Abstract: According to the present invention, plastic waste mixture is first comminuted, and if required, subjected to magnetic separation and/or eddy-current separation, by which separable metals are removed. The comminuted plastic waste mixture is then mixed with a separation liquid in a mixing tank which has an outlet for heavy phase impurities. This suspension is directed to a hydrocyclone for a first separation procedure. The hydrocyclone is optimally adjusted in such a manner that any remaining unwanted heavy phase impurities together with the heavy phase undesirable plastics, such as the PVC fraction of the plastic waste mixture, is separated from the balance of the plastic waste materials as hydrocyclone underflow. The heavy underflow of the mixing tank and the hydrocyclone underflow may be further reprocessed separately or jointly.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus and method for the processing of refuse mixtures which may include relatively high concentrations of plastic waste, such as refuse mixtures including waste packages originating from household refuse and industrial refuse and especially refuse mixtures including plastic waste in the form of sheeting, hollow bodies, beakers and composite materials whereby the solids of the refuse mixture are comminuted, the communited refuse mixture is then moistened, mechanically disintegrated, mixed with a separating fluid and then dewatered and separated by density by a sorting centrifuge thereby obtaining a plastic fraction which is free of impurities.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the separation of mixtures of plastics, contaminated with, among other things, mineral heavy materials such as e.g. sand or metal refuse. Separation occurs according to density in a separating liquid in the centrifugal field of the rotating suspension. The present invention provides the connection of a hydrocyclone before a separating centrifuge. The mineral heavy materials are separated in advance in the hydrocyclone and the plastic mixture is further separated in the centrifuge. Wear on components of the separating centrifuge caused by these heavy materials can be avoided, and in some applications a second separating stage at a higher separation density can be eliminated.