Abstract: Methods and systems presented herein are designed for processing waste material to extract plastics. These methods and systems encompass comminution and various stages of gravity separation. For comminution, a ball mill or a rod mill can be employed. The waste material can be or can include automobile shredder residue.

Abstract: A trommel apparatus has a cylindrical body configured for rotational movement and a plurality of elongated holes or slots formed in the cylindrical body. The trommel apparatus can be used to sort pieces of automobile shredder residue.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for separating incinerator combined ash are described. The devices, systems, and methods include a fines process that utilizes water or other liquid in the separation of portions of the incinerator combined ash.

Abstract: A system and method for recovering metals from electronic scrap and auto shred residue (ASR) are described. Electronic scrap and ASR materials initially undergo size reduction processes. The reduced materials are thereafter separated according to size and magnetic properties to remove ferrous materials from the processing stream. Non-magnetic materials remaining in the processing stream are separated using oxygen encapsulated separators. The oxygen encapsulated separators strategically encounter materials to generate waste, a precious metals concentrate, and a metal concentrate.

Abstract: A system multiple having units in a linear arrangement employs density separation processes. In one arrangement, the system provides more control over the agitation and forces separating the material. One system has a paddlewheel 115, 215 in some or all of the units to create movement to optimize the residence time (faster or slower) to optimize separation.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for separating incinerator combined ash to recover desired materials are described. The devices, systems, and methods may include 2-stage screen(s), falling velocity separator(s)/jig(s), magnetic pulley(s), eddy current separator(s), sensor sorters, and optical sorter(s).

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for separating incinerator combined ash are described. The devices, systems, and methods include a fines process that utilizes water or other liquid in the separation of portions of the incinerator combined ash.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for separating incinerator combined ash to recover desired materials are described. The devices, systems, and methods may include 2-stage screen(s), falling velocity separator(s)/jig(s), magnetic pulley(s), eddy current separator(s), sensor sorters, and optical sorter(s).

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for recovering metal constituents from a waste stream containing metals (e.g., incinerator ash) are described. The waste stream may include incinerator bottom ash, fly ash, or a combination thereof. A falling velocity separator is employed in combination with a centrifuge to separate and collect metals from the waste stream. The falling velocity separator uses a liquid to separate particles within incinerator ash according to the particles settling velocities. The centrifuge further separates particles from the incinerator ash according to density of the particles.

Abstract: Processing shredder residue fines to recover valuable metals, such as copper, from waste materials. The disclosed systems and methods employ processes that further refine the waste materials to concentrate the metallic material after the waste materials are initially processed. Processes include employing a destoner, and optionally multiple destoners and screens, to concentrate metal constituents in the shredder residue fines.

Abstract: Processing automobile shredder residue (ASR) zorba to separate aluminum and magnesium from the other non-ferrous metals. The system and method employs a destoner to separate the magnesium and aluminum from other non-ferrous metals in the ASR zorba. The resulting magnesium and aluminum product may be further processed by a destoner to separate the aluminum from the magnesium. The ASR zorba may be segregated by size prior to processing in the destoner.

Abstract: Processing excavated ASR from an ASR landfill. The processing includes excavating the ASR and co-mingled material, sizing the excavated material, separating the excavated, sized material into a heavy and light fraction, and further processing the heavy fraction to recover ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

Abstract: An automated system for sorting dissimilar materials, and in particular for sorting plastics from other materials and for sorting different types of plastics from one another comprises, depending upon the embodiment, combinations of a sizing mechanism, a friction separation, an air separator, a magnetic separator, a dielectric sensor sortation bed, shaker screening, a ballistic separator, an inductive sensor sortation system and a float/sink tank. The dielectric sensor sortation system may be either analog or digital, depending upon the particular implementation. One or more float/sink tanks can be used, depending upon the embodiment, each with a media of a different specific gravity. The media may be water, or water plus a compound such as calcium chloride. In addition, multiples of the same general type of module can be used for particular configurations. A heavy media system or a sand float process can be used either alternatively or additionally.

Abstract: A system for sorting fine nonferrous metals and insulated copper wire from a batch of mixed fine nonferrous metals and insulated wire includes an array of inductive proximity detectors, a processing computer and a sorting mechanism. The inductive proximity detectors identify the location of the fine nonferrous metals and insulated copper wire. The processing computer instructs the sorting mechanism to place the fine nonferrous metals and insulated copper wire into a separate container than the non-metallic pieces.

Abstract: An automated system for sorting dissimilar materials, and in particular for sorting plastics from other materials and for sorting different types of plastics from one another comprises, depending upon the embodiment, combinations of a sizing mechanism, a friction separation, an air separator, a magnetic separator, a dielectric sensor sortation bed, shaker screening, a ballistic separator, an inductive sensor sortation system and a float/sink tank. The dielectric sensor sortation system may be either analog or digital, depending upon the particular implementation. One or more float/sink tanks can be used, depending upon the embodiment, each with a media of a different specific gravity. The media may be water, or water plus a compound such as calcium chloride. In addition, multiples of the same general type of module can be used for particular configurations. A heavy media system or a sand float process can be used either alternatively or additionally.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for sorting contaminated glass from a stream of glass particles used light of a wavelength suited to inducing fluorescence in the contaminated glass pieces. Automatic cleaning mechanisms are included in some embodiments to facilitate removal of coatings which would prevent the contaminated particles from fluorescing. The identified particles are then automatically separated from the remaining particles.