Vibratory Separation of Plastic Mixtures Using Triboelectric Charging

Abstract

This article presents the results of experimental and analytical studies of the performance of a novel vibratory separator of plastic mixtures for recycling. The separator unit consists of a vibratory conveyor equipped with two plate electrodes. The principle behind the separation technique is based on the difference in Coulomb force acting on the plastic particles after triboelectric charging. The separation of a mixture of 50% polyvinylchloride (PVC) and 50% polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using this method was studied. An analytical model describing the relative distribution of the two types of plastic particles in the collection trays was developed. The effect of triboelectric charging time and electric-field strength on the separation efficiency was investigated.

Keywords:

• electrostatic separation
• triboelectric charging
• plastic mixtures

Acknowledgments

I wish to acknowledge the assistance of K. Takahashi, K. Hirohashi, H. Tsukioka, and T. Yashiro in the experimental phase of this investigation.

Notes

E = 650 V/m, θ = 10°, α = 15°, a = 0.75 nm, f = 29 Hz, T _c  = 30 s.