Fraunhofer-Institut für Betriebsfestigkeit und Systemzuverlässigkeit LBFEssen / 14. Juni 2023 - 15. Juni 2023
AMI Plastics World Expos Europe 2023
Compounding World Expo / Plastics Recycling World Expo / Polymer Testing World Expo
Stand no. C834
Better Recycling of Plastic Packaging: New Process Extracts Fragrances
What doesn‘t smell good is hard to recycle. This simple rule also applies to the growing volume of plastic waste worldwide. One way to recycle it in an environmentally compatible and climate-friendly manner as high-quality post-consumer recyclates is through improved sorting and reprocessing. Until now, the reduced material quality has considerably limited the reuse of plastic recyclates, and this is mainly due to their odor. Scientists at the Fraunhofer LBF have developed a new environmentally friendly process on a laboratory scale to remove odors from plastic packaging.
Added Value: Restabilization of Recyclates
In most cases, a used plastic cannot be recycled in the form in which it is produced or collected. Usually, it is sorted – if necessary – cleaned and reprocessed. For an application-specific suitable recyclate quality with sufficient processing and long-term stability, post-stabilization with special additives is therefore required. With stabilizers, compatibilizers and reactive additives, recyclates achieve comparable properties to virgin material. At the Fraunhofer LBF, successful post-stabilization has been achieved on polyethylene films, which can nowadays be manufactured from film recyclates. By adding a suitable additive formulation, the researchers have significantly improved the film quality. The manufacturing process becomes more efficient and cost-effective.