Grantee Research Project Results
A Process Increasing the Amount and Quality of Recycled Plastics Resins
EPA Contract Number: 68D40080Title: A Process Increasing the Amount and Quality of Recycled Plastics Resins
Investigators: Sommer, Edward J.
Small Business: National Recovery Technologies Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: September 1, 1994 through July 1, 1997
Project Amount: $164,937
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (1994) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Each year, Americans dispose of an estimated 29 billion pounds of plastics which consume up to 20% of our nation's annual landfill capacity. Recent environmental and political pressures have led to rapid establishment of plastics recycling facilities. Limited markets for low quality recycled resins requires reclaimers to produce the highest quality recycled resins in order to compete with virgin resins. An increasing number of reclaimers are turning to automated separation technologies to help achieve this goal.According to the U.S. EPA, a major limiting factor in quality of recycled resins and in expanding plastics recycling to include a broader spectrum of plastics is lack of automated plastics sorting technology. The Phase I research program demonstrated feasibility of utilizing spectroscopic techniques for high speed identification of polymers. The objective of the Phase II research program is to develop and demonstrate a high speed automated system for high accuracy sorting plastics by polymer type.
Supplemental Keywords:
Recycling, Plastics, Sorting, Resin, Automation, Municipal Solid Waste, Materials Handling, Spectroscopy., Sustainable Industry/Business, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Engineering, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Sustainable Environment, Municipal, Chemistry and Materials Science, Environmental Engineering, automated seperation technologies, recycling, automated plastics sorting, spectroscopy, plastic, plastic resins, automated waste recycling, plastics identification, waste recycling, recycled plastics, automated seperation, materials handling, plastics sortingProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.