Multi-sensor spectral database of WEEE polymers

Polymers represent around 25% of total waste from electronic and electric equipment. Any successful recycling process must ensure that polymer-specific functionalities are preserved, to avoid downcycling. This requires a precise characterization of particle compounds moving at high speeds on conveyor belts in processing plants. We present a multi-sensor database including spectra acquired from imaging and point measurement sensors on 23 polymers including ABS, PS, PC, PE-types, PP, PVC, PET-types, PMMA, and PTFE. The techniques applied include hyperspectral imaging sensors (HSI) to map reflectance in the visible to near infrared (VNIR, (350–1000) nm ), short-wave (SWIR, (1000–2500) nm) and mid-wave infrared (MWIR, (2500–5000) nm) as well as point Raman, FTIR and portable spectral spectroradiometer (PSR) instruments.