RECYCLING LINES | TECHNOLOGY
The right combination: plastic recycling plants
Developers of plastics recycling lines are finding ways to help companies transform PET, PP, PE, PS and polyal waste. Chris Saunders reports on recent projects
The latest developments in recycling lines reflect a growing commitment to addressing the challenges posed by plastic waste through technological innovation, regulatory support, and industry collaboration. One such venture announced in June sees Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim, both operating companies of Hillenbrand, join forces to construct an entire plant for PET bottle-to- bottle recycling from a single source on behalf of Indian packaging manufacturer Magpet Polymer. “We have united the advantages of Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim technologies,” explained Jochen Schofer, Head of Sales Recycling at Coperion. “All process steps, from mechanical pretreatment to producing finished recyclate, are optimally coordinated to produce PET of high- quality and with maximum energy efficiency.” The bottle-to-bottle lines designed by Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim enable all recyclates to be processed together, even if they exhibit different intrinsic viscosity (IV) values or fluctuating bulk densities. Furthermore, the solution saves on operating costs and energy consumption when compared to conventional PET recycling processes. This is because the system first processes the bottles into flakes using granulators with forced feeding and washing system technologies that efficiently process the PET to minimise material loss due to fines formation and maximise yield. This preprocessing is followed by conveying and feeding into a ZSK twin screw extruder where the regrind is melted, dispersed, and processed into a homogeneous mass. Due to its high 18 Nm/cm³ torque, the PET’s residence time in the extruder is extremely short.
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Processing takes place at low temperatures so polymer chain degradation is minimal and the product quality high as volatile components such as monomers, oligomers, and water are removed. Following discharge from the extruder, the still- warm material stream is transferred via a gear pump to an underwater granulator and a Solid State Polycondensation (SSP) reactor, where it is condensed and decontaminated. The company says that the system is designed for a throughput of 5,500 kg/h and will deliver PET recyclate that is approved by the European Food Safety Administra- tion (EFSA) and the US Food and Drug Administra- tion (FDA) for direct contact with food. Herbold Meckesheim and Coperion are holding an event on 6 and 7 November at Coperion’s new Recycling Innovation Centre in Weingarten, Germany. Industry experts will discuss currently available technology and process solutions and the entire recycling process will be on view in live presentations. Coperion launched operations in the centre in 2023 with state-of-the-art, individually configurable recycling plants where recyclate can
Main image: Bausano has developed a plant to transform the LDPE-alumini- um mixture from carton recycling into core tubes
October 2024 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 13
IMAGE: BAUSANO
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