Recycling identification technologies

Bosch and co-workers devised laboratory reactors to operate at high pressure and temperature in a recycle mode. These test reactors had the essential characteristics of potential industrial reactors and were used by Mittasch and co-workers to screen some 20,000 samples as candidate catalysts. The results led to the identification of an iron-containing mineral that is similar to today s industrial catalysts. The researchers recognized the need for porous catalytic materials and materials with more than one component, today identified as the support, the catalyticaHy active component, and the promoter. Today s technology for catalyst testing has become more efficient because much of the test equipment is automated, and the analysis of products and catalysts is much faster and more accurate. 

Automated identification and separation technology is necessary to reduce the cost of recycling and enable greater volumes of waste to be processed. 

Many companies have been instrumental in the development of technology and equipment for the rapid identification of plastic bottles [54] and durable plastic parts [10, 19, 63] for the purpose of recycling. Three companies that market plastics ID and related sorting equipment internationally are referenced here ... 

A review is presented of the methods used in the identification of plastics waste prior to recycling operations, which was published in International Polymer Science and Technology, and translated from a Polish source. Rapid spectroscopic methods are indicated, and their use in packaging and automotive recycling are discussed. 

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