Apparatus and process for securing, analyzing and sorting materials, and sorted products

Abstract

An apparatus for securing, analyzing and sorting materials, which allows such procedures as analysis and sorting of materials present as independent pieces at a high efficiency and a high accuracy, by securing individual piecesof materials in receptaclesof a holderat a definite posture using a light-hardenable adhesive at a uniform hardening strength and a uniform but brief hardening time by cold hardening under identical hardening conditions without causing denaturation of the material, wherein the receptaclesare arranged on the holderin a definite arrangement and a definite posture, whereby it is able to process each individual material piece after the hardening of the adhesive, by, for example, cutting and so on, to uniformly form on each material piece an analyzing surface for which the analysis is performed. Each material pieceis bonded and fixed onto an inner wall of the receptacleusing a light ray-hardenable adhesiveby irradiating a light raythereonto to effect hardening of the adhesive at normal temperatures. The resulting holderhaving the fixed material pieces is mounted on an analyzing unitto subject each material piece to a spectrometric analysis by irradiating it with an electromagnetic ray. Then, the holderhaving the analyzed material pieces is set on a sorting deviceto sort the analyzed material pieces, in which the material pieces are dispensed by operating dispenser rodsbased on the analysis results.