Sink-Float Separation Tank for PVC, PET, PC & PS Sinking Material
Density-based sink-float separation tank that sorts heavy sinking plastics — PVC, PET, PC, and PS — from lighter floating PP and PE in plastic recycling washing lines.
How It Works
Feeding and Pre-Rinse
Shredded feed enters the tank and process water disperses surface soils so the flow remains cleaner and more uniform.
Density Separation
Lighter PP and PE float to the surface while heavier sinking materials — PVC, PET, PC, and PS — settle to the bottom, creating a clear density-based material split.
Bottom Friction Cleaning
A bottom screw or scraper guides the heavy fraction forward while helping move settled fines and silt to discharge.
Float Layer Overflow
The floating layer exits through the overflow section for dewatering or another wash stage, while the heavy fraction leaves from the lower outlet.
Water Recirculation
The tank can connect to settling and filtration equipment so make-up water and overflow are matched to contamination load.
Key Benefits
High-Purity Split
Optimized tank geometry and flow control reduce cross-contamination and improve downstream product value.
Modular Scalability
Series and parallel combinations can be configured around capacity, footprint, and retrofit needs.
Maintenance-Friendly
Critical wear areas remain accessible and standardized parts reduce downtime during inspection and replacement.
Water and Energy Efficient
Closed-loop water and adjustable overflow help control both water usage and operating cost.
Robust Structure
Reinforced tank construction, anti-corrosion details, and leakage control support stable long-term duty.
Broad Compatibility
Handles sinking plastics such as PVC, PET, PC, and PS alongside floating PP and PE across diverse plastic recycling and washing-line configurations.
Pains We Solve
Unstable Separation
Short-circuiting and backflow reduce split accuracy and make downstream quality less predictable.
Tuned tank proportions and guided flow help keep the density split stable.
High Energy and Water Use
Open-loop operation and poor overflow control push utility cost up as contamination load changes.
Recirculation and adjustable overflow help match water and power demand to actual line conditions.
Difficult Maintenance
Hard-to-reach wear parts increase inspection time and extend shutdowns during routine service.
Accessible wear areas and faster part replacement help shorten service windows.
Silt Carryover
Fine solids can stay with the heavy fraction and lower purity before the next wash or drying step.
Bottom scraping and guided discharge reduce fines carryover into recovered material.
Retrofit Constraints
Existing plant layouts often leave limited room for a new sink-float stage or longer tank body.
Modular tank lengths and support options make integration into existing lines more practical.
Quality Consistency
Uneven fabrication and loose process checks make tank performance harder to repeat from project to project.
Standardized fabrication and factory inspection help keep separation performance more predictable.
Applications
PET Flakes vs PP/PE Caps and Labels
Used in bottle-flake lines to separate the heavy PET fraction from floating caps, rings, and label residue.
PVC, PS, and PC Heavy-Fraction Sorting
Supports recovery of denser engineering and commodity plastics where a clean heavy fraction is required.
Mixed Plastics Density Separation
Used after shredding and pre-wash stages to split mixed regrind by density before final drying or further sorting.
Sink-Float Stage Line Upgrades
Fits retrofit projects where an existing wash line needs better density separation without a full line replacement.
Appliance and E-Waste Plastics
Handles shredded rigid streams from appliance housings and electronics where heavy-plastic separation improves value.
Industrial Regrind Recycling
Suitable for in-plant recycling lines processing rigid scrap and production regrind with mixed polymer fractions.
Why Choose Energycle
| Criteria | Energycle Sink-Float Tank | Conventional Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Separation Stability | Stable flow with reduced cross-mixing | Short-circuiting and backflow are more common |
| Ease of Maintenance | Quick-change wear parts and easier inspection | Longer maintenance and more complex changeouts |
| Energy and Water | Closed-loop operation with demand control | Higher make-up water and utility cost |
| Expandability | Modular series and parallel options | Fixed sizes and harder retrofits |
FAQ
What sinking materials can this separation tank handle?
How is water usage and recirculation configured?
How do I size a sink-float separation tank for my recycling line?
What maintenance intervals and wear parts should I expect?
What separation purity can I expect for sinking plastics?
Request a Tailored Proposal & Quote
Share your material type, density split target, throughput, and line layout. We will return a recommended configuration and utility guidance.
