JPH063260A - Separation method and separation device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide a non-contact sorter for organic substances that identifies organic materials with high efficiency and promotes effective utilization of waste plastics. [Structure] An electromagnetic wave generated from a light source 1 is applied to a sample 2, reflected light or fluorescence from the sample 2 is condensed and condensed by a collector / spectrometer 3, and is received by an array sensor 4, and a signal processing system 5 is used. The spectrum is converted into an electric signal, the characteristic wavelength is extracted and calculated by the arithmetic unit 6, and the characteristic wavelength is collated with the data of the memory 7 for identification and classification.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a material classification for identifying an object, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for non-contact identification and classification of an object.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, waste materials and the like are classified with relatively high efficiency by using a metal material, a magnet material, a melting point difference, or an electromagnetic force. On the other hand, since organic materials cannot utilize the difference in physical properties like metal materials, they are hardly separated.

[0003]

As described above, since there is no method for efficiently identifying organic materials, waste plastics cannot be effectively used.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for identifying a type of an organic material with high efficiency in a non-contact manner, and an identification and classification device.

[0005]

A sorting device for selecting an object by detecting an electromagnetic wave from the object is configured.

[0006]

[Function] A substance has an optical spectrum unique to the substance. Therefore, the substance is irradiated with, for example, light in the infrared region having a continuous wavelength, and the reflected light from the substance is detected. If a spectroscope is used for spectroscopic analysis, different characteristic patterns can be obtained for each type of substance. If the substance is identified by extracting this pattern or the characteristics of the pattern, the substance can be identified efficiently without contact.

In particular, many organic materials have a spectrum peculiar to the infrared region, and the use of electromagnetic waves in the infrared region is effective for identifying organic substances. Here, it is not necessary to continuously detect the reflected light, and a specific wavelength may be selectively detected. Further, the incident light does not have to be continuous light, and it is possible to use incident light of a specific wavelength. Furthermore, it is clear that similar analysis can be performed by detecting fluorescence from a substance using not only reflected light but incident light in the ultraviolet region.

[0008]

EXAMPLE FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a sorting apparatus manufactured in one example of the present invention. The operation principle of the sorting apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The sample 2 is irradiated with infrared light from the light source 1, and the reflected light from the sample 2 is collected and spectroscope 3
The light is collected and dispersed by the array sensor 4, the obtained spectrum is received by the array sensor 4, the spectrum is converted into an electric signal by the signal processing system 5, and the spectrum is compared with the database stored in the memory 7 by the calculation unit 6. Identify the substance.

The electromagnetic wave used in the present invention is a so-called electromagnetic wave such as infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light or X-ray. However, since the separation method or the separation device of the present invention is applied to an organic substance, generally, the fluorescence obtained from a sample irradiated with ultraviolet light generated from an electromagnetic wave generation source is detected, or the electromagnetic wave generation source is detected. It is preferable to use a method of generating infrared light from the sample and detecting reflected light from the irradiated sample.

It is preferable to provide a collector / spectrometer 3 for collecting / splitting the electromagnetic waves generated from the sample, since not only the wavelength spectrum can be converted but also the detection sensitivity is improved. Particularly, it is preferable to convert the reflected light or fluorescence from the surface of the sample object into a wavelength spectrum by a spectroscope and detect a specific wavelength intensity with a detector because the specific object can be identified more accurately. Furthermore, it is preferable to convert the reflected light or fluorescence from the surface of the object in the sample into a wavelength spectrum with a spectroscope and detect the profile of the wavelength spectrum of the reflected wave with a detector, because the recognition accuracy of the specific object is improved.

The electromagnetic waves generated from the light source 1 include infrared rays to X-ray regions, and any wavelength region may be used. However, when infrared light having a wavelength range of 2 μm to 20 μm is applied, it is characterized by an organic substance. Is preferable because a specific signal is obtained. Further, when the electromagnetic wave has, for example, a bright line spectrum, it is preferable to irradiate the electromagnetic wave having a plurality of types of bright line spectra because a specific object can be accurately identified. Further, it is preferable that the wavelengths of the electromagnetic waves of the light source are continuous, because only the characteristic wavelengths can be noticed in the continuous region.

(Example 1) Wavelength 2 to 20 μm from light source 1
The sample 2 was irradiated with the continuous infrared rays. 5c as sample 2
Five kinds of m-square plastic plates (vinyl chloride, polypropylene, urethane, polyethylene and polystyrene) were randomly mixed in 1000 pieces each, and a total of 5000 pieces were put on the sample conveyance device to continuously identify the samples. The infrared light received by the array sensor 4 is converted into a spectrum by the signal processing system 5, the characteristic wavelength of the converted spectrum is extracted by the arithmetic unit 6, and is collated with the data stored in the memory 7 for identification and classification. did. A commercially available 16-bit personal computer was used for the arithmetic unit 6 and the memory 7.

Since the types of sample 2 were limited to the above five types, the discrimination time for one sample was about 0.2 seconds. The result definitely identified all plastic plates.

(Embodiment 2) The wavelength of light source 1 is 308 nm.
Example 1 using the XeCl excimer laser of Example 1 to detect the fluorescence of the sample excited by the ultraviolet light in the same manner as in Example 1.
For the same sample 2 as above, the objects were identified and sorted.

As in Example 1, the discrimination time for one sample was about 0.2 seconds, and all samples could be discriminated without error.

Although a commercially available 16-bit personal computer is used as the arithmetic unit 6 and the memory 7 in the above embodiment, it can be operated at a higher speed if a dedicated IC is used.

It is obvious that a classification method using a method such as extracting a characteristic of a specific wavelength by using an electromagnetic wave other than this embodiment can be easily carried out.

[0018]

As described above, the present invention is a classification method and a classification device for detecting electromagnetic waves generated from an object and classifying the object.
It is possible to provide a sorting device that can sort plastics easily without contact. The use of the sorting method or the sorting apparatus of the present invention has the effect of promoting the recycling of plastic, which has been difficult to sort and has been delayed in reuse.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a sorting device manufactured in an example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 light source 2 sample 3 collecting spectroscope 4 array sensor 5 signal processing circuit 6 arithmetic unit 7 memory

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A classification method, characterized in that an electromagnetic wave generated from an object is detected and the object is classified. 2. An electromagnetic wave generation source and an electromagnetic wave detector are provided at least, a sample is irradiated with the electromagnetic wave generated from the generation source, and the electromagnetic wave generated from the sample is detected by the detector and separated. And sorting equipment. 3. The sorting device according to claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic wave generated from the sample is detected by a detector through a spectroscope for separating the electromagnetic wave. 4. The sorting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic wave detected by the detector is a reflected wave from the sample. 5. The sorting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic wave detected by the detector is fluorescence from the sample.