WASHING | TECHNOLOGY


combination of the line’s flexibility and Sortology’s support, we can customise chemicals to minimise process costs. The continued collaboration with Sorema and Sortology and the proactive approach to design for recycling by our production team have enabled us to reduce consumption by 30-50%.” Materials and additives producer Evonik is taking a different approach to the deinking challenge with its new co-binder Tego Res 1100. This methacrylate co-polymer makes deinking of plastic films faster and more efficient, and can be easily incorporated into standard solvent-borne ink formula- tions, offering broad solubility and compatibility with various binders and solvents, including alcohols and esters, while preserving the high performance of the inks. Adding it to solvent-borne packaging inks enables deinking of flexible packaging without changing existing equip- ment. “Our testing shows that adding just 3-10% of our Tego Res 1100 delivers excellent deinking results, even at temperatures as low as 40°C, with or without surfactants,” said Dr. Christian Schirrmacher, Project Manager and Head of Applied Technology Inks EMEA. Chemical recycling is increasingly being


recognised as a complementary solution to address plastic waste and is particularly suitable for mixed, contaminated PE and PP plastic fractions that are unsuitable for mechanical recycling. One example is the planned large-scale facility by Austrian energy and chemical group OMV which will utilise its proprietary ReOil technology in which plastic waste is converted into a naphtha-like oil through pyrolysis. The resulting pyrolysis oil is then refined and used as a raw material.


Dry cleaning As chemical recycling requires feedstock with minimal contamination, efficient and cost-effective pretreatment is becoming increasingly important. This is where the dry cleaning technology devel- oped by Pla.to plays a crucial role. The German firm’s dry cleaning process operates entirely without water, relying solely on mechanical agitation and powerful airflow. At the heart of the system is a high-speed rotor with wear-resistant tools surrounded by a perforated basket. Through


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mechanical stress, paper is defibered, and organics and dirt are propelled through the holes of the basket. The removed materials are extracted from the cleaner with the help of a vacuum system. Compared to conventional wet washing, the company says this method significantly reduces operating and disposal costs while achieving excellent cleaning performance. Over the past three years, Pla.to has equipped four recycling companies active in the preprocessing of materials for chemical recycling. These units handle throughput capacities ranging from 1,700 kg/h to 4,000 kg/h, depending on the application and material composition. Key features of the technol- ogy include integrated separation units that reliably remove metallic and non-metallic contami- nants, thereby protecting downstream equipment


from damage. Additionally, a rotating scraper keeps the


basket holes clear and maintains efficiency. Pla.to points to Saperatec, based in


Dessau, Germany, as a reference customer. The company uses a proprietary chemical process to separate LDPE films from aluminium layers in multilayer composites. Prior to delamination, the input material is dry cleaned using a Pla.to system. Since 2022, Pla.to has installed a total of 13 large-scale dry cleaning systems specifically for feedstock recycling applications and says growing demand demonstrates that dry cleaning is becom- ing a key enabler for chemical recycling. At K 2025, the company plans to present an enhanced dry cleaning unit with improved features for higher performance and energy efficiency.


CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: � www.bo-re-tech.com � www.bhilwaraenergy.com � www.amut.it � https://virginijusirko.lt � www.lindner-washtech.com � www.veolia.com � www.sources-alma.com � www.krones.com � https://sorema.it � www.evonik.com � www.omv.com � www.plato-technology.de � https://saperatec.de


July/August 2025 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 31


Left: Pla.to’s dry cleaning process operates entirely


without water (photo shows output material from the system)


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