In the waste resource utilization industry chain, specialized equipment is the core support for efficient recycling. From initial waste sorting to final resource recovery, every step requires precise operation of specialized equipment. These devices not only improve waste treatment efficiency but also promote the industrialization of "waste-to-treasure" and provide a solid technical foundation for the development of a circular economy.

Pretreatment Equipment: Laying the Foundation for Recycling

Pretreatment is the primary step in waste recycling. Its core goal is to remove impurities, separate different types of materials, and prepare for subsequent processing. It primarily involves sorting, crushing, and screening equipment.

Among sorting equipment, manual sorting stations are the most basic, particularly suitable for mixed waste with complex composition and diverse forms. At waste transfer stations or recycling centers, workers use visual recognition to separate recyclables (such as plastic bottles, cans, and waste paper) from non-recyclables. While efficiency is limited by manual skill, they can handle a wide range of specialized waste forms. Automated sorting equipment has significantly improved efficiency. For example, sorters based on near-infrared spectroscopy technology scan materials by emitting infrared light of a specific wavelength. Based on the spectral reflectance characteristics of different substances, they can quickly identify materials such as plastic, paper, and wood. High-pressure airflow then blows the target materials into designated channels, achieving a sorting accuracy of over 90%. This technology is widely used in the automated sorting of plastic bottles and waste paper.

Crushing equipment reduces the volume of waste to facilitate subsequent processing and transportation. Jaw crushers use the squeezing action of movable and fixed jaws to crush hard construction waste such as concrete blocks and bricks, reducing them to a particle size that meets screening requirements. Hammer crushers use high-speed rotating hammers to impact tough materials such as plastic and wood, breaking them into uniform small pieces. This facilitates plastic recycling and wood resource recovery.

In addition to the bouncing screens mentioned above, vibrating screens are also widely used in screening equipment. Vibrating screens separate materials by particle size through high-frequency vibration of the screen surface. They are commonly used for the graded recovery of sand and gravel from construction waste and the separation of different particle sizes in domestic waste.

Resource Extraction Equipment: Unlocking the Value of Waste

Waste containing recyclable resources requires specialized equipment to extract its useful components. Commonly used equipment includes magnetic separation equipment, flotation equipment, and metal extraction equipment.

Magnetic separation equipment utilizes magnetic differences to separate materials and is a key component of scrap metal recovery. When processing industrial slag and construction waste, permanent magnetic drum separators can absorb ferromagnetic materials (such as rebar and nails), enabling efficient recovery of ferrous metals. While magnetic separation equipment cannot directly separate non-ferrous metals such as copper and aluminum in electronic waste, it can be used in conjunction with other equipment to improve recovery efficiency.

Flotation equipment is primarily used for the recovery of mineral waste. When processing industrial waste such as tailings, the addition of flotation agents causes target mineral particles to attach to air bubbles, which then float to the surface of the liquid where they are collected, allowing the extraction of useful minerals.

Metal extraction equipment plays a vital role in electronic waste processing. For example, high-temperature melting furnaces can melt the metals in electronic components and separate precious metals such as copper, tin, and gold by their specific gravity. Hydrometallurgical equipment uses chemical solvents to dissolve the metals in electronic waste, then extracts the pure metals through processes such as precipitation and extraction, with a recovery rate exceeding 95%.

Recycling Equipment: Enabling Waste Recycling

Converting recycled waste into reusable products requires recycling equipment, primarily including plastic recycling equipment, paper recycling equipment, and organic waste treatment equipment.

Plastic recycling equipment includes cleaning and granulation. Plastic washing machines use high-pressure water and mechanical agitation to remove dirt and labels from the surface of plastic bottles, preparing them for subsequent granulation. Plastic granulators heat and melt the cleaned plastic fragments, extruding them into strips. After cooling and cutting, they are made into plastic pellets, which can be reused in the production of plastic products.

Paper recycling equipment includes pulpers, screening machines, and papermaking machines. Pulpers break waste paper into pulp, screening machines remove impurities from the pulp, and papermaking machines process the purified pulp into recycled paper, achieving waste paper recycling and reducing reliance on wood resources.

Organic waste treatment equipment is primarily used for the treatment of kitchen waste and agricultural waste. Composting tanks control temperature, humidity, and oxygen content, allowing microorganisms to decompose organic waste into organic fertilizer. Anaerobic fermentation equipment converts organic waste into biogas, which can be used as energy. The biogas residue and liquid biogas can be returned to the fields as fertilizer, achieving both resource and energy utilization of organic waste.

Environmentally friendly treatment equipment: Ensuring a green recycling process

The waste recycling process generates pollutants such as waste gas, wastewater, and waste residue. Environmentally friendly treatment equipment is required to purify and treat these pollutants to ensure a green and environmentally friendly recycling process.

In waste gas treatment equipment, activated carbon adsorption towers absorb organic waste gases and odors generated during waste treatment. Spray towers spray alkaline solutions to neutralize acidic substances in the waste gas, such as sulfur dioxide produced by waste incineration, reducing atmospheric pollution. Wastewater treatment equipment treats wastewater generated during waste cleaning. Screens remove large impurities from the wastewater. Sedimentation tanks remove suspended particulates through gravity settling. Biochemical treatment tanks utilize microorganisms to decompose organic matter in the wastewater, ensuring that the treated wastewater meets discharge standards or is suitable for reuse.

Waste residue treatment equipment primarily processes residues generated during waste recycling. Incinerators incinerate non-recyclable waste residue at high temperatures, reducing its volume and using the heat to generate electricity. Landfill compactors compact the waste residue that is ultimately landfilled, improving landfill utilization and reducing landfill space.

Waste recycling equipment performs various functions at different stages, forming a complete waste resource recovery chain. Pretreatment equipment lays the foundation for recycling, resource extraction equipment unlocks the potential value of waste, regeneration equipment enables waste recycling, and environmentally friendly treatment equipment ensures a green and environmentally friendly recycling process. With continuous technological advancements, the performance of these equipment will continue to improve, driving the waste recycling industry towards greater efficiency and environmental friendliness, making a significant contribution to achieving the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality.