- Project Name
- Development of Recycling Technology for Waste Plastic from Insulated Wires
- Company Name
- Miyagi Prefecture – Miyagi Industrial Waste 3R Promotion Project (Yoshimura Co., Ltd. and the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University)
- Researcher Name
- Jeongsoo Yu, Gaku Manago
- Research Period
- May 2025 - February 2026
- Project Overview
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This research aims to promote the advanced recycling of waste plastic derived from insulated electrical cables and focuses on establishing high-precision sorting technology for mixed PVC and PE waste materials. PVC and PE sorting is key challenge in the recycling process. Whilst PVC and PE are the primary materials used in cable insulation, the mixing of these materials significantly reduces the efficiency and quality of recycling; consequently, there is a strong demand for the development of advanced automated sorting technology to address this issue.
This project was carried out under a public-private-academic partnership with Yoshimura Co., Ltd., with funding from the Miyagi Prefecture 3R Promotion Project Grant. We promoted the development of equipment capable of automatically identifying and sorting PVC and PE using THz devices. Moreover, pretreatment is important for material identification. So, we have conducted experiments for specific gravity separation and heat separation as well. During the project year, we undertook the prototype development of a THz identification device based on fundamental verification, as well as the development of a sorting device utilising specific gravity and thermal properties, with the aim of establishing a technological foundation for practical application.
