COMPATIBILISERS | MATERIALS
In mechanical recycling of PCR, systems are designed to separate different polymers, but separation is not perfect. Typically, some “contami- nation” remains, such as a small amount of PE in a PP stream, that can degrade mechanical properties of parts made from the PCR. Adding compatibilis- ers, however, can boost the mechanical properties.
PPWR driver The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regula- tion (PPWR), which mandates use of recycled content in packaging in the EU market, is expected to drive increased use of PCR. Compatibiliser additives are already in use, and new compatibi- liser solutions are also being developed. “Cesa Unify A4R is Avient’s latest additive solution developed to compatibilise mixed polymer streams by generating a homogeneous polymer phase and restoring mechanical proper- ties to a level comparable to virgin materials,” said Jan Sültemeyer, Global Sustainability and Innovation Manager at Avient. The compatibiliser, part of
the company’s Additives for Recycling portfolio, works with the two nonpolar polymers, PP and PE. Avient is also developing other compatibiliser systems, including formulations for polar–nonpolar polymer combinations. “These innovations are being advanced at Avient’s Innova- tion Center for Plastic Recycling, CycleWorks, reinforcing Avient’s commitment to enabling higher value applications for post- consumer recyclates,” said Sültemeyer. Compatibilisers offer a solution for PCR in other end-use markets in addition to packaging. For example, the use of PCR is being evaluated in wire and cable. Mirco Groeseling, Market Development Manager for Packaging & Sustainability at Avient, explained that in the EU, cables fall under the scope of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which currently does not include mandatory recycled content percentage thresholds for polymers, although these may be introduced at a later stage through product specific delegated acts. Use of PCR in cables today is driven by cable manufacturer’s sustainability targets, he suggested. “Major cable manufacturers increasingly view PCR content as an opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint of their products and, conse-
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quently, to support the achievement of ambitious sustainability targets,” added Sültemeyer. “Given the high quality and performance requirements in the cable industry, manufacturers will need to develop strategies to compensate for the reduced and more variable mechanical properties associ- ated with using PCR materials.” The Cesa Unify A4R compatibiliser can be used to improve mechanical properties in cables with PCR content. In addition, Avient recently launched a new
product designed to improve environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR) in HDPE compounds used in outer jacketing for medium-voltage cables. Avient collaborated with the Italian cable manufac- turer Tratos to develop Cesa Tough A4R, which improves ESCR and mechanical properties to enable the use of PCR content while maintaining the high-performance requirements of medium voltage cable applications. New from Mitsui Chemicals America is Admer RA105A Recycling Agent, which is a compatibiliser designed to improve miscibility between polyolefins and polar barrier materials, such as EVOH and polyam- ides (PA), used in multilayer flexible packaging films, so that regrind can be effectively used. The additive shows improved haze and film impact properties, the com-
pany reported. The company said that the additive has been formally
recognised by the US-based Association of
Plastics Recyclers (APR) for meeting the highest criteria for recyclability according to the APR Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability. Kraton’s CirKular+ Compatibilization Series, which is a family of block copolymers based on PS and polyethylene/butylene rubber, “facilitates mechanical recycling of mixed and contaminated plastic waste by increasing processability and improving formulation stability for a broad spec- trum of resins with different polarities, such as polyolefins, PET, and polyamides. Our customers typically add them at a 1 to 5% loading level,” the company reported.
Upcycling PP In a presentation at AMI’s Compounding World Expo 2025 in Cleveland, US, in November, experts from Thermo Fisher Scientific described how Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) microscopy can be used to give insights into improving the
May 2026 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 43
Left: The mechanical performance of products using PCR from mixed polyolefins streams can be improved with compatibilisers
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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