New technology uses magnets to sort plastic waste

A new method for sorting plastic waste has been developed by the Dutch Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the Dutch company Redox Waste Recycling and a European consortium within the project W2Plastics.
The new technology is made possible by using a magnet. The magnetic density sorting (MDS) system works by putting flakes of plastic packaging waste in a fluid containing iron oxide nanoparticles. The plastics then pass a strong magnet, which attracts the iron oxide particles causing the plastic to sort itself into different layers that match each type of plastic flake. The plastics can then be gathered from each layer (News Item NL Agency, 15 November 2013).
Click here for the news item (in Dutch).
Click here for more information about W2Plastics.

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