Efficient interplay ofplastics recycling technologies
Coperion, Hall 14 – Booth B19, in Hall 9 – Booth B34 & FG/CE07 and Open Area E07 “The power of plastics forum”
Coperion, together with Herbold Meckesheim, will present their expertise in various plastics recycling applications at this year’s K show. The focus will be on Herbold Meckesheim’s technologies for mechanical processing of plastics waste.
On display will be the new T 150-300 mechanical dryer and the SMS 80-200 granulator. In the Open Area, Pavilion FG/CE07, visitors can witness the seamless interplay of all Coperion recycling technologies. On view will be a Herbold Meckesheim Hydrocyclone Stage, the ZSK FilCo filtration compounder, the ZS-B MEGAfeed side feeder, a Coperion K-Tron K3-V200 vibratory feeder, an S60 single screw feeder and the MechaTron flat bottom feeder. Also on display will be a mobile deodorisation unit for reliably removing unpleasant odours from recyclates. In addition to plastics recycling, Coperion specialises in plastic compounding technologies. These core competencies will be on display at booth B19 in hall 14.
Filtration compounder
In the Open Area, Pavilion FG/CE07, Coperion will exhibit its new ZSK FilCo filtration compounder which enables recyclate filtering and subsequent compounding in one step. In comparison to two-step production lines, the ZSK FilCo is designed to handle the product gently and provide higher quality at significantly reduced energy consumption when recycling post-consumer waste and other highly contaminated polymers. Waste plastics in the form of regrind fibre pellets, film flakes or agglomerate with no pre-treatment are introduced into a ZSK twin screw extruder where they are melted, homogenised and devolatilised. The melt is then fed through a filter, removing any contaminants. In the subsequent compounding process additives are introduced into the melt prior to pelletising the compound. To fully exploit the ZSK FilCo’s high performance, raw materials must be supplied at a constant rate with no intake limits. While this can be accomplished either by pelletising the waste plastic or regrind, or by using a compacting process, these are energy-intensive processes and increase both capital and operating costs. In contrast, the ZS-B MEGAfeed side feeder, on display in Pavilion FG/CE07, reliably feeds recycled materials with a bulk density as low as 20 kg/m³ into the ZSK FilCo and other ZSK extruders. This allows for recycling and compounding of lightweight, high-volume fibres and flakes at high throughputs.
Seamless connection of bulk material handling and feeding technology
Coperion is an expert in numerous feeding technologies that are claimed to stand out with their high accuracy and easy handling. Representative of this expertise, in Pavilion FG/CE07, Coperion will display a Coperion K-Tron K3-V200 vibratory feeder that excels in providing high-accuracy gravimetric feeding particularly for challenging materials, for example where smaller recyclates or flakes are being fed into the extrusion process. For light and fluffy, hard-to-feed materials such as PP or PET plastic film, Coperion will showcase the MechaTron FB (flat bottom) feeder, a gravimetric feeder ideal for high-capacity recycling operations.
Also on display is the Coperion K-Tron S60 single screw feeder, and another feeder that provides high reliability. Coperion developed its ZRD rotary valve especially for plastics recycling processes. Together with the new drive technology, the design of the gap between the rotor and housing ensures reliable discharge of flakes.
Entire lines from a single supplier
At the show, Coperion will demonstrate how its various technologies work together through an all-encompassing 3D simulation. Visitors will gain insights into the operation of a complete system as well as the function of each individual component. All of Coperion’s components and technologies are claimed to be characterised by high throughput, good end-product quality and efficiency. For example, Coperion recently successfully commissioned chemical plastics recycling lines at two customer facilities, both capable of processing up to 6,000 kg/h.
Even when recycling PET, processors profit from the company’s expertise in engineering complete systems, achieving good end product quality, and providing high throughputs. Pre-drying the PET flakes is not necessary thanks to the effective degassing in the Coperion process.
A few weeks ago, Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim installed the first stage of a bottle-to-bottle recycling plant at Magpet Polymer Pvt Ltd in India. The successful startup of the granulators and washing line marks an important step toward launching the full plant, which is designed to process up to 5,500 kg/h.
Likewise, the benefit of such end-to-end line expertise is evident in the effective removal of unwanted odours. All along the entire recycling process, Coperion offers various solutions for reliably deodorising post-consumer plastics. Odour removal in mechanical processing, devolatilisation in the twin screw extruder, and Coperion’s EcoFresh Silo devolatilisation solutions will be available to view. The interplay of these technologies reliably ensures the desired product quality. Coperion recently installed the EcoFresh silo devolatilisation at its Recycling Innovation Center. There, customers can thoroughly test various odour removal technologies using actual products under near-production conditions before making an investment. This allows them to ensure that the final process meets all quality requirements.
Caption: With the ZSK Filco filtration compounder, filtration and compounding take place in a single production step. In combination with the ZS-B MEGAfeed side feeder, the ZSK FilCo’s high performance is fully exploited.