Electrostatic separation of mixed plastic waste
AssigneeThe University of Western Ontario
InventorsIon I. Inculet, G. S. P. Castle, James D. Brown
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Abstract
A mixture of particles of plastic materials having different work functions is fed through a rotating tube. The tube rotates about an axis which is inclined slightly to the horizontal. The tube is of plastic or metallic material, preferably having a rib for stirring the mixture. As the particles pass progressively down the length of the tube, the triboelectrically induced charge progressively increases, whereby the particles are highly charged upon emerging from the tube. The tube may be made of the same material as a minority component of the mixture to bring up the level of the charge on the majority component.
Claims8
An apparatus for tribocharging particles of electrically insulating materials, the apparatus comprising a tube rotatable about its longitudinal axis and inclined at an angle to the horizontal, the particles being adapted to be gradually and progressively moved longitudinally through the tube from an entry point to an exit point, movement of the particles through the tube resulting in the particles making contact with the tube and with each other, the tube being formed from a material with an electrostatic work function that is different from that of the particles, the difference in the electrostatic work function between the tube and the particles resulting in the particles becoming increasingly tribocharged as they move from the entry point to the exit point on the tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.