Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


Andrew Moening - Thesis(1).pdf (988.55 KB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Post-Consumer Plastic Particle Sortation by Plastic Type with the Use of Magnetic Fields and Ferrofluids for the Recycling Industry: A Proof of Concept Study

Moening, Andrew
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1384548911

Abstract Details

2013, Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Toledo, Mechanical Engineering.
In 2010, the United States generated over 31 million tons of plastic waste, and from that total, only 8% was recycled. With demand for lower cost plastics and public attention to environmental concerns increasing, the expanding recycling industry has provided an opportunity to lower raw material costs and create new jobs. Traditionally, manual or optical methods that used infrared technologies were utilized to sort plastic wastes for recycling. Once these plastic wastes were sorted, they were cleaned, shredded, and melted into raw materials. These methods are costly and can experience high nonconformance rates during the sortation processes. This thesis discusses an emerging technique that utilizes a novel process that sorts shredded plastic particles by using electromagnetic (EM) waves and Ferro fluids. The process involves placing various types of shredded plastic particles of into a tank filled with ferrofluid. The plastic particles and ferrofluid are then subjected to an EM wave by the use of an EM coil. The EM wave alters the density of the ferrofluid and causes the shredded plastic particles to rise and sink at different vertical levels within the ferrofluid tank, based on the plastic particles’ respective densities. This method allows for an efficient, accurate, and low cost method to sort plastic particles as compared to conventional technologies. Overviews of the model development, experimental design, and test results are provided that demonstrates proof-of-concept. The results of the study indicated that the EM separation method may offer significant cost, efficiency, and accuracy improvements over conventional methods.
Matthew Franchetti (Advisor)
Tim Stansfield (Committee Member)
Ashok Kumar (Committee Member)
49 p.
Industrial Engineering; Mechanical Engineering
recycling; ferrofluid; plastic; plastic sortation

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Moening, A. (2013). Post-Consumer Plastic Particle Sortation by Plastic Type with the Use of Magnetic Fields and Ferrofluids for the Recycling Industry: A Proof of Concept Study [Master's thesis, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1384548911

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Moening, Andrew. Post-Consumer Plastic Particle Sortation by Plastic Type with the Use of Magnetic Fields and Ferrofluids for the Recycling Industry: A Proof of Concept Study. 2013. University of Toledo, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1384548911.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Moening, Andrew. "Post-Consumer Plastic Particle Sortation by Plastic Type with the Use of Magnetic Fields and Ferrofluids for the Recycling Industry: A Proof of Concept Study." Master's thesis, University of Toledo, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1384548911

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1384548911
1,077
© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.