New camera technology that can see the difference between 12 different types of plastics.

 

To be fit for recycling plastic must be at least 96% pure by its polymer type. This means that the plastic has to be separated to an almost pure product in terms of chemical composition and only then can it be recycled. Current systems are not as effective as one might think. In collaboration with Vestforbrænding, Dansk Affaldsminimering Aps, and PLASTIX, researchers from the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University have now developed a new camera technology that can see the difference between 12 different types of plastics. The technology makes it possible to separate plastics based on a purer chemical composition than is possible today, and this opens up for completely new opportunities to recycle plastics. The technology has been tested at pilot scale and is planned to be implemented at PLASTIX and Dansk Affaldsminimering Aps in spring 2022. 

Martin L. Henriksen et al.; "Plastic classification via in-line hyperspectral camera analysis and unsupervised machine learning"; Vibrational Spectroscopy; Volume 118, January 2022, 103329




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