Reclaiming inorganic reinforcement component from organic resin-containing scrap materials

摘要

An inorganic reinforcement component, such as fiberglass, is reclaimed from a scrap material including a vaporizable organic resin, such as epoxy, by heating the scrap material in an elongated, rotary furnace to a temperature above the vaporization point of the organic resin and below a point where the structural integrity of the reinforcement material is degraded. A purge gas flowing through the furnace countercurrently to the moving bed of scrap material sweeps away volatized gases, the organic reinforcement component is withdrawn from the outlet end of the furnace and a stream of combined gases including the purge gas and the volatized organic material is withdrawn from the inlet end of the furnace.