SBIR Phase II: Detection Systems for High-Speed Optoelectronic Sortation of Low Z Metal Alloys

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a novel prototype optoelectronic sensing system for the high-speed identification and sorting of metals, particularly aluminum alloys. The goal is to develop the capability to sort aluminum into its exact alloy designations. The technology is expected to sort materials in less than 50-milliseconds per item automatically without operator intervention while the scrap is in motion on a high-speed conveyor belt. The scrap recycling industry reports that more than 30 billion pounds of nonferrous metals are produced each year in the U.S. alone. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) reports that more than 10 billion pounds of these nonferrous metals are discarded each year in landfills, because recycling is either technically or economically impractical. Existing methods of sortation that employ visual examination and hand sortation, or alternatively employ heavy media separation, cannot sort aluminum by alloy type. Refining is accomplished in smelting facilities that are expensive to build and often polluting. Using advanced spectrographic detection techniques, including computer analysis; the proposed technology will improve alloy identification accuracy and automatically sort aluminum metal alloys at speeds never before attainable. The commercial impact of this project will be increased scrap utilization, increased scrap value, reduced pressure on non-renewable resources, and reduced environmental pollution. The potential worldwide market exceeds $2 billion annually.