Is it possible to recycle different kinds of PVC compound composites together in Vinyloop®?
Technically, it is perfectly possible for Vinyloop® to recycle various PVC compound composites at the same time, by mixing the PVC streams before introducing them into the dissolution reactor. Nevertheless, we recommend segregating the various flows of raw material as far as possible in order to increase the market value of our recycled PVC compound. We therefore intend to segregate the plastics scrap from blister packs (Clean PVC + PE, giving a very high value regenerated PVC compound and a high value PE) from the Wire and Cable scrap (which would produce a black regenerated PVC compound and rubber scraps). In Italy we plan to operate in 'campaigns' of at least one week for each type of composite. The optimization of the campaigns will depend on the detailed content of the PVC compound scraps we receive. Please note that we also recommend separating PVC scraps that include fibers that are longer than 5 mm. These fibers require a 'filtration' step, different from that required by other composites. But it is only the 'filtration' step that is different, the rest of the process remains the same.
Is it possible to recycle PVC composites containing less than 85% PVC?
Yes, it is technically possible to treat scrap which contains as little as 60% PVC compound in our Italian plant. However, to achieve our profitability target, our plant must produce 8.5 kt per year. Therefore a campaign with 60% PVC has to be followed by a campaign with 95% PVC.
What is the minimum PVC content required by the Vinyloop® process?
Technically, the Vinyloop® process could recycle PVC compound composites with any PVC concentration. But economical viability requires a minimum PVC compound content that depends on local conditions and on the value of the secondary material. Local conditions: everything else being equal, a site with low production costs could afford a lower PVC compound concentration than a site with higher production costs. Secondary material: a lower PVC concentration could be acceptable if the secondary material was to be sold at a high price.
For example, our Italian plant is designed for an average PVC concentration of 85%. However, we have decided to include a pretreatment step that will concentrate cable scraps with a PVC compound content of 50%-60% to produce an 85%-90% PVC compound content.
What PVC composites can be regenerated with the Vinyloop® process?
PVC compound composites containing the following material have been successfully tested in our pilot plant in Brussels: Polyester Fibers, Natural Textiles, Glass Fibers, Polypropylene, Polyethylene, Rubber, Polyurethane, Paper, Metals. Any combination of the above materials is of course acceptable.
So far, after 3 years of tests on a multitude of products, the only ones for which further research would be required are the composites containing Polystyrene (PS) or some types of PolyMetacrylate (PMMA).
We also have observed that ABS is dissolved with the PVC, which is not a problem for applications using a recycled ABS/PVC.
Which PVC additives are contained in the Vinyloop® product?
The Vinyloop® product contains all the PVC compound additives present at the start of the process. They are recaptured with the PVC during the precipitation phase and are incorporated into the microgranules. It is thus a PVC compound in the form of microgranules. The products which the solvent does not dissolve are filtered out. We measured fewer than 1% of insoluble contaminants (including Cu or Al) in Vinyloop Ferrara SpA productions.
What is the content of insoluble material in the Vinyloop® products?
At the filtration step, insoluble materials are removed from the liquid. The filtration technology chosen depends on the nature of those materials, in order to remove as much insoluble material as possible, but to keep the useful additives in the final product. We managed to achieve fewer than 1% of insolubles in the final product (measurements from the Vinyloop Ferrara SpA).
