German infrared sensing solution provider and textile software provider TrinamiX has developed a handheld sorting technology reportedly capable of identifying up to 15 material compositions.
The solution – based on near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy – has been demonstrated at ongoing sustainability conferences in Germany and the US, as its real-world potential is demonstrated to stakeholders in the plastics and textiles sectors.
“Sorting is a key requirement for recycling and is largely done manually,” said Adrian Vogel, TrinamiX’s business development manager. “We are convinced that innovative solutions like ours make an important contribution towards a circular textile economy.”
A wide range of common textile grades used in clothing, furniture and household goods like acrylic, cotton, nylon 6/6.6, polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polyester, polypropylene (PP), silk, sisal, viscose and wool are supported by the solution. Textiles made from more than one material can also be identified, according to TrinamiX. The material can include blends based on acrylic, cotton, nylon, polyester, silk or wool.
For the special requirements of recycling carpets, TrinamiX has developed a dedicated application. It supports all common textile and plastic types used in carpets such as nylon 6 and nylon 6.6, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) and wool.
The carpet application is the first one within TrinamiX’s Mobile NIR Spectroscopy Solution to work offline which means that the identification Page 2 of 2 of carpet materials can be carried out when there is no connection to the internet. The data is evaluated and stored directly on the device and smartphone.
