RECYCLING LINES | TECHNOLOGY
juice bottles. In November 2020, the FDA con- firmed an additional input stream, and more application uses for the recyclate treated using this process. In addition to all HDPE beverage contain- ers, HDPE closures of HDPE, PP and PET beverage bottles can also be processed. Material containing up to 100% recyclate can be used in the produc- tion of containers for direct contact with food of all kinds. To produce a recyclate of such high quality from PCR material, the recycling machine needs to deliver very high decontamination performance. While the high degassing extrusion system removes mainly highly volatile, low molecular weight substances, the ReFresher ensures a significant reduction of the low volatile, high molecular weight organic compounds in the recycled pellets. For bottle-to-bottle applications, Erema launched the Vacunite recycling system for the production of food contact compliant rPET. Vacunite combines Vacurema technology, which is tried and tested but further developed specifically for this application, together with new vacuum- assisted V-LeaN Solid State Polycondensation (SSP), developed by Polymetrix for Erema for this de- manding application. The key quality and safety advantage is that all thermal process steps take place in nitrogen and/or a vacuum atmosphere. Erema concludes that future developments in
plastics recycling lines will include digitalisation, which will play an important role in implementing the circular economy. It will open up new opportu- nities for planning, controlling and organising recycling processes, says the company. Starlinger has supplied a PET bottle-to-bottle
recycling line for EcoBlue of Thailand, which is part of a $25m investment in a new recycling facility for PET and polyolefins. The RecoSTAR PET 215 iV+ bottle-to-bottle recycling system will have an output of 2,500 kg per hour, equalling a total production capacity of about 20,000 tonnes of bottle-grade rPET per year. EcoBlue is Thailand’s first recycling company to receive the Letter of No-Objection (LNO) by the US FDA for its 3D Pure rPET for use in food-contact applications. The Starlinger technology will enable EcoBlue to provide superior quality rPET resin for bottle applications. EcoBlue’s 3D Pure rPET can be traced back to 100% post-consumer PET waste material through its Global Recycled Standard Certification process. A feature of the Starlinger PET recycling line is its special extruder size – the 215 mm screw enables the line to reach high throughputs. Plastics recycling and recompounding is in a growth period for at least the next five years,
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according to Farrel Pomini, the manufacturer of the Compact Processor – a compounder and hot feed extruder on a unitised frame. “The need for lightweight components for a variety of industries should continue the momentum further,” says Paul Lloyd, President & Business Unit Director. “Recycled content is especially strong for packaging prod- ucts, consumer electronics and the construction industry, particularly in the emerging economies. Farrel Pomini has seen increased numbers of trials for recycled products in our test laboratories.” He says: “Overall, there is a much wider desire
for recycled materials in the plastics supply chain. Recycling is both moving from a post-industrial product to a much wider base of recycled feed materials, and providing challenges for sorting, feeding, cleaning and devolatilising. Feeding of materials has seen significant developments over the past 12-18 months and has allowed a wider range of products to be introduced. Almost simultaneously, the demand for performance of recycled compounds has increased. The goal is no longer to ‘get rid’ of materials, but to use them again to add value; this upcycled material chal- lenges the equipment to process re-worked materi- als more carefully, preserving resin quality and allowing retention of value adding properties. Lastly, whenever recycled materials are used, there are challenges for equipment protection due to the debris and wear.” Farrel Pomini has done extensive work with compounding recycled PVC, which is mostly mechanically recycled. The majority of recycled PVC it has used is flexible, while some work has included rigid PVC such as material used as window profiles. Recycled PVC is challenging to process, just like virgin PVC, because it is tempera- ture sensitive, and the additional heat history adds another element of complexity. Volatiles and
October 2021 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 29
Above: The CP550 Compact Processor from Farrel Pomini
IMAGE: FARREL POMINI
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