WO2024126488A1 - Device for comminuting and/or processing material, assembly, method, fibre material and use of the fibre material - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for comminuting and/or processing material, in particular composite material, comprising: a housing in which a working space is provided for comminuting/processing material, wherein the working space is bounded by a base region and a peripheral side wall; a feed assembly for feeding material into the working space, the feed assembly being located on an upper side of the housing; a working shaft which extends in the vertical direction in the working space and is mounted on the housing such that it can rotate about its longitudinal axis, wherein impact elements are provided on the working shaft in order to act on the material introduced into the working space; and, drive means for driving the working shaft. The invention further relates to an assembly and a method.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Device for crushing and/or processing material, arrangement, method, fibre material and use of the fibre material

The present invention relates to a device for crushing and/or processing material, in particular composite material.

The present invention further relates to an arrangement for crushing and/or processing material, in particular composite material. The invention also relates to a method for crushing and/or processing material, in particular composite material. In addition, the invention relates to a fiber material and the use of a fiber material.

Devices for shredding and/or processing material, for example cross-flow shredders, are used to shred a large number of objects so that different materials contained in the objects can then be separated. A key area of application is the shredding of household electrical appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines or the like.

For crushing, the relevant materials are introduced into a work area in which impact elements, such as chains, rotate around a vertical axis of rotation and thus act on the introduced material via impact processes. The longer the introduced devices or materials remain in the work area, the longer the impact elements act on them and the smaller the remaining parts are.

It has been found that cross-flow shredders are not only suitable for shredding electrical devices, but also for processing and obtaining fibers for paper production or the production of insulation materials. Such a process is already known from EP 2 788 544 B1. Waste paper is introduced into a cross-flow shredder and shredded there using impact elements, in particular chains. The shredding takes place not only through the direct action of the chains on the waste paper, but also through secondary impact processes between scraps of waste paper. The advantage of this process for shredding and processing waste paper is that the processing can be carried out essentially dry, i.e. with only a low moisture content. The fibers are not damaged as much as with other processing processes in which the waste paper is dissolved in liquid. This enables a higher recycling rate to be achieved.

Such devices and methods have generally proven to be effective for processing and shredding waste paper. However, there is also a need to process materials that do not only consist predominantly of waste paper, but also contain other materials, such as metal foils or plastic components. An example of such composite materials is packaging used under the Tetrapak brand for beverage containers. Such composite material can also be referred to as food or beverage composite material or packaging material or packaging. Such packaging is usually made up of several layers and contains not only paper layers but also plastic layers and aluminum layers. It has proven difficult to process such packaging materials according to the Such materials are often sent to a waste incineration plant, which is associated with significant pollutant emissions and rules out reuse.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an alternative device, an arrangement and a method for comminuting and/or processing materials, which are particularly suitable for composite materials, preferably for recycling composite materials, and thus allow the extraction of materials, preferably fiber material with a favorable property profile, for further use.

This object is achieved according to a first aspect of the present invention by a device of the type mentioned at the outset with a housing in which a working space is provided for crushing/processing material, wherein the working space is preferably delimited by a floor area and a circumferential side wall, a feed arrangement for feeding material into the working space, which is provided on an upper side of the housing, a working shaft extending in a vertical direction in the working space, which is rotatably mounted on the housing about its longitudinal axis, wherein impact elements are provided on the working shaft for acting on the material introduced into the working space, and drive means for driving the working shaft, wherein bottom-side outlet openings are formed in the floor area of the working space and/or lateral outlet openings are formed in the side wall of the working space.

This design is based on the basic idea of providing outlet openings on the floor and/or lateral outlet openings in the side wall of the work area through which the shredded material can leave the work area. This means that shredded material can leave the work area, particularly if it is difficult to can exit through the bottom outlet openings due to force and/or exit through the side outlet openings due to centrifugal force.

The shredding device according to the invention can have both bottom and side outlet openings. Embodiments in which only bottom or side outlet openings are provided are also conceivable. The following description of the outlet openings relates both to embodiments in which bottom and side outlet openings are provided, and to embodiments in which only bottom or side outlet openings are provided.

If the comminution device has both bottom and side outlet openings, the device preferably has a discharge chamber into which the bottom outlet openings open, and a discharge chamber separate from this into which the side outlet openings open, so that crushed/processed material which leaves the working chamber through the side outlet openings can be discharged from the device separately from the crushed/processed material which leaves the working chamber through the bottom outlet openings.

This design is based on the idea of making a separation during the shredding process between material that leaves the work area at the bottom, particularly due to gravity, and material that leaves the work area in the side direction due to centrifugal force. Such a separation is useful, for example, for used drinks packaging in order to separate closures, for example made of plastic, from the rest of the packaging. During the shredding of the drinks packaging Due to the action of the impact elements after introduction into the working area, parts of the plastic closure move downwards due to gravity, whereas other areas of the beverage cartons are whirled up by the rotating impact elements and leave the working area preferably in a sideways direction through the side outlet openings.

Alternatively, both side and bottom outlet openings can lead into a common discharge chamber.

In a preferred embodiment, the bottom and/or side outlet openings are designed as sieve openings. In other words, a large number of relatively small sieve openings are provided in the bottom area or on the side walls, through which the shredded material can leave the working area. The individual bottom sieve openings preferably have a larger open cross-section than the side sieve openings. The open cross-section of the bottom sieve openings can be at least 1.5 times as large as the open cross-section of the side sieve openings, in particular at least 2 times as large. According to a preferred embodiment, the open cross-section of the individual bottom sieve openings is at most 5 times as large as the open cross-section of the individual side sieve openings, in particular at most 4 times as large. The open cross-section of the individual bottom sieve openings is particularly preferably 3 times as large as the open cross-section of the individual side sieve openings.

The outlet openings on the bottom and/or the outlet openings on the side can be formed at least partially, in particular completely, by expanded metal mesh with diamond-shaped openings. Expanded metal mesh is a grid-shaped structure with openings. These are preferably produced by offset cuts without loss of material under simultaneous stretching or deformation of a sheet material. Welded versions of expanded metal mesh are also conceivable. This creates a mesh-like structure with a large number of openings. The individual meshes of the mesh-like material made from panels or strips are preferably neither braided nor welded. The expanded metal mesh preferably does not have a flat surface, but protrudes upwards or downwards in the area of the contact points or mesh points, so that sharp material edges can be present. The expanded metal mesh preferably has essentially diamond-shaped openings. It has been found that, particularly when already shredded material containing metal-containing components is recirculated, further shredding in a shredding device, in particular in a cross-flow shredder, takes place less through the direct action of impact elements, for example chains, but practically through shearing off the individual shreds on the expanded metal mesh, where, due to the manufacturing process, sharp edges protrude into the working area of the shredding device. In this way, efficient further shredding can take place, especially of recirculated material.

It has been found that, in particular, components of composite materials can be cleanly separated into individual components by contact with expanded metal mesh. For example, plastic films, such as PE films, are effectively separated, practically torn off or sheared off, from paper layers or aluminum layers by contact with expanded metal mesh. In other words, the various components of composite material, which preferably form different layers, are efficiently separated from one another by contact with expanded metal mesh. This means that a high level of purity of different fractions in individual parts or shreds can be achieved during separation. The expanded metal can have essentially diamond-shaped openings. The diamond-shaped openings preferably have a length of at least 20 mm, in particular of at least 30 mm, preferably of at least 45 mm, and/or of at most 100 mm, in particular of at most 80 mm, preferably of at most 70 mm, particularly preferably a height of 62 mm. The diamond-shaped openings can have a width of at least 10 mm, in particular of at least 15 mm, preferably of at least 20 mm and/or of at most 40 mm, in particular of at most 35 mm, preferably of at most 30 mm, particularly preferably a width of about 25 mm. The expanded metal can also have square openings. The length or width of the square openings can be at least 20 mm, in particular at least 25 mm, preferably at least 30 mm, and/or at most 60 mm, in particular at most 55 mm, preferably at most 50 mm, particularly preferably about 40 mm or 42 mm. Alternatively, the expanded metal mesh can also have openings with a circular cross-section. The diameter of the circular openings is preferably at least 15 mm, in particular at least 25 mm, preferably at least 30 mm, and/or at most 60 mm, in particular at most 52 mm, preferably at most 45 mm, particularly preferably about 40 mm. The expanded metal mesh that forms the bottom openings can be designed identically to the expanded metal mesh that forms the side outlet openings. Embodiments are also possible in which the bottom outlet openings are formed by different expanded metal mesh than the side outlet openings. It is also conceivable to provide different expanded metal mesh in sections for the bottom outlet openings. Likewise, different expanded metal mesh can also be provided in sections for the side outlet openings. In a further embodiment, the open cross-section of the individual bottom-side sieve or outlet openings can be at least 60 mm ² and/or at most 2400 mm ^2. The open cross-section of the individual side sieve or outlet openings can be at least 20 mm ² and/or at most 800 mm ^2. The size of the individual sieve or outlet openings determines how long parts of the material remain in the working area and to what size they are reduced. The smaller the sieve or outlet openings, the smaller the parts that leave the working area through the sieve or outlet openings.

The lateral outlet openings are preferably arranged in a ring shape. They preferably extend over essentially the entire height of the working space. It is also conceivable that they extend over only part of the height of the working space, in particular over at least 40% of the height of the working space, preferably at least 60% of the height of the working space. A high discharge rate is achieved by a ring-shaped design of the lateral sieve openings and thus a high material throughput is possible. The lateral outlet openings preferably extend in an upper section of the working space so that they are spaced from the floor area. This allows a favorable separation of material parts to be achieved.

According to a preferred embodiment, the outlet openings on the floor extend over the entire floor area of the work space. This also leads to a high material throughput.

Furthermore, the outlet openings on the bottom can lead downwards into an outlet funnel. This can be connected to a discharge pipe through which the shredded material that has left the working area has left through the outlet openings at the bottom and can be transported further.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device has a screen basket which is inserted into the housing and forms the working space, with an annular space being formed between the screen basket and the housing for discharging the crushed/processed material. The lateral outlet openings preferably open into this annular space. In other words, the impact elements move in a screen basket into which the material to be crushed/processed is introduced by the feed arrangement. When the crushed/processed material falls below a certain size, it can thus leave the screen basket downwards into a discharge space on the bottom or outwards into the annular space formed between the screen basket and the housing and be discharged. The annular space can thus form the discharge space into which the lateral outlet openings open.

The sieve basket can have a polygonal or circular cross-section.

In a preferred embodiment, the screen basket comprises a base area, which is preferably designed as a base plate, in which in particular the base-side outlet openings are located, and a circumferential side wall protruding upwards from the base area, in which the lateral outlet openings are preferably formed. In other words, the screen basket forms the base area and the circumferential side wall. The side wall preferably extends over the entire height of the housing, so that the working space is limited on all sides and no non-shredded or processed material can penetrate into the discharge spaces. Specifically, the outlet openings on the bottom can extend over the entire base plate of the strainer basket.

To simplify maintenance activities, the side wall of the screen basket can comprise several side wall segments which can be moved between an operating position in which the screen basket is closed over its circumference and a maintenance position in which the working space is accessible from the outside. Specifically, two side wall segments lying next to one another can be pivoted about a common, in particular vertically extending pivot axis between the operating position and the maintenance position. Appropriate locking means can be provided to fix the side wall segments in their operating position in which the working space is completely closed on the circumference.

To optimize the crushing or processing of the introduced material, impact bars that protrude into the working area can be arranged on the screen basket, in particular on the side wall or in the base area, preferably on a base plate. The idea behind this design is that defined impact surfaces are created with which the particles, shreds or similar that are set in motion can carry out impact processes in order to optimize the crushing/processing. Adjustment means can also be provided for adjustment in order to move the impact bars into or out of the working area.

Impact bars can also be mounted outside the screen basket and have tooth-shaped projections that protrude into the screen basket through the screen openings on the bottom and/or in the side wall. The tooth-shaped projections improve the crushing/breakdown of the material that is inside the screen basket. Mounting the impact bars outside the screen basket enables easy replacement of the impact bars. without having to open the screen basket. The design of the tooth-shaped projections can vary depending on the material to be shredded.

The working shaft can be arranged either eccentrically or concentrically to the center of the cross-section of the screen basket.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the impact elements provided on the working shaft can be designed to protrude radially outwards into the working space when the working shaft is rotating in order to act on the material introduced into the working space. The impact elements are preferably attached to the working shaft at a distance from one another in the vertical direction and/or circumferential direction. In concrete terms, this means that the impact elements can be attached to the working shaft at different heights in order to be able to act on the introduced material distributed over the height of the working space. This achieves particularly effective crushing or processing of the material.

In a specific embodiment, at least one ring-shaped support element can be provided, to which at least one impact element is attached, each support element being connected to the working shaft in a rotationally and axially fixed manner. In order to attach several impact elements to the working shaft at a distance from one another in the vertical direction, preferably several support elements are attached to the working shaft at a distance from one another in the vertical direction.

In a further embodiment, several, in particular exactly two, impact elements can be attached to each ring-shaped support element, evenly distributed in the circumferential direction. An annular support element, which surrounds the working shaft, represents a possibility to replace worn impact elements quickly and effectively. At the same time, it is It is possible to quickly change the impact elements if different materials are to be crushed or processed and different impact elements are particularly suitable for this. An even distribution of the impact elements in the circumferential direction prevents imbalances and reduces the mechanical stress on the working shaft and its bearings.

Preferably, each ring-shaped support element on the one hand and the working shaft on the other hand are connected in a rotationally fixed manner by means of key connections. This prevents the support elements and the impact elements attached to them from slipping. Furthermore, at least one, in particular each ring-shaped support element can comprise several, in particular two, circumferential segments which can be or are clamped, in particular screwed, against the working shaft. In this way, the impact elements can be attached to the working shaft quickly and easily by applying the circumferential segments to the working shaft from both sides and then clamping them, in particular screwing them together.

In order to fix the ring-shaped support elements axially firmly to the working shaft, ring-shaped circumferential receiving grooves can be formed in the working shaft, into which the ring-shaped support elements engage. This creates a positive, axially fixed connection between the ring-shaped support elements and the working shaft.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the impact elements can have chains or be designed as chains, whereby the chain links are preferably rounded so that they do not have any sharp edges. By designing the impact elements as chains that do not have any edges, a fiber-friendly shredding of waste paper components is achieved. because the fibers would be damaged by sharp edges. As a result, the recyclability of shredded or processed waste paper is increased.

In a further embodiment, several air guide vanes can be arranged on the working shaft, in particular in an upper end area of the working chamber, distributed over the circumference. Such air guide vanes, which preferably protrude from the working shaft and rotate with it, ensure a vertical air flow in the working chamber and can thus be used to control the discharge through the outlet openings on the bottom. In other words, the turbulence that occurs due to the impact elements acting on the material is influenced by such air guide vanes. Preferably, two air guide vanes opposite one another are provided on the working shaft.

In a further development of this embodiment, the air guide vanes can be pivotably mounted on the working shaft about a pivot axis extending transversely, in particular perpendicularly to the working shaft, so that an angle of attack of the air guide vanes can be adjusted. In other words, the air flow generated by the air guide vanes, in particular in the vertical direction, can be adjusted by changing the angle of attack. A suitable adjustment mechanism is preferably provided for this purpose.

In a preferred embodiment, the working shaft completely penetrates the housing in the vertical direction and is rotatably mounted on the top side, in particular on a top wall of the housing, and on a bottom side, in particular in a bottom wall of the housing. Such a two-point bearing enables a robust fixation of the working shaft in the housing. The working shaft can be connected to a flywheel in a rotationally fixed manner. The flywheel is preferably arranged below the housing. The flywheel can have a weight of at least 100 kg, in particular of at least 150 kg, preferably of at least 200 kg, and/or of at most 400 kg, in particular of at most 350 kg, preferably of 300 kg, particularly preferably a weight of about 250 kg. The flywheel can also be arranged below a drive motor.

The drive means can comprise a drive motor with a motor shaft that can be driven in rotation. The drive motor is preferably attached to a top of the housing, with the motor shaft and the working shaft in particular running coaxially to one another. This design is based on the basic idea of attaching the drive motor above the housing and aligning it coaxially to the working shaft, which makes it possible to achieve a space-saving design. Traction gears, which are often required for a drive motor that is attached eccentrically to the working shaft, can be dispensed with entirely. In addition, the motor does not protrude laterally beyond the housing. It is also conceivable that the drive motor is arranged below the housing.

In a specific embodiment, a fastening flange can be attached to the top of the housing, in particular welded or screwed on, to which the drive motor is fixed. Furthermore, the drive means can comprise a gear, in particular a planetary gear, which is arranged between the working shaft and the motor shaft. An intermediate gear causes the working shaft to rotate at a suitable speed in order to achieve optimal crushing or processing of the material introduced into the working space. Such a gear can also be arranged in the area of an intermediate flange, which is located between a flange of the drive motor and a housing-fixed flange. It is also conceivable that the gearbox is designed integrally with the drive motor.

The drive means can also comprise a coupling which is arranged between the motor shaft and the working shaft. The coupling can be designed as a switchable coupling and/or as a compensating coupling which is suitable for compensating for speed fluctuations and/or angular deviations between the motor shaft and the working shaft. This design is based on the consideration that when the impact elements act on the material introduced into the working space, impact processes occur which can lead to abrupt speed fluctuations. A compensating coupling protects the drive motor from damage as it is suitable for at least partially compensating for such speed fluctuations. In the case of impact processes, angular deviations between the motor shaft and the working shaft can also occur due to deformations, which can also be compensated for by a suitable compensating coupling. Specifically, the compensating coupling can be designed as a claw coupling with corresponding elastic intermediate elements or as a spring bar coupling.

The drive motor can be designed as an electric motor, in particular as a speed-controlled electric motor. By adjusting the speed, an optimal mode of operation for shredding or processing can be set, tailored to the respective material.

Furthermore, means for injecting a tempering liquid into the working chamber can be provided. This design is based on the idea of supplying moisture to the working chamber, for example in order to regulate the moisture content in the material to be processed or shredded or in order to be able to control the temperature in the working chamber. The temperature Tempering liquid can contain or consist of water. The tempering liquid can also contain or consist of whey. Whey is a residual liquid that is produced during cheese production. In this case, whey can be used as a recyclable flame retardant, especially if cellulose is extracted from the composite materials.

The device can further comprise measuring means which record the temperature in the working space. In addition, a control device can be provided which is designed and suitable for monitoring the temperature in the working space and, if required, introducing tempering fluid into the working space.

In a further embodiment of the device according to the invention, the housing can comprise a lower, preferably substantially flat base wall, an upper, substantially flat top wall and peripheral walls which connect the base wall to the top wall. The housing can also comprise a support frame to which the base wall, the top wall and the peripheral walls are fastened. In order to simplify the manufacture of the device according to the invention, the support frame can comprise support profiles, in particular standardized support profiles, which are screwed or welded together. The base wall and/or the top wall of the housing can also comprise several wall segments, each of which is fastened between support profiles. Fastening flanges, for example for attaching the motor or intermediate flanges, or bearing flanges for receiving bearings for the working shaft, can also be fastened to the support profiles.

In a further embodiment, the bottom wall and/or the top wall can be rectangular, in particular square, so that the housing essentially has a cuboid basic shape. The bottom wall can also be funnel-shaped so that parts of the material leaving the working space through the side outlet openings can be discharged through the annular space along the funnel-shaped bottom wall.

Closable maintenance openings for access to the housing interior can be provided in the housing, in particular in a peripheral wall of the housing. Furthermore, the housing can be designed to be pressure-tight and/or be provided with a pressure relief valve for applying an overpressure in the housing interior and/or with a vacuum valve for generating a vacuum in the housing interior.

According to a second aspect, the object underlying the invention is achieved by a device for shredding and/or processing material, in particular composite material, with at least one expanded metal grid over which the material to be shredded can be guided or against which the material to be shredded can collide. The device preferably comprises at least one expanded metal grid over which the material to be shredded is guided or with which the material comes into contact. This design is based on the consideration that expanded metal grids are particularly suitable for shredding composite materials, preferably for shredding composite food packaging or composite beverage packaging. It has been found that expanded metal grids in contact with composite material to be shredded, in particular with shreds thereof, lead to a separation of the various layers from one another and thus to a separation into very pure material fractions. In practice, the various layers are torn or sheared off from one another. The device can be further designed as previously described in connection with the first aspect of the invention. The same applies to the preferred design of the expanded metal grids. The device can have a working space in which the material to be shredded can be set in motion. The working space can have outlet openings, which are specifically formed by an expanded metal mesh. Due to the movement, the material to be shredded, for example the composite material, can hit the expanded metal mesh so that it is separated upon contact with the expanded metal mesh. The shredded material components can then leave the working space through the expanded metal mesh.

Furthermore, the device can have means with which the material to be shredded is set in motion. Specifically, the material can be accelerated so that it hits the expanded metal. In other words, kinetic energy is generated before the material is brought into contact with the expanded metal. The means can comprise impact elements which can move in the working space in order to act on the material to be shredded.

The object underlying the invention is further achieved according to a third aspect by an arrangement for crushing and/or processing material, in particular composite material, comprising:

- a comminution device for comminution of the material, in particular a cross-flow shredder, preferably a device as previously described in connection with the first and/or the second aspect; separation means downstream of the comminution device for separating the material into different material fractions. Furthermore, according to a fourth aspect, the object underlying the invention is achieved by a method for crushing and/or processing material, in particular composite material, comprising the following steps:

- Provision of source material;

- comminuting the starting material in a comminution device, in particular in a cross-flow shredder and/or in a device as previously described in connection with the first and/or second aspect;

- Separating the shredded material into different material fractions.

This arrangement or method is based on the idea of first shredding the starting material and then systematically separating the shredded material into different material fractions. The processing of the material can thus include separating it into different material fractions. In other words, after shredding the material, it is intended to separate it into different material fractions, so that, for example, in the case of beverage composite material in particular, a paper fraction (cellulose), an aluminum fraction and/or a plastic fraction and possibly other material fractions are finally obtained, each of which has a high purity and can be easily processed further. Alternatively, instead of an aluminum fraction, a mixture of plastic film, in particular a PE film which is coated with aluminum, can also be obtained. The (composite) material or the starting material can contain cellulose fibers or cellulose fiber. Preferably, the material is already shredded in the shredding device to such an extent that shredded so that, in particular in the case of a paper fraction or a cellulose fraction, subsequent dissolution in a liquid, also known as a pulper, is no longer necessary. This enables particularly ecological and fiber-friendly processing of the material to be achieved. Certain material fractions, in particular those made of paper and/or cellulose (fibers or fibrous material), can be used for the subsequent production of insulating materials. The method according to the invention or the arrangement according to the invention can be used for shredding/processing material for the production of insulating materials. The shredding device can in principle be any device for shredding material or the device for shredding and/or processing material, in particular composite material, according to the first and/or second aspect of the invention.

The starting material is preferably a composite material. Specifically, it can be food composite material or packaging and/or beverage composite material or packaging.

The starting material can have a weight proportion of cellulose of at least 30%, in particular of at least 40%, preferably of at least 50%, and/or of at most 90%, in particular of at most 80%, preferably of at most 70%. The weight proportion of aluminum can be at least 2%, in particular of at least 5%, preferably of at least 10%, and/or of at most 50%, in particular of at most 40%, preferably of at most 30%. The starting material can have a weight proportion of hard plastic, which is used for screw caps, for example, of at least 0.5%, in particular of at least 1%, preferably of at least 1.5%, and/or of at most 10%, in particular of at most 8%, preferably of at most 5%. The starting material can also have a weight proportion of plastic film, in particular of PE film, of at least 2%, in particular of at least 5%, preferably of at least 10%, and/or of at most 50%, in particular of at most 40%, preferably of at most 30%.

Preferably, the comminution takes place at a temperature in the working chamber of the comminution device of at least 40°C, in particular at least 50°C, preferably at least 60°C, and/or of at most 150°C, in particular of at most 120°C, preferably of at most 100°C, particularly preferably at a temperature of 80°C. The temperature in the working chamber is preferably 80°C +/- 10°C. At such temperatures, the material is hygienized at the same time as the comminution/processing. This is energetically advantageous because the resulting process heat can be used.

To control the temperature, a tempering liquid can be introduced into the working area. The tempering liquid can contain water or consist of water. The tempering liquid can also contain whey. In this case, whey can be used as a recyclable fire retardant, especially if cellulose (fibers) are extracted from the material.

In a further embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention, the separation means can comprise an air sifting system. Accordingly, in the method according to the invention, the comminuted material is preferably separated into different material fractions by means of air sifting. Air sifting is a mechanical separation process in which particles are guided in a gas stream against gravity. The particles are separated based on the ratio between the force generated by their mass and their flow resistance. In other words, the principle of gravity or centrifugal separation is used. Fine, light particles follow the flow, while coarse and heavy particles tend to follow the mass force. In this way, the particles and the material fractions can be separated in a very efficient manner.

The separation means can comprise an eddy current separator to separate metal-containing material components from other material components. This design is based on the basic idea of providing an eddy current separator after the material has been crushed, particularly in a cross-flow shredder, by which metal-containing material components can be separated from other material components. An eddy current separator is based on the basic principle of exposing the crushed material to high-frequency alternating magnetic fields, which generate strong eddy currents in conductive, and therefore metallic, material components. These then counteract the external magnetic field, so that the metallic components are deflected from the rest of the material flow due to a force impulse.

The eddy current separator can, for example, have a conveyor belt on which the shredded material is conveyed at a particularly continuous speed. The eddy current separator can also comprise a so-called head drum, in which there is, for example, a permanent system that generates the high-frequency alternating magnetic fields when the head drum rotates. The individual material components can then be fed into different separation chambers, depending on whether they contain metal-containing material components or not. This enables the materials to be efficiently separated into different material fractions.

Accordingly, the method according to the invention can be characterized in that the crushed material is separated in an eddy current separator is separated into different material fractions so that metal-containing material components are separated from other material components.

The method according to the invention can be characterized in that (ultimately) a separation takes place into a material fraction consisting at least essentially of aluminum. The purity of this material fraction can be at least 80%, in particular at least 90%, preferably at least 95%, more preferably at least 97%, 98% or 99%. By separating such an aluminum fraction, the aluminum contained in the composite material can be recycled. Compared to the new production of aluminum, CO2 emissions can thus be significantly reduced.

In addition to an aluminum fraction, a separation can take place into a material fraction consisting at least essentially of paper and/or cellulose and/or into a material fraction consisting at least essentially of plastic. The purity of the material fraction consisting essentially of paper and/or cellulose (cellulose fraction) can be at least 80%, in particular at least 90%, preferably at least 95%, more preferably at least 97%, 98% or 99%. The same applies to the material fraction consisting essentially of plastic (plastic fraction).

In a further embodiment of the arrangement, the eddy current separator can have a working width of at least 1000 mm, in particular of at least 1500 mm, preferably of at least 2000 mm. The working width can correspond to the width of a conveyor belt of the eddy current separator. The eddy current separator can be designed with at least 20 poles, in particular at least 30 poles, and/or at most 80 poles, in particular at most 60 poles, preferably 40 poles. Due to the large number of poles a high-frequency alternating magnetic field can be created. Such numbers of poles have proven to be particularly advantageous for the crushing of composite materials or their separation.

The shredding device and the eddy current separator can be connected to one another via suitable conveying means in order to feed material discharged from the shredding device to the eddy current separator. In particular, the conveying means can comprise encapsulated conveyor belts. This can prevent light material components, consisting essentially of paper and/or cellulose, from being lost on the route between the shredding device and the eddy current separator. The conveying means can be connected to a discharge chamber of the shredding device or can be connected to it.

In a further embodiment, the conveying means can be designed in such a way that they allow recirculation of material, in particular metal-containing material components, from the eddy current separator back to the shredding device. Correspondingly, the method according to the invention can be designed in such a way that the metal-containing material components are recirculated into the shredding device at least once, in particular several times, preferably at least five times, in order to bring about further shredding in each case. This embodiment is based on the fundamental finding that after the first passage through the shredding device, in particular a cross-flow shredder, there are often not yet sufficiently pure metal-containing material components. Rather, it has been found that, especially when shredding composite materials, material components are often still present, for example in the form of individual shreds, which contain both metallic components and other components, for example made of paper. Cellulose or plastic. The components can be further reduced in size by recirculating them into the shredding device. This process can be repeated until practically only pure material components remain. It has been found that, for example, when shredding and processing composite materials, in particular composite beverage packaging or composite food packaging, such as those used under the TetraPak brand, multiple recirculation may be necessary.

The eddy current separator can have a separation chamber into which non-metal-containing material components of the crushed material are fed. Furthermore, the eddy current separator can have a further separation chamber for metal-containing material components.

The separation chamber of the eddy current separator for non-metal-containing material components can be connected to an air sifting system downstream of the eddy current separator via suitable conveying means, so that non-metal-containing material components are fed from the eddy current separator to the air sifting system. These are preferably material components that contain plastic and cellulose. In other words, the eddy current separator can separate material components consisting essentially of plastic and cellulose on the one hand and metal-containing material components, in particular those containing aluminum, on the other.

The metal-containing material components can include plastic film that is vapor-coated with aluminum, or consist of it. In other words, they can be shreds of plastic film with an aluminum layer. This means that immediately after the material containing metal-containing components has been shredded or separated, There cannot be a pure aluminium fraction, but a composite material comprising or consisting of plastic film, in particular PE film, and aluminium.

After material containing metal-containing components has been separated, it can be passed through an ultrasonic bath. It has been shown that the metal-containing components, for example aluminum, are often still connected to a plastic film, in particular a polyethylene (PE) film, after separation. This is because the corresponding composite materials are often produced by vapor-depositing aluminum onto a PE film. The two components can be separated from one another using an ultrasonic bath. In this way, aluminum can be separated with a high degree of purity. Accordingly, an ultrasonic bath can be connected downstream of the eddy current separator, which is connected to the corresponding separation chamber of the eddy current separator via suitable conveying means.

The plastic and cellulose-containing material components separated in the eddy current separator can be subjected to air sifting to separate them into material components consisting essentially of plastic and material components consisting essentially of cellulose.

In a further embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention, the separation means can comprise a vibration screening system, which is preferably connected upstream of the air sifting system. Accordingly, the method according to the invention can be characterized in that after the comminution of the starting material, vibration screening is carried out before separation into different material fractions. Vibration screening separates particles or parts according to their size. If the parts If the particles are still a size above the screen width, they cannot pass through the vibrating screen. Smaller parts can, however, pass through and then be fed to the air sifting system. For this purpose, the vibrating screen system can be connected to the air sifting system via a suitable conveyor system. The conveyor system can include an encapsulated conveyor belt. An encapsulated conveyor belt has proven to be advantageous in order to avoid undesirable compaction or matting of material.

In a specific embodiment, the vibration system can comprise two screening devices. One screening device can be connected to one discharge chamber of the shredding device via suitable conveying means and the other screening device can be connected to the other discharge chamber of the shredding device via suitable conveying means. This embodiment is based on the idea of further processing the shredded or processed material that has left the working chamber of the shredding device through the side outlet openings independently of the shredded material that has left the working chamber through the bottom outlet openings. In practice, there are therefore two different and separate screening devices, whereby the separation already carried out in the shredding device can be used advantageously.

The conveying means can preferably comprise encapsulated conveyor belts. Furthermore, they can be designed in such a way that they allow a recirculation of crushed material from the eddy current separator and/or from the vibrating screen system back to the crushing device. In other words, parts or particles that are too large to pass through the vibrating screen can be returned to the crushing device to be crushed further there. Such a re- Circulation, which can also take place between the wind sifting system and the vibrating screening system or the eddy current separator, leads to particularly pure material fractions after separation in the wind sifting system, as very defined crushing and separation is made possible.

In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the material components consisting essentially of cellulose can preferably be processed in a further comminution device, in particular homogenizing, hygienizing and/or cleaning the cellulose-containing components. In other words, the material fraction of the material components consisting essentially of cellulose can be processed in an appropriate form for further use.

Accordingly, the arrangement according to the invention can have a further comminution device. The further comminution device can be designed like the comminution device previously described in connection with the first and second aspects. The further comminution device can be connected downstream of the air sifting system via suitable conveying means, for example encapsulated conveyor belts.

The processing in the further shredding device can include the separation of fine rejects, in particular of the contents of the composite material, preferably the composite packaging, and/or cellulose with fiber fragments, and/or a subsequent cleaning of the material components consisting essentially of cellulose can take place. This allows any remaining organic components, for example juice residues or other residues of ingredients, to be separated from the cellulose fiber material, so that a largely pure cellulose fraction is obtained. The fine rejects can also contain printing ink, aluminum nium dust and/or residues of polymer layers. Wash water, in particular rainwater, can be used for the cleaning, which can then be cleaned anaerobically to produce biogas in order to be reused. This embodiment is based on the consideration that fine material reject, which can in particular comprise residual contents, for example juice residues, of the composite packages formed from the composite material and/or cellulose fiber fragments, is separated. Through anaerobic cleaning, the organic residues contained in the wash water can be converted into biogas by a thermophilic process. The anaerobic cleaning of the wash water preferably takes place in a temperature range of at least 30 °C, in particular of at least 40 °C and/or of at most 80 °C, in particular of at most 70 °C, preferably at about 55 °C. The anaerobic cleaning can take place over a period of at least one hour and/or of at most five hours, preferably of about three hours. Anaerobic cleaning is basically a microbiological degradation process that can take place without the presence of oxygen. A thermophilic process preferably takes place at temperatures above 40 °C, in particular between 50 °C and 57 °C. In principle, this is a digestion process through which biogas can be produced, so that all components of the composite material can be recycled, including organic residues. Accordingly, the arrangement can comprise a cleaning device, which is preferably arranged downstream of the further shredding device.

The processing of the material components, which consist essentially of cellulose, in the further shredding device can be accompanied by de-inking. This is preferably a dry de-inking, which practically inevitably takes place through shredding or processing. Surface printing inks, wax layers and other non-paper coatings are removed. These components can also form part of the fine rejects.

The processing of the material components consisting essentially of cellulose can also include irradiation with UV rays, in particular with UV-C rays, preferably biocidal irradiation. The irradiation can take place after the material components consisting essentially of cellulose, i.e. the cellulose fraction, have been discharged from the shredding device and/or after they have been cleaned. Accordingly, the arrangement can include an irradiation device. This can significantly reduce the germ load.

In order to simplify the feeding of material, which is usually in bale form, a pre-shredding system can be connected upstream of the shredding device. The pre-shredding system comprises in particular a shredder, preferably a two-shaft shredder. The pre-shredding system can be connected to the feed arrangement of the shredding device via a suitable conveyor device, wherein the conveyor device preferably comprises a screw conveyor or an encapsulated conveyor belt. This design is based on the consideration that large bales of material, in particular composite material, can be fed efficiently to the pre-shredding system using a forklift truck and, starting from this, the material can be fed to the shredding device in an appropriate size. Accordingly, the method according to the invention can be characterized in that pre-shredding takes place before the starting material is shredded in the shredding device. Preferably, the pre-shredding is carried out in such a way that the inside and outside of the composite material are openly accessible. Preferably, packaging made of composite material is shredded into two halves. The individual layers of the composite material are not separated from one another.

The packaging can be cleaned after the preliminary shredding. Preferably, washing water can be used, although ideally no chemical cleaning additives are used. The temperature of the washing water can be at least 30 °C, in particular at least 40 °C, and/or at most 80 °C, in particular at most 70 °C. The temperature of the washing water is preferably 55 °C. This can be rainwater. In this way, adhering contaminants (for example milk or juice residues) can be removed. If the packaging made of composite material is only shredded in half, one advantage is that the cellulose is retained within the composite material, since the cellulose components are usually protected by corresponding layers of plastic, aluminum, wax or polymer.

Preferably, the washing water used is cleaned anaerobically after cleaning to form biogas. The anaerobically cleaned washing water can be reused. Preferably, the cleaning takes place at a temperature of at least 30 °C, in particular at least 40 °C, and/or at most 80 °C, in particular at most 70 °C, preferably at 55 °C. The biogas obtained in this way can be used in a combined heat and power plant to generate electricity. The energy obtained in this way is able to cover a large part of the energy requirements of the entire arrangement or the entire process. for the processing and/or crushing of material, in particular composite material.

It is also possible that the water content of residual liquids contained in the composite packaging (e.g. milk and/or juice) evaporates during the pre-shredding and/or shredding in the shredding device or in the shredding equipment. This preferably takes place at temperatures of 70°C to 120°C, which prevail in the shredding device when shredding and/or processing the material. The residues then remaining (e.g. juice residues) can be discharged as dust, in particular vacuumed. For this purpose, appropriate discharge means, which preferably contain a suction system, can be provided in the shredding device.

A device for separating metal-containing material components from other material components can be arranged between the system for pre-crushing and the crushing device. This can be designed as a (further) eddy current separator. This can be used to separate metal-containing material components from other material components, so that only metal-containing components are fed to the crushing device. This design is based on the consideration that not all composite materials or composite packaging contain metal-containing components at all. Rather, there are also composite packaging that does not contain aluminum foil or other metal foil. In this way, the non-metal-containing components can already be separated before the crushing device and treated separately, for example in another crushing device connected in parallel to the crushing device or in a crushing device (in particular as described in connection with the first or second aspect), so that only composite material that also metal-containing components, are fed to the comminution device and the subsequent eddy current separator. This can significantly increase the efficiency of the method according to the invention. In other words, a separation into metal-containing materials and other materials can take place before feeding into the comminution device, so that only the metal-containing materials are fed to the comminution device.

The various components (shredding devices, separating means, etc.) can each be connected to one another by suitable conveying means or conveying devices. These can be designed as conveyor screws and/or conveyor belts, in particular encapsulated conveyor belts, or the like. An aqueous solution can be added to the cellulose fraction in particular if it is to be used later as an insulating material. The addition can be made by injecting it into conveying means, for example encapsulated conveyor screws, which convey the shredded cellulose fraction out of the shredding devices. In other words, such an aqueous solution can practically be kneaded in.

The conveying means or the conveying device can be designed or used to introduce whey into the material. Conveying means or conveying devices designed as screw conveyors are particularly suitable for introducing liquids, such as whey, into the conveyed material at the same time as it is being transported, since the liquid can practically be kneaded into the material.

Preferably, the arrangement according to the invention or the method according to the invention is used for comminuting and/or processing composite material, in particular food packaging, preferably beverage packaging made of composite material. In particular, the Use of the material components consisting essentially of cellulose, i.e. the corresponding cellulose material fraction, for the subsequent production of insulating materials. In other words, the process can be used to produce a fiber material which consists at least essentially of cellulose and can be used for the production of insulating materials or as an insulating material or for the production of paper.

The object underlying the invention is further achieved according to a fifth aspect by a fiber material which consists at least essentially of cellulose, in particular obtained by a process as described above from composite material, preferably from beverage composite material or beverage packaging or food packaging.

This embodiment is based on the knowledge that fiber material which consists at least essentially of cellulose was preferably obtained by a method according to the invention, in particular with an arrangement according to the present invention as described above. Such fiber material, which in particular arises directly from the obtained cellulose fraction, has very favorable properties. The fiber material preferably consists at least essentially, in particular completely, of a large number of individual fibers. The fiber material can be the cellulose fraction which was separated using the method.

In a further embodiment, it can be a fiber material that has been processed once. This means that it has been processed for the first time using the method according to the invention, meaning that it is essentially fresh material that has not been recycled beforehand. This means that a high quality of the fibers can be achieved. Preferably, the fiber material was obtained by separating composite material using an expanded metal mesh. This design is based on the idea that through contact with an expanded metal mesh, in particular when impacting an expanded metal mesh, composite material, which in particular consists of several layers, can be separated into very pure fractions. At the same time, it has been found that the fibers are not particularly damaged, since the separation during contact with an expanded metal mesh primarily takes place between the different layers of the composite material.

In a further embodiment, the fiber material can have a thermal conductivity (X) of less than 0.039 W/(m ² K), in particular less than 0.038 W/(m ² K), preferably less than 0.037 W/(m ² K), and/or more than 0.02 W/(m ² K), in particular more than 0.025 W/(m ² K), more preferably at least 0.03, 0.032 or 0.035 W/(m ² K).

Thermal conductivity is a measure of how well or poorly a material conducts heat through itself. Such thermal conductivities indicate that the material is suitable as an insulating material, for example in building insulation. Thermal conductivity can be determined, for example, by comparing a heat flow with a reference sample. The heat flow measurement method can be used for this purpose. Alternatively, thermal conductivity can also be determined using the three-omega method. In this method, a metal heater applied to a sample is periodically heated and the resulting temperature oscillations are measured. The thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of the sample can be determined from their frequency dependence. The thermal conductivity can be measured according to DIN 52612, in particular according to DIN 52612-1:1979-09, or according to DIN 52616:1977-11. It is also possible to determine the thermal conductivity according to DIN EN 12664:2001-05, according to DIN EN 12667:2001-05 or according to DIN EN 12939:2001-02. The thermal conductivity is preferably determined using the one- or two-plate method, whereby samples of the fiber material in plate form with an edge length of at least 500 mm and/or with a sample thickness of at least 5 mm are used. The measurement time can be several hours.

It is also conceivable to measure the thermal conductivity by clamping a thin metal strip between two cuboid-shaped samples of the fiber material. The arrangement can be brought to a constant measuring temperature. The metal strip is heated by a heating current for a period of preferably a few minutes. At the same time, a temperature-dependent voltage drop is recorded. In other words, the metal strip can serve as a heat source and a resistance thermometer at the same time, so that the thermal and temperature conductivity can be calculated. If the fiber material is to be measured as a bulk material, the test setup can be housed in a container, in particular in a Plexiglas container.

In a further embodiment, the cellulose content of the fiber material can be at least 90%, in particular at least 92%, preferably at least 95%, further preferably at least 97%, 99%, 99.5% or 99.9%.

The average fiber length of the fiber material can be at least 0.45 mm, in particular at least 0.5 mm, preferably at least 0.55 mm or at least 0.6 mm, and/or at most 1.5 mm. Such fiber lengths are advantageous because such relatively long fibers are Twisting produces durable materials. When the fiber material is later used for paper production, the fiber length and fiber thickness are crucial for the strength values of the paper.

The fiber material can have an average fiber thickness of at least 26 pm, in particular of at least 30 pm, preferably of at least 31 pm, and/or of at most 50 pm, in particular of at most 40 pm, preferably of at most 36 pm.

The fiber length and the fiber thickness are measured by preferably removing a certain number of individual fibers from the fiber material consisting of a large number of individual fibers and determining the length and thickness of the individual fibers, for example under a microscope.

The object underlying the invention is further achieved according to a sixth aspect by the use of the fiber material for the production of paper and/or for the production of gypsum fiber insulation material and/or as insulation material, in particular in panel form or as bulk material.

It has been found that fiber material made from composite material, particularly composite food packaging or composite beverage packaging, is suitable for use in gypsum fiber insulation. Gypsum fiber insulation generally contains cellulose fibers with a weight proportion of around 15%.

Depending on the application, the fiber material can also be used directly as cellulose insulation material. It can be used as bulk material or in the form of prefabricated insulation panels. In particular, if the fiber material is to be used as an insulating material, an aqueous solution can be added, for example in the method according to the fourth aspect. The aqueous solution can contain ammonium phosphate and/or nitrogen and/or phosphorus-containing flame retardants. This makes it possible to achieve fire class B1 (flame-retardant). The use of ammonium phosphate as a fire retardant has the advantage that the fiber material is considered to be harmless to humans and ecotoxicology and the insulating material is therefore not classified as a hazardous substance. The addition can be made by injecting it into conveying means, for example encapsulated conveyor screws, which convey the shredded cellulose fraction out of the shredding devices. In other words, such an aqueous solution can practically be kneaded in.

The further development of the invention is explained with reference to the subclaims and the description of an embodiment with reference to the drawing. In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a first arrangement for crushing and processing material according to the present invention in a schematic representation;

Figure 2 shows the comminution device of the arrangement from Figure 1 in a sectional view;

Figure 3 shows a second arrangement according to the present invention in a schematic representation; and

Figure 4 shows the comminution device of the arrangement from Figure 3 in a schematic sectional view. Figure 1 shows an arrangement for crushing and processing composite material according to the present invention. The material flow is shown schematically with the arrows.

On the left in Figure 1, a system for pre-shredding 2 is shown, which can be fed with material using a forklift truck. The system for pre-shredding 2 is designed as a two-shaft shredder. The pre-shredded material, i.e. the broken-down large bales, is fed to a shredding device or shredding device 4 according to the present invention via a suitable conveyor device in the form of a screw conveyor 3.

The detailed structure of the device 4 is shown in a cross section in Figure 2. The device 4 for crushing composite material has a housing 5 which has an upper, flat ceiling wall 6 and peripheral walls 7, so that the housing essentially has a cuboid basic shape.

A feed arrangement 8 for feeding material into the housing interior is provided on the ceiling wall 6. This comprises a feed opening 9 and a rotary valve 10 through which material can be fed.

A sieve basket 11 is also arranged in the housing 5, which forms a working space 12. The sieve basket 11 comprises a circular, flat base plate 13 and a circumferential side wall 14 protruding upwards from this. This extends over the entire height of the peripheral wall 7 of the housing 5 and is fixed to the top wall 6. The base plate 13 and the side wall 14 delimit the working space 12. In the floor area and in the side wall of the working space 12, specifically in the floor plate 13 and the side wall 14 of the sieve basket 11, there are a plurality of outlet openings 15, 16 designed as sieve openings. The floor-side outlet openings 15 open into a discharge space 17, which corresponds to the interior of a discharge funnel 18. The side outlet openings 16, which are arranged in an upper section of the sieve basket 11, open into an annular space 19, which is formed between the housing 6 and the sieve basket 11. The annular space 19 here also forms a discharge space which is separated from the discharge space 17 into which the bottom-side outlet openings 15 open, so that the shredded material which leaves the working space 12 through the lateral outlet openings 16 can be discharged from the device 4 separately from the shredded or processed material which leaves the working space 12 through the bottom-side outlet openings. For this purpose, corresponding discharge pipes 20, 21 can be seen in the schematic representation.

The device 4 further comprises a working shaft 22 extending vertically in the working space 12. This extends over the entire height of the screen basket 11 and is mounted on the housing 5 so as to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis. The working shaft 22 is driven by an electric motor 23, the motor shaft of which is aligned coaxially to the working shaft 22 and which is coupled to it via a planetary gear and an elastic coupling.

On the working shaft 22, several impact elements 24 in the form of chains are provided, spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction, for acting on the material introduced into the working space 12. The impact elements 24 are held on the working shaft 22 in a rotationally fixed manner and are designed to rotate render working shaft 22 to protrude radially outward into the working space 12 in order to act on the material introduced into the working space 12.

In an upper end region of the working chamber 12, two opposing air guide vanes 25 are provided on the working shaft 22 in order to control the material flow in the working chamber 12. The air guide vanes 25 are pivotally mounted on the working shaft 22 about a pivot axis extending perpendicularly to the working shaft 22. In this way, an angle of attack of the air guide vanes 25 can be adjusted in order to control the material flow in the working chamber 12. Furthermore, means for injecting water into the working chamber 12 in the form of an injection nozzle 26 are provided in the ceiling wall 6 of the housing.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the arrangement 1 further comprises a vibrating screening system 27, which in the present case comprises two screening devices 28. One screening device 28 is connected to one discharge chamber 17 of the device 4 via suitable conveying means, here in the form of an encapsulated conveyor belt 29. The other screening device 28 of the vibrating screening system 27 is also connected to the annular chamber 19 of the device 4 via an encapsulated conveyor belt 29. The two encapsulated conveyor belts 29 are designed in such a way that they allow recirculation of shredded material from the vibrating screening system 27 back to the shredding device 4.

A wind sifting system 30 is arranged downstream of the vibrating screening system 27. This is also connected to the vibrating screening system 27 via an encapsulated conveyor belt 29.

If material, in particular a composite material, is to be processed in the described arrangement 1, it is preferably processed in bale form with a forklift truck first feeds the bales into the pre-shredding system 2. The shredder contained in this system 2 shreds the bales of composite material to such an extent that they can be introduced into the working space 12 of the shredding device 4 via the rotary valve 10.

The rotating working shaft 22 and the impact elements 24 attached to it, which act on the material, crush the material. At the same time, the air guide vanes 25 generate a downward air flow. In addition, water is introduced into the working chamber 12 via the injection nozzle 26 to regulate the temperature, so that the temperature is ideally kept continuously at around 80°C. The crushing of the introduced material is optimized by the fact that impact strips 31 are arranged on the side wall 14 of the screen basket 11 and protrude into the working chamber 12.

The composite material is crushed in the working chamber 12 and remains or circulates there until it leaves the working chamber 12 either via the bottom outlet openings 15 or the side outlet openings 16.

The two material streams are discharged separately from the comminution device 4 through the discharge pipes 20, 21 and fed to the two screening devices 28 of the vibrating screening system 27 via the encapsulated conveyor belts 29.

Parts or particles of the material that are crushed to such an extent that they pass through the vibrating screen 27 are then fed to the air sifting system 30, where they are finally separated into largely pure material fractions and can be removed. Particles or parts of the material which are still too large to pass through the vibrating screening system 27 can be returned to the crushing device 4 via the encapsulated conveyor belts 29, where they are again introduced into the working space 12 to be further crushed.

The arrangement 1 described enables the composite material to be separated into largely pure material fractions. At the same time, the paper or cellulose components of the composite material are shredded to such an extent that they can then be further processed without further dissolving in a liquid, which results in considerable advantages in economic and ecological terms.

Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of an arrangement 1 according to the invention for shredding and processing composite material in a schematic representation. This comprises a system for pre-shredding 2, which in the present case is designed as a two-shaft shredder. Composite material with and without metallic components can be introduced into this, for example in bale form.

An eddy current separator 32 is provided downstream of the pre-crushing system 2. In this separator, metal-containing materials are separated from other materials. This means that the composite material shown in Figure 1, which does not contain any metal, is directed downwards, whereas composite material with aluminum is directed upwards. In the upper section, a crushing device 4 is provided downstream of the eddy current separator 32, which in this case is designed as a cross-flow crusher. The crushing device 4 is shown in detail in cross section in Figure 4. The crushing device 4 for crushing composite material is basically identical to the crushing device 4 shown in Figure 2. It differs in that both the lateral outlet openings 16 and the bottom outlet openings 15 open into a common discharge chamber 17. Specifically, the outlet openings 15, 16 are formed here by expanded metal mesh. An annular chamber 19 is also formed all around between the screen basket 11 and the housing 5.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the arrangement 1 further comprises an eddy current separator 33, which is connected to the comminution device 4, specifically to the discharge chamber 17, via suitable conveying means, here for example in the form of an encapsulated conveyor belt 34. The encapsulated conveyor belt 34 is designed in such a way that it allows recirculation of comminuted material from the eddy current separator 33 back to the comminution device 4, specifically into the working chamber 12. Specifically, the conveying means can comprise two encapsulated conveyor belts extending in parallel, one of which continuously conveys the material from the discharge chamber 17 in the direction of the eddy current separator 33 and the other has the opposite conveying direction, in particular from a separation chamber of the eddy current separator 33 for metal-containing material components. It is also possible to provide only one conveyor belt 34, which alternately conveys material in the direction of the eddy current separator 33 and back in the direction of the shredding device 4.

The eddy current separator 33, which in the present case has a working width of 2,000 mm and is designed with 40 poles, serves to separate the shredded material into material components consisting essentially of plastic and cellulose on the one hand and into metal-containing, in particular aluminum containing material components on the other hand. Specifically, the eddy current separator 33 has a separation chamber into which non-metal-containing material components of the shredded material are fed.

The separation means further comprise an air sifting system 30, wherein the separation chamber of the eddy current separator 33 for non-metal-containing material components is connected to the air sifting system 30 via suitable conveying means. In this way, non-metal-containing material components, in particular material components consisting essentially of plastic and cellulose, can be fed from the eddy current separator 33 to the air sifting system 30.

In the wind sifting system 30, a separation is carried out into material components consisting essentially of plastic and material components consisting essentially of cellulose. The material components consisting essentially of cellulose are processed in a further shredding device 35, whereby in particular so-called fine reject is separated. The material components consisting at least essentially of cellulose are then homogenized, sanitized and/or subjected to cleaning.

The material components separated in the eddy current separator 32, which do not contain any metal-containing components, are crushed, processed and separated from fine material reject in a crushing device 36, which is designed in particular as a cross-flow crusher, before these are also fed to the wind sifting system 30 and then processed further.

The original composite material, which includes both composite packaging with metallic components and composite packaging without metallic components, is first roughly shredded in the pre-shredding plant 2. In an eddy current separator, the composite packaging containing metal is separated from the composite packaging not containing metal.

The metal-containing composite packaging is then fed to the shredding device 4. Specifically, the material containing metallic components is introduced into the working chamber 12 through the rotary valve 10. The material is shredded by the rotating working shaft 22 and the impact elements 24 attached to it, which act on the material. At the same time, the air guide vanes 25 generate a downward air flow. To regulate the temperature, water is also introduced into the working chamber 12 via the injection nozzle 26, so that the temperature is ideally kept at around 80°C. The shredding of the introduced material is optimized by arranging impact bars 29 on the side wall of the screen basket, which protrude into the working chamber. The composite material is shredded in the working chamber 12 and remains or circulates there until it leaves the working chamber 12 via the outlet openings 15, 16.

The material crushed therein is then fed to the eddy current separator 33, whereby a separation takes place on the one hand into material components consisting essentially of plastic and cellulose and on the other hand into metal-containing, in particular aluminum-containing material components. The metal-containing material components are then optionally recirculated at least once, in particular several times, in the crushing device 4 in order to be further crushed there, in particular in contact with the outlet openings 15, 16, which are formed by an expanded metal mesh, so that ultimately only pure aluminum-containing components remain. and separated in the eddy current separator 33. This very pure aluminum material fraction can then be used for recycling purposes.

It can also happen that after leaving the shredding device 4 there is no pure aluminum fraction, but a composite of plastic film, in particular PE film, with an aluminum coating. In this case, an ultrasonic bath can be connected downstream of the eddy current separator 33, into which the metal-containing material components are fed in order to separate the aluminum coating from the plastic film.

The material components consisting essentially of plastic and cellulose, which are separated in the eddy current separator 33, are then fed to the wind sifting system 30 together with the shredded composite packaging without metal-containing components, whereby at least material components consisting essentially of plastic are separated. The remaining material components, consisting essentially of cellulose, are fed to the further shredding device 35, whereby the cellulose is homogenized, hygienized and/or cleaned. This material fraction made of cellulose is then preferably used to produce insulating materials.

The described method, which uses the arrangement 1 according to the invention, is therefore particularly suitable for a very pure material separation, with the material fractions obtained each having a high degree of purity. In particular, it has been shown that a very pure material fraction of aluminum can be obtained in this way, so that aluminum from the composite material can be used further, whereby CO2 emissions can be avoided or saved to a considerable extent compared to the new production of aluminum. List of reference symbols

1 Arrangement

2 Pre-shredding plant

3 screw conveyors

4 Shredding device

5 Housing

6 Ceiling wall

7 Perimeter wall

8 Feed arrangement

9 Feed opening

10 Cell edge lock

11 Strainer basket

12 Workspace

13 Base plate

14 Side wall

15 bottom outlet openings

16 side outlet openings

17 Venue

18 discharge hoppers

19 Annular space

20 Discharge pipe

21 Discharge pipe

22 Working shaft

23 Electric motor

24 impact elements

25 air guide vanes

26 Injection nozzle

27 Vibration screening plant

28 Screening device 29 encapsulated conveyor belt

30 Wind sifter

31 Impact bar

32 Eddy current separator 33 Eddy current separator

34 encapsulated conveyor belt

35 additional shredding devices

36 Shredding device

Claims

EXPECTATIONS 1. Device (4) for crushing and/or processing material, in particular composite material, with a housing (5) in which a working space (12) for crushing/processing material is provided, the working space (12) being delimited by a floor area and a circumferential side wall (14), a feed arrangement (8) for feeding material into the working space (12), which is provided on an upper side of the housing (5), a working shaft (22) extending in a vertical direction in the working space (12) and which is rotatably mounted on the housing (5) about its longitudinal axis, impact elements (24) being provided on the working shaft (22) for acting on the material introduced into the working space (12), and Drive means for driving the working shaft (22), wherein bottom-side outlet openings are formed in the floor area of the working chamber (12) and/or lateral outlet openings (16) are formed in the side wall (14) of the working chamber (12). 2. Device (4) according to claim 1, characterized in that bottom outlet openings are formed in the floor area of the working space (12) and lateral outlet openings (16) are formed in the side wall (14) of the working space (12). 3. Device (4) according to claim 2, characterized in that the device (4) has a discharge chamber (17) into which the bottom-side outlet openings (15) open, and a discharge chamber separate from this into which the lateral outlet openings (16) open, so that shredded/processed material which leaves the working chamber (12) through the lateral outlet openings (16) can be discharged from the device (4) separately from the shredded/processed material which leaves the working chamber (12) through the bottom-side outlet openings (15). 4. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lateral and/or bottom outlet openings (15, 16) are designed as sieve openings. 5. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lateral and/or bottom outlet openings (15, 16) are formed at least partially, in particular completely, by expanded metal mesh with in particular diamond-shaped openings. 6. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein lateral outlet openings (16) are formed in the side wall of the working space, characterized in that the lateral outlet openings (16) are arranged in a ring-shaped circumferential manner. 7. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein bottom-side outlet openings (15) are formed in the floor area of the working space, characterized in that the bottom-side outlet openings (15) open downwards into an outlet funnel and/or the bottom-side outlet openings (15) extend over the entire floor area of the working space (12). 8. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (4) has a sieve basket (11) which is inserted into the housing (5) and forms the working space (12), wherein an annular space (19) is formed between the sieve basket (11) and the housing (5), into which the lateral outlet openings (16) open. 9. Device (4) according to claim 8, characterized in that the sieve basket (11) is polygonal or circular in cross section, and/or that the sieve basket (11) forms the bottom region, which is preferably designed as a bottom plate (13) and in which the bottom-side outlet openings (15) are located, and a circumferential side wall (14) projecting upwards from the bottom region, in which the lateral outlet openings (16) are formed. 10. Device (4) according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that impact strips (31) are arranged on the sieve basket (11), in particular on the side wall (14) and/or in the base area, preferably on a base plate (13), which project into the working space (12), wherein, in particular, adjustment means are provided in order to move the impact strips (31) into or out of the working space (12). 11. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the impact elements (24) provided on the working shaft (22) are designed to project radially outward into the working space (12) when the working shaft (22) rotates in order to act on the material introduced into the working space (12). 12. Device (4) according to claim 11, characterized in that the impact elements (24) are mounted on the working shaft (22) at a distance from one another in the vertical direction and/or circumferential direction. 13. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the working shaft (22), in particular in an upper end region of the working space (12), a plurality of air guide vanes (25) distributed over the circumference, in particular two air guide vanes (25) lying opposite one another, are provided in order to control the material flow in the working space (12). 14. Device (4) according to claim 13, characterized in that the air guide vanes (25) are held pivotably on the working shaft (22) about a pivot axis extending transversely, in particular perpendicularly to the working shaft (22), so that an angle of attack of the air guide vanes (25) is adjustable. 15. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feed arrangement (8) comprises a feed opening (9) formed in the upper side, in particular in a ceiling wall of the housing (5) and a lock connected upstream of this, preferably a rotary valve (11). 16. Device (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that means for injecting a tempering liquid into the working space (12) are provided. 17. Arrangement (1) for crushing and/or processing material, in particular composite material, comprising: a comminution device (4) according to one of claims 1 to 16; - separation means downstream of the comminution device (4) for separating the material into different material fractions. 18. Arrangement (1) according to claim 17, characterized in that the separation means comprise an air sifting system (30). 19. Arrangement (1) according to one of claims 17 to 18, characterized in that the separation means comprise an eddy current separator (33) in order to separate metal-containing material components from other material components. 20. Arrangement (1) according to claim 19, characterized in that the eddy current separator (33) has a working width of at least 1,000 mm, in particular of at least 1,500 mm, preferably of at least 2,000 mm, and/or that the eddy current separator is designed to have at least 20 poles, in particular at least 30 poles, and/or at most 80 poles, in particular at most 60 poles, preferably 40 poles. 21. Arrangement (1) according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that the comminution device (4) and the eddy current separator (33) are connected to one another via suitable conveying means in order to feed material discharged from the comminution device (4) to the eddy current separator (33). 22. Arrangement (1) according to claim 21, characterized in that the conveying means comprise encapsulated conveyor belts (34), and/or that the conveying means are designed such that they allow recirculation of material al, in particular metal-containing material components, from the eddy current separator (33) back to the comminution device (4). 23. Arrangement (1) according to one of claims 19 to 22, characterized in that the eddy current separator (33) has a separation chamber into which non-metal-containing material components of the comminuted material are guided. 24. Arrangement (1) according to one of claims 19 to 23 and according to claim 17, characterized in that the separation chamber of the eddy current separator (33) for non-metal-containing material components is connected to the air sifting system (30) via suitable conveying means, so that non-metal-containing material components can be fed from the eddy current separator (33) to the air sifting system (30). 25. Arrangement (1) according to one of claims 17 to 24, characterized in that the separation means comprise a vibrating screening system (27), which is preferably arranged upstream of an air sifting system (30), wherein, in particular, the vibrating screening system (27) is connected to the air sifting system (30) via a suitable conveying device, which preferably comprises an encapsulated conveyor belt (29). 26. Arrangement (1) according to claim 25, characterized in that the vibration screening system (27) comprises two screening devices, wherein one screening device is connected via suitable conveying means to the one discharge chamber (17) of the comminution device (4) and the other screening device is connected via suitable conveying means to the other discharge chamber (17) of the comminution device (4), wherein the conveying means preferably comprise encapsulated conveyor belts (29), and/or wherein the conveying means are preferably designed in such a way that they enable recirculation of comminution allow material from the vibrating screening system (27) back to the crushing device (4). 27. Arrangement (1) according to one of claims 17 to 26, characterized in that the shredding device (4) is preceded by a system for pre-shredding (2), wherein the system for pre-shredding (2) in particular comprises a shredder, preferably a two-shaft shredder, wherein, in particular, the system for pre-shredding is connected to the feed arrangement (8) of the shredding device (4) via a suitable conveyor device, wherein the conveyor device preferably comprises a screw conveyor (3) or an encapsulated conveyor belt. 28. Arrangement (1) according to claim 27, characterized in that an eddy current separator (33) is provided between the pre-crushing system and the crushing device in order to separate metal-containing material components from other material components, so that only metal-containing components are fed to the crushing device (4). 29. A method for crushing and/or processing material, in particular composite material, comprising the following steps: - Provision of source material; - crushing the starting material in a crushing device (4) according to one of claims 1 to 16; Separating the shredded material into different material fractions. 30. Method according to claim 29, characterized in that the comminution takes place at a temperature in the working space of at least 40°C, in particular at least 50°C, and/or of at most 150°C, in particular of at most 120°C, particularly preferably at a temperature of 80°C, wherein, in particular, a tempering liquid is introduced into the working space (12) to control the temperature. 31. A method according to claim 29 or 30, characterized in that the separation of the crushed material into different material fractions is carried out by means of air sifting. 32. Method according to one of claims 29 to 31, characterized in that after the comminution of the starting material, a vibration sieving is carried out before separation into different material fractions. 33. Method according to claim 32, characterized in that the crushed material is partially recirculated into the crushing device (4) after the vibration screening. 34. Method according to one of claims 29 to 33, characterized in that the separation of the comminuted material into different material fractions takes place in an eddy current separator (33), so that metal-containing material components are separated from other material components. 35. Method according to claim 34, characterized in that in the eddy current separator (33) a separation into material components consisting essentially of plastic and cellulose on the one hand and into metal-containing material components, especially those containing aluminium, on the other hand. 36. Method according to claim 35, characterized in that the metal-containing material components are recirculated into the comminution device (4) at least once, in particular several times, preferably at least five times, in order to bring about a further comminution in each case. 37. Method according to claim 35 or 36, characterized in that the metal-containing material components pass through an ultrasonic bath in order to separate the plastic film and aluminum contained therein. 38. Method according to one of claims 35 to 37, characterized in that the plastic and cellulose-containing material components which are separated in the eddy current separator (33) are fed to an air sifter in order to carry out a separation into material components consisting essentially of plastic and material components consisting essentially of cellulose. 39. Method according to claim 38, characterized in that the material components consisting essentially of cellulose are processed in a further comminution device (35), wherein in particular a homogenization, hygienization and/or cleaning of the cellulose-containing components takes place. 40. Method according to claim 39, characterized in that in the further comminution device (35) fine rejects, in particular residues of the contents of the composite material, preferably the composite packaging, and/or cellulose fiber fragments, are separated, in particular dry separated and/or that an anaerobic purification takes place downstream with the production of biogas. 41. Method according to one of claims 29 to 40, characterized in that prior to comminution of the starting material in the comminution device (4) a preliminary comminution takes place, and/or prior to feeding into the comminution device (4) a separation into metal-containing materials and other materials takes place, so that only the metal-containing materials are fed to the comminution device (4). 42. Fibre material which consists at least essentially of cellulose, obtained by a process according to one of claims 29 to 41 from composite material, in particular from beverage composite material. 43. Fibre material according to claim 42, characterized in that it was obtained with an arrangement according to one of claims 17 to 28. 44. Fibre material according to claim 42 or 43, characterised in that it is a fibre material which has been processed once and/or that the fibre material was obtained by separating composite material via an expanded metal mesh. 45. Fiber material according to one of claims 42 to 44, characterized in that it has a thermal conductivity (A ) of less than 0.039 W/(m ² K), in particular less than 0.038 W/(m ² K), preferably less than 0.037 W/(m ² K), and/or more than 0.02 W/(m ² K), in particular more than 0.025 W/(m ² K), more preferably at least 0.03, 0.032, 0.035 W/(m ² K). 46. Fibre material according to one of claims 41 to 45, characterized in that the cellulose content is at least 90%, in particular at least 92%, preferably at least 95%, further preferably at least 97%, 99%, 99.5% or 99.9%. 47. Fiber material according to one of claims 41 to 46, characterized in that the average fiber length is at least 0.45 mm, in particular at least 0.5 mm, preferably at least 0.55 mm or at least 0.6 mm, and/or at most 1.5 mm. 48. Fiber material according to one of claims 41 to 47, characterized in that the fiber material has an average fiber thickness of at least 26 pm, in particular of at least 30 pm, preferably of at least 31 pm, and/or of at most 50 pm, in particular of at most 40 pm, preferably of at most 36 pm. 49. Use of the fiber material according to one of claims 40 to 48 for the production of paper and/or for the production of gypsum fiber damping material and/or as insulating material, in particular in panel form or as bulk material.