Films, recycling

Film recycling is particularly troublesome because of the high surface area of the scrap. Moisture, air, and dust can easily become entrained in the material, introducing potential problems in the extrudate. To address these issues, vent ports and fine mesh screens are often incorporated to the extrusion system to release volatiles and trap solid contaminants. 

When dilute solutions of triquinacene in pentane were irradiated in a quartz falling-film recycling apparatus at —40 °C, there occurred slow photoisomerization... 

Recycling of plastic bags and film (which are mostly LDPE/LLDPE and HDPE) is more widespread. The study by Moore Recycling Associates showed that over 90% of the U.S. population has access to plastic collection programs for plastic bags within a 10 mile radius, and over 70% to plastic film recycling [12]. 

Moore Recycling Associates, 2011 National Postconsumer Plastic Bag Film Recycling Report, Feb. (2013), http //plastics.americanchemistry.com/Education-Resources/Publications/2011-National-Postconsumer-Recycled-Plastic-Bag-and-Film-Report.pdf, accessed 12/29/14... 

Silver recovery makes PET-base recovery more economical. In a typical way of operation, PET film recycling is thus coupled with the simultaneous recovery of silver, for example, by washing with NaOH and follow-up treatment. PET-recycling by direct reuse, if the washed PET-film scrap is clean enough to be recovered by direct reextrusion, is by far the most economical process. However, this process is most suited for the recovery of in-production wastes. For customer-recollected PET-film, which may have a higher degree of contamination, other technologies are to he apphed. 

DeWinter, W., Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Film Recycling, in F. LaMantia (ed.) Recycling of Plastic Materials, ChemTec Pub., Ontario, 1993, pp. 1-15. 

LDPE film recyclate Recyclostab 421-Ciba Thin film, substitution of... 

HOPE A HOPE 10.3 Nonfood containers (laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, and motor oil bottles) plastic lumber, pipe, buckets, crates, flowerpots, film, recycling bins and floor tiles. 

This paper is limited to the discussion of PET-film recycling. A global review of PET-recycling in the sectors of fibres, films, and bottles was published earlier. ... 

Although PET-recycling by direct re-use is by far the most economical process, it is only useful in practice for well characterized PET-wastes, having exactly known chemical composition (catalysts, stabilizers, impurities). Therefore, this process is the most suited for the recovery of in-production wastes, but it may not be ideal for customer-recollected PET-film. An industrial process for X-ray film-recycling was worked out by the IPR-company and introduced to the market under the name REPET on the basis of a triple motivation ... 

From the data presented in this overview, it seems obvious that there exists a clear hierarchy in PET-film recycling technologies. The most important criteria of classification are, first of all, the degree of purity of PET-scrap to be handled, and secondly, the economics of the process. 

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