Material Characterization Based on Capacitive and Dielectric Properties for Waste Recycling

Adnan A., Alioğlu A., Ulusoy I.

33rd IEEE Conference on Signal Processing and Communications Applications, SIU 2025, İstanbul, Turkey, 25 - 28 June 2025, (Full Text) identifier

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
  • Doi Number: 10.1109/siu66497.2025.11112085
  • City: İstanbul
  • Country: Turkey
  • Keywords: Capacitive sensors, Circular Economy, Dielectric properties, Material classification, Signal processing
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This paper outlines the development process for a capacitive sensing technique used to detect the material of an object placed in the sensor field. The sensor operates by detecting small capacitive changes due to the variations in material dielectric properties, which can be measured and used to determine the type of material. The proposed use case is in recycling plants and devices that depend heavily on material classification for the segregation of trash. This work highlights the feasibility of employing such a sensor and the possibility of utilizing it to classify material types.