Investigation on an innovative technology for wet separation of plastic wastes

Lupo, Emanuela; Moroni, Monica; Marca, Floriana La; Fulco, S.; Pinzi, Valentina

doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2016.02.030

Cited by 24 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…This contribution complements the experimental activity on the separation process of [3,13]. In fact, several original elements are described in this manuscript: (1) a detailed investigation of the coupling regime among the solid phase and the liquid phase, which is mandatory to understand the separation mechanisms taking place within the device and optimize its performance; (2) the evaluation of the influence of the solid phase volume fraction (defined as the ratio of the solid phase volume and the total volume of the solid-liquid mixture) on the hydraulic separator efficacy; (3) the investigation of samples of bio-plastics in addition to traditional plastics to account for the possible presence of materials realized with bio-plastics in recycling plants.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 54%

“…The market value of recycled plastics is considerably affected by their purity, degree of decontamination, and homogeneity [13], which are strictly related to the effectiveness of the mechanical recycling process, in particular the polymer separation step. In this regard, it is worth noting that one option currently adopted to reduce the impact of plastic products is the use of bio-plastics, mainly in the food sector.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The device is suitable for the separation of polymers with a density higher than 1000 kg/m 3 and employs plain water without chemical additives. As shown by [3,13], the separation process within the device relies on the difference of the polymers' density and on the characteristic flow pattern developing within the instrument. To quantify the efficacy of the apparatus, the most widely used traditional (Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Polycarbonate (PC)) and bio-plastics (Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Mater-Bi ® ) were selected and the capability of the hydraulic process to separate the different polymers as virgin granules, urban waste, and regenerated materials was investigated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, several original elements are described in this manuscript: (1) a detailed investigation of the coupling regime among the solid phase and the liquid phase, which is mandatory to understand the separation mechanisms taking place within the device and optimize its performance; (2) the evaluation of the influence of the solid phase volume fraction (defined as the ratio of the solid phase volume and the total volume of the solid-liquid mixture) on the hydraulic separator efficacy; (3) the investigation of samples of bio-plastics in addition to traditional plastics to account for the possible presence of materials realized with bio-plastics in recycling plants. For evaluating the effectiveness of the hydraulic separator and studying the influence of the solid volume fraction, mono-material and multi-material tests have been performed with samples of 12.42 × 10 −6 m 3 solid volume, which is double the tested volume of previous tests [13]. The comparison of separation tests conducted with both solid volumes and analogous hydraulic configurations makes it possible to infer the effect of the solid volume on the separation efficacy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental Investigation of the Productivity of a Wet Separation Process of Traditional and Bio-Plastics

et al. 2018

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Abstract:The separation process within a mechanical recycling plant plays a major role in the context of the production of high-quality secondary raw materials and the reduction of extensive waste disposal in landfills. Traditional plants for plastic separation employ dry or wet processes that rely on the different physical properties among the polymers. The hydraulic separator is a device employing a wet technology for particle separation. It allows the separation of two-polymer mixtures into two products, one collected within the instrument and the other one expelled through its outlet ducts. Apparatus performance were analyzed as a function of fluid and solid flow rates, flow patterns developing within the apparatus, in addition to the density, shape, and size of the polymers. For the hydraulic configurations tested, a two-way coupling takes place where the fluid exerts an influence on the plastic particles and the opposite occurs too. The interaction between the solid and liquid phases determines whether a certain polymer settles within the device or is expelled from the apparatus. Tests carried out with samples of increasing volumes of solid particles demonstrate that there are no significant differences in the apparatus effectiveness as far as a two-way interaction takes place. Almost pure concentrates of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), and Polycarbonate (PC) can be obtained from a mixture of traditional polymers. Tests conducted on Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Mater-Bi ® samples showed that the hydraulic separator can be effectively employed to separate bio-plastics from conventional plastics with remarkable grade and recovery.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Experimental Investigation of the Productivity of a Wet Separation Process of Traditional and Bio-Plastics

et al. 2018

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“…Also, unions between parts have been enhanced to ease disassembly and the stacking has been optimized to minimize the cost of the transportation to the end consumer and back to the manufacturer if a closed loop system is used. Selecting a single kind of thermoplastic material to the whole set favors both the cost and the separation and recycling of the elements after their usage period [44], optimizing the supply chain of the product.…”

Section: Product Under Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Supply Chain Management: The Influence of Disposal Scenarios on the Environmental Impact of a 2400 L Waste Container

et al. 2016

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This paper analyzes the influence of the supply chain management on the environmental impact of a 2400 L waste disposal container used in most cities of Spain. The studied functional unit, a waste disposal container, made up mostly of plastic materials and a metallic structure, and manufactured in Madrid (Spain), is distributed to several cities at an average distance of 392 km. A life cycle assessment of four different scenarios (SC) has been calculated with the software EcoTool v4.0 (version 4.0; i+: Zaragoza, Spain, 2015) and using Ecoinvent v3.0 database (version 3.0; Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories: St. Gallen, Switzerland, 2013). The environmental impact has been characterized with two different methodologies, recipe and carbon footprint. In order to reduce the environmental impact, several end of life scenarios have been performed, analyzing the influence of the supply chain on a closed-looped system that increases recycling. Closed loop management of the waste and reuse of parts allows companies to stop selling products and start selling the service that their products give to the consumers.

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Technological Landscape and Ideation in the Field of Waste Separation with Help of TRIZ

Ivanovskis

Kärki

Lahtela

2019

IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology

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Solid waste separation is an imperative part for closing material flow under principles of the circular economy. A multitude of technologies are at a different stage of development to perform this task and meet performance requirements at extracting valuable resources from waste streams. A thorough review of available options and possibilities for future development was required to pursue further progress. TRIZ (from Russian abbreviation: Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) methodology facilitated drawing a technological landscape for state of the art in solid waste separation for material recovery, as well as generating new directions of research. From the vast collection of TRIZ tools for systematic invention two approaches helped in the survey: effects databases and function-oriented search. Positive outcomes of their application include systematization of available knowledge, identification of potentially useful phenomena and getting ideas for the adoption of technologies from other domains. The case illustrates how rather loose (due to the broadness of the topic) application of TRIZ methods results in fruitful insights. A view at the effects databases as a collection of technological "genes" is given.

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Investigation on an innovative technology for wet separation of plastic wastes

Cited by 24 publications

References 35 publications

Experimental Investigation of the Productivity of a Wet Separation Process of Traditional and Bio-Plastics

Experimental Investigation of the Productivity of a Wet Separation Process of Traditional and Bio-Plastics

Sustainable Supply Chain Management: The Influence of Disposal Scenarios on the Environmental Impact of a 2400 L Waste Container

Technological Landscape and Ideation in the Field of Waste Separation with Help of TRIZ

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