In this study, an innovative approach to ceramic glass recognition, based on spectral signature in the mid-infrared (MIR) field, was proposed & investigated. The study specifically addressed spectral characterisation of glass & ceramic fragments collected in a recycling plant from 2 different production lines: coloured container glass & white container glass. To define suitable inspection strategies to separate the useful glass from the contaminant, fragments presenting different colour, thickness, size, shape & manufacturing were selected. Both dirty & clean cullet was considered. The analyses, carried out in the MIR spectral field (2280-4480nm), show that ceramic glass & glass fragments can be recognised according to their different spectral signature. By selecting a specific wavelength ratio, the two classes of materials can be rapidly recognised.
