A non-contact method for measuring thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity for use in a neural network to recognize waste material. Diagnostic Instrumentation and Analysis Laboratory (DIAL)

For many applications it is important to be able to recognize materials at a distance, such as in a waste feedstream in a plasma torch waste vitrification environment. In such an environment it is important to accurately analyze the waste so that certain adjustments can be made to the mix such that the treated waste meets rigid quality and safety standards. It may also be desirable to detect dangerous waste that might exit the system without being properly treated. Such "bad-players" can be removed if detected before treatment and can be treated in a more appropriate manner. A novel approach is presented for measuring the thermal properties of a material in an industrial or hazardous waste setting.