SBIR Phase I: Electronic Sortation for Recycling of Post Consumer Non-Ferrous Metals

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This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project will investigate new technology for the rapid electronic sortation of aluminum, copper, brass, and stainless steel and production of a nonferrous metal rich feedstock from resource recovery plant ash. Fast new detectors and computer electronics can identify nonferrous metals in millisecond time frames. This makes possible rapid identification and separation of one type of metal from another. This new technology is needed to sort the nonferrous metal feedstock from resource recovery plant ash residue and from automobile shredders. Current methods use hand sorting, eddy currents, and heavy media plants. Virtually no waste-to-energy facilities presentlt recover nonferrous metals. Eddy current separators depend on particle size and shape and do not work well on incinerated nonferrous metals. Heavy media plants are capital intensive and cause environmental problems. The new technology is expected to increase the recycling of valuable metallic components, which are presently going to landfills. Nonferrous metals, discarded in waste, amount to some two billion pounds/year. Applying the technology only to the recovery and recycling of nonferrous metals from more than 200 automobile shredders located throughout the USA would, by itself, have a large commercial potential.