PETpla.net Insider 06+07 / 2014

MATERIAL / RECYCLING 26 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 06+07/14 www.petpla.net Aesthetics and performance through advanced additives Adding value to recycled PET Today a variety of innovative solutions is undergoing constant improvement for each specific family of products made from rPET. This is in parallel with the on - going develop- ments in recycling technologies and the introduction of different grades of rPET, whose use is growing, in percentage terms, relative to the total quantity of resin. The principal rea- sons are firstly to improve the aes- thetics and secondly to increase the performance of the final product, be it for PET preforms, PET sheet or rPET resin. The use of recycled material in PET preform and sheet pro- duction is growing rapidly and gaining an ever larger market share. The aesthetic features of the final product, which can be liable to degrade using rPET, often do not satisfy customer specifications. Recycled PET is generally characterised by a yellowish shade and a lower and irregular Intrinsic Viscosity, which influences the mechanical properties of the final pack- age. Special additives are required in PET preforms, in the production of rPET resin as well as in the extrusion of PET sheets. Repi, global supplier of high performing liquid colours and special additives began working on rPET in 2007 and the result has been a series of advanced additives able to correct the shade and to improve IV parameters of rPET, whatever the end-product is. Effect of Remap AY on PET sheets Effect of Remap AY on rPET chips Effect of Remap AY additive on PET preforms Effect of Remap IVE additive on the mechanical properties of a PET bottle