Development of a terahertz-based sorting system for processing solid waste

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Every year, approximately 10 million tons of e-waste plastics are disposed of globally; half of that are black**plastics. To be recycled, plastics must be sorted according to their constituent polymers. Current optical sorting**technology that is used by most industrial recyclers cannot detect the polymer composition of black plastics,**which are commonly used in electronics.**This project will overcome the black plastic e-waste challenge by accelerating the development of a novel**terahertz (THz) sensor array technology. A small THz sensor, developed by TeTechS, has successfully detected**and sorted black plastics with 90% accuracy. Building on that success and utilizing Conestoga's expertise and**know-how of optical sorting technologies, the collaborating partners will create a full-scale, industry-ready**working prototype THz-sensor array which meets the recycling industry's standards for precision and speed.**The proposed THz sensor array is a "drop-in" technology that can be added to existing optical sorting machines**that are widely used by recycling companies, thus optimizing such machines' sorting capacity with minimal**engineering.**By successfully commercializing the THz industrial sensor array for e-plastic sorting, end-users of the**technology, Canadian recycling companies, will directly profit from this innovation which improves efficiency**and output purity. As the first fully industrialized application of THz technology, the project will catalyze**knowledge-creation in THz applied research beyond the field of recycling, influencing the manufacture of**diverse products and affecting multiple sectors of the Canadian economy. It will also place Canada at the**leading edge of this influential and broadly applicable technology.