ADDITIVES | RECYCLING
want the bottle to be clear. Hazy, yellow or brown are not acceptable. The masterbatch counteracts off-colours in PCR. Including antioxidants in a BlueEdge masterbatch helps to prevent gel formation in PCR, which can result from degrada- tion or contamination with other polymers,” Becker says. Ampacet also recently introduced GreenEdge, which is designed to be let down into recycled PET from a green feedstream–recycled PET typically is sorted into colourless, blue, and green. It offers a PCR carrier option in both BlueEdge and GreenEdge products. Becker says testing the PCR used in its master-
Below: PET bottle scrap frequently
needs additives to improve eliminate haze or improve colour
batches is important for maintaining quality and ensuring that the products are formulated cor- rectly. She points to guidance on designing products for recyclability published by the US Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR), saying it is a really useful document for companies through- out the value chain to understand how materials, additives, and part design all affect recycling. The detailed 74-page guide is intended for the US market but much can be helpful for packaging designers in other regions, she says. Becker also points to the importance of getting terminology right. As companies are seeking to meet commitments to certain levels of PCR, it is essential to correctly distinguish between post- consumer, pre-consumer or post-industrial (PIR) waste, and between regrind or in-house scrap, she says. “There is some confusion in the market around these definitions, but the ISO definition [ISO 14021-1999] excludes scrap or regrind from the definition of PIR. As a rule of thumb, if it is coming from the production process and is destined for the landfill, we consider it PIR,” she explains. From Ampacet’s perspective, however, the outlook for PCR use going forward looks very promising. “We’re excited about the technical innovations happen- ing in sustainability right now,” Becker says. “We expect major brands worldwide will increase use of 100% PCR dramatically in the next few years.”
O : S
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.baerlocher.com �
www.basf.com �
www.addisperse.com �
www.struktol.com �
www.milliken.com �
www.ecopuro.com �
www.ampacet.com �
https://plasticsrecycling.org (APR)
38 COMPOUNDING WORLD | October 2019
Above: Fire retarded WEEE plastics present particular challenges for recyclers
Handling flame retardants
With much of the media focus of plastics recy- cling on packaging, flame retardants aren’t the first additives to come into consideration. In the electronics sector, of course, the picture is very different and flame retardants are a common component that have to be dealt with in Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and automotive formulations. With future recycling very much in mind,
Clariant recently announced an initiative to make its flame retardant additives more useful in recycled applications by planning for multiple cycles of use. The company’s Exolit OP phospho- rus-based, halogen-free flame retardant is one example, with a multi-year study carried out at the Fraunhofer LBF Institute in Germany confirming that PA6 and PA66 flame retarded with Exolit OP maintains a UL 94 V-0 rating when recycled multiple times. The company says Exolit OP is also not subject to ecodesign application restrictions, such as the upcoming EU regulation for electronic displays based on EcoDesign Directive (2009/125/EC). This has the potential to limit the use of halogen- ated flame retardants in applications such as enclosures and stands for electronic displays, according to Clariant. �
www.clariant.com
www.compoundingworld.com
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
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