Use of rPET for technical components

AI Quick Summary

New recycling options of rPET material flows are being sought to close the material cycle and reduce the CO2 footprint. The product development and processing e.g. into technical components is challenging. The project idea is to evaluate the possibilities based on the specifications of industrial components, which are currently made out of other plastic materials. The recycling of PET beverage bottles already works very well. Due to the strict regulations for food contact products (contamination), not all PET bottles can be returned to their original recycling cycle. Furthermore, sorted PET waste also accumulates in other places, such as PET GAG multilayer films during thermoforming. For all these rPET material flows, new recycling options into component applications are being sought to close the material cycle and reduce the CO2 footprint. In principle, PET has outstanding mechanical properties, which makes it interesting for technical applications. However, the demanding processing of PET (viscosity, crystallinity, and shrinkage) makes it difficult to produce technical components economically by injection moulding or 3D printing. The IWK Institute of Material Science and Plastics Processing brings in the competences of material analysis and preparation, compounding, injection moulding and additive manufacturing to analyze the problems on a laboratory scale. We are looking for additional project partners all along the value chain from suppliers of rPET, processing companies (injection moulding, 3D printing) or final end users.

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: Use of rPET for technical components
• Date: 3/29/2022 4:10:11 PM
• Administrators:
  • Frank Ehrig

Project Idea Description

The recycling of PET beverage bottles already works very well. Due to the strict regulations for food contact products (contamination), not all PET bottles can be returned to their original recycling cycle. Furthermore, sorted PET waste also accumulates in other places, such as PET GAG multilayer films during thermoforming. For all these rPET material flows, new recycling options into component applications are being sought to close the material cycle and reduce the CO₂ footprint. In principle, PET has outstanding mechanical properties, which makes it interesting for technical applications. However, the demanding processing of PET (viscosity, crystallinity, and shrinkage) makes it difficult to produce technical components economically by injection moulding or 3D printing.

The IWK Institute of Material Science and Plastics Processing brings in the competences of material analysis and preparation, compounding, injection moulding and additive manufacturing to analyze the problems on a laboratory scale.

We are looking for additional project partners all along the value chain from suppliers of rPET, processing companies (injection moulding, 3D printing) or final end users.

New recycling options of rPET material flows are being sought to close the material cycle and reduce the CO₂ footprint. The product development and processing e.g. into technical components is challenging. The project idea is to evaluate the possibilities based on the specifications of industrial components, which are currently made out of other plastic materials.