PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2015

MATERIAL / RECYCLING 23 PET planet insider Vol. 16 No. 06/15 www.petpla.net f.l.t.r. Elfriede Hell, General Manager recycling technology at Starlinger and Celis Carvajal, Group coordinator for Integral Management and Processes at Enka Production flexibility The Starlinger recoSTAR PET 330 iV+ recycling line for Enka is designed for an output capacity of 2.4 tonnes per hour and features two 165mm single-screw extruders and adequately sized upstream and down- stream equipment. The input mate- rial is cleaned in a Sorema washing line; two viscoSTAR 120 solid state polycondensation reactors ensure constant IV level increase according to product specifications. The recoSTAR PET 330 recycling line has a flexible production output: it can be adjusted between 1.1 and 2.4 tonnes per hour. The newly devel- oped Single Mode Operation Package enables Enka to operate the recycling line at 45% of its nominal produc- tion capacity. In this case only one extruder is used and production of smaller quantities is possible without losses in pellet quality or a dispropor- tional increase in energy consump- tion. This gives Enka flexibility in adjusting their production according to raw material availability and rPET demand. Accurate IV control, energy efficiency This installation at Enka is the first to be equipped with a newly devel- oped automatic IV control system that is integrated in the process. After set- ting the desired IV level the recycling line automatically adjusts operation parameters to reach it. During produc- tion the IV level is constantly moni- tored and parameters readjusted if necessary. This avoids IV variations after the extruder and ensures very constant IV values already during pellet production. In compliance with Enka’s sus- tainability strategy, energy efficiency plays an important role in this instal- lation. Enka operates its own electric plant, and the steam generated during electricity production is used to supply the predrying unit and the SSP reactor of the recycling line. Together with the included energy recovery kit (ERK) used for the hot air dryer, this helps to reduce electrical energy consumption by more than 40%. About Enka de Colombia S.A. Founded in 1964, Enka de Colom- bia S.A. started out as a producer of resin as well as polyamide and poly- ester synthetic fibers and filaments for the textile, tyre and plastics industries. Today, Enka is the largest synthetic fiber producer in the Andean region. The company’s production plant is located 28 kilometres north of the city of Medellín. In 1993 Enka opened its first recycling plant to process PET waste from the production of filaments and fibers, adding a project for recy- cling PET bottles for fiber production in 2009. With the new PET recycling line from Starlinger, Enka de Colom- bia has now entered the bottle-to-bot- tle market. www.enka.com.co www.recycling.starlinger.com The recoSTAR PET 300