Application of Raman spectroscopy to identification and sorting of post-consumer plastics for recycling

Patent · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001

OSTI ID:874105

Sommer, Edward J.; Rich, John T.

A high accuracy rapid system for sorting a plurality of waste products by polymer type. The invention involves the application of Raman spectroscopy and complex identification techniques to identify and sort post-consumer plastics for recycling. The invention reads information unique to the molecular structure of the materials to be sorted to identify their chemical compositions and uses rapid high volume sorting techniques to sort them into product streams at commercially viable throughput rates. The system employs a laser diode (20) for irradiating the material sample (10), a spectrograph (50) is used to determine the Raman spectrum of the material sample (10) and a microprocessor based controller (70) is employed to identify the polymer type of the material sample (10).

• Research Organization: National Recovery Technologies, Inc., Nashville, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-95ER82038
• Assignee: National Recovery Technologies, Inc. (Nashville, TN)
• Patent Number(s): 6,313,423
• Application Number: 09/284,955
• OSTI ID: 874105
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 1999 Jul 14
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

application
raman
spectroscopy
identification
sorting
post-consumer
plastics
recycling
accuracy
rapid
plurality
waste
products
polymer
type
involves
complex
techniques
identify
sort
reads
information
unique
molecular
structure
materials
sorted
chemical
compositions
volume
product
streams
commercially
viable
throughput
rates
employs
laser
diode
20
irradiating
material
sample
10
spectrograph
50
determine
spectrum
microprocessor
based
controller
70
employed
laser diode
product stream
raman spectroscopy
waste product
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