Development of a Transparent Thermal Reflective Thin Film Coating for Accurate Separation of Food-Grade Plastics in Recycling Process via AI-Based Thermal Image Processing

Journal article

Salimian, A. and Onwukwe, U. (2023). Development of a Transparent Thermal Reflective Thin Film Coating for Accurate Separation of Food-Grade Plastics in Recycling Process via AI-Based Thermal Image Processing. Coatings. 13 (8), p. 1332. https://doi.org/coatings13081332
AuthorsSalimian, A. and Onwukwe, U.
Abstract

This paper presents the development of a specific thin film coating designed to address the challenge of accurately separating food-grade plastics in the recycling process. The coating, created using a plasma sputtering process, is transparent to the visible spectrum of light while effectively reflecting infrared emissions above 1500 nm. Composed of a safe metal oxide formulation with a proprietary composition, the coating is applied to packaging labels. By employing thermal imaging and a computer vision AI model, the coated labels enable precise differentiation of plastics associated with food packaging in the initial stage of plastic recycling. The proposed system achieved a remarkable 100% accuracy in separating food-grade plastics from other types of plastics. This innovative approach holds great potential for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of plastic recycling processes, ensuring the recovery of food-grade plastics for future use.

Year2023
JournalCoatings
Journal citation13 (8), p. 1332
PublisherMDPI
ISSN2079-6412
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/coatings13081332
Web address (URL)https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/13/8/1332
Publication dates
Print28 Jul 2023
Publication process dates
Accepted14 Jul 2023
Deposited01 Aug 2023
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Open
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