SORTING & SEGREGATION

METHODS

Further Sorting Techniques

• Sorting by Melting (Softening) Temperature

• Sorting by Selective Dissolution
• Sorting by Size Reduction-classification
• Sorting of Metal Contaminants by Eddy Current Separators
 SORTING & SEGREGATION
METHODS

Further Sorting Techniques

• Sorting by Melting (Softening) Temperature

Polymers can also be separated on the basis of differences in their
softening points, when this difference is significant. For example.
PVC and PET differ in their softening points by 60 ºC (200º compared
to 260 ºC). A physical method for sorting flakes of PVC from PET
based on their different melting behaviour uses a hot-belt separator.
The PVC softens and adheres to the heated belt while the PET does
not. The PET falls away from the belt as it turns upside down and is
thus separated, while the PVC is scraped off at another point. It is
necessary that the flakes be evenly spread out in a monolayer on the
belt in order for efficient separation to occur.
 SORTING & SEGREGATION
METHODS

Further Sorting Techniques

• Sorting by Selective Dissolution

This process is based on batch dissolution of mixed plastics
using solvents (primarily xylene). Through careful solvent selection
and by controlling the temperature, complete polymer separation can
be achieved. The concept behind the selective dissolution sorting
process is that the thermodynamic differences between the six major
polymers (LDPE,
HDPE, PP, PET, PVC and PS) cause each polymer to dissolve at a
different temperature in a solvent. Four of these polymers can be
separated using just xylene at four different temperatures, while PVC
and PET require a solvent mixture
 SORTING & SEGREGATION
METHODS

Further Sorting Techniques

• Sorting by Size Reduction-classification

Separation following size reduction can also be performed for certain
polymer mixtures. Size reduction processes are frequently used for
material liberation from composite or multilayer products such as
carpets, skinned dashboards etc. Communition in combination with
seiving or air elutriation can enable the classification and separation of
plastic multicomponent materials such as textile reinforced plastic
hose, fibre reinforced plastic film, foam backed mats and waste
carpet. A separation method to recover PVC from a commingled
polymer stream has been devised by Micronyl WEDCO (France)
which relies on the difference in impact strength between PVC and
PET. The ambient grinding of PVC produces a high amount of 'fines'
relative to other polymers such as PET (or HDPE). This characteristic
is exploited in order to facilitate separation of PVC and PET. After
micronizing, PET particles will be coarser than the PVC fraction and
the two polymers can be separated by sieving.
 SORTING & SEGREGATION
METHODS

Further Sorting Techniques

• Sorting by eddy field

Non-ferrous metal contaminants (e.g. aluminium, brass or copper) can
be separated from recycled plastic flake using an eddy current drum.
The rotating magnetic drum is equipped with strong permanent
magnets. When the drum is rotating, the high-frequency magnetic
field that is created induces eddy currents in the conducting metal
fragments. The induced eddy currents in turn create a magnetic field
opposed to the drum. This results in a force that repels the metal
fragments, thus altering their trajectory. Plastic flake and other
nonmetal
contaminants continue along their normal trajectories.
 RECYCLING METHODS

PLASTIC RECYCLING

• Recycling of plastics is one method for reducing environmental

impact and resource depletion. Recycling can therefore decrease
energy and material usage per unit of output, leading to improved
eco-efficiency. The only way to decrease the environmental
problems caused by polymeric waste accumulation produced from
day-to-day applications of polymer materials such those used in
packaging and construction is by recycling. This helps to conserve
natural resources because most polymer materials are made from
oil and gas.
• Recycling is the final result of the intermediate stages of collection,
sorting by type, and processing of polymers. It reduces the quantity
of residues in landfills and those indiscriminately discarded in the
environment.
• Recycling plastics encompasses four phases of activity, namely
collection, separation, processing, and manufacturing and
marketing.
 RECYCLING METHODS

PLASTIC RECYCLING
There are various stages of recycling:
• Collection: Plastic waste is collected from different locations. This can
be achieved by keeping special containers at home, public places,
farms, and so on. These wastes are then collected by professional
waste collectors and transported to the recycling sites.
• Cleaning: The cleaning stage consists of washing and drying the
plastic items. Cleaning is important since clean waste materials fetch
better prices and they improve the quality of end products. Plastics
can be washed at various stages of recycling process: before, after, or
even during sorting.
• Sorting: This involves not only the separation of the polymers from
recoverable foreign bodies but also the separation of these polymers
themselves.
• Size reduction: It aims to reduce the size of the waste, which in turn
facilitates not only in the separation of different polymers but also
recovery of the micronized powder which is used to feed processing
machines. The end products of shredding can be irregularly shaped
pieces of plastics, which can be sold to reprocessing industries and
workshops.
 RECYCLING METHODS

PLASTIC RECYCLING

• Primary recycling involves the use of the same product without

essential changes in a new use cycle (e.g., refillable packaging after
cleaning).
• Mechanically recycling implies the application of the material used,
without changing the chemical structure, for a new application.
• Chemically recycling implies the chemical structure of the material is
changed, which means that the resulting chemicals can be used to
produce the original material again
RECYCLING METHODS
 RECYCLING METHODS

TYPES OF PLASTIC WASTE RECYCLING

 RECYCLING METHODS

TYPES OF PLASTIC WASTE RECYCLING

Primary Recycling

Primary recycling refers to the in-plant recycling of the scrap material

of controlled history, that is, reuse of products in their original structure.
This process remains the most popular, as it ensures simplicity and low
cost, dealing, however, only with the recycling of clean,
uncontaminated, single-type waste. However, this is possible for some
wastes, and there is also an obvious limit on the number of cycles for
each material.
 RECYCLING METHODS

TYPES OF PLASTIC WASTE RECYCLING

Mechanical Recycling (or Secondary Recycling)

Mechanical recycling (or secondary recycling) is the reprocessing of

materials of waste plastics by physical means, like cutting, shredding,
washing, and so on, into plastic products. In this approach, the
polymer is separated from its associated contaminants, and it can be
readily reprocessed into granules by conventional melt filtration
extrusion. Size of the waste plastic is reduced after it is sorted, cleaned,
and dried, and then directly processed into end products or flakes of
consistent quality, which can be further used for manufacturing other
goods. The succeeding steps for recycling can vary from operation to
operation and the end use.
 RECYCLING METHODS

TYPES OF PLASTIC WASTE RECYCLING

Mechanical Recycling (or Secondary Recycling)

The steps involved in mechanical recycling are the following:

1. Collection/segregation
2. Cleaning and drying
3. Chipping/sizing
4. Coloring/agglomeration
5. Pelletization/extrusion
6. Manufacturing of the end product
 RECYCLING METHODS

TYPES OF PLASTIC WASTE RECYCLING

Chemical or Feedstock Recycling (Tertiary Recycling)

Chemical or feedstock recycling (tertiary recycling) is defined as the

process leading to the total depolymerization to the monomers, or
partial depolymerization to oligomers and other chemical substances.
The monomers could subsequently be re-polymerized to regenerate
the original polymer. In other words, chemical recycling is an
advanced technology that transforms plastic materials into smaller
molecules, mostly liquids or gases, suitable for use as feedstock
material starting with monomers, oligomers, or mixtures of other
hydrocarbon compounds, or as input for the production of new
plastics and petrochemicals by means of heat or chemical agents.
The term chemical is used because a change occurs to the chemical
structure of the polymer. The final output in chemical recycling is very
useful as a fuel, which has been proved scientifically. It uses a
technique called depolymerization, which can be very profitable and
beneficial from the sustainability point of view.
 RECYCLING METHODS

TYPES OF PLASTIC WASTE RECYCLING

Chemical or Feedstock Recycling (Tertiary Recycling)

Tertiary recycling involves the following methods:

1. Hydrogenation
2. Gasification
3. Chemical de-polymerization
4. Thermal cracking
5. Catalytic cracking and reforming
6. Photodegradation
7. Ultrasound degradation
8. Degradation in microwave reactor.
Numerous methods of degradation to obtain petrochemicals are
under investigation
presently, and suitable conditions for gasification and pyrolysis are
under extensive research.
 RECYCLING METHODS

TYPES OF PLASTIC WASTE RECYCLING

Energy Recovery (Quaternary Recycling)

Energy recovery (quaternary recycling) refers to the recovery of

plastics’ energy content. This is an effective way to reduce the volume
of organic materials. Incineration aiming at the recovery of energy is
currently the most effective way to reduce the volume of organic
materials. Though this method yields considerable energy from
polymers, it is ecologically unacceptable owing to the health risk from
airborne toxic substances, for example, dioxins (in the case of chlorine-
containing polymers). Apart from the aforementioned methods, direct
reuse of a plastic material (i.e., PET) could be considered as a zero-
order recycling technique. In many countries it is a common practice
to refill and reuse PET bottles. However, this should be done with a
great care since plastic bottles are more likely than glass to absorb
contaminants, which could be released into the contents (especially
food) when the bottle is refilled. Moreover, refilling a PET bottle with a
drink of high alcoholic content may lead to the degradation of the
macromolecular chains with unpredictable consequences.
 RECYCLING METHODS

TYPES OF PLASTIC WASTE RECYCLING

Energy Recovery (Quaternary Recycling)

Energy recovery (quaternary recycling) refers to the recovery of

plastics’ energy content. This is an effective way to reduce the volume
of organic materials. Incineration aiming at the recovery of energy is
currently the most effective way to reduce the volume of organic
materials. Though this method yields considerable energy from
polymers, it is ecologically unacceptable owing to the health risk from
airborne toxic substances, for example, dioxins (in the case of chlorine-
containing polymers). Apart from the aforementioned methods, direct
reuse of a plastic material (i.e., PET) could be considered as a zero-
order recycling technique. In many countries it is a common practice
to refill and reuse PET bottles. However, this should be done with a
great care since plastic bottles are more likely than glass to absorb
contaminants, which could be released into the contents (especially
food) when the bottle is refilled. Moreover, refilling a PET bottle with a
drink of high alcoholic content may lead to the degradation of the
macromolecular chains with unpredictable consequences.