Post-industrial plastics side stream recycling
Grann, Mona (2024)
2024
Materiaalitekniikan DI-ohjelma - Master's Programme in Materials Engineering
Tekniikan ja luonnontieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2024-09-09
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202408268312
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202408268312
Tiivistelmä
Polyolefin pellet production generates a considerable amount of post-industrial materials, which are materials separated from waste streams during the manufacturing process. These materials represent a resource with great potential for promoting more efficient raw material use. This thesis investigates the feasibility of incorporating post-industrial waste from polypropylene compounding processes with prime grades, aiming to maintain the product performance while enhancing circular material use and creating economic value from the side streams. Conducted in collaboration with Borealis Polymers Oy, this study also explores the best practices, current policies, and industry trends in side stream recycling of polyolefins.
Pilot-scale compounding experiments were performed on two commercial polypropylene grades, incorporating up to 10 weight percent of post-industrial recycled content across four batches for each grade. The quality assessment compared the properties of the recycled compounds with those of the prime grades. Test methods were selected based on the end-use application and predetermined performance standards. The objective was to address whether the inclusion of post-industrial content could maintain the performance of the grade.
The experiments demonstrated that incorporation of post-industrial materials with prime resins did not significantly alter product properties. Therefore production-scale test runs are recommended for both examined products. The results are consistent with existing literature on polypropylene recyclate compounding. Moreover, it was found that due to regulatory aspects and trade secrets, several polyolefin pellet producers do not publicly disclose their methods relating to post-industrial material treatment. In general, more information is available about post-industrial content utilization in further conversion processes and by third parties.
Pilot-scale compounding experiments were performed on two commercial polypropylene grades, incorporating up to 10 weight percent of post-industrial recycled content across four batches for each grade. The quality assessment compared the properties of the recycled compounds with those of the prime grades. Test methods were selected based on the end-use application and predetermined performance standards. The objective was to address whether the inclusion of post-industrial content could maintain the performance of the grade.
The experiments demonstrated that incorporation of post-industrial materials with prime resins did not significantly alter product properties. Therefore production-scale test runs are recommended for both examined products. The results are consistent with existing literature on polypropylene recyclate compounding. Moreover, it was found that due to regulatory aspects and trade secrets, several polyolefin pellet producers do not publicly disclose their methods relating to post-industrial material treatment. In general, more information is available about post-industrial content utilization in further conversion processes and by third parties.