Black plastics are widely used in the automotive industry, electronics, food packages, plastic bags, they can be found all around us. Unfortunately, instead of recycling, they are burned for energy or dumped to landfill, since there has not been efficient and reliable technology available to sort them.
Hyperspectral imaging is the only technology that can identify black plastic types when used on MWIR spectral range
The fast frame rate of the Specim FX50 combined with its high spatial resolution allows 300 kg of 2×2 cm plastic flakes to be sorted per minute (a 1-metre wide conveyor belt running 2 m/s). This high throughput makes the Specim FX50 a competitive option for the recycling industry where cost is a major concern.
Specim FX50 is the only hyperspectral camera available on the market covering the full MWIR spectral range 2.7 – 5.3 um that is required with black plastics. This allows fast and reliable sorting of:
- Black plastics such as PS, PE, PP, ABS and PVC
- Certain additives, like flame retardants
- Rubbers
- Non-black plastics and rubbers
Specim also offers a white paper on Recycling with Spectral Camera
