Patent ID: 7980494

Claim:
A method for recycling high density polyethylene plastic from used engine-oil containers with a paper label having an impermeable gloss surface attached by label adhesive to the container, a neck with an end and a neck axis and with sealing foil residue and adhesive still attached to the end of the neck of the container, comprising the steps of: a) emptying any free flowing residual oil from the engine-oil containers by centrifugal acceleration, in an environment between room temperature and 240 degrees F.; b) melting the sealing foil residue adhesive, from the container's neck, by rapid heating of the neck with hot air, liquid, steam or superheated steam, at temperatures between 140 degrees F. and 240 degrees F.; c) removing the sealing-foil residue after heating by a brush or a rotating blade having an axis coinciding with the container's neck axis; d) softening the label adhesive by a sudden application of water, heated between 140 degrees F. and 212° degrees F.; e) removing the softened label, by the sliding action of a blade coated with Teflon; f) shredding the container into flakes with a hardened steel cutting blade mounted on a support rotating on a shaft, said cutting blade cutting across a disaligned hardened steel anvil; g) generating a high turbulence bath by the action of continuous or intermittent high velocity submerged jets of an adhered oil removal solution impinging the flakes; h) subjecting the flakes to a high turbulence pressurized toroidal recirculation hot-bath, filled with said adhered-oil removal solution at temperatures between room temperature and 250 degrees F.; i) separating any molecularly attached oil, contaminating the flakes in the adhered oil removal solution hot bath, and extracting and drying of the flakes subjected to said separation by the action of hot air by a forced flow through the flakes.