How Do You Remove Plastic Separator During the Battery Recycling Process?
Updated on: 11/17/25
Are you wondering how to remove the plastic separator in your battery recycling downstream? Do you question what the best method is?
If so, you are in the right place.
In this article, you will learn how to get the plastic separator out of your processing stream. By the end, you will know why this is such an important part of your battery recycling operation.
In our previous article, we explored steel separation and the role of the delamination mill in processing battery materials. Here, we move to the next step in the recycling line—what happens after the delamination mill.
Once material leaves the delamination mill, it passes through a cyclone. The cyclone itself does not process the material; its purpose is simply to separate the airflow from the solid stream. From there, the recovered material is directed onto a screener.
The screener plays a critical role by sorting materials into three distinct fractions:
- Bottom fraction: black mass, which contains valuable active material.
- Middle fraction: copper and aluminum, commonly referred to as zorba.
- Top fraction: plastic separator.
The Plastic Separator Problem
Among these, the plastic separator is the most problematic. It behaves unlike any other material in the process—packing as densely as concrete, yet remaining too soft to break apart. It clogs equipment, jams augers, and generally disrupts downstream processing. For this reason, removing plastic separator as early as possible is essential.
Some operations allow it to continue downstream to the air table, but this often compounds issues. By contrast, processes that use a vertical mill earlier in the sequence can remove much of the plastic upfront, preventing it from interfering with the magnet, delamination mill, or any of the next stages. The earlier the removal, the smoother the entire process runs.
Plastic separator is typically screened off the top fraction. Because it is bulky and quickly fills collection bags—sometimes within 15 minutes—it is often densified to reduce its volume by up to 90%.
Black Mass Recovery
The black mass recovered at this stage is valuable but not as pure as the first batch obtained earlier in the process. This secondary fraction often contains traces of copper and aluminum, introduced by the delamination mill, which creates small copper and aluminum balls and fine dust during operation.
To improve purity, tighter screening is used—typically at 60 to 80 mesh. While some recyclers combine both grades of black mass for shipment, others separate them, marketing the second batch as a lower-grade product.
Preparing for Zorba Separation
With the black mass handled, the next focus is the zorba fraction—aluminum and copper balls left from the delamination process. In the upcoming stage, specialized separation methods are applied to recover these valuable metals.
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