mss - Publications

New Digital Technologies for the Color Separation of Extremely Dirty Glass Cullet in Material Recovery Facitilites

imsg — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 12:39:49 -0400

Garry R. Kenny, Felix A. Hottenstein, Arthur Doak
IMPC 2000, July 23-28, 2000, Rome, Italy

Recovered glass from household waste processing Material Recovery Facilities (MRF‘s) contains high amounts of contamination: ceramics, metal, dirt, etc. and can only be used in low grade applications or needs to be landfilled generating high, unnecessary costs. The so-called "Dirty-Three-Mix" consists of an extremely dirty mixture of flint, green, and brown glass. Up to now, no sufficient sorting technology was available to recover each of the color fractions for a re-use in a glass processing plant.

Automated Systems for Separation of Recycle Plastics: New Resin Identification, Sensor, and System Development

imsg — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 12:49:12 -0400

Garry R. Kenny, Mitchell G. Roe, Felix A. Hottenstein
Identiplast '99, April 26-28, 1999, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

Sensors for identification of recycle plastics must be integrated into automated sorting systems before becoming commercially viable equipment for the recycling facility. This paper provides a brief history of sensor and system development, an overview of sensor integration into operating systems, and discusses new applications and developments in available sensors and systems for separation of plastics for recycling.

Background

The first commercial sensor (ca. 1991) available for separation of recycle plastics was specific to PVC identification, and relied on absorption of x-rays by Chlorine atoms present in PVC bottles. Work by Rutgers University at the same time focused on a specific sensor utilizing visible light for identification of colored from clear PET, while using a separate x-ray fluorescence based sensor for PVC identification.

Automated Plastic Bottle Sorting Systems Economic and Technical Experience, and New Resin Identification

imsg — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 12:48:07 -0400

Garry R. Kenny, Mitchell G. Roe, Felix A. HottensteinR'99, February 2-5, 1999, Switzerland

Abstract

A fundamental change in plastic bottlerecycling has occurred during the last two years – more plastic bottles are nowsorted using automated equipment than are being sorted by manual means. New configurationsof automated plastic separation equipment are now available as well as new sensor systems.This paper presents the current status of automated plastics separation, new sorting andsensor systems, and details the economics of automated versus manual sorting systems.

Background

Development of systems to auto-matically sortpost consumer plastic bottles began in 1989 at Rutgers Uni-versity (1). Thefirst commercial systems to separate PVC from PET utilizing x-rays were introduced in 1991(2,3). Also in 1991, MSS introduced a multi-resin system for separation of PVC,clear and colored PET, natural HDPE and PP, and pigmented HDPE plastic bottles usingabsorption of x-ray, visible and near infrared electro-magnetic radiation. Other MSSseparation technology developments have also been reported (4,5).

Automatic Sorting of PEN-Based Plastic Containers

imsg — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 12:47:28 -0400

Garry R. Kenny, Mitchell G. Roe
Novapak 97, 1997

Abstract

A sensor has been developed for identification of postconsumer plastic containers formed of PEN and PEN/PET resin blends. The prototype sensorwas installed in a plastics sorting module currently commercially employed using othersensor types. Tests of the system were conducted to determine the separation capabilitiesof the new sensor as installed in the separation module. Based on the test resultsobtained, a 2nd generation sensor was developed and installed in the separationmodule. The separation capabilities of the 2nd generation system were testingused a Design of Experiment methodology to maximize the information obtained from the testprotocol. This paper presents background information on automated plastics separation, anda summary of the identification and separation accuracy test results.