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Evaluation of Marker Materials and Spectroscopic Methods for Tracer-Based Sorting of Plastic Wastes
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Researchers evaluated fluorescent and photoluminescent marker materials for tracer-based sorting of plastic waste, finding that spectroscopic detection methods could enable more precise identification of polymer types to improve recycling rates.
Plastics are a ubiquitous material with good mechanical, chemical and thermal properties, and are used in all industrial sectors. Large quantities, widespread use, and insufficient management of plastic wastes lead to low recycling rates. The key challenge in recycling plastic waste is achieving a higher degree of homogeneity between the different polymer material streams. Modern waste sorting plants use automated sensor-based sorting systems capable to sort out commodity plastics, while many engineering plastics, such as polyoxymethylene (POM), will end up in mixed waste streams and are therefore not recycled. A novel approach to increasing recycling rates is tracer-based sorting (TBS), which uses a traceable plastic additive or marker that enables or enhances polymer type identification based on the tracer's unique fingerprint (e.g., fluorescence). With future TBS applications in mind, we have summarized the literature and assessed TBS techniques and spectroscopic detection methods. Furthermore, a comprehensive list of potential tracer substances suitable for thermoplastics was derived from the literature. We also derived a set of criteria to select the most promising tracer candidates (3 out of 80) based on their material properties, toxicity profiles, and detectability that could be applied to enable the circularity of, for example, POM or other thermoplastics.
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This study characterized microplastic contamination in the surface water and deep sediments of a polar fjord system, finding that particles were distributed throughout the water column with elevated concentrations in near-bottom nepheloid layers. Sea ice formation and melting dynamics were identified as key processes redistributing microplastics vertically in this fjord environment.
Photoluminescence spectroscopy on commercially available plastic products
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Researchers tested photoluminescence spectroscopy as a method to identify and distinguish different types of commercially available plastic products, building on earlier work showing that plastics fluoresce differently than natural materials. The technique offers a potentially faster and cheaper alternative to standard FTIR and Raman spectroscopy for microplastic identification.
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Researchers used fluorescent labeling with four fluorescent molecules to enable detection of nanoplastics from six common polymer types (PP, LDPE, HDPE, PS, PET, PVC) via 3D fluorescence spectral analysis. The method provides a practical approach to identifying and quantifying nanoplastics in samples where conventional spectroscopic methods face sensitivity challenges.
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