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Pre-processing technologies

This section forms part of the main module: Technologies in the Recycling Value Chain.

Pre-processing technologies

These technologies prepare e-waste for recycling by dismantling, crushing, and sorting materials to separate contaminants and recover valuable components.

Crushing / shredding technologies

Equipment used for crushing and shredding WEEE are used to cut and pulverize e-waste to prepare it for the sorting and separation steps.

For coarse crushing:

Rotary shears

Cross-flow cutter

Shredder

For Medium and Fine crushing:

Impact mill

Cutting mill

Sizing technologies

Equipment used to classify and separate the shredded fractions depending on their size.

  • First the fractions go through screen sizing.
  • Then they go through flow sizing.

Rotating drum screen

Throw screen

Tumbler screen

Sorting technologies

Sorting equipment aim to separate the material-mix into two or more materials.

For ferrous metals

Magnetic sorting:

Drum design magnetic separator

Overbelt magnetic separator​

For non-ferrous metals and plastic separation

Magnetic and electric field sorting:

Eddy current separator

Reverse magnet field pushes the metals out of the waste.

Sensor sorting:

Optical and inductive separator

X-ray separator

NIR sorting

Density sorting:

Sink-flow sorting

Wet washing table

Cyclone and zig-zag classifier sorting:

Cyclone air separator

Zig-zag classifier

Manual sorting:

In some cases, manual sorting may be the best solution.