Patents Assigned to MBA Polymers, Inc.
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Patent number: 9359482Abstract: A process for reducing the content of residual organic substances in mixtures of plastics from durable goods can include separating a feed stream into two or more mixtures of flakes and preforming a cleaning process to remove a portion of one or more of the absorbed organic substances from one or more of the mixtures. Each mixture can contain one or more plastic types and at least one organic substance absorbed into the one or more plastic types. The flakes in the mixtures can have an average particle diameter of less than 10 millimeters.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2012Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Ron C. Rau, Michael B. Biddle
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Patent number: 9296127Abstract: A process for the recovery of a plastic product from ASR or ESR mixtures can include five or more process steps selected from DEXRT; XRF; size reduction; density separation; NIR sorting; Electrostatic separation; LD sorting; Wood removal; rubber removal; metal removal; and glass removal.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2014Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Arthur Schwesig
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Patent number: 9028943Abstract: A method is described for improving the processability and surface appearance of products containing plastic recovered from waste plastic material mixtures.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2013Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignee: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Ronald C. Rau, Brian L. Riise, Gary Christopher Stevens, Henryk Herman
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Patent number: 8899422Abstract: A method for separating a mixture of solid materials can includes a sorting step based on differences in X-Ray transmission of different materials and a density sorting step at an elevated density. The mixture of solid materials can be a plastic-rich mixture recovered from waste electrical and electronic equipment. The mixture of solid materials can include plastics that contain brominated flame retardants. In some cases, a XRT or DEXRT sorter is used to remove the majority of plastics that contain brominated flame retardants from the mixture.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2012Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Martin Starchl, John Gysbers
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Publication number: 20140231557Abstract: A process for the recovery of a plastic product from ASR or ESR mixtures can include five or more process steps selected from DEXRT; XRF; size reduction; density separation; NIR sorting; Electrostatic separation; LD sorting; Wood removal; rubber removal; metal removal; and glass removal.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2014Publication date: August 21, 2014Applicant: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Arthur Schwesig
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Publication number: 20140163152Abstract: A method is described for improving the processability and surface appearance of products containing plastic recovered from waste plastic material mixtures.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2013Publication date: June 12, 2014Applicant: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Ronald C. Rau, Brian L. Riise
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Patent number: 8640879Abstract: A method of separating a mixture of solid materials includes supplying a stream of a mixture of solid materials to a stationary inclined surface and collecting a plurality of particles at one or more collection ports spaced from and located along the axis of the inclined surface. The mixture of solid materials includes a plurality of particles. The plurality of particles includes rubber particles and plastic particles. The particles of the mixture contact the stationary inclined surface and travel downward along the surface due to gravitational force. The collected particles include a higher percentage of the rubber particles than mixture due to a greater degree of bouncing of the rubber particles due to their higher friction compared with plastic particles. A material sorting apparatus includes a stationary inclined surface, a feeder, and a plurality of collection ports spaced from and located along the axis of the inclined surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2012Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Ronald C. Rau, Hyung Baek, Pedro Alejandro Perez-Rodriguez, Scott A. Farling
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Patent number: 8633256Abstract: A process for creating polyolefin blends from waste streams with controlled rheological properties can include processing a waste stream to make a mixture comprising a mixture comprising polypropylene and polyethylene and compounding the mixture with one or more peroxides or nitroxides to produce a polyolefin blend. For example, a process can include: determining the required melt flow rate of the end product; determining the ratio of polyethylene to polypropylene to achieve the required melt flow rate; effecting a separation of polypropylene from polyethylene to achieve the desired composition; determining the amount of peroxide or peroxide concentrate required to increase the melt flow rate to the required level; melt compounding the mixture; evaluating the melt flow rate of the product; and adjusting the composition of polyethyelene and polypropylene or the amount of peroxide added if necessary to achieve the required melt flow rate.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2012Date of Patent: January 21, 2014Assignee: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Hyung Baek
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Patent number: 8450382Abstract: Techniques for creating recycled plastic materials from waste plastic materials are described. A recycled plastic material contains at least a primary polymer, a secondary polymer, and residual additives. Predetermined properties of the recycled plastic material can be controlled by selecting the types of waste plastic materials used in the recycling feed, determining the types and amounts of recycled plastic material recovered from a separation process and blending the recycled plastic material with other materials.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2011Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignee: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Laurence E. Allen, III, Ron C. Rau, Michael B. Biddle
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Publication number: 20130105365Abstract: A process for purifying plastic from a waste stream can include separating a waste stream into two or more mixtures of flakes with each mixture containing one or more plastic types and performing an automated sorting process on the first mixture to increase the weight percentage of a plastic family in the first mixture. The separation process can include at least one process selected from the group consisting of density separation, electrostatic sorting, froth flotation, and density differential alteration. Prior to the automated sorting process, the first mixture can include at least 80% by weight of one or more plastics from the plastic family.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2012Publication date: May 2, 2013Applicant: MBA POLYMERS, INC.Inventor: MBA Polymers, Inc.
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Publication number: 20130046034Abstract: A process for creating polyolefin blends from waste streams with controlled rheological properties can include processing a waste stream to make a mixture comprising a mixture comprising polypropylene and polyethylene and compounding the mixture with one or more peroxides or nitroxides to produce a polyolefin blend. For example, a process can include: determining the required melt flow rate of the end product; determining the ratio of polyethylene to polypropylene to achieve the required melt flow rate; effecting a separation of polypropylene from polyethylene to achieve the desired composition; determining the amount of peroxide or peroxide concentrate required to increase the melt flow rate to the required level; melt compounding the mixture; evaluating the melt flow rate of the product; and adjusting the composition of polyethyelene and polypropylene or the amount of peroxide added if necessary to achieve the required melt flow rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2012Publication date: February 21, 2013Applicant: MBA POLYMERS, INC.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Hyung Baek
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Publication number: 20130032167Abstract: A process for reducing the content of residual organic substances in mixtures of plastics from durable goods can include separating a feed stream into two or more mixtures of flakes and preforming a cleaning process to remove a portion of one or more of the absorbed organic substances from one or more of the mixtures. Each mixture can contain one or more plastic types and at least one organic substance absorbed into the one or more plastic types. The flakes in the mixtures can have an average particle diameter of less than 10 millimeters.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 1, 2012Publication date: February 7, 2013Applicant: MBA POLYMERS, INC.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Ron C. Rau, Michael B. Biddle
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Publication number: 20130008831Abstract: A method for separating a mixture of solid materials can includes a sorting step based on differences in X-Ray transmission of different materials and a density sorting step at an elevated density. The mixture of solid materials can be a plastic-rich mixture recovered from waste electrical and electronic equipment. The mixture of solid materials can include plastics that contain brominated flame retardants. In some cases, a XRT or DEXRT sorter is used to remove the majority of plastics that contain brominated flame retardants from the mixture.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2012Publication date: January 10, 2013Applicant: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Martin Starchl, John Gysbers
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Patent number: 8302777Abstract: A method for reducing the content of a heavy metal in a mixture of solid plastic materials, wherein the mixture includes plastic flakes and there are at least two different colors of plastic flakes in the mixture. A percentage of each of two or more colors of flakes in the mixture is determined. A heavy metal content in the mixture based on the determined percentages is predicted. Whether the predicted content of the heavy metal in the mixture exceeds a pre-determined threshold is determined. If the predicted content exceeds the pre-determined threshold, a color sorting step is performed to obtain a subset of the mixture of plastic flakes, wherein the subset of the mixture of plastic flakes has a lower heavy metal content than the mixture prior to the color sorting step.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2010Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Günther Höggerl
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Publication number: 20120248014Abstract: A method of separating a mixture of solid materials includes supplying a stream of a mixture of solid materials to a stationary inclined surface and collecting a plurality of particles at one or more collection ports spaced from and located along the axis of the inclined surface. The mixture of solid materials includes a plurality of particles. The plurality of particles includes rubber particles and plastic particles. The particles of the mixture contact the stationary inclined surface and travel downward along the surface due to gravitational force. The collected particles include a higher percentage of the rubber particles than mixture due to a greater degree of bouncing of the rubber particles due to their higher friction compared with plastic particles. A material sorting apparatus includes a stationary inclined surface, a feeder, and a plurality of collection ports spaced from and located along the axis of the inclined surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2012Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: MBA POLYMERS, INC.Inventors: BRIAN L. RIISE, RONALD C. RAU, HYUNG BAEK, PEDRO ALEJANDRO PEREZ-RODRIGUEZ, SCOTT A. FARLING
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Publication number: 20120067787Abstract: A method for separating mixtures of solid materials includes incorporating a ferromagnetic particulate material into a mixture of solid materials and, after the incorporating step, separating the mixture of solid materials into at least two groups based on the magnetic and frictional properties of the different components of the mixture of solid materials. The ferromagnetic particulate material can differentially incorporate into or adhere to different components of the mixture of solid materials. The different components of the mixture have different frictional properties and, after the incorporating step, the different components have different magnetic properties.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Ron C. Rau, Hyung Baek, Pedro Alejandro Perez-Rodriguez
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Patent number: 8056728Abstract: A method for separating mixtures of solid materials includes incorporating a ferromagnetic particulate material into a mixture of solid materials and, after the incorporating step, separating the mixture of solid materials into at least two groups based on the magnetic and frictional properties of the different components of the mixture of solid materials. The ferromagnetic particulate material can differentially incorporate into or adhere to different components of the mixture of solid materials. The different components of the mixture have different frictional properties and, after the incorporating step, the different components have different magnetic properties.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2009Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Ron C. Rau, Hyung Baek, Pedro Alejandro Perez-Rodriguez
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Publication number: 20110224322Abstract: Techniques for creating recycled plastic materials from waste plastic materials are described. A recycled plastic material contains at least a primary polymer, a secondary polymer, and residual additives. Predetermined properties of the recycled plastic material can be controlled by selecting the types of waste plastic materials used in the recycling feed, determining the types and amounts of recycled plastic material recovered from a separation process and blending the recycled plastic material with other materials.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2011Publication date: September 15, 2011Applicant: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Laurence E. Allen, III, Ron C. Rau, Michael B. Biddle
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Publication number: 20110089086Abstract: A method for reducing the content of a heavy metal in a mixture of solid plastic materials, wherein the mixture includes plastic flakes and there are at least two different colors of plastic flakes in the mixture. A percentage of each of two or more colors of flakes in the mixture is determined. A heavy metal content in the mixture based on the determined percentages is predicted. Whether the predicted content of the heavy metal in the mixture exceeds a pre-determined threshold is determined. If the predicted content exceeds the pre-determined threshold, a color sorting step is performed to obtain a subset of the mixture of plastic flakes, wherein the subset of the mixture of plastic flakes has a lower heavy metal content than the mixture prior to the color sorting step.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2010Publication date: April 21, 2011Applicant: MBA POLYMERS, INC.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Günther Höggerl
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Patent number: 7884140Abstract: Techniques for creating recycled plastic materials from waste plastic materials are described. A recycled plastic material contains at least a primary polymer, a secondary polymer, and residual additives. Predetermined properties of the recycled plastic material can be controlled by selecting the types of waste plastic materials used in the recycling feed, determining the types and amounts of recycled plastic material recovered from a separation process and blending the recycled plastic material with other materials.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2003Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: MBA Polymers, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Riise, Laurence E. Allen, III, Ron C. Rau, Michael B. Biddle