How to recycle waste Artificial Leather

The separation of waste Artificial Leather

Artificial leather, widely used in industries such as apparel, furniture, and automotive interiors, typically consists of two main components: a surface coating of polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and an underlying base fabric (usually made of textile fibers). With the growing emphasis on resource recycling and environmental protection, the efficient separation of these two components has become a key technical focus. The plastic fiber separator machine, a specialized equipment for artificial leather separation, achieves this goal.

The process of waste Artificial Leather recycling

Firstly,the collected artificial leather raw materials are cut or shredded into small pieces of uniform size.

This step effectively prevents large-sized materials from causing blockages in the subsequent feeding and processing links, and also increases the contact area between the materials and the mechanical components inside the equipment, laying the groundwork for thorough mechanical force action. After cutting, impurities such as metal fragments, plastic fasteners, and dirt mixed in the raw materials are manually or mechanically removed. These impurities not only affect the quality of the separated products but may also cause wear to the equipment's blades or rolling rollers. The processed small artificial leather pieces are then evenly fed into the hair-blowing machine through a dedicated feeding system, ensuring a continuous and stable material supply for the subsequent separation process.

Secondly,Breaking the Bond Between Components.

Mechanical force delamination is the core link that realizes the initial separation of PU/PVC coating and base fabric. Inside the separator machine, there are high-speed rotating blades or rolling rollers. When the preprocessed artificial leather small pieces enter the working area of these components, the blades or rollers will exert strong tearing and squeezing forces on the materials. The PU/PVC coating and the base fabric are combined by means of adhesive force. Under the action of the above mechanical forces, the molecular bonds of the adhesive layer between the two components are broken, and the structural integrity of the artificial leather is destroyed. As a result, the PU/PVC coating is broken into small particles of different sizes, while the base fabric, due to its good fiber toughness, is separated into fluffy fiber clusters instead of being completely crushed. At this point, the artificial leather has been initially separated into two types of materials: PU/PVC particles and base fabric fibers.

Thirdly,Classifying Materials Based on Specific Gravity Differences

After mechanical force delamination, the mixture of PU/PVC particles and base fabric fibers needs to be further classified, and precise wind separation achieves this goal by utilizing the specific gravity difference between the two materials. A high-pressure fan is built into the hair-blowing machine, which can generate a stable and directional air flow in the separation chamber. Due to the inherent physical properties, the base fabric fibers are light in weight and have a fluffy structure, so they are easily lifted and driven by the directional air flow; in contrast, the PU/PVC particles are dense in texture and heavy in weight, and their ability to resist air flow is significantly stronger. Under the action of the air flow, the light base fabric fibers are blown to the designated collection bag by the air flow; while the heavy PU/PVC particles cannot be driven by the air flow, and fall down under the action of their own gravity, and are discharged from the discharge port at the bottom of the equipment. Through this process, the initial separation of the two components is completed, and the preliminary separation products are obtained.

According to Depending on the raw materials and the purity after recycling, 2, 3, or 4 separators can be used to meet the requirements.

In Summary,The separation of PU/PVC coating and base fabric in artificial leather is a systematic process that integrates preprocessing, mechanical action and air classification. The separator machine, with its "mechanical force bond breaking + wind separation" technology, effectively solves the problem of difficult separation of artificial leather components. From preprocessing to ensure material quality, to mechanical force breaking the bond between components, then to wind separation classifying materials, and even secondary purification to improve product purity, each link is closely connected and complementary. This separation technology not only provides technical support for the recycling and reuse of artificial leather waste, reduces environmental pollution, but also promotes the sustainable development of the artificial leather industry.