Processing Technologies & Equipment Flashcards
6 cards from real CRP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Processing Technologies & Equipment flashcards as text
What is a 'negative sort' strategy in MRF operations?
Answer: Sorting out contaminants and residue from a predominantly clean stream, rather than picking out target materials from a mixed stream
In a negative sort, workers or automated equipment remove the unwanted minority (contaminants) from an otherwise clean stream, which is more efficient than picking out the target material from a mixed stream.
Lithium-ion batteries in the recycling stream are primarily a concern because they:
Answer: Can cause fires and explosions when crushed or punctured by MRF equipment
Lithium-ion batteries are a leading cause of MRF fires because crushing or puncturing them during compaction can trigger thermal runaway, releasing highly flammable gases and causing explosions.
What is the purpose of a 'quality control (QC) position' at the end of a MRF sorting line before the baler?
Answer: To perform a final manual inspection and remove any residual contaminants from a commodity stream before baling
A QC sorter performs a final pass to catch contaminants that automated equipment missed, ensuring the bale meets end-market specifications before it is compressed and shipped.
What does 'MRF throughput efficiency' measure, and how is it calculated?
Answer: Actual tons processed divided by design capacity, expressed as a percentage — showing how close to rated capacity the facility is operating
Throughput efficiency compares actual tons processed to the facility's rated design capacity, revealing whether the MRF is running at, above, or below its engineered operating point.
Which processing technology is used to separate ferrous (iron-containing) metals from a conveyor stream?
Answer: Overhead magnetic separator (cross-belt magnet)
An overhead cross-belt magnet uses a powerful permanent or electromagnet suspended above or across the conveyor to lift and remove steel cans and other ferrous metals from the stream.
A MRF is evaluating replacing manual glass breaking with a glass cleanup system (GCS). What is the primary operational benefit?
Answer: The GCS crushes and cleans glass separately from other recyclables, producing higher-purity cullet with less cross-contamination of paper and plastics
A dedicated glass cleanup system processes glass in an isolated circuit, producing cleaner cullet while preventing glass shards from contaminating paper and plastics streams on the main sort line.