MATERIALS | ADDITIVES
ments in OIT looked promising. Britec Solutions has developed BTec REA360
Regrind Enhancing Additive, which the US additives company says improves physical properties, reduces odour and enhances processing performance of regrind and recycled resins. The additive (available in liquid and pellet forms) can be used by proces- sors such as injection moulders and blow moulders with process scrap, and by recyclers that process mixed-melt grades and industrial feedstocks. “Data supports that physical properties of
Above: Britec Solutions says its BTec REA360 Regrind Enhancing Additive provides a number of benefits for recycled plastics
complete the cycle, by collecting the bags and using them to produce new recycled bags. Baerlocher worked with various partners at K2019 to demonstrate the upcycling benefits of its Resin Stabilisation Technology (RST) platform that works in synergy with traditional antioxidants. It says RST can help resolve quality and consistency issues when using PCR and PIR material. For example, RST can improve oxidation induction time (OIT) – a measure of degradation – beyond that of traditional stabilisers, as well as colour stability, it says. “Baerlocher is helping drive a broad effort to
recycle plastic waste into new and different applications,” said Andreas Holzner, Global Head of Business Unit Special Additives, Baerlocher. “Our Resin Stabilisation Technology can help increase the amount of recycled content in film and other products without compromising quality, perfor- mance or aesthetics.” Baeropol T-Blend stabilisers, based on the RST
platform, were used in a demonstration involving German plastics recycler APK and machinery group Erema at the latter’s Circonomic Centre at K2019. This showcased how the Baerlocher stabilisers can upcycle PCR LDPE film into a product suitable for film blowing. Erema’s Intarema TVEplus film recy- cling line was used in the demonstration. Baerlocher said another partner is film converter KNF Flexpak, which has been able to produce PE film made with 100% PIR scrap by using Baeropol T-Blend stabilis- ers to overcome degradation caused by the high-shear stress conditions of blown film recycling. During K2019, Baerlocher said ExxonMobil Chemical was working on a new grade of high- density polyethylene for extrusion blow moulding and thermoforming that will allow converters to add a high percentage of PCR material; this would be achieved by using Baerlocher RST stabilisers to create a resin with potentially superior properties that would enable converters to add 50% or more recycled content. Baerlocher said data on improve-
30 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | July/August 2020
regrinds and recycled resins are replaced to levels similar to that of virgin grades in both polypropyl- ene and polyethylene at very low use rates of 0.1 to 0.5%,” says the company. Britec illustrated the benefits of the additive with
the example of an unnamed recycler in Texas reprocessing HDPE PCR waste, which consisted of mixed colours and mixed MFIs, along with 2% carbon black content. It says: “Testing concluded that with addition of 0.03% BTec REA360 to their regrind feedstock, critical physical properties were improved dramatically. The Izod impact strength showed a vast improvement of 37% and the flexural modulus was improved by more than 30%. Melt flow was enhanced and stabilised, contributing to more than 18% increase in production output.” Struktol has introduced its VMO line of prod- ucts for modifying the melt flow of polypropylene. Each product is in a Struktol lubricant/process aid making a pellet masterbatch that can be easily incorporated into the polymer or compound. An additional benefit of the VMO products is the inclusion of an odour neutraliser to reduce odour in the final compound. Another unique feature is the ability to use blended PP with PE and still allow for an increase in melt flow index (MFI). The company says: “This VMO series can be very useful for manufacturers that want to reduce the amount of virgin or recycled PP of differing MFIs they keep on hand. Having one type of PP resin of low MFI would allow for any number of higher MFI possibilities.” In the case of recycling, the user may have to deal with PP contaminated with PE and this can interfere with increasing the MFI of PP. Struktol says its VMO series products have been designed to allow for PE presence, in some cases upwards of 35%. The grades in the series – VMO 058, VMO 108, VMO 208, VMO 308 and VMO 408 – range in their activity from low to high. In some cases low activity is needed, says Struktol, as this allows for a higher percentage dosing which would be useful in cases where weighing or dosing very small quantities could be problematic.
�
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
IMAGE: BRITEC
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
