TITLE:
High Performance Recycling of Polymers by Means of Their Fluorescence Lifetimes*
AUTHORS:
Heinz Langhals, Dominik Zgela, Thorben Schlücker
KEYWORDS:
Recycling, Polymers, Fluorescence Lifetime, Labelling, Fluorescence Spectroscopy
JOURNAL NAME:
Green and Sustainable Chemistry,
Vol.4 No.3,
August
20,
2014
ABSTRACT: Technical polymers could be identified by means of their remarkably
strong auto fluorescence. The time constants of this fluorescence proved to be
characteristic for the individual polymers and can be economically determined
by integrating procedures. The thus obtained unequivocal identification is
presented for their sorting for recycling. Furthermore, polymeric materials
were doped with fluorescent dyes allowing a fine-classification of special
batches.