Systems and methods for the management of waste associated with processing guayule shrubs to extract rubber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11858003-B2
Application number	US-202217653764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2022
Priority date	Jun 18, 2012
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing the waste associated with the extraction of rubber from guayule shrubs are provided. Also provided is a portable local sub-station for reducing the transportation costs associated with the processing of guayule shrubs for the extraction of rubber. Use of the disclosed systems, methods and/or local sub-station can reduce transportation costs, reduce processing costs and reduce the downstream processing complexity associated with the extraction of rubber from guayule shrubs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing waste associated with the processing of guayule shrubs for the extraction of rubber, the method comprising:
providing guayule shrubs comprising leaves, bark, woody material, and roots at a harvest site;
utilizing a portable local sub-station comprising a chopper which reduces the guayule shrubs to a guayule plant matter with pieces having an average length of about ¼″ to about 4″, wherein only above-ground portions of the guayule shrubs are included in the guayule plant matter, thereby producing a semi-processed guayule material with a weight at least 5% lower than the weight of the guayule shrubs; and
transporting the semi-processed guayule material to a remote rubber extraction plant capable of producing rubber, resin and waste bagasse from the semi-processed guayule material where the waste bagasse comprises at least 60% by weight of the semi-processed guayule material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable local sub-station lacks any debarker, briquetting machine, air separator, leaf remover or compression machine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable local sub-station further comprises at least one of a debarker, a briquetting machine, an air separator, a leaf remover or a compression machine.

4. The method of claim 1 , where the portable local sub-station is capable of being transported to multiple locations.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable local sub-station is mounted onto a trailer capable of being towed by a truck.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote rubber extraction plant is located at least 10 miles from the harvest site.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote rubber extraction plant is located at least 25 miles from the harvest site.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chopper reduces the guayule shrubs to guayule plant matter with pieces having an average length of about 4″.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chopper reduces the guayule shrubs to guayule plant matter with pieces having an average length of about ¼″.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the semi-processed guayule material is dried at the harvest site prior to transporting.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote rubber extraction plant performs organic solvent extraction.

12. A method for managing waste associated with the processing of guayule shrubs for the extraction of rubber, the method comprising:
providing guayule shrubs comprising leaves, bark, woody material, and roots at a harvest site;
utilizing a portable local sub-station comprising a chopper which reduces the guayule shrubs to a guayule plant matter with pieces having an average length of about 4″, wherein only above-ground portions of the guayule shrubs are included in the guayule plant matter, thereby producing a semi-processed guayule material with a weight at least 5% lower than the weight of the guayule shrubs; and
transporting the semi-processed guayule material to a remote rubber extraction plant capable of using organic solvent extraction to produce rubber, resin and waste bagasse from the semi-processed guayule material where the waste bagasse comprises at least 60% by weight of the semi-processed guayule material.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the portable local sub-station lacks any debarker, briquetting machine, air separator, leaf remover or compression machine.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the portable local sub-station further comprises at least one of a debarker, a briquetting machine, an air separator, a leaf remover or a compression machine.

15. The method of claim 12 , where the portable sub-station is capable of being transported to multiple locations.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the portable sub-station is mounted onto a trailer capable of being towed by a truck.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the remote rubber extraction plant is located at least 10 miles from the harvest site.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the remote rubber extraction plant is located at least 25 miles from the harvest site.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the semi-processed guayule material is dried at the harvest site prior to transporting.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the semi-processed guayule material is dried at the harvest site prior to transporting.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Huang Yingyi
• Mouri Hiroshi
• Handlos Robert W
• Sheaffer Jenny L

Classifications

• B07B11/06 Primary

  Feeding or discharging arrangements · CPC title

• A01D45/00

  Harvesting of standing crops (A01D44/00 takes precedence; threshing machines adapted for special crops, threshing devices for combines adapted for special crops A01F11/00; harvesting of mushrooms A01G18/70) · CPC title

• B02C23/08

  Separating or sorting of material, associated with crushing or disintegrating (B02C23/18 takes precedence {; beater mills combined with sifting devices B02C13/13, B02C13/14; for tumbling mills B02C17/1835}) · CPC title

• B29B15/02 Primary

  of crude rubber, gutta-percha, or similar substances (tapping latex A01G; chemical aspects C08C) · CPC title

• C08C2/06

  Winning of rubber from solutions · CPC title