what type of sensor technologies exist to determine the chemical composition of a polymer?

You can identify many polymers without any clever sensor technologies at all but by following a number of simple physical tests. Sensor technology might help for some of the very fine distinctions, but if you can make a broad categorisation first with simple physical tests then that is what you should do.

And, of course, most plastic opponents are actually labelled with symbols to aid in recycling so you can often just look to identify the chemical nature of the polymer. For reference the symbols are shown below (V identifies chlorine-containing polymers like PVC):

Thank You

Ruchi

Askiitians Faculty