MATERIALS | COMPATIBILISERS


However, there are multiple mixed streams with


incompatible resins that lack mechanical recycling solutions, besides packaging applications, says Hall. “Consumer durable products is an example. Due to the multi-material product design approach by the application’s performance requirements, the combination of different materials used to make the end product poses recyclability challenges. Kraton’s R&D team is collaborating with the plastic value chain to develop a sustainable solution to these problems. For recycling plastics, product performance and formulation cost efficiency are the key priorities.” Kraton recently launched the CirKular+ product


line, which is specifically engineered to enable plastics upcycling and circularity across a wide range of end use applications, with the first CirKular+ compatibiliser series being a functional- ised styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS). “CirKular+ solutions offer versatile multi-resin compatibilisation and performance enhancement in wide range of applications including PCR and industrial plastic recycling streams, bioplastics such as PLA, and flexible product design using a combination of virgin and recycled plastic materi- als,” says Hall. The CirKular+ universal compatibiliser series has


been created to help increase homogeneity of contaminated waste streams across different resins including polyolefins, PET, ABS, PS and PA. It is also used as a performance enhancement modifier for PLA. Hall says its efficiency results in cost-effective


performance at low dosage and is fully reprocess- able.


“Plastic resins modified with CirKular+ have shown better reusability after undergoing multiple cycles of mechanical recycling due to minimal degradation of physical properties in comparison to unmodified resins,” he says. “Our solutions offer excellent adhesion by reducing phase separation of recyclates during processing, which delivers universal compatibilisation of previously incompat- ible materials and difficult-to-recycle engineering polymers. Resin modification with our additives improves impact resistance and increases end- product reusability at the end-of-life.” Ampacet has introduced Revive 962 E, a


Kraton has launched the CirKular+ range of products to help customers meet sustainability targets. Source: Kraton


44 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | May/June 2020


compatibiliser masterbatch that enables recycling of multi-material packaging made of polyolefin and technical polymer components into quality film applications. The company says that while most flexible, mono-material packaging films – PE and PP – can be easily mechanically recycled, recycling multi-material packaging structures presents challenges. Food products, for example, may require multi-material packaging to provide gas barrier functionality that protects packaged food, extends shelf life and reduces food waste. Distrib- uting the polyolefin recycling stream with non- polyolefin components must be avoided when recycling multi-material packaging films in order to ensure a level of quality that allows upcycling into new packaging. According to Ampacet, Revive 962 E offers a sustainable solution for multi-material polyolefin barrier packaging that enables use of reclaimed material in quality film applications. Revive 962 E has been specifically designed for in-house recycling of polyolefin EVOH-based barrier film industrial scraps for reuse in the original film structure, when preservation of optical and mechanical properties is required. Revive 962 E is claimed to improve the homogeneity and transpar- ency of reprocessed polymer blends. Mechanical properties of films made with these blends are similar to the main base polymer, says Ampacet. The approach of Kenrich Petrochemicals to post-consumer recycling processes comprises repolymerisation and compatibilisation of thermo- plastics by using titanate ester catalysts. According to President Salvatore J Monte, the extruder can become a reactor for coupling and catalysis of all the materials in the recyclate fed into the hopper. He claims that if Ziegler, Natta and Kaminisky used titanium and aluminium catalysts to produce addition polymers, titanate catalysts are used to produce condensation polymers, and heteroatom


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