TECHNOLOGY | POST-INDUSTRIAL RECYCLING
Right: As an all-rounder, Pure Loop’s ISEC Evo machine processes bulky hose bundles as well as start-up lumps and complete rolls with drip tapes
pellets,” says Manfred Dobersberger, Managing Director of Pure Loop. “The high demands on the recycling process result from the high volume of the bulky input material, as well as the material composition of the drip tapes and irrigation pipes.” The tapes and pipes ensure that crops grow and
Below: A Pure Loop ISEC Evo 302 machine has been
commissioned at the technical centre of Erema North America in Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA
thrive, using as little water, fertiliser and pesticides as possible. For this purpose, either thin-walled HDPE drip tapes laid on the surface or HDPE irrigation pipes buried in the ground are used. The water is distributed through emitters. In the case of the thin-walled drip tapes (150-250 µm), these emitters are LLDPE injection-moulded parts which are spaced at regular intervals of around 20 cm. In the case of thick-walled irrigation tubes (over 300 µm), the emitters are also fitted with a silicone membrane for pressure compensation, so that the same flow rate of water is discharged from each emitter over the entire length of the tube and the flow of water is not obstructed by soil, sand or roots growing into the emitter. The purpose-specific function of the pipes and tapes is tested at regular intervals during the production process. “In order to test whether their irrigation pipes meet the strict quality standards of a maximum of two pinholes per 10 km, one of our customers pressure-tests them with water,” says Dobersberger. “The proportion of foreign poly- mers in this material is a real challenge in recycling, but one that our ISEC Evo shredder-extruder combination with double degassing and Erema laser filter can handle perfectly.” In the laser filter, three scrapers rapidly and continuously remove contaminants, which mainly consist of the silicone in the emitters, from the filter screen during each revolution. The efficiency of this filter enables high throughput rates in the recycling process and the highest recycled pellet quality. Further advantages for the user are that, as an all-rounder, the recycling machine processes bulky hose bundles as well as other production waste such as start-up lumps and regrind material or complete rolls with drip tapes. Single-shaft shred-
ders and double feed ram systems flexibly adapt to individual logistic requirements and, due to the conical transition to the extruder, the material is compacted and oxygen reduced, which ensures the plastic material is processed gently. This overall recycling concept has already been used by irrigation system producers in the USA, Israel, Italy and Mexico. They operate recycling plants with throughputs of 100-500 kg/h and reuse the recycled pellets produced in proportions of up to 20% in the production process of thin-walled tapes and thick-walled pipes. However, practical tests have shown that significantly higher propor- tions of recycled pellets would be possible in the end-product. “Even for very thin drip tapes with a wall thickness of 100 µm, we were able to use a proportion of 10% recycled pellets in a 48-hour trial without any loss of quality,” says Dobersberger. The company has also expanded its service
offering in North America. Customers and potential buyers can now test the ISEC machine using their own material. An ISEC Evo 302 machine has been commissioned for this purpose at the technical centre of Erema North America in Ipswich, Massa- chusetts. The machine is built in modules so it can be configured to meet different requirements for degassing, filtration and other performance parameters. Erema has also developed the Intarema Zero-
WastePro for efficient in-house recycling of film production waste. The company says that it offers a powerful automation package, modern connectiv- ity solutions and a short delivery time due to a high level of standardisation. The Intarema ZeroWaste- Pro is specifically designed for PE and PP film production waste processed in-line or off-line. Up to 100% of the recycled material can be fed back into the main production process. It includes a hot die face pelletiser with air cooling, which leads to
22 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | May/June 2021
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
IMAGE: EREMA
IMAGE: EREMA
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