Recycling and reduction of plastics and non-plastics material

Abstract

The present invention provides, e.g., methods to recycle and/or reduce plastic, non-plastic, or a combination thereof, from a waste stream. The methods of the present invention include contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one or more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to heat plastic present in the plastic waste.

1 .- 71 . (canceled) 
     
     
         72 . A method comprising:
 (a) separating a waste stream that includes plastic waste, thereby providing a plastic waste;   (b) analyzing the plastic waste using spectroscopy, sufficient to determine which of two or more materials comprise the plastic waste; and,   (c) contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one of more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to heat plastic present in the plastic waste, reduce the weight of the plastic waste, alter the volume of the plastic waste, or a combination thereof;   thereby effectively providing recycled plastic, reduced plastic, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 72 , wherein separating the waste stream comprises separating at least a portion of non-plastic waste, unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (UPVC), plastics treated with a fire retardant, or a combination thereof from the waste stream, to provide the plastic waste. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 72 , further comprising reducing the size of the plastic waste. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 72 , further comprising removing solid particles, organic matter, contaminants, metal contaminants, or a combination thereof, from the plastic waste. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 72 , further comprising cooling the heated plastic waste. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 72 , further comprising calibrating an infrared (IR) source to the plastic waste. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 72 , wherein analyzing the plastic waste using spectroscopy comprises analyzing the plastic waste using infrared spectroscopy. 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 78 , wherein analyzing the plastic waste using infrared spectroscopy comprises:
 projecting an infrared light through the plastic waste to one or more detectors, sufficient to provide a spectral content, the infrared light having at least two distinct frequency components;   analyzing the spectral content of the infrared light transmitted through the plastic waste; and   comparing the spectral content of the infrared light transmitted through the plastic waste to known spectral content profiles for two or more materials to determine which of the two or more materials comprise the plastic waste.   
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 78 , wherein analyzing the plastic waste using infrared spectroscopy comprises:
 projecting an infrared light having at least two distinct spectral frequency components through free space to an infrared light detector;   determining the spectral intensity of light received at the infrared light detector through free space;   projecting the infrared light having at least two distinct spectral frequency components through the plastic waste;   determining the spectral intensity of light received at the infrared light detector through the plastic waste; and,   deriving spectral absorption data for the waste material by comparing the spectral intensity of light received through free space to the spectral intensity of light received through the plastic waste.   
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 72  wherein the waste stream that includes plastic waste comprises at least about 70 wt. % to at least about 90 wt. % plastic. 
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 72  wherein the plastic waste comprises a thermoset plastic or a thermoplastic plastic. 
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 72  wherein the plastic waste comprises a plastic selected from the group of polyethylene terephthalate, high density polyethylene, poly vinyl chloride, low density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 74  wherein the reducing of the size of the plastic waste employed comprises at least one of shredding, cutting, slicing, ripping, shaving, tearing, slashing, carving, cleaving, cutting, dissevering, hacking, incising, severing, shearing, fragmenting, fraying, lacerating, and grinding, of the plastic waste. 
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 77  wherein the calibrating comprises estimating a composition of the plastic waste and a weight of the plastic waste, and deriving an infrared exposure from the composition and weight; wherein deriving an infrared exposure comprises determining at least one of time of exposure and intensity of infrared light. 
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 72  wherein the contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy is carried out at the one or more frequencies, at the one or more intensities, and over the period of time, effective to melt plastic present in the plastic waste, remove moisture present in the plastic waste, sterilize the plastic waste, render the plastic waste chemically inert. 
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 72  wherein the recycled plastic, the reduced plastic, or the combination thereof comprises plastic in more than about 70 wt. % to more than about 90 wt. %. 
     
     
         88 . A recycled material prepared by the process of  claim 72 . 
     
     
         89 . The recycled material of  claim 88  useful for at least one of a building material, a fuel additive, a fuel having a calorifinic value of at least 40 mJ/kg, a fuel accelerant, clothing fiber, a tote bag, furniture, a carpet, a new beverage container, a detergent bottle, an oil bottle, a vitamin bottle, a drain pipe, a recycling bin, a dog house, plastic lumber, packaging material, a binder, a mat, a deck, paneling, a roadway gutter, a mud flap, a speed bump, an envelope, a trash can, a trash liner, furniture, flooring tile, a compost bin, lumber, a signal light, a car battery component, a broom, a brush, an oil funnel, an ice scraper, a bike rack, a pallet, a storage bin, a tray, a thermometer, a switch plate, insulation, foam packaging, an egg carton, and a vent. 
     
     
         90 . A method comprising:
 (a) separating a waste stream that includes plastic waste, such that at least a portion of non-plastic waste, unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (UPVC), plastics treated with a fire retardant, or a combination thereof is separated from the waste stream, thereby providing a plastic waste;   (b) reducing the size of the plastic waste;   (c) analyzing the plastic waste using infrared spectroscopy, sufficient to determine which of two or more materials comprise the plastic waste;   (d) removing solid particles, organic matter, contaminants, metal contaminants, or a combination thereof, from the plastic waste;   (e) calibrating an infrared (IR) source to the plastic waste, wherein the calibrating occurs after analyzing;   (f) contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one or more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to heat plastic present in the plastic waste;   (g) contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one or more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to alter the volume of the plastic waste;   (h) contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one or more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to reduce the weight of the plastic waste; and,   (i) cooling the heated plastic waste;   thereby effectively providing recycled plastic, reduced plastic, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         91 . A method comprising:
 (a) separating a waste stream that includes plastic waste, such that at least a portion of non-plastic waste, unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (UPVC), plastics treated with a fire retardant, or a combination thereof is separated from the waste stream, thereby providing a plastic waste;   (b) reducing the size of the plastic waste;   (c) analyzing the plastic waste using infrared spectroscopy, sufficient to determine which of two or more materials comprise the plastic waste;   (d) removing solid particles, organic matter, contaminants, metal contaminants, or a combination thereof, from the plastic waste;   (e) calibrating an infrared (IR) source to the plastic waste, wherein the calibrating occurs after analyzing;   (f) contacting the plastic waste with infrared (IR) energy at one of more frequencies and at one or more intensities, over a period of time effective to heat plastic present in the plastic waste, reduce the weight of the plastic waste, alter the volume of the plastic waste, or a combination thereof; and,   (g) cooling the heated plastic waste;   thereby effectively providing recycled plastic, reduced plastic, or a combination thereof.