PCR (Post Consumer Recycled Material) is generally
a material that is pre-processed, disassembled, sorted, crushed, cleaned,
melted, and re-pelletized from plastic products that are recycled after
consumption. PCR recycled plastics have many advantages in the environment, and
follow the global trend of carbon neutrality, environmental requirements for
carbon reduction, and environmental awareness, but they may have some odor
issues, because recycled waste plastic may contain dirt, chemical residue, or
other odors, such as PET bottles that have been left unused for a long time, PP
lunch boxes that have contained dishes, HDPE milk bottles, etc. Driven by global
brand’ s announcement, the proportion of recycled plastics used has steadily
increased in demand. To pursue quantity while ensure quality, It’s urgently to
improve high-quality, high-performance, and sufficient PCR
recycled plastics that meet the requirements of end brands. But it is because
these recycled plastic products may have odor issues that it not only affects
their reuse value, but also may cause discomfort to users. This poses
challenges for many brands to implement carbon reduction and increase the
proportion of recycled plastics.
The total solution of plastic recycling
from BoReTech ensures that the recycled plastic is pre-sorted well and customized design according to the different plastic characteristics.
Through self-developed plastic washing process, pre-heating, devolatilization
technology, extrusion, and solid-state polycondensation (SSP)
, deodorization processes for pellets, multiple processes are carried
out to address the issue of odor, and appropriate methods and technologies are
selected to gradually remove the odor in the plastic, thus reducing the impact
of odor on the quality of recycled plastics.
Deodorizing during the hot washing and rinsing
Thorough washing and rinsing of PCR
recycled plastics is crucial. A key aspect of post-consumer plastic recycling
is the removal of impurities that are mixed during the process from the
production factory to the recycling factory. Based on over 30 years of production
experience in plastic recycling industry, BoReTech has gained an understanding
of the core characteristics of different impurities among plastics. During
plastic washing process, mainly pollutants are removed from recycled plastics.
Each process design concept aims to create the best environment to separate impurities:
By using processes such as bottle
pre-washing, automatic sorting, crushing, floatation, hot washing, and rinsing,
combined with a corresponding washing detergent, the plastic or PET flakes can
better remove pollutants and odorous substances attached to the surface of the
plastic flakes by soaking, friction washing;
Control the appropriate washing temperature
through heating in bottle pre-washing and hot washing process to help remove
some volatile odors;
The cleanliness of the recycling water
affects the plastic flakes quality. BoReTech is equipped with an optional inline
water circulation system in each washing process. Reusing the filtered water to
flush and rinse the plastic flakes, washing and odor removal efficiency can be
improved.
Pre-treatment of recycling plastic such as
drying before extrusion: heating or hot air can be used to promote the
volatilization of volatile odors, or a highly efficient vacuum system can be
introduced into the drying equipment to promote the volatilization of odors and
accelerate the removal of odors through pressure reduction;
Vacuum devolatilization: During the plastic
extrusion process, control the appropriate temperature to ensure the melting
state of the plastic and promote the volatilization of odorous and VOCs.
Through vacuum pumping operation, volatile odorous substances can be
volatilized from the plastic, reducing the residual odor;
Use deodorants or adsorbents: Add
appropriate adsorbents or deodorants, such as activated carbon, zeolite, etc.,
to contact, adsorb, and neutralize odorous substances;
Recycled plastic
pellets deodorization
Normally to use hot air to promote the
volatilization of volatile odors, and for rPET chips, they can also be
decontaminated and deodorized through solid state polymerization process.
With years of industry cultivation and
accumulation, BoReTech integrates global advantageous resources from various
processes such as recycling classification, sorting, washing, extrusion and pelletizing, SSP, etc. Through
scientific research and innovation, it focuses on solving the quality,
performance, impurities, production capacity, color, odor, and many other pain
points of recycled PCR plastic. It provides customers with a total solution covering
the entire process from plastics washing, pelletizing, SSP, and supplies economical,
efficient, energy-saving, high-quality PET bottle recycling lines. It has
realized the best choice of path and equipment for small and medium-sized
enterprises to achieve closed-loop peer recycling and participate in the green
and low Carbon cycle, and has also contributed to enabling carbon emission
reduction in various industries and fields and the goal of global carbon
neutrality.
