The Technology
Plastic recycling has many challenges, most of which are a consequence of the huge variability of materials in the recovered plastic. While separation between different types of plastics can be somewhat addressed by separation, even if 100% of the same polymer could be gathered, different properties are seen due to different molecular weights, polydispersities, additives etc. Different types of plastics don’t mix well with each other, creating worsen materials after processing. Different molecular weights of the same polymer, show different properties required for processing, like melt viscosity and more. These issues are typically addressed using finer selection of the plastic for recycling, incorporation of large amounts of internal waste (not post-consumer), or the use of additives such as compatibilizers, but all these make recycling prohibitively expensive.
A new mechano-chemical process is able to homogenize plastic waste by breaking the polymer chains into smaller parts of similar length (and viscosity) and connecting chemically the different types of plastic, creating compatibilizers directly from the plastic mixture. By breaking the chains, molecular weight and viscosity are reduced, producing a more homogeneous product with well-defined and repeatable improved properties for injection molding. Moreover, the in situ prepared compatibilizers reduce the size of impurity domains, improving the mechanical properties of the final plastic including the recycled material.
Advantages
- Recycling of plastic mixture without reducing plastic properties
- No need for additives and compatibilizers
Applications and Opportunities
- Recycling of plastic mixtures
Business Development Contacts