Laboratory

Laboratory for Raw Materials and Recycling

One of our specialties is mechanical process engineering, which is primarily used in environmental technology, especially in recycling plants. However, our clients also include producers of primary raw materials, such as gravel plants. Accordingly, our equipment is set up to be highly versatile.

Comminution

Various devices are available for the comminution of samples (plastics, metals, bulk materials, and similar). Depending on the material properties and desired outcome, different comminution methods and levels of comminution can be selected.

Cryomill (Retsch / Laboratory)

Comminution of soft plastics and similar materials
Brittle fracture of the material through comminution at −196°C
Sample quantities up to 20 mL
Volatile substances are preserved

Jaw Crusher (Retsch BB400 XL)

Comminution of coarse, mineral bulk materials (e.g., gravel, slag, or concrete rubble)
Material up to approx. 60 mm in diameter
Produces particle sizes <2 mm

Roll Crusher (Sieving Technology / Laboratory)

Comminution of soft, brittle, and medium-hard materials, as well as sticky, moist, plastic, and wet raw materials
Comminution through two counter-rotating rollers
Comminution degree can be individually adjusted

Large Ball Mill (Pilot Scale)

Pulverization of bulk materials
Sample quantities up to 100 kg

Cross Beater Mill (Retsch / Laboratory)

Comminution of fine/pre-crushed material (e.g., from a jaw crusher)
Sample quantity of a few hundred grams
Produces particle sizes <0.5 mm

Hammer Mill 401XL (Holmes Bros. / Pilot Scale)

Comminution of mineral bulk materials
Sample quantities of several kilograms
Comminution via a shaft with radially arranged impact elements («hammers»)

Hammer Mill Unirotor 490/380M (Hazemag / Pilot Scale)

Comminution of brittle material (mineral bulk materials, electronic waste, etc.)
Sample quantities of several hundred kilograms
Comminution via a shaft with radially arranged impact elements («hammers»)

Cutting Mill (Fritsch Pulverisette 25 / Laboratory)

Comminution of tough materials (e.g., plastics, textiles)
Sample quantities from 100 g to a few kilograms

Rotor Shear (Trummer & Co / Pilot Scale)

Pre-comminution of deformable materials (e.g., metal, electronic waste, tires, wood, or paper)
Produces a homogeneous, separable product
Two-shaft cutting system

Rotor Impact Mill (Fritsch Pulverisette 14 / Laboratory)

Comminution of temperature-sensitive samples
Thermal stress minimized through rapid, effective grinding
Comminution through impact, shearing, and friction

SMASHER (In-house Development / Laboratory)

Selective comminution of small electronic waste (e.g., smartphones)
Materials are broken down along adhesive and connection points
Comminution by dropping from a height of 1.8 m
No use of cutting or impacting tools necessary

Roller Table with Ball Mill Container (Sepor / Laboratory)

Comminution of brittle material
Use of balls as grinding media that are circulated in a horizontally mounted cylindrical grinding chamber
Particle size reduction occurs through pressure, impact, and shear forces

Tube Vibrating Mill (Siebtechnik ESM236-1bs / Pilot Scale)

Extensive vibrating mill for dry grinding of brittle materials of all hardness grades
Continuous operation
Gravimetric dosing unit for bulk materials
Particle size <10mm
Grinding chamber 12.5 dm³
45 grinding rods made of special steel with a weight of 72 kg
Nominal speed 1000 min⁻1

Disc Mill (Retsch RS300 / Pilot Scale)

Fast, loss-free and reproducible ultra-fine grinding of medium-hard, hard, brittle and fibrous materials to analytical fineness
The disc with the grinding set performs a three-dimensional oscillation. The grinding media in the bowl exert extreme pressure, impact and friction effects on the material to be ground due to the oscillating movements of the drive.
Batch operation
Nominal speed 912min^-1
2000ml grinding bowl made of chrome steel
Output grain size <20mm

Classification

Various devices are available for the separation of a granular bulk material into individual particle classes of different sizes (classification). Depending on the desired fraction size, different methods can be used. Additionally, depending on the apparatus, subordinate factors such as density can also be considered alongside particle size.

Cyclone Test Stand (Pilot Scale)

For thickening, dilution, and classification of suspensions
Nominal separation cut of 0.02 – 0.05 mm
Secondary consideration of particle density
Suitable, for example, for desliming metal-containing fine grain fractions from wet screening

Sieve Towers (Gilson / Laboratory)

For separating bulk materials into particle size fractions
Sample quantities up to 100 kg
Finest separation cut at 2 mm

Zigzag Sifter (Jost / Pilot Scale)

Separation of material by weight
Separation occurs based on the sedimentation velocity in an upward flowing air stream

Tumbling Sieve Machine (Retsch / Laboratory)

Separation of bulk materials into particle size fractions
Sample quantities of approx. 200 g
Finest separation cut at 0.063 mm
Conducting fine sieving as a wet sieving process

Arc Sieve (Reko / Pilot Scale)

Especially suitable for separating fibrous solids from wastewater and process water
Consists of triangular braces arranged transversely to the flow direction on a circular arc
Fine particles are carried away by partial flows, while coarser particles remain on the sieve

Plan Sieve Tower (Retsch AS 400 control / Laboratory)

For dry sieving with standard analytical sieves (200 mm diameter)
Precise separation of fine and coarse sieve material through uniform, horizontally circular sieve movement
Sample quantities of approx. 200 g
Finest separation cut at 0.045 mm

Double Deck Sieve (Sepor / Pilot Scale)

For the continuous screening of material quantities at pilot scale
Circular vibrating throw sieve
Arrangement of the eccentric above the center of gravity
The material is accelerated in the feed area in the direction of transport and decelerated in the discharge area, ensuring optimal utilization of the sieve surface

Zigzag Sifter (Recycling World RW ZZS-200-15-SM / Pilot Scale)

For the continuous separation of material by weight
Separation occurs based on sedimentation velocity in an upward flowing air stream
12 sieving stages with a sifter height of 2200 mm and a sifter width of 180 mm
Semi-continuous operation with infeed and discharge hoppers (250x250x300 mm)
Particle size 0.1 mm – 30 mm
Semi-mobile system on rollers
Overall dimensions of the system LxWxH 3.5 x 1.06 x 2.98 m

Centrifugal Sifter Bahco (Laboratory)

The feed material is thrown into a rotating separation chamber. Under the influence of an airflow directed towards the rotational axis and the outward centrifugal force, the material separates according to its sedimentation velocity.
The separation cut is adjusted by the rotational speed.
Particle size analysis according to DIN 66120.

Sorting Technology

Sorting is the separation of a granular bulk material into components of different material types or properties. Depending on the device, sorting can be done based on factors such as density, magnetism, or conductivity.

Wet Shaking Table (icscontec / Pilot Scale)

Separation of copper and plastic particles from shredded electrical cables
A variety of other applications are possible in the field of wet density sorting
Heavier particles adhere better to the table surface than lighter ones, which are carried away by the water flow

Cable Recycling System (Gertrud Diebels Recycling Machines)

Separation of cable components (including copper, plastic insulation)
Built-in shredder followed by density sorting

Shaking Table (Wilfley / Pilot Scale)

Fine-grained bulk materials can be separated based on different specific densities
For example, a metal concentrate can be obtained from ground ore

Falcon Concentrator (Sepro / Laboratory)

Separation of solid particles based on density
Separation by slurrying the material in a rotating cone, where it is counteracted by centrifugal force and fed with water

Air Separation Bed (Triple S Dynamics / Laboratory)

Separation of fine-grained material based on density
Fluidization of the material bed through an upward airflow directed through the bed
Transport of the material through impulsive movements of the table, causing specific light and heavy particles to segregate
Different density separation cuts are possible by adjusting the vibration frequency/tilt of the table

Electrostatic Separator (Outotec / Pilot Scale)

Separation of conductive particles from non-conductors based on different surface conductivities
Electrostatic charging of the feed material using high voltage by feeding it onto a rotating and grounded roller
Conductors discharge their surface charge to the roller and are thrown off
Non-conductors do not discharge their charge and remain attached to the roller due to electrostatic attraction. They are separated from the roller by a scraper and neutralization electrode after about ¾ of a rotation
Partially conductive particles (e.g., plastic-metal composites) are removed in a middle fraction

QUERULATOR (In-house Development / Laboratory and Pilot Scale)

Enables sorting of bulk materials based on particle shape
Allows separation of elongated and compact particles (e.g., cutlery in incinerator bottom ash)
Sample quantities from a few to several hundred kilograms
Patented in-house development

Polysort Finder (Titech / Industrial Plant)

Metal sensor for separating metallic and non-metallic bulk materials
Near-infrared sensor separation based on the light reflection properties in the infrared spectrum
Conveyor belt transport
Compressed air nozzles for ejecting target materials

Eccentric Eddy Current Separator (Eriez / Pilot Scale)

For separating non-magnetic, electrically conductive materials such as aluminum and copper from non-conductors like plastic, glass, slag, etc.
Permanent magnets on a rapidly rotating pole wheel induce eddy currents in conductive materials. This creates magnetic fields that oppose the induced magnetic fields. Electrically conductive materials are repelled and ejected from the material flow.
Pole wheel adjustment: 0 – 30 degrees above the top dead center
Good separation performance for particle sizes <5 mm due to a design optimized for fine grains

High Gradient Magnetic Separator (Outotec / Laboratory)

For the separation of magnetic particles with a particle size of 0.03-3mm
Operates on the principle of a deflection magnetic separator, with the electromagnetic field strength adjustable between 0 and 20,000 Gauss
In addition to ferromagnetic particles, paramagnetic particles are also separated

Flotation Cell (Metso Mineral Systems / Laboratory)

Flotation is a physical/chemical separation process in which a fine-grained solid mixture in aqueous suspension is separated based on the differing surface wettability of the particles. Foam-forming agents are added to the flotation bath, and then air is introduced and finely distributed. The water-repellent particles adhere to the air bubbles, float to the surface, and can be skimmed off with the resulting foam. The non-water-repellent particles sink to the bottom and are removed.
Dimensions of flotation container: 165x154x250mm
Working volume: approximately 5.0 liters

Spiral Separator (Multotec / Pilot Scale)

Separation of particles with different densities through the convection flow in the cross-section of the spiral trough.
Light particles follow the flow outward,
while heavy particles move toward the center of the trough due to wall friction and the inward-directed crossflow at the bottom of the trough.

Analysis

Various devices and methods are also available for sample analysis. Particle size distributions, optical or digital magnification of samples, as well as the elemental composition of the sample, are just a few examples of the possible analytical methods.

Laser Diffraction Spectrometer (Mastersizer 2000)

Particle size distributions in suspensions ranging from 0.1 – 1000 µm can be measured
Reliable and fast alternative to sedimentation analyses

Digital Microscope (Leica DVM 6 M)

Optical magnification up to 675x
Versatile image processing, including corrections, measurement of samples, or automatic counting of particles based on various parameters

Camsizer X2 (Retsch / Laboratory)

Measurement of particle size distributions of dry bulk materials
Measuring range: 0.8 µm – 8 mm
Utilizes the principle of digital image processing
The dispersed particle stream passes through two LED strobe light waves, with the shadow projections of the particles being captured by two digital cameras and measured using software.

XRF Sample Chamber (Niton XL5 Plus)

Rapid, simple, and non-destructive analysis of materials for their elemental composition using X-ray radiation
Elements from magnesium to uranium can be measured
Includes an integrated database with the most common alloys
Suitable for on-site use, as it is a mobile handheld device

Cyclosizer (WARMAN / Laboratory)

Enables the classification of suspensions (e.g., slurries)
Five hydrocyclones connected in series classify at cut points ranging from 10 – 45 µm

Infrastructure: Laboratories at UMTEC