MATERIALS | ADDITIVES
Evonik’s additive products for polymers can
benefit recycled material or enhance virgin polymers for when the material is later recycled. For mechanical recycling, these products include aids for the washing stage, odour reduction additives and dispersion aids during compound- ing. The company has offerings that help remove PCR contaminants such as inks, label residues and T functional metalized layers. It says these products allow for faster washing operation speeds at lower temperatures and decrease the amount of impuri- ties in recycled polyolefins, avoiding the potential for colour or odour issues. One product that helps the mechanical recycling
Flexural modulus results of Imerys talc products used with recycled PP Source: Imerys
pressure test: the results show that the increase in pressure is significantly reduced. This proves the dispersing effect of these additives in the post- consumer compound,” says the company. Imerys has a large portfolio of mineral additives for plastics compounds. In the case of recycling, it offers ImerLink engineered mineral which is designed specifically to compatibilise recycled blends of PE and PP (see Plastics Recycling World March-April 2019 issue). But Imerys is also high- lighting that its talc products can be added to recycled plastic compounds (as well as virgin compounds) to restore mechanical performance. “As talc is chemically inert, thermally stable and is not affected by multi-pass extrusion, it can be recycled indefinitely without losing its initial properties,” says the company. Adding talcs to recycled PP increases composite
stiffness. Imerys says ultra-fine talcs can be used at lower incorporation rates, with the added advan- tage of increasing impact and scratch resistance. Imerys offers a full range of talc grades with different fineness of grind, enabling recycled plastics producers to select a product that provides the optimum cost/performance ratio for their requirements, it says. The chart (above) shows improvements that can be achieved with different Imerys talc grades and using various recycled PP resins from premium automotive and industrial sources: 40μm top cut coarse Luzenac 2 talc; 20μm top cut fine Steagreen talc, specifically developed for recycled plastics; and 7μm top cut very fine Steamic talc. Imerys says: “A recycled PP compound contain- ing a 20% loading of fine Steagreen talc can match the performance of a non-recycled, talc-filled PP compound and can therefore be used for high performance applications.”
34 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | July/August 2020
process is Tego XP 11022. This can be used at the end of the washing process to facilitate water drainage during centrifugation or on drying belts. Evonik says this lowers the amount of heat and energy required and ensures the material is dry as moisture would impair the quality of the recycled pellet.
In the area of PCR upcycling, Evonik offers its
Tego XP 21025 additive for compatibilising PE and PP mixed waste streams. The company says its Tegomer additives can disperse fillers into matrices in order to adjust the density for a broader applica- tion range of recycled polyolefins. (Also see Plastics Recycling World May-June issue for information on Evonik’s Tego Sorb odour reduction additive.) The group is actively engaged in R&D work in plastics and rubber recycling. It said in a release in November: “Evonik is currently working with a large disposal company to optimise the recycling of polyethylene, which is processed in large quantities, especially in packaging films. The Evonik additive Vestoplast, an amorphous polyolefin that is primar- ily used in hot-melt adhesives, may be the key to making that possible. It can specifically improve the impact strength or flow properties of polyethylene, which may be helpful for reusing recycled plastic, for example in injection moulding.”
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.avient.com �
www.brueggemann.com �
www.lbf.fraunhofer.de �
www.songwon.com �
www.baerlocher.com �
www.britecsolutions.com �
www.struktol.com �
www.milliken.com �
www.techmerpm.com �
https://voelpker.com �
www.imerys.com �
www.evonik.com
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
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