Structured coverage of mechanical recycling from particle properties to plant operation

Mechanical recycling preserves the chemical structure of materials and serves as a critical first step in enabling further material processing. Mechanical Recycling Technologies: From Fundamentals to Applications presents the theoretical foundations of these processes alongside detailed practical examples, worked calculation problems, and typical examination tasks with fully derived solutions, connecting waste management and circular economy principles to plant design.

Mechanical Recycling Technologies progresses systematically through particle properties, material flow analysis, and bulk material behavior before addressing multiple separation procedures. Chapters on recycling plant design and operation translate theory into practice, while calculation examples with step-by-step derivations reinforce each concept. Examination tasks with corresponding solutions support independent study and self-assessment throughout the text.

Readers will also find:

• Coverage of waste management and circular economy fundamentals that contextualizes recycling within the broader raw materials sustainability landscape
• Detailed treatment of separation procedures used in industrial recycling, presented with supporting theoretical frameworks and practical considerations
• Worked calculation examples featuring fully derived solutions that demonstrate quantitative problem-solving approaches for each processing stage covered
• Typical examination tasks with complete solutions designed to support structured self-study and reinforce mastery of core recycling concepts
• Discussion of recycling plant operation linking process design decisions to real-world material handling and throughput optimization challenges

Written for chemical engineering and biotechnology students at the bachelor's and master's level, as well as practicing chemical and process engineers, this textbook delivers a structured path from recycling theory to plant-level application, supported by worked examples and self-assessment tools throughout.

Rainer Bunge is a former lecturer at ETH Zurich, where he taught the Waste Recycling Technologies course for many years, and at the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences OST. His work in the Swiss recycling industry produced around 40 patents for innovative processes and machines. He received the Swiss Environmental Prize and ranked among the top 10% of OST professors in teaching evaluations.