Sorting pieces of material based on photonic emissions resulting from multiple sources of stimuli

US7763820B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Spectramet, LLC · US

Inventors

• Edward J. Sommer, Jr. · Nashville, US
• David B. Spencer · Boerne, US
• R. Lynn Conley · Hartsville, US
• Richard E. Hill · Nashville, US
• Robert H. Parrish · Nashville, US
• Charles E. Roos · Nashville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 27, 2007
• Grant date: Jul 27, 2010
• Expiry date: Dec 28, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B07C5/346
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A piece of material that includes low-Z elements is classified based on photonic emissions detected from the piece of material. Both XRF spectroscopy and OES techniques, for example, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and spark discharge spectroscopy, may be used to classify the piece of material. A stream of pieces of material are moved along a conveying system into a stimulation and detection area. Each piece of material, in turn, is stimulated with a first and second stimulus, of a same or different type, causing the piece of material to emit emissions, for example, photons, which may include at least one of x-ray photons (i.e., x-rays) and optical emissions. These emissions then are detected by one or more detectors of a same or different type. The piece of materials is then classified, for example, using a combination of hardware, software and/or firmware, based on the detected emissions, and then sorted.