- Method/Equipment: This is the core equipment for separation—the friction washer.
- Principle: Utilizes a high-speed rotating rotor (impeller) to generate strong vortices and shear forces, causing intense friction, collision, and scrubbing of materials within the tank.
- Together, "paper-plastic separation friction washing" refers to the process of using mechanical friction generated by the friction washer to separate paper fibers from plastic in waste paper pulp.
- The high-speed rotating rotor drives the pulp into intense motion.
- Paper fibers: Relatively soft in texture, undergo further defibering (becoming finer) under continuous friction and scrubbing, remaining suspended in the water phase.
- Plastic pieces:Tough and smooth, are not shredded during friction but are "scrubbed" free of attached paper fibers. Their size gradually increases (curling into balls), representing a "reverse pulping" process.
- Separation Principle:Based on differences in physical properties between paper fibers and plastic pieces:
- Size and shape:After friction, paper fibers become fine, while plastic pieces form larger balls or flakes.
- Hydrophobicity:Plastic is hydrophobic, while paper fibers are hydrophilic.
- Efficient Separation:Effectively separates over 95% of paper fibers, achieving high recovery rates.
- No Chemicals Required:A purely physical-mechanical method, environmentally friendly with low operating costs.
- Improved Pulp Quality: Effectively removes light impurities like plastic, significantly enhancing the cleanliness and quality of recycled pulp.
- Maximized Resource Utilization:Enables separate recovery of paper, plastic (and aluminum), maximizing the resource utilization rate of composite packaging materials.
- The mixture from the friction washer enters screening equipment (e.g., pressure screens, cylindrical screens).
- Pressure Screen: Uses sieve plate holes (or slots). Fine paper fibers pass through the holes to become "accepts," sent for papermaking, while larger plastic balls/flakes are blocked and separated as "rejects" (tailings).
- Cylindrical Screen:Uses a rotating drum where water and fine pulp pass through the screen, while plastic pieces are retained inside the drum and discharged as rejects.
- Concentration and Packaging:
- Accepts (paper fibers): After multi-stage washing and concentration, formed into pure pulp sheets or directly used for papermaking.
- Rejects (plastic/aluminum mixture):Concentrated and dewatered to form "plastic-wood material" or "aluminum-plastic mixture," which can be sold to downstream companies for further separation or processing into wood-plastic composites.
This technology is primarily specialized in processing:
- Liquid packaging boxes:Such as Tetra Pak, SIG Combibloc, etc. (composed of cardboard, polyethylene plastic, and aluminum foil).
- Plastic-coated paper cups:Disposable coffee cups, milk tea cups (with inner PE plastic coating).
- Paper-plastic composite packaging bags: Used for some food and industrial product packaging.
Summary:
Paper-plastic separation friction washing is an efficient, environmentally friendly mechanical separation technology. It is a core process in modern waste paper recycling, particularly for handling paper-based composite materials that are difficult to sort manually. Through the combination of "friction scrubbing" and "screening," it successfully separates paper fibers and plastic, turning waste into valuable resources and greatly promoting resource recycling.
| Mode | Power | Capacity | Size |
| PTM530 | 37KW*2 | 500-1200kg/hr | Length 3950mm |
