Contact

Prof. Dr. Jens Gutzmer (PhD ZA)
Director
Phone: +49 351 260 - 4400

PD Dr. Simone Raatz
Administrative Manager
Phone: +49 351 260 - 4747

Anne-Kristin Jentzsch
Press Officer
Phone: +49 351 260 - 4429

Vanessa Weitzel
Secretary
Phone: +49 351 260 - 4404

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Real-time resource characterization

Foto: Pilot plant at HIF for the detection, identification and sorting of complex composite recycling material streams. ©Copyright: HZDR/Detlev Müller

Pilot plant at HIF for the detection, identification and sorting of complex composite recycling material streams.

Source: HZDR/Detlev Müller

Optical sensors have become key to most on- and in-line scanning applications in the field of material characterization, digitalization, and monitoring. They offer non-invasive sensing technologies to identify the composition of primary and secondary materials without time- and cost-consuming sample preparation and chemical analyses. The sensors provide huge advantages for many compounds and minerals but cannot provide quantitative chemistry nor identify all materials (e.g. metals). 

Multi-sensor integration

To innovate available technologies, overcome limitations of individual sensors and expand the range of detectable materials, we focus on the: 

  • development of new, tailored sensor solutions
  • integration of sensors into smart and agile networks 

In particular, we combine reflectance hyperspectral imaging (HSI) sensors from visible and near infrared range (VNIR) to long-wave infrared range (LWIR) with emission spectroscopy using laser-induced fluorescence (LiF) to map material types and their abundances. We investigate further integration concepts including 3D characterisation. We evaluate concepts of automation to combine imaging sensors to identify domains of interests and point measurements to extract precise chemical compositions in real-time.