Eddy current separators

January 21, 2011

Eriez® offers a new line of eddy current separators for nonferrous particle separation from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flake. Recyclers can obtain a single-pass aluminum reduction up to 92 percent and achieve a clean PET yield of 97 to 99 percent, according to the manufacturer.

Purified PET can be reused to make fiber or banding, or blended to make recycled-content beverage and food containers. Recycled PET can be used in such products as carpet, food containers, clothing, auto parts, tool handles, and sleeping bag insulation.

The separators use rare-earth magnets that are arranged into a high-speed, composite-shelled rotor. The PET that contains metal contaminants, such as aluminum, is fed onto a conveyor belt in a controlled, low-density, thin layer. The belt then passes over the rotating magnets, and eddy currents are created in the aluminum.

When the polarity of the magnetic field around the aluminum is the same as the rotating magnets, the aluminum is repelled from the magnet. This causes the trajectory of the nonferrous metal to be different than the PET flake. The two streams of material are separated by an adjustable splitter in a simple, high-volume manner.

Eriez • 888-300-3743 • www.eriez.com