PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2019

MATERIALS / RECYCLING PET planet Insider Vol. 19 No. 09/19 www.petpla.net 33 MATERIALS / RECYCLING 33 the DAK Americas Group, as we reported in the same issue. The spe- cial iPET architecture simplifies and eliminates several production stages in the manufacture of PET resin, such as omitting solids polymerisa- tion. Annual sales back then were 540 kt. At Fakuma, Finke presented its granulated masterbatches and pig- ment powders, liquid dyes and col- ouring pastes. The masterbatches can be tailored according to custom- ers’ requirements and include i.e. UV protection. 2016 In issue 3 we reported about the EcoSphere technology from Poly- metrix. Among the key features of this bottle grade virin PET produc- tion is the link between melt phase and solid phase polymerisation which allows the recovery of energy. In Issue 5 we celebrated 75 years of PET. Invented in 1941, it took until 1977 until the first com- mercially available bottles were available on the market. Also in issue 5 we reported about Chemco Plastics whom we visited in Mumbai. As one of the biggest con- verters in India, back then, 200-220 t of material were processed every day. A series of additives able to correct the shade and to improve IV parameters of rPET were being introduced by Repi (issue 6). The degree of yellowness of rPET can be decreased by using suitable storage conditions, as Plas- tic Technologies Inc (PTI) showed also in issue 6. Issue 9 saw the Editour report of Far Eastern Industries, China. With 1.3 million tonnes worldwide, it occupied the fifth place among PET bottle grade manufacturers. The portfolio was partly made up of faster reheat resin which saves up to 20% energy when heating up. Also in the context of the China Road Show we learned about colourants for CSD or water PET bottles when visit- ing Holland Colours in Shanghai (issue 9). Introduced at K was the new alternative to amorphous PET pellets, called PET CrystalBatch. In a new process developed by cpc, the material is directly post-crystallised and thereby subjected to less thermal stress, retaining its cylindrical shape. The Melt to Resin (MTR) technology by Uhde Inventa- Fischer is an integrated one-step process, providing bottle grade IV PET melt directly from the Discage reactor. In issue 10 we compared several aspects with those of SSP. Karl Finke GmbH was pre- senting a range of colourings with a focus on effect pigments and new additives for irreversible laser marking. During K 2016, Polyone unveiled colour concentrates to enhance PET packaging with an ultra-glossy metallic effect – pro- cessable on standard injection stretch blow moulding machinery (issue 12).