The use of air tabling and triboelectric separation for separating a mixture of three plastics

The paper describes the dry separation of a mixture of three plastics by combining air tabling and triboelectric separation. While air tabling is effective for particles of different density, the triboelectric separation can be used for separation of particles of similar density. Before commencing the separation tests, the effectiveness of the separating devices was evaluated by analyzing the effects of the particle size and the difference in density between components of the mixture. stage process has been proposed for separation of mixed plastics prior to recycling. Polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were selected for investigation as they are widely used in the manufacture of everyday products. An air table was employed for the first stage of process to collect a PP-rich low-density fraction and a PET/PVC high-density fraction. In the second stage, the PET/PVC fraction was separated by means of a triboelectric separator utilizing differences in surface charge.