Abstract: A method and apparatus for the single type recovery of plastic materials from starting pieces of a multiple composite material is disclosed. The starting pieces are firstly comminuted mechanically into particles of a size compatible with the process. These composite materials particularly are separated and a mixture of different materials is produced and, from this material mixture, the individual materials are isolated. For the recovery of starting pieces of prepreg fabric from flexible cutting residues, lined with films on both sides, the following steps are performed in sequence. First, the starting pieces are comminuted by cutting them up into shreds of composite material. Then the shreds of composite material are cooled down to temperatures below room temperature and, in a cold state, are subjected to a mechanical alternating bending stress and/or a shearing stress, the films becoming detached from the prepreg pieces in a scale-like manner to form a mixture.

Abstract: A method for separating plastic particles by types from a particle mixture of plastics of different types by flotation. The plastic particles are initially processed by a type-dependent change in their wetting behavior in such a manner that the various types can be floated individually out of the particle mixture. This surface treatment of the plastic particles takes place prior to flotation and outside of the flotation device in a physically dry manner by plasma processing of the particle mixture followed by storage for a predetermined time period. Storage results in a material-specific classification wetting behavior.