Sensor-based waste sorting reduces number of battery fires in recycling plants

Why batteries keep causing fires – and how the problem can be fixed

Batteries have been the culprit in 13 fires in Auckland this year so far, including last month's massive North Shore blaze. So what's the solution?

New AI breakthrough tackles massive recycling bottleneck with surprising precision: 'This is not just waste'

Technology has become woven into the fabric of our lives at every turn, but it also results in millions of tons of electronic waste each year.  At Germany's Electrocycling GmbH, one of the largest e-waste recycling facilities in Europe, employees are now joined by AI-powered robots to help in properly handling these e-waste materials and recovering valuable resources, according to a European Commission report shared by TechXplore.  The location …

Sensor-based waste sorting reduces number of battery fires in recycling plants

An increasing amount of electronic waste is not being properly disposed of but is often discarded together with plastic waste, for example. If the batteries in these products are damaged, they can cause fires at sorting plants. In the DangerSort project, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS are using a sensor-based sorting system to remove hazardous items and make recycling plants safer.

Sensor-based waste sorting reduces number of battery fires in recycling plants - RECYCLING magazine

According to a study by the German association BDE, more than 10,000 fires occur annually in German waste sorting plants. Around 80 percent of these fires are caused by lithium-ion batteries. Common in smartphones, electric toothbrushes or singing greeting cards, these batteries are often disposed of together with packaging waste. They can be damaged and catch fire, particularly during the recycling process in sorting plants. The damage caused b…

Smart sensors and X-rays could help stop battery fires in recycling plants

Fires caused by hidden batteries are a growing problem in recycling centers. In Germany alone, more than 10,000 fires break out each year at waste sorting plants, and about 80% of them are caused by lithium-ion batteries. These small but powerful batteries are commonly found in everyday items like smartphones, electric toothbrushes, and even singing […] The post Smart sensors and X-rays could help stop battery fires in recycling plants appeared …

Out of more than 10,000 fires in German waste sorting plants a large part goes back to incorrectly disposed batteries and batteries. X-ray technology and AI could reduce such risks in the future. The article Waste X-rays with AI – a measure against battery fires in recycling plants first appeared on ingenieur.de - Jobbörse und Nachrichtsportal für Ingenieure.