ODOUR AND EMISSIONS | TECHNOLOGY
Increasing the use of recycled resins means tackling the challenge of bad odours. Chris Saunders learns about additives and available testing approaches
Getting on top of bad odour in plastics
As demand for more recycled materials in end products continues to rise, odour reduction has become a critical factor. It is especially relevant in applications such as automotive interiors, where the confined space makes odours more percepti- ble, and in food packaging, where an unpleasant smell conveys an impression of inferior quality and can instantly put customers off, possibly leading them to form a potentially long-lasting negative association with a brand. Data from the UK shows the extent of the challenge. Of the 260,000 tonnes of post-consum- er polypropylene (PP) waste produced each year less than 1% is recycled into high quality products. One of the main reasons for this is attributed to the polymers retaining odours from previous applica- tions. Meeting today’s ambitious sustainability targets means radical improvement, so the search is on to find more effective ways of detecting, managing, or even eradicating odours at source. UK-based Luxus, which claims to be the country’s
www.compoundingworld.com
largest independently-owned producer of prime and recycled polymers, initiated its Odour Control Accelerator project with the aims of upscaling validated processing technologies to provide a cost-effective method of identifying odours and deodorising recycled polymers. The technological concept was developed
through a previous project funded by innovation agency Innovate UK, which resulted in the installa- tion of a modified laboratory-scale extrusion line. When trials showed clear evidence of a reduction in odour-causing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Luxus began working with the Research Centre (TRC), and the University of Lincoln to upscale the technology from laboratory prototype to its compounding facility, where it would allow full scale production. In April this year, the project was awarded more than £600,000 under Phase 3 of the UK govern- ment’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. This funds projects “in which innovative technologies with
Main image: Bad odour in plastic
compounds is tough to deal with and the focus of a new project at UK compounder Luxus
July 2023 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 37
IMAGE: LUXUS
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