Journal of Chromatography & Separation Techniques
Open Access
ISSN: 2157-7064
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2157-7064
+44 1300 500008
N Menad
Bureau de Recherche G�?©ologie Mini�?¨re, France
Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Chromatogr Sep Tech
Urban mining is the process of reclaiming compounds and elements from products, building and wastes. It contains recyclable metals, organics ceramics and wood. The physical and physico-chemical separation techniques are needed to concentrate those products for recycling in a good way. According to physical and physico-chemical properties of different products present in urban mine, the physical separation techniques permit to separate or isolate them, for re-use or appropriate treatment or disposal. These techniques were used in mineral processing such as classification (hydrocyclone), gravity, magnetic, eddy current, electrostatic, flotation and Sink-float separations. For example: gravity and sink float separation techniques are used to separate different plastics by density, the flotation to separate different products according to their surface properties, and magnetic for products having different magnetic properties. Effluents are treated by using the flocculation, centrifugation and flotation techniques. Most of these techniques are used in recycling industries to separate different components such as plastics, metals, wood and to purify the effluents. Several processes were developed to improve the quality of the recovered products. Currently, the sensor sorting technique is integrated in these processes, such as REDWAVE device which is integrated in a waste of electric and electronic equipment (WEEEs) separation process to recover purified fractions of various plastics. REDWAVE separation is based on a NIR spectrometry identification of the main polymers of the plastics, followed by the particle air-blasting to a dedicated container. This equipment can be programmed to isolate one or more specific polymers in a global flux passing past the sensor.
Email: N.Menad@brgm.fr