{"schema_version":1,"experiment_id":"eoa_inverse_innovation_exp12_substrate_denial72_20260805","research_id":"eoa_inverse_innovation_exp12_light_screen_20260805","cell_id":"pareto_frontier_navigation__chemistry_materials","search_lanes":{"direct_problem_and_intervention":{"queries":["\"Density-Gradient Frontier Tray\" ABS","ABS mixed plastic flakes density gradient column sink-float separation multiple density fractions","\"nested collection ports\" density gradient plastics"],"source_ids":["SRC2","SRC3","SRC4"],"no_result_note":"No direct match for the proposal title or nested-port wording was found; phrase misses were not treated as novelty evidence."},"synonyms_and_historical_terms":{"queries":["polymer recycling float sink separation density separation ABS plastics density overlap wetting air bubbles","\"density gradient\" separation mixed plastics recycling ABS fractions","plastic recycling density separator multiple products fractions density range cut points"],"source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC3"],"no_result_note":null},"products_practices_and_standards":{"queries":["ASTM plastic density-gradient column method D1505 polymer density","magnetic density separation mixed plastic waste multiple density fractions ABS","commercial density separation column plastic flakes multiple fractions hydrocyclone float sink"],"source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC3","SRC4"],"no_result_note":null},"component_combination":{"queries":["density gradient column fraction collector polymer particles ports collect bands","density gradient fractionation plastic particles gradient column collect fractions","Pareto optimization sink-float plastic separation purity recovery density cutoff","multiple cut points purity recovery Pareto plastic sorting density separation"],"source_ids":["SRC2","SRC3","SRC4"],"no_result_note":"The search found one-run density fractionation and separate purity/recovery evaluation, but no retained source combining ordinary-gradient ABS band collection, contiguous cumulative cuts, four-objective uncertainty-aware dominance screening, and a contamination-first choice rule."}},"sources":[{"source_id":"SRC1","title":"ASTM D1505-18: Standard Test Method for Density of Plastics by the Density-Gradient Technique","publisher":"ASTM International","url":"https://store.astm.org/d1505-18.html","source_type":"OFFICIAL_STANDARD","claims_supported":["A liquid density-gradient column is an established method in which plastic specimens settle at density-dependent levels compared with reference standards.","The method can resolve small density differences and therefore supports the physical plausibility of spatially distinguishing plastic fragments.","ASTM assigns responsibility for safety, health, environmental practices, and regulatory applicability to the user; it does not authorize a recycling separation process."]},{"source_id":"SRC2","title":"Sink–float density separation of post-consumer plastics for feedstock recycling","publisher":"Springer Nature","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10163-018-0748-z","source_type":"PRIMARY_RESEARCH","claims_supported":["Pilot-scale wet density separation was evaluated using both product purity and material recovery, confirming that these are distinct performance measures.","The reported plant produced heavy, medium, and light fractions, while two-stage processing increased product concentration and could reduce recovery.","Adhered air bubbles, hydrophobic surfaces, particle shape, residence time, and flow conditions caused particle misplacement or incomplete density selection.","Wet separation introduces dewatering and wastewater-treatment burdens relevant to liquid-carryover and containment objectives."]},{"source_id":"SRC3","title":"Separation of mixed waste plastics via magnetic levitation","publisher":"Elsevier","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956053X18301405","source_type":"PRIMARY_RESEARCH","claims_supported":["A mixed set including ABS, PP, PA6, PC, PET, and PTFE was placed in one paramagnetic medium and separated according to density-dependent levitation position.","FTIR spectroscopy was used to verify separated plastic outputs.","The work demonstrates multiple spatially distinguishable plastic fractions, although it uses magnets, a paramagnetic liquid, and a two-stage extraction rather than the proposal's ordinary liquid-gradient column and cumulative-cut frontier."]},{"source_id":"SRC4","title":"Magnetism-Assisted Density Gradient Separation of Microplastics","publisher":"American Chemical Society","url":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04001","source_type":"PRIMARY_RESEARCH","claims_supported":["A bespoke cell, gradient pump, MnCl2 density gradient, and magnets sequentially suspended and collected particles of different densities.","Four polyethylene particle classes spanning approximately 0.98–1.35 g/cm3 were selectively separated in one run, with step gradients improving resolution for close densities.","ATR-FTIR was used after separation, making this close prior art for matched physical fraction collection plus spectroscopic verification, but not for ABS recovery or Pareto screening of cumulative outlet cuts."]}],"problem_evidence":{"status":"PARTLY_SUPPORTED","finding":"The underlying problem is visible: wet density separation is judged on both purity and recovery, and air bubbles, hydrophobicity, shape, residence time, and staging can misplace material or improve concentration at a recovery cost. Prior work also shows that multiple density-resolved plastic fractions can be generated and verified spectroscopically. The stronger assertion that a familiar ABS cutoff is physically dominated across recovery, contamination, retained liquid, and flake damage has not been demonstrated by the retained sources.","source_ids":["SRC2","SRC3","SRC4"]},"closest_prior_art":[{"name":"Magnetism-Assisted Density Gradient Separation of Microplastics","source_ids":["SRC4"],"overlap":"Generates and physically collects several density-defined polymer-particle fractions in one run using a controlled gradient, with subsequent FTIR examination.","remaining_difference":"Uses a pumped MnCl2 gradient, magnets, and microscale particles; it does not recover ABS from representative shredded feed, construct all contiguous cumulative cutoff lots, measure liquid carryover and damage, or retain an uncertainty-aware Pareto frontier."},{"name":"Separation of mixed waste plastics via magnetic levitation","source_ids":["SRC3"],"overlap":"Spatially separates multiple mixed polymers including ABS in a common exposure and verifies outputs with FTIR.","remaining_difference":"Relies on magnetic levitation and two-stage extraction, and does not instantiate cumulative outlet cutoffs or compare recovery, contamination, carryover, and damage by dominance."},{"name":"ASTM D1505 density-gradient tube combined with established sink–float performance testing","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2"],"overlap":"The standard supplies ordinary liquid-gradient positioning of plastics, while sink–float research supplies physical output fractions and separate purity/recovery measurements.","remaining_difference":"Neither source discloses the complete combination of nested collection bands from one ordinary-gradient exposure, cumulative physical cuts, four-objective feasibility filtering, and a contamination-first selection among non-dominated lots."}],"prior_art_disposition":"ADJACENT_PRIOR_ART","contrastive_claim_remaining":"For an ABS-containing shredded-plastic feed, a sealed nonmagnetic and noncentrifugal liquid-density-gradient column can, in one matched exposure, yield recoverable adjacent bands whose contiguous cumulative cuts can be assayed for ABS recovery, non-ABS contamination, liquid carryover, and flake damage, with at least one fixed-density baseline cut reproducibly classified as dominated within predeclared uncertainty before applying a contamination-first choice rule.","contrastive_claim_falsifier":"The claim fails if replicated runs do not preserve band ordering, adjacent bands cannot be recovered without consequential mixing or loss, or blinded assays with uncertainty bounds show no fixed-density baseline option dominated by any feasible cumulative gradient cut across all four declared objectives.","gates":{"adequate_source_search":{"status":"PASS","rationale":"Four required search lanes were covered using direct wording, older float–sink and density-gradient terminology, standards and operating practices, and component combinations. Exactly four opened sources from four publishers were retained, including one official standard and three primary studies.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC3","SRC4"]},"supported_problem":{"status":"PASS","rationale":"Primary research directly shows distinct purity and recovery measures, staging-related tradeoffs, and misplacement from bubbles, hydrophobicity, particle shape, and hydrodynamics. Evidence is partial because four-objective dominance for ABS cutoffs remains unshown.","source_ids":["SRC2","SRC3","SRC4"]},"distinct_testable_claim":{"status":"PASS","rationale":"Although density gradients, one-run multifraction collection, ABS-containing mixed-plastic separation, and FTIR verification are prior art, the remaining claim specifies an ordinary-gradient apparatus, contiguous cumulative physical cuts, four measured objectives, uncertainty-aware dominance, and an explicit contamination-first decision rule.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC3","SRC4"]},"bounded_next_test":{"status":"PASS","rationale":"A randomized split-sample bench trial of no more than two kilograms can compare a fixed-density baseline with replicated gradient runs, collect every band, assay blinded subsamples, measure carryover and size change, and test one predeclared dominance statement without production deployment.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC3","SRC4"]},"no_obvious_safety_or_authority_stop":{"status":"PASS","rationale":"No categorical stop is apparent for a contained laboratory trial using an already approved compatible liquid under laboratory-manager and safety review. ASTM expressly leaves safety and regulatory controls to the user, so chemical compatibility, additive release, leakage, waste handling, and microplastic containment remain mandatory preconditions rather than waived concerns.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2"]}},"screen_survival":true,"world_novelty_boundary":"This bounded public-web screen establishes only adjacent prior art and a testable residual combination claim. It cannot establish world novelty, patentability, freedom to operate, market size, expert acceptance, scale-up feasibility, or realized value; unsearched patents, non-indexed literature, proprietary recycling systems, and terminology outside the sampled queries may contain closer art."}