TECHNOLOGY | FLEXIBLE PACKAGING
carried out at IPC’s facility. METEOR is the name of a patented process technology based around a continuous extensional flow mixer. In the CIMPA work program, the mixer was situated after a single-screw extruder and before a cast film die head and cooling/winding equipment. Virgin material blends were tested along with PCR and PIR blends supplied by VTT.
Above: METEOR processing setup for the CIMPA project: a) single screw extruder b) METEOR c) cast film die head d) film cooling and winding unit
adoption and the establishment of legal and regulatory frameworks to use the technologies. The CIMPA work program on pre-treatment and decontamination was conducted by research group Aimplas. A twin screw extruder and tandem single screw extruder were used with samples of PE/PA and PE/PET multilayer films and PE mon- olayer silage film. Aimplas studied the efficiency of different stripping agents and process conditions in reducing VOCs. Results showed reductions ranging from 28% to 74% in VOC content depend- ing on the sample type.
Flow mixer The upgrading stage of mechanical recycling, in which additives are used to restore properties, was carried out by research group VTT in the CIMPA project. VTT used its VAREX advanced pilot line with adaptative in-line viscosity control and managed to stabilise and upgrade the rheological and final properties of the recycled material. (Details about VTT’s VAREX advanced pilot line were covered in Plastics Recycling World Novem- ber-December 2024 issue.) Two innovations were the subject of work
Multinanolayering (MNL) process, one of the processes investigated by IPC
“METEOR is designed to enhance the dispersive mixing of polymer blends, particularly those derived from the recycling sector,” according to a CIMPA technical paper. “This sector is character- ised by a wide range of viscosity ratios among plastic wastes due to the inherent heterogeneity of their thermomechanical histories and sources. METEOR, with its predominance of elongational flow mixing, surpasses the deformation and dispersion limits of shear flows. This capability enables the creation of added value by achieving fine nodular dispersions and fine elongated morphologies. Fine nodular morphology generally contributes to homogeneous physical bulk properties while fine elongated morphologies enhance gas barrier properties, which are highly valued in packaging applications.”
Nanolayering The second innovation is a multinanolayering (MNL) process which has been designed for use with material blends coming from multilayer film recycling. In the CIMPA project, the MNL unit was located downstream of single and twin screw extruders and connected to cast film die head and chillroll equipment. In the MNL unit, layer multiply- ing elements increase the number of layers and improve the mechanical and barrier properties. In the technical paper, it says: “Regarding MNL, although it is also true that the physical properties of the individual layers play a significant role, the final film characteristics are also dictated at a great extent by the dynamics of the layer multiplying
Source: Lu et al., 2020, Macromol. Mater. Eng, 2000076
14 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | January/February 2025
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
IMAGE: IPC/CIMPA
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