TECHNOLOGY | PET
In the MAS IQonicTwin Hyper PET line, polycondensation occurs before extrusion in the process
mixture, so the only input needed is electricity to power the machine. This makes the machine simpler to operate than other comparative models and means that only a relatively small footprint is needed. Traditionally, recycled PET
bottles are made from old PET bottles, but this machine broad-
ens the pool of materials which can be used. According to MAS, because this
recycling process is much more rigorous than other approaches, it makes tray-to-
enables the direct processing of PET flakes into preforms in a single melt phase, without intermedi- ate steps such as pelletising and drying. NGR said: “This technology allows PET to remain in the cycle twice as long, making a decisive contribution to resource conservation and the promotion of a true circular economy.” This year,MAS has launched its iQonicTwin HyperPET machine. This, the company said, is “an innovative platform for PET recycling designed to meet the highest standards for food contact applications”. The company also believes that this machine could open new opportunities for users. The machine features the company’s co-rotating conical twin-screw extruders with a solid state polycondensation (SSP) process. The solid-state process relies on infrared radiation and vacuum, which eliminates the need for nitrogen. The combination delivers “exceptional intrinsic viscosity, colour stability, minimal acetaldehyde formation” at lower energy consumption than equivalent models, according to MAS. The Pucking, Austria-based firm said that it has
worked with Christian Schiavolin of Padua, Italy to develop the approach. IQonicTwin Hyper PET features a number of
Right: Rony D’Hollander (left), MEAF Director, and Dr Guiseppe Ponzielli, inventor of the Xtender technology, standing in front of an Xtender unit at K2025
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innovations. Firstly, polycondensation occurs before extrusion in the process.
Simple operation During the process, rPET flakes are pre-heated and dried in a crystallizer. These chips are then IR heated under vacuum. This process reduces moisture in the melt and enables the intrinsic viscosity to be tuned for bottle-grade applications. Stored heat in the process reduces the energy demands of the extruder and helps to increase throughput. This process means that under normal operating conditions rPET spends very little time in the condenser, there is no need to add nitrogen to the
PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | November/December 2025
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
bottle recycling a possibility. This significantly widens the pool of recyclable materials and reduces the reliance on post-consumer bottles. MAS said that the IQonicTwin Hyper PET
process generates recycled PET which is in “compliance with the strictest food-contact regulations”. Additionally, because the process does not require nitrogen operating expenses are lower than other more traditional approaches. Finally, because the process is more feedstock tolerant and PET trays can be recycled as well as bottles, return on investment should improve. MEAF Machines launched its new Xtender technology at K2025 for increasing the intrinsic viscosity (IV) of rPET using a patented liquid state polycondensation (LSP) process. The Xtender unit is small which MEAF expects to appeal to film and sheet producers as it can be retrofitted to single screw and twin screw extruders, including third- party machines, not just MEAF extruders. The test machine at MEAF’s facility in the Netherlands is capable of 200-400 kg/hr throughput, said Rony D’Hollander, MEAF Director. Any increase up to 1,000 kg/hr would involve increasing the diameters of the Xtender’s processing discs and not the machine’s length, he said.
IMAGE: MAS
IMAGE: AMI / ELDRIDGE
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