System for analyzing and sorting material

A system for analyzing and sorting material comprising:

• a chute;
• a feeder means for transporting at least one piece of material along a feeding surface towards and onto an upper portion of the chute, wherein the at least one piece of material is slidable on the chute and off the chute via a lower edge of the chute;
• a sorting device operable to sort the at least one piece of material according to at least two fractions;
• a laser device configured to generate a laser beam that, when the laser beam is incident on the at least one piece of material, can produce an emission from the piece material;
• a spectrometer configured to detect the emission from the at least one piece of material and to produce an output signal corresponding to the emission and indicative of a chemical composition of the at least one piece of material;
• and
• a controller device configured to receive the output signal and to operate the sorting device based on the output signal and at least one sorting criterion,
• wherein the laser device and the spectrometer are both positioned on a same side of the chute in a direction perpendicular to a transportation direction of the chute,
• wherein the laser device is configured to produce a laser beam that can be incident on the at least one piece of material when the at least one piece of material is at least partially protruding from the chute over the lower edge of the chute or has fallen off from the chute via the lower edge of the chute and is airborne,
• wherein the chute defines a channel configured to guide the at least one piece of material from the upper portion of the chute to the lower edge of the chute,
• wherein the channel includes a convex portion at the upper portion of the chute and a straight portion between the convex portion and the lower edge of the chute, and
• wherein the channel is configured such that an extension of a centerline thereof intersects a path of the laser beam.