The application of the process to post-consumer waste streams requires the initial separation of plastics from contaminants, such as food residues and oils. Commercial and industrial plants that utilize internal recovery of waste streams within their processes can also benefit economically from this technology. When two dissimilar materials are brought into contact with each other charge will transfer between them. One material will take on a positive charge and the other will become negatively charged. The polarity the material attains is dependent on the triboelectric series.
Material is fed into the drum, through an automatic feed system.
Material entering the drum must be dry and have been chopped to a size between 2-5mm. The charged material then falls from the drum into a horizontal electric field that is created by two charged electrodes mounted on opposite sides of the separation chamber. Once the particles begin to fall into the field they are deflected towards the electrode of opposite polarity and are collected in trays located at the bottom of the chamber. Material that falls in the middle of the chamber is collected and can be re-processed. To date the operating capacity of the industrial units has a throughput of approximately one ton of input material per hour.