SEMEC PILOT PROJECT: MECHANIZED RECOVERY OF GRANULATED PLASTICS FROM

PACKAGING

M. Teresa Carvalho1, Liliana Rosa 2, Paulo Simões3, Álvaro Costa4

1
CERENA, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais 1049-001, Portugal
2
PIEP, Minho University, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
3
Selenis Ambiente, Quinta de S. Vicente, E.N. 246, 7300-952 Portalegre, Portugal
4
Tratolixo, Avenida 5 de Junho, Trajouce, 2785 – 155 São Domingos de Rana, Portugal

Abstract: This paper describes a project under development in Portugal aiming the design
of a pilot plant that will be used in the mechanical separation of granulated plastics from
packaging waste. The objective of the project is to minimize or, if possible, to eliminate
the current practice of manual sorting. The flow-sheet will use mineral processing based
techniques, namely gravity concentration and froth flotation. The project also seeks the
development of a procedure for the quick and inexpensive analysis of plastics mixtures
allowing the future automation of equipment and process control. Copyright © 2007
IFAC

Keywords: Environmental engineering, Waste treatment, Particulate processing,

Performance evaluation, Projects, Processing techniques, Plastics industry

must be intensified as, for 2011, a minimum of 60%

1. INTRODUCTION
In Portugal, which has almost 10 million inhabitants,
there are 29 entities responsible for the management
of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) which are
controlled and supervised by the governmental
National Waste Institute. These entities are
responsible for the waste collection, treatment,
materials recovery and disposal.
In what concerns packaging waste, the Green Dot
System (SPV), an independent non profit-making
private entity, is responsible for receiving the
packaging waste, sorted by material and guide it
towards the recycling industry.
In a recent study, Magrinho et al (2006) collected
data from all the management systems and found
that, in 2002, of the 4 746 021tons of MSW
generated only 3,4% were sorted in sorting centers.
Portugal, being a member of the European Union, is
obliged to satisfy its Directives, in particular the
targets for packaging waste recovery and recycling.
According to SPV, in 2005, the global recycling rate
was 39%, and the recycling rates for plastics, paper
and cardboard, glass, metals and wood were 21, 53,
34, 52 and 18%, respectively. These values satisfied
the targets for 2005. However, the recycling effort
by weight of the total packaging waste and, at least,
22.5% by weight of plastics will have to be recycled.
In Portugal, packaging waste are disposed by citizens
in drop-off-points and transported to sorting centers
where the objects are separated by material. Ferrous
metals are separated from the bulk of waste,
commonly, by magnetic separation while non ferrous
ones, mainly aluminum, are separated by
electromagnetic separation (based on Foucault
currents).
The plastics used in packaging, in Portugal, are
mainly Polyolefines, like Polypropylene (PP) and
Polyethylene (PE), Polyethylene Terephthalate
(PET), Polystyrene (PS), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
and polyurethane.
In the sorting centers, the plastic objects are sorted,
by polymer, manually. The remaining materials and
the plastic objects that are too contaminated or too
small to be manually separated are sent to landfill.
The mechanization of these processes is quite poor
and the automation almost inexistent.
SEMEC is a project that aims at the developing a
flow-sheet for the mechanized separation of
granulated plastics. The partners of the project are
CERENA, a research center of Instituto Superior
Tecnico, the PIEP, a research center on polymers, at Table 2 Relative percentage of materials collected in
Minho University, Selenis-Ambiente, a PET a rural zone (Valnor) and in a urban one (Valorsul)
recycling company, and Tratolixo, one of the 29 (data supplied by SPV)
portuguese MSW management systems.
Valnor Valorsul
The project has 4 main parts: 1) characterization of tons 667 6 433
Paper & Cardboard
the composition of the mixtures of the drop-off- % 32.0 30.8
points for a period of two years; 2) bench scale tons 1137 13 339
Glass
separation tests using gravity separation techniques % 54.6 63.9
(mainly jigging and wet shaking table) and froth tons 245 795
Plastics
flotation; 3) pilot scale tests, that will be ran in a % 11.8 3.8
plant erected purposely for this project and 4) tons 236 246
Metals
development of a method for the analysis of % 1.1 1.2
granulated mixtures of plastics. A feasibility study tons 10 51
Wood
will be undertaken, as well. % 0.5 0.2

2. PACKAGING DROP-OFF-POINTS There are some available data representing the

COMPOSITION composition of sorted waste. However, they are
based in different sources, different gathering,
The design of a processing plant must be based on sampling methods and procedures, being inadequate
reliable data of the composition of what is fed to that for plant design.
plant (average and variability) because the feed
composition has, generally, a strong effect on the SEMEC project includes a long term (2 years)
process efficiency and products purity and in the analysis of composition by material of waste deposed
equipment size. in the drop-off-centers that are collected in the
sorting center of Tratolixo.
The composition of packaging waste varies in time.
Table 1 presents data for 2004 and 2005. Tratolixo collects waste from the municipalities of
Oeiras, Cascais, Sintra and Mafra, in the region
west/northwest of Lisbon, which have circa 836 000
Table 1 Waste from drop-off-points collected in 2004 inhabitants, representing about 8% of the national
and 2005 and relative percentage (data supplied by population.
SPV)
The composition analysis is based on the daily
2004 2005 sampling of waste arriving at the sorting center. The
tons 42 853 56 879 size of the sample that assures the desired
Paper & Cardboard
% 24.5 27.2 representativity with respect to the components was
tons 105 874 120 733 calculated using the MSW-Sampling software (Durão
Glass
% 60.6 57.8 et al, 2001) inspired in the sampling theory of Pierre
tons 10 791 15 452 Gy (1982). The chronological sequence will be
Plastics
% 6.2 7.4 constructed and the average composition and
tons 14 173 14 534 variability as well as the trends will be determined.
Metals
% 8.1 7.0
tons 887 1 257
Wood
% 0.5 0.6 3. SEPARATION TECHNIQUES FOR
GRANULATED PLASTICS
In what concerns plastics, for instance, the variation
of PVC gathered from 2003 to 2004 was 191.6% In MSW processing, mechanical separation processes
while the variation of PET was 43.3%. like screening, magnetic, and gravity separation,
techniques, developed in the field of mineral
The composition of waste can, as well, present a processing, are already used in large scale. However,
seasonal trend and it varies geographically with the most plastics are not yet mechanically separated due
standards of living and cultural habits. Rural to the similarity in their physical properties, namely
composition of waste is different from urban or specific gravity (see Table 3), being this a topic
commercial ones. Table 2 illustrates this by showing research today.
the relative percentage of the different materials
gathered in drop-off-points in two Portuguese The SEMEC project addresses the problem of the
management systems, one predominantly rural separation of granulated PP, PE, PET, PVC and PS.
(Valnor) and another predominantly urban (Valorsul)
in the year 2004.
Table 3 Specific weight and contact angle with water composition”1, i.e., relative percentage of occurrence
of plastics appearing in drop-off-points of each plastic in the drop-off-points waste
(calculated in a previous sampling study).
Polymer Specific weight Contact angle
range (g/cm3)1 with water(º)2 For each process, optimizing studies were performed
PE 0.910-0.965 88-103 to find out the feed characteristics and operating
PP 0.902-0.906 108 variables that led to the best results.
PS 1.05-1.10 86.3
PET 1.34-1.39 80-85 Table 4 to 6 show the best results obtained with the
PVC 1.35-1.45 84.6 three processes when mixtures of two plastics, from
virgin packages, with “real composition” were
1
source: Billmeyer, (1984) employed.
2
source: Fraunholcz (1997) Table 4 Best results obtained with mixtures of PET
and PVC

PET product (%) PET Grade PET Recovery

The separation of PE and PP from the other plastics Jigging 100 100
is, theoretically, simple using specific weight as Wet shaking Table 94 58
discriminate property. After granulation, the waste Froth Flotation 100 23
are washed in hot water with cleaning reagents.
Then, the particles feed a tank where they are
immersed in water. PE and PP float while the other Table 5 Best results obtained with mixtures of PET
plastics sink. and PS

In practice, this task is easy only apparently because PET product (%) PET Grade PET Recovery
if there are air bubbles present in the tank the Jigging 100 94
particles of denser plastics also float due to the fact Wet shaking Table 100 76
that plastics are highly hydrophobic (see table 3). Froth Flotation 100 61
Therefore, anti-frothing agents have to be used in
convenient concentration and the design of the tank
must be carefully done to assure a correct residence Table 6 Best results obtained with mixtures of PS and
time. PVC

The main problem, however, is the separation of
granulated mixtures of PET, PVC and PS in products
with high purity. Several researchers made
experimental work using mineral processing based
techniques. Among the various published papers
some relevant are (Pascoe, 1999; Guern et al, 1997
and 1999; Shen et al, 1999; Drelich et al, 1998,1999
2002a and 2002b, Marques et al, 2000).
In laboratory studies made by the team of the
SEMEC project (see, for example, Carvalho et al
2006, Bártolo et al, 2003), with artificial samples of
mixed plastics, some promising results were
obtained. The processes employed were jigging, wet
shaking table and froth flotation.
In the work carried out it was employed samples of
“virgin” (received from the packaging industry) and
“used” (received from the recycling industry)
packages of PET, PVC and PS, shredded with
maximum particle grain size was 5.6mm. The
samples were classified by conventional screening
with square aperture openings 2 and 4mm, in three
size intervals: 0-2mm; 2-4mm and 4-5.6mm.
PVC product (%) PVC Grade PVC Recovery
Jigging - -
Wet shaking Table 100 87
Froth Flotation - -
In what concerns jigging, the results should be
carefully analyzed. In fact, jigging, a gravity
concentration process, is mainly dominated by
specific weight of materials but other properties like
grain size and particle shape can play an important
role, as well.
As the specific weight of PET and PVC differed only
slightly and close size intervals were used, it seems
that particle shape played a chief role in the
exceptional separation of these two plastics.
Conversely, the separation between PS and PVC
could not be achieved. Moreover, Pascoe and Hou
(1999) showed that the interfacial tension of
polymers can play an important role in the behavior
of plastics in gravity separation processes.

Mixtures of two and three plastics were arranged 1

86%PET+14%PVC
with the following different composition: 1) equal 90%PET+10%PS
proportion of each plastic in mixture and 2) “real 60%PVC+40%PS
75%PET+15%PVC+10%PS
The application of froth flotation to the separation of
plastics, namely PET and PVC, is being studied by
many researchers. It is a complex process, potentially
applicable, but the results are strongly influenced by
the feed characteristics and chemical environment. In
the study performed, the reproducibility of results
was not always achieved and the separation of PS
from PVC was not reached. The evaluation of froth
flotation applicability to the separation of plastics
will be studied deeper in SEMEC project.
In what concerns wet shaking table it should be
remembered that, unlike the other two processes,
there is not a sharp boundary between products,
being the splitting between products made
empirically. This way, one can obtain a product with
higher grade in one of the plastics but with lower
recovery or vice versa. In the case presented in tables
4 to 6, grade was privileged.
The results obtained, when samples of “used”
packages were employed, differed slightly from the
ones presented in Tables 4 to 6, sometimes better,
sometimes worst results were attained. This shows
that this aspect must be explored deeper in the future.
Tests conducted with mixtures of the three plastics
were done only using wet shaking table. The
experiments shown that the particles, when exiting
the table deck, spread over part of the two edges of
the table. Three bands are formed with fuzzy
boundaries between them. Roughly, the three plastics
arrange themselves according mainly to their density:
PET mainly as the “heavy” product, PS as the
“lighter” one and PVC in between.
It as concluded also that the results of the separation
are sensitive to feed characteristics and operating
conditions. The feed composition has a strong effect
on the separation efficiency. When the PET grade in
feed is high (the case in the real waste composition)
PET particles appear in all the bands.
As mentioned before, it should be emphasized that
cutters are empirically positioned according to the
purpose of the operation. If a clean/final concentrate
is desired, the cutters are positioned in order that a
high grade of the valuable material is attained.
Conversely, the shaking table may have a roughing
duty, that is, the aim of the operation is to maximize
the recovery of the valuable material despite of the
concentrate grade (because it can be upgraded in a
subsequent stage of concentration). In this case the
cutters are, generally, positioned differently from the
former case.
One conclusion of the referred studies is that, for
sure, if these processes are applicable, they will have
to be used in more or less complex diagrams, with
roughing, scavenger and cleaning steps.
This is what happens in the mineral processing which
is rarely performed in only one stage due to, among
other reasons, the inefficiencies of the unit
operations. Frequently, the adequate recovery of one
mineral is achieved after processing on a very
complex flow sheet with roughing (use of a moderate
separating force to remove fully liberated particles),
scavenging (use of strong separating force to remove
the remaining valuable species) and cleaning (use of
a low separating force to upgrade the rougher
concentrate by removing misplaced non valuable
species material) operations. It is also common the
recirculation of the streams and materials regrinding
within separation processes. Even when the species
to separate are fully liberated, multiple stages can be
used.
In SEMEC project the study continues with samples
of real waste gathered in the sorting center of
Tratolixo. In the first phase, bench scale tests will be
carried out. This phase will end up with the flow-
sheet build up.
The following part of the project will be the
construction of the pilot plant based on the obtained
flow-sheet and pilot scale testing and optimization.
For a proper decision, it is necessary to evaluate
alternative potential circuit arrangements.
4. ANALYSIS OF PLASTICS IN
GRANULATED MIXTURES
It is not possible to evaluate the efficiency of
separation processes unless a convenient
methodology for the analysis of the plastics in
granulated mixtures is developed. This is mandatory,
as well, for process control and automation purposes.
Contrary to what happens in the mineral processing
field, where quick and accurate analysis of products
grade is possible, there is not yet available, as far as
the authors know, an adequate procedure to measure
plastic grade in granulated mixtures of plastics.
While this problem has not yet been solved, the
common practice is the manual sorting of the
different polymers. Most of the experimental work
reported in the literature deal with mono-material
testing or tests with mixtures of plastics with
different color. After processing, the products are
manually separated by color. The grade and recovery
are then calculated.
However, when dealing with real waste mixtures it is
not feasible to use this procedure because the same
material can appear in different colors. In SEMEC
project a quick and inexpensive procedure for the
determination of the composition of plastic waste
mixtures will be developed. Different analytical
methods such as solubility, thermogravimetry and
infrared spectroscopy will be used.
 Pascoe R. D. (2003). Sorting of plastics using
physical separation techniques. In: Proceedings
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