Odour minimisation in granulates and regrinds
Kreyenborg, hall9 – booth A27
Kreyenborg has developed sustained, high-level expertise in plastics recycling, with solutions for decontamination of PCR-PET, crystallisation, drying, and heating of bulk materials, using infrared technology. Further development of this technology has brought to the fore its newest member among its products, the IR-Fresh – a modular system for the safe and efficient reduction of unpleasant odours in plastics.
In the first process step, an infrared module installed above the material bed heats the material quickly and directly to the optimum temperature level for the plastic in question. In this process, the continuous rotation of the drum ensures a homogeneous mass flow with a defined dwell time (applying the first-in/first-out principle). By means of the rotating and mixing elements integrated in the spirals, the material is continuously mixed in the drum with constant surface exchange. Combined with controlled heating, this ensures considerable odour elimination, even within a short residence time. In the second process step, the remaining odourous substances in the regrind or granules are removed by a thermal-physical cleaning process in the IR-Fresh Conditioner. This IR-Fresh Conditioner – an insulated hopper – keeps the material to be decontaminated within a temperature range that’s ideal for the decontamination process by means of a hot purge-gas. Good results for deodorisation and decontamination can be achieved through the interaction of the main process parameters of airflow, temperature, and residence time.
Through its modular design, the IR-Fresh process can be used continuously in two stages both for regrind – before the extrusion process – and for granules – after the extrusion process. Likewise, it is also possible to integrate the IR-Fresh Conditioner as a sole process step in the process chain, or to operate it as a stand-alone solution continuously, as well as discontinuously. The system presented is also suitable as a retrofit solution for integration in existing plants. In cooperation with the customer, Kreyenborg will develop a solution – also in conjunction with pilot plant trials – that is optimally tailored to the customer’s individual processing needs.
