Hyperspectral Imaging can take plastics sorting, a critical step in many types of recycling, to another level. Better accuracy achieved with hyperspectral identification of materials means better separation of different grades of materials, which results in higher value recovery.
Spectral camera technology can identify different materials accurately and reliably based on their chemical composition. It measures and analyzes the spectrum of light reflected from or transmitted through the material.
Hyperspectral imaging utilizes plastic resins' chemical composition to sort various types of plastics. Black plastics have proven historically difficult to sort with hyperspectral cameras and cannot be sorted with traditional NIR cameras. However, black plastics are used extensively in the automotive and electronics industries and their sorting and recycling is vital. The Specim FX50 MWIR camera is capable of efficiently identifying both colourful and clear plastics, as well as black plastics
Specim has also recently released the new SpecimONE spectral imaging platform dedicated to industrial sorting with real-time data processing, a user friendly tool for industrial plastics sorting.
