Mathematical Modelling of Wet Shaking Table Applied to Plastics Separation

Wet shaking table can be applied to the separation of plastics with a specific weight higher than 1 g/cm3. Its effectiveness is considerably affected by process feed characteristics and operating conditions. Its control relies on the availability of a mathematical model. To build up an adequate model, an extensive experimental program was performed with different mixtures of three plastics PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), PS (Polystyrene) and PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), coming from packaging wastes. The Weibull function was adjusted to the cumulative distribution of the material over the discharge edges.