A glass crusher provides for pulverization of

glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...

to a yield size of or less.

Recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...

operations may range from simple, manually-fed, self-contained machines to extravagant crushing systems complete with screens, conveyors, crushers and separators. All non-glass contaminants must generally be removed from the glass prior to recycling. The processes used in glass crushing for

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...

involves the same methods used by the aggregate industry for crushing rock into sand ( rock crusher).

Vertical shaft impactor (VSI) glass crushing

The use of VSI crushers in large scale operations allow the production of up to 125 tons per hour () of crushed glass cullet. VSI crushers use a high speed

rotor ROTOR was an elaborate air defence radar system built by the British Government in the early 1950s to counter possible attack by Soviet bombers. To get it operational as quickly as possible, it was initially made up primarily of WWII-era syst ...

with wear-resistant tips and a crushing chamber designed to 'throw' the glass against. The VSI crushers utilize

velocity Velocity is a measurement of speed in a certain direction of motion. It is a fundamental concept in kinematics, the branch of classical mechanics that describes the motion of physical objects. Velocity is a vector (geometry), vector Physical q ...

rather than surface force as the predominant force to break glass as this allows the breaking force to be applied evenly both across the surface of the material as well as through the mass of the material. In its shattered state, glass has a jagged and uneven surface. Applying surface force (

pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and eve ...

) results in unpredictable and typically non-cubicle

particles In the physical sciences, a particle (or corpuscle in older texts) is a small localized object which can be described by several physical or chemical properties, such as volume, density, or mass. They vary greatly in size or quantity, from s ...

. As glass is 'thrown' by a VSI rotor against a solid

anvil An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually Forging, forged or Steel casting, cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked"). Anvils are massive because the hi ...

, it fractures and breaks along

fissure A fissure is a long, narrow crack opening along the surface of Earth. The term is derived from the Latin word , which means 'cleft' or 'crack'. Fissures emerge in Earth's crust, on ice sheets and glaciers, and on volcanoes. Ground fissure A ...

s. Final particle size can be controlled by 1) the velocity at which the glass is thrown against the anvil and 2) the distance between the end of the rotor and the impact point on the anvil. The product resulting from VSI crushing is generally of a consistent cubicle shape which may optimize yield in consumptive applications such as the fabrication of

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...

, ceramic ware, flux agents and abrasives. Due to the highly abrasive nature of the glass material, a VSI crushing process is generally preferred over Horizontal Shaft Impact and most other crushing methods with higher maintenance and lower wear part lives. VSI crushers generally utilize a high speed spinning rotor at the center of the crushing chamber and an outer impact surface of either abrasive resistant metal anvils or crushed glass (or rock in an aggregate applications). Utilizing cast metal surfaces ' anvils' are traditionally referred to as a "Shoe and Anvil VSI". Utilizing crushed material on the outer walls of the crusher for new material to be crushed against is traditionally referred to as "rock on rock VSI".

VSI Principle of Operation

Image:vsiwikif.gif, VSI Principal of Operation

References

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External links

Glass crusher for glass bottles recycling
- Info and Video in Cogelme site Industrial equipment Recycling