1. A method of configuring an enterprise application, the method comprising:
providing, in a computer system, a framework for defining a set of relationships between a plurality of business units, the framework comprising a business unit definition that is used to define representations of a plurality of business units, a business function definition that is used to define one or more business functions, and a relationship definition that is used to define a relationship between one or more business units and one or more business functions;
providing, from the computer system, a user interface for a user to define a relationship between a plurality of business units;
receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a first business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a first business function of the first business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a second business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit, the business function agency relationship pertaining to the first business function;
receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a control to be implemented with respect to the business function agency relationship;
configuring an enterprise application to reflect the business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit, wherein configuring the enterprise application comprises storing, in a database, a set of data representing the business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit;
receiving, at the enterprise application, a transaction pertaining to the first business function;
determining, based on the set of data stored in the database, that the business function agency relationship governs processing of the transaction; and
processing the transaction according to the business function agency relationship.
2. In an enterprise application, a method of defining relationships between two or more business units in an enterprise, the method comprising:
providing a user interface for a user to define a relationship between a plurality of business units;
receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a first business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a first business function of the first business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a second business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit, the business function agency relationship pertaining to the first business function; and
storing a set of data representing the business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of data is stored in a database.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
displaying, for a user, a confirmation of the defined business function agency relationship.
5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
providing for the user to define, via the user interface, one or more business functions to be performed by the first business unit;
wherein receiving a selection of a first business function of the first business unit comprises receiving a selection of one of the one or more business functions defined by the user.
6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a control to be implemented with respect to the business function agency relationship.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the control comprises a service level agreement pertaining to the business function agency relationship.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the control comprises a limitation on performance of the business function.
9. The method of claim 2, wherein the business function agency relationship is a client relationship, such that the first business unit performs the first business function on behalf of the second business unit.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
receiving a request, at the enterprise application, for the first business function to be performed for the second business unit;
determining, based on the set of data, that the first business unit should perform the first business function on behalf of the second business unit; and
providing for the first business unit to perform the first business function on behalf of the second business unit.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
implementing, with respect to a performance of the first business function, a control defined with respect to the business function agency relationship.
12. The method of claim 2, wherein the business function agency relationship is a related business function relationship, such that a transaction processed by the first business function in the first business unit is further processed by a second business function in the second business unit.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
identifying a transaction that has been processed by the first business function in the first business unit;
determining, based on the set of data, that the transaction should be further processed by the second business function; and
providing for the second business unit to perform the second business function to further process the transaction.
14. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a second business function agency relationship between the first business unit and a third business unit, the second business function agency relationship pertaining to the first business function; and
storing, in the database, a set of data representing the second business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the third business unit.
15. A computer system, comprising:
a database for storing data used by an enterprise application;
one or more processors in communication with the database; and
one or more computer readable storage media in communication with the one or more processors, the one or more computer readable storage media having encoded thereon a computer program comprising a set of instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising:
instructions for providing a user interface for a user to define a relationship between a plurality of business units;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a first business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a first business function of the first business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a second business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit, the business function agency relationship pertaining to the first business function; and
instructions for storing, in the database, a set of data representing the business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit.
16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising a web server configured to transmit one or more webs page for display in a web browser operated by the user, the one or more web pages comprising the user interface.
17. A computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon a computer program for defining, in an enterprise application, relationships between a plurality of business units, the computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer system to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising:
instructions for providing a user interface for a user to define a relationship between a plurality of business units;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a first business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a first business function of the first business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a second business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit, the business function agency relationship pertaining to the first business function; and
instructions for storing, in the database, a set of data representing the business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit.
18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the enterprise application comprises the computer program.
19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the computer program is integrated with a configuration utility for the enterprise application.
20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the configuration utility is an installation program for the enterprise application.
21. A method of configuring an enterprise application, the method comprising:
providing, in a computer system, a framework for defining a set of relationships between a plurality of business units, the framework comprising a business unit definition that is used to define representations of a plurality of business units, a business function definition that is used to define one or more business functions, and a relationship definition that is used to define a relationship between one or more business units and one or more business functions;
providing, from the computer system, a user interface to receive, from a user, first input for selecting a first representation of a first business unit, second input for selecting a second representation of a second business unit, third input for selecting a business function, and fourth input for defining a relationship among the first business unit, the second business unit, and the business function; and
configuring an enterprise application to reflect the defined relationship among the first business unit, the second business unit and the business function.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein configuring an enterprise application comprises storing, in a database, a set of data representing the defined relationship.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the relationship is a business function client relationship, such that the first business unit performs the business function on behalf of the second business unit.
24. The method of claim 21, wherein the relationship is a relationship is a related business function relationship, such that a transaction processed by the business function in the first business unit is further processed by another business function in the second business unit
25. A computer readable storage medium have encoded thereon a computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer system to perform one or more operations, the computer program comprising:
a framework for defining a set of relationships between a plurality of business units, the framework comprising a business unit definition that is used to define representations of a plurality of business units, a business function definition that is used to define one or more business functions, and a relationship definition that is used to define a relationship between one or more business units and one or more business functions;
a user interface for receiving, from a user, first input for selecting a first representation of a first business unit, second input for selecting a second representation of a second business unit, third input for selecting a business function, and fourth input for defining a relationship among the first business unit, the second business unit, and the business function; and
a configuration engine for configuring an enterprise application to reflect the defined relationship among the first business unit, the second business unit and the business function.
26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the enterprise application comprises the computer program.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method for producing a polypropylene blend from a plastic mixture comprising high molecular weight polypropylene, other high molecular weight polymers and low molecular weight polymers, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) combining the plastic mixture with a first solvent in which at least one of the high molecular weight polymers is soluble;
(b) maintaining the solvent at an operating temperature at which essentially no high molecular weight polymer is dissolved, and adjusting the weight ratio of plastic mixture to solvent;
(c) extracting the low molecular weight polymers from the plastic mixture during a residence period;
(d) dissolving the plastic mixture resulting from step (c) in a second solvent, which is the same as or different from the first solvent, and separating insoluble components from the solution by solid-liquid separation;
(e) generating at least two liquid phases having different polymer compositions, and selectively precipitating polypropylene from at least one liquid phase using shearing or flow to form a polypropylene fraction;
(f) degassing the polypropylene fraction; and
(g) granulating the polypropylene fraction to form a polypropylene blend.
2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein prior to step b) at a temperature which is lower than the operating temperature, at least one of the polymers contained in the plastic mixture is dissolved and is separated from the remaining polymers and from at least a portion of soluble contaminants contained in the plastic mixture using one or more solid-liquid separation methods.
3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein, in steps (a) to (c), when the concentration of low molecular weight polymers in the solvent reaches a predetermined level, the solvent is removed from the process, cleaned through distillation, and reused for the extraction.
4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first and second solvents are independently selected from the group consisting of aliphatic, aromatic and cyclical hydrocarbons, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, alcohols, carboxylic acids, amines, esters, ketones, tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl formamide, dimethyl sulphoxide, N-methyl pyrrolidone or mixtures thereof.
5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of plastic mixture to solvent is 10 to 20%.
6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the operating temperature in step (b) is 60 C. to 70 C.
7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the residence period in step (c) is 60 to 90 minutes.
8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plastic mixture used in step (a) consists of pellets that are so fine they can be drizzled.
9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the insoluble components that are separated in step (d) include one or more of paper, aluminum and polymers other than polypropylene.
10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein following step (d), the plastic mixture is dissolved in a third solvent, which is the same as or different from the second solvent, prior to the phase separation.
11. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plastic mixture used in step (a) is derived from plastic packaging materials that have been collected for recycling.
12. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the high molecular weight polypropylene and other high molecular weight polymers has a weight average molecular weight of at least 10,000.
13. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the other high molecular weight polymers include one or more of polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, LDPE, LLDPE, MDPE, HDPE and UHDPE.
14. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the solid-liquid separation comprises one or more of filtering, decanting or centrifuging.
15. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the low molecular weight polymers have a weight average molecular weight of up to 5000.
16. A polypropylene blend produced by the method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the blend contains at least 95% by weight polypropylene.
17. The polypropylene blend in accordance with claim 16 having an average melt flow index measured in accordance with ISO 1133 at 230 C. and 2.16 kg load of 14.7 to 17.9 g10 min.
18. The polypropylene blend in accordance with claim 17 having an average yield stress of 29.5 to 36.1 Mpa.
19. An injection molded part made from a polypropylene blend in accordance with claim 18.
20. A polypropylene blend which has been recovered from a plastic mixture comprising high molecular weight polypropylene, other high molecular weight polymers and low molecular weight polymers, wherein the recovery method comprises the steps of:
(a) extracting the low molecular weight polymers from the plastic mixture using a first solvent at a temperature at which essentially none of the high molecular weight polymers is dissolved;
(b) dissolving the plastic mixture resulting from step (a) in a second solvent, which is the same or different from the first solvent, and separating insoluble components from the resulting solution by solid-liquid separation;
(c) generating at least two liquid phases having different polymer compositions, and selectively precipitating polypropylene from at least one liquid phase using shearing or flow to form a polypropylene fraction;
and wherein the polypropylene blend contains at least 95% by weight polypropylene, an average melt flow index measured in accordance with ISO 1133 at 230 C. and 2.16 kg load of 14.7 to 17.9 g10 min., and has an average yield stress of 29.5 to 36.1 Mpa.