Images depicting items in a waste flow on a conveyor belt are provided to two analysis systems. The first system processes images to decode digital watermark payload data found on certain of the items (e.g., plastic containers). This payload data is used to look up corresponding attribute metadata for the items in a database, such as the type of plastic in each item, and whether the item was used as a food container or not. The second analysis system can be a spectroscopy system that determines the type of plastic in each item by its absorption characteristics. When the two systems conflict in identifying the plastic type, a sorting logic processor applies a rule set to arbitrate the conflict and determine which plastic type is most likely. The item is then sorted into one of several different bins depending on a combination of the final plastic identification, and whether the item was used as a food container or not. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Method for recycling trays and blisters made of PET, which are referred to as articles, comprising the following method steps: (a) pre-sorting the articles, (b) comminuting the articles to form flakes, (c) washing the articles in a first washing step, (d) dewatering the flakes, (e) drying the flakes, (f) sorting the flakes, (g) extrusion, and (h) solid-state polycondensation (SSP). The first washing step (c) is a gentle washing step with reduced particle friction and a low temperature below 62° C. During the sorting of the flakes (f), the flakes, which have been gently washed in the first washing step (c), are sorted.

A method is disclosed for separating plastic and cellulose from post-consumer absorbent sanitary products. The method includes sterilizing successive batches of post-consumer absorbent sanitary products in at least one rotary autoclave. The method further includes shredding the sterilized absorbent sanitary products and obtaining sterilized and shredded material containing plastic and cellulose. The method further includes drying the sterilized and shredded material containing plastic and cellulose, and separating cellulose from plastic from said sterilized, shredded and dried material in at least one centrifugal separator.

Methods of producing particles of fiber and resin from fiber-resin composite materials are disclosed. The particles may be combined with a resin system and optionally combined with fillers, binders or reinforcements to produce new cured solid composite products.

What is disclosed is a method of processing and/or recycling materials, especially thermoplastic materials, wherein the material is agitated and mixed m a receiving vessel (1), especially a cutting compressor or a preconditioning unit (PCU), and optionally also heated, committed and/or softened, wherein the material in the receiving vessel (1) remains in the form of pieces or particles and unmoltenthroughout, and—wherein the material in piece or particle form being agitated within the receiving vessel is subjected to inline spectroscopic and/or spectrometric analysis and/or measurement wherein die measurements ascertained in tins way are employed to obtain information about the material being analysed in each case, especially quantitative and/or qualitative indices of the respective material. Likewise disclosed is an apparatus comprising—at least one receiving vessel (1), especially a cutting compressor, having a mixing and/or comminuting device for the material, —at least one spectroscopic and/or spectroscopic and/or measuring apparatus (10) for inline analysis of portions of the material in piece or particle form being agitated within the receiving vessel (1), which is designed to emit a physical Stimulus, especially electromagnetic radiation, for excitation of the rotating material in piece or particle form and—to detect the measurement Signals that arise in reaction to the Stimulus, especially characteristic spectra of the electromagnetic radiation scattered on the material analysed, preferably by spectrometric means, and—a Processing and control unit (40) which is in data communication with the measurement apparatus (10) and is designed—to actuate the measurement apparatus (10), to emit the physical Stimulus, especially electromagnetic radiation, and to detect the resultant measurement Signals and to hold the measurements ascertained in this way available and—optionally, on the basis of the measurements ascertained, to derive and hold available Information concerning the material analysed in each case, especially quantitative and/or qualitative indices of the respective material.

A process for preparing a composite part, the process comprising: recovering unsaturated resin prepreg scrap; combining the recovered unsaturated resin prepreg scrap with a second resinous thermosetting component; and co-molding the prepreg scrap and resinous thermosetting component together under a pressure of 25 to 4000 psi and at a temperature of 100-400° F.

A process for separation of the cellulosic part from a raw material composition comprising polyester and cellulose is provided. A blend is prepared comprising a raw material composition comprising polyester and cellulose and a hydrolyzing liquor wherein the hydrolyzing liquor comprises a first mixture comprising an alkaline solution containing hydroxide ions. The hydrolyzing liquor is added to give the blend an effective alkali concentration in a range from 5 g/l to 150 g/l, wherein the effective alkali concentration is calculated as NaOH, and the hydrolyzing liquor:raw material composition ratio is from 1.5:1 up to 25:1 and keeping the blend at a temperature of 100° C. or above.

A method of recycling fiber reinforced polymers includes grinding used fiber reinforced polymers material to produce ground particles, functionalizing the ground particles to produce functionalized particles, dispersing the functionalized particles into a base resin, dispensing the resin with functionalized particles into one or more layers of continuous fiber mats, molding the resin with functionalized particles and the continuous fiber mats into a form of a desired part, and curing the form to produce the part. The used fiber reinforced polymer materials may be carbon fiber reinforced polymers or glass fiber reinforced polymer materials.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament that includes providing a polymer melt and separating the polymer melt from the extruder into at least eight streams. The multiple streams are exposed to a chamber pressure within a chamber that is below approximately 25 millibars, or another predetermined pressure. The streams are recombined into a single polymer stream. Polymer from the polymer stream is then formed into bulked continuous carpet filament.

Methods of recovering and/or recycling expanded polymer tooling, the methods including collecting expanded polymer tooling, reducing the collected expanded polymer tooling into smaller particles, treating the reduced expanded polymer tooling in order to yield an at least partially purified recovered polymer composition, and then collecting the at least partially purified recovered polymer composition. The at least partially purified recovered polymer composition can then be used to form new expandable polymer tooling.