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Content archived on 2024-06-10

Recycling of Postconsumer Pet Bottles by Conversion into Thermoplas tic Elastomers.

Objective


Foreseen Results

The project is focussed on combination of PET with less expensive rubbers, e.g. natural (NR), styrenic (SBS block coplymer), ethylene/propylene/diene-type (EPDM), in functionalized form. Functionalisation of the rubber should occur via grafting and the rubbery appearance will be achieved by dynamic crosslinking. It was also suggested that functionalisation of the rubber may best be achieved by epoxidation [EP]. The working program elaborated takes into consideration both the facilities and expertise of the partners, and follows well-defined milestones.
By the above "upcycling" strategy postconsumer PET bottles will be converted into TR grades of outstanding properties. This "conversion" can be performed by small and medium sized compounders within the CCE, so that the outcome of this project could contribute to their "survival" (the compounders have lost considerable markets due to several factors, incl. import liberalization).
Bottles produced from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are increasingly replacing glass bottles also in Countries of Central Europe (CCE) and New Independent States of the former Soviet Union (NIS). The refilling rate of the PET bottles here is far behind that of in the European Union (EU). In Hungary (HIJ) for example, the present ratio of the one-way to the returnable PET bottles is 4:1. It is therefore of paramount importance to find an economic and ecologic way for recycling of the discarded bottles. Albeit the recycling of PET seems to be solved (mostly in form of PET fiber production), this can not be practiced in several CCE and NIS having no PET manufacturing and processing capacities. The "reason" behind this fact is relied on the "specialization program" within the former COMECON countries.
It was therefore argued that in these countries the recycling philosophy should follow the development of PET alloys and compounds.
The primary aim of this project is to convert postconsumer PET bottles into a value-added thermoplastic rubber (TR) product with outstanding performance to compete in markets dominated by the expensive speciality polymers. Such an upgrading in the property profile is often referred to as "upcycling". The target compound is an oil- and heat-resistant TR, that would compete with related TR-types of sequential block copolymer structure.

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

INSTITUT FUER VERBUNDWERKSTOFFE GMBH
EU contribution
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Address
58,Erwin-Schrödinger Straße 58
67663 Kaiserslautern
Germany

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Total cost

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Participants (3)

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