Robert T Parrish

US Patent:

7763820, Jul 27, 2010

Filed:

Nov 27, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/986830

Inventors:

David B. Spencer - Bedford MA, US
R. Lynn Conley - Nashville TN, US
Richard E. Hill - Nashville TN, US
Robert H. Parrish - Nashville TN, US
Charles E. Roos - Nashville TN, US

Assignee:

Spectramet, LLC - Wilmington DE

International Classification:

B07C 5/00

US Classification:

209576, 209579, 209589, 356316, 356318, 378 45, 378 47

Abstract:

A piece of material that includes low-Z elements is classified based on photonic emissions detected from the piece of material. Both XRF spectroscopy and OES techniques, for example, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and spark discharge spectroscopy, may be used to classify the piece of material. A stream of pieces of material are moved along a conveying system into a stimulation and detection area. Each piece of material, in turn, is stimulated with a first and second stimulus, of a same or different type, causing the piece of material to emit emissions, for example, photons, which may include at least one of x-ray photons (i. e. , x-rays) and optical emissions. These emissions then are detected by one or more detectors of a same or different type. The piece of materials is then classified, for example, using a combination of hardware, software and/or firmware, based on the detected emissions, and then sorted.

US Patent:

20130264249, Oct 10, 2013

Filed:

Jun 3, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/908534

Inventors:

David B. Spencer - Bedford MA, US
R. Lynn Conley - Antioch TN, US
Richard E. Hill - Nashville TN, US
Robert H. Parrish - Nashville TN, US
Charles E. Roos - Nashville TN, US

International Classification:

B07C 5/342

US Classification:

209589

Abstract:

A piece of material that includes low-Z elements is classified based on photonic emissions detected from the piece of material. Both XRF spectroscopy and OES techniques, for example, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and spark discharge spectroscopy, may be used to classify the piece of material. A stream of pieces of material are moved along a conveying system into a stimulation and detection area. Each piece of material, in turn, is stimulated with a first and second stimulus, of a same or different type, causing the piece of material to emit emissions, for example, photons, which may include at least one of x-ray photons (i.e., x-rays) and optical emissions. These emissions then are detected by one or more detectors of a same or different type. The piece of materials is then classified, for example, using a combination of hardware, software and/or firmware, based on the detected emissions, and then sorted.