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US 9,000,318 B2Granted
Identification of plastic material composition
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsSean M. Ackley, Camillo Sassano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Identification of a material composition. The material composition is configured with a color additive that is embedded or otherwise not visible. The color additive identifies the specific material composition. A discrete section or sub-section of the material is deformed such that the embedded color additive is made visible in the optical spectrum, after which the discrete section or sub-section may be sorted for recycling.
Claims10
A system comprising:
- a platform to carry a body comprising a first material and a second material, the first material having a first property and the second material in communication with the first material having a second property, the second property different from the first property, and the second property of the second material non-visible to an optical wavelength in a first state of the body;
- an applicator in communication with the platform, the applicator to deform the body beyond a deformation range, including the applicator to transform the body to a second state different from the first state;
- and
- a scanning module in communication with the platform, the scanning module to identify a characteristic of the second material made visible to at least one optical wavelength in the second state, the visible characteristic of the second material to identify a composition of the body.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- a platform to carry a body having a material and an embedded color indicator, the color indicator having a color visible to an optical wavelength only after a portion of the body is mechanically deformed beyond an associated deformation range;
- an applicator in communication with the platform, the applicator to deform the body beyond a deformation range, including making the color of the color indicator visible to an optical wavelength;
- and
- a scanning module in communication with the platform, the scanning module to identify a characteristic of the color indicator made visible in an optical spectrum, the characteristic to identify a composition of the body.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.