zone. At least one screw is housed within the elongated hollow barrel. A hopper is provided for feeding the polymeric material into the feed zone of the elongated hollow barrel. Barrel heaters and coolers are provided for heating the polymeric material to a temperature less than its decomposition temperature in the heating zone and for maintaining the polymeric material below its melting point in the powder formation zone. The screw comprises a high shear screw section for applying normal and shear forces within the powder formation zone to form a powder of the solid state polymeric material.

Solid state shear extrusion pulverization

A method of making a molded biodegradable food receptacle product including the steps of grinding up non-toxic agricultural waste plant material like soy, rice, oat and wheat hulls into particles having a range of sizes so that, if compressed in a mold, the smaller particles substantially fill the spaces between the much larger ones. Where necessary, there is added to the particles a natural and biodegradable binder-forming material, like an edible vegetable oil which will bind like a food receptacle the particles together to form a leak-proof receptacle, when inserted into a mold and compressed by the mold walls at elevated temperatures will produce compact well bound together particles. Without any chemical or physical pretreatment of the ground particles and particle-binder feed mix, the unpretreated mix, with or without small amounts of coloring, aromatic or foaming agents, is fed into a pressure-applying mold. The initial pressure and temperature preferably squeezes inherent binding-forming oils from the preferably seed hulls which freely flow through the mix. The high pressure is then partially reduced and the mold temperature is elevated to maximize the binding action of the binder materials as they solidify.

Method for producing biodegradable products

A process and apparatus for pulverization of natural and synthetic polymeric material by heating to a pre-melt or softening temperature below its melting point, cooling and applying high normal and shear stresses sufficient to form fine powder, and fluidizing the powder in a gas stream preventing its agglomeration. The same process and apparatus is suitable for enhancement of reactivity of polymeric and solid monomeric material to form homopolymers, copolymers, and new polymeric materials.

A process and apparatus for pulverization of natural and synthetic polymeric material by heating to a pre-melt or softening temperature below its melting point, cooling and applying normal and shear stresses sufficient to form fine powder, and fluidizing the powder in a gas stream preventing its agglomeration. The same process and apparatus is suitable for enhancement of reactivity of polymeric and solid monomeric material to form homopolymers, copolymers, and new polymeric materials.

A process and apparatus for pulverization of thermosetting, crosslinked thermoplastic and natural polymeric materials by applying normal and shear stresses by oppositely rotating meshing conical screws sufficient to form fine powder. The process may be conducted at relatively low temperatures, and in the case of many materials, at ambient or near ambient temperature and pressure conditions. The fine powder may be fluidized to aid in its discharge.

Growing community of inventors

Downers Grove, IL, United States of America

George K Ivanov