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Tribo-Electrostatic Separation for Recovery of Plastic Polymers from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
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Old electronics like phones and laptops often contain plastic mixed with chemical flame retardants that can be harmful if they leak into soil, water, or air during improper recycling or disposal. This study tested a technology that uses static electricity to sort different plastic types from e-waste, successfully separating and recovering more than 70% of the plastic at high purity. Better sorting methods like this could help keep toxic additives out of the environment and allow more plastic to be safely recycled instead of dumped or burned.
The fastest growing waste stream worldwide is represented by Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). One of the main critical issues related to the recovery of such waste is the mixed plastic fraction, which is difficult to sort and can contain flame retardants and additives that pose a risk to human health and the environment. This study aims to validate the possibility of using tribo-electrostatic separator technologies to sort plastic polymers (e.g., PP, PA6, PS and PVC) obtained after a size-reduction operation of WEEE. The experimental study was conducted on a 10 kg/h laboratory-scale pilot plant. Several parameters were analysed during the tribo-charging and electrostatic separation processes, including the rotation speed and residence time of the particles in the tribo-charging device as well as electrode voltage, and the distance between the deflectors and the electrodes in the electrostatic separator. The results show that the tribo-electrostatic separation technologies are promising and efficient for plastic waste recycling. In fact, under specific conditions, it is possible to achieve high recovery rates (>70%) and purity levels (>76%) that allow the reintegration of plastic polymers into the economic cycle as a secondary raw material.
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