CHAPTER 1

Introduction

1:1 General
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-
synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are
typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve
performance and/or reduce production costs. Monomers of plastic are either natural or
synthetic organic compounds.

The word plastic is derived from the Greek πλαστικός (plastikos) meaning capable
of being shaped or molded, from πλαστός (plastos) meaning molded. It refers to their
malleability, or plasticity during manufacture, that allows them to be cast, pressed,
or extruded into a variety of shapes—such as films, fibers, plates, tubes, bottles, boxes,
and much more.
Plastic materials trace their origin in The United States back to 1868, when a
young printer named John Wesley Hyatt came up with Celluloid, the first American
plastic. He mixed pyroxylin, made from cotton (one of nature's polymerics), and nitric
acid, with camphor to create an entirely different and new product. Celluloid quickly
moved into many markets, including the first photographic film used by George Eastman
to produce the first motion picture film in 1882. The material is still in use today under its
chemical name, cellulose nitrate.

In 1909, Dr. Lee Hendrik Baekeland introduced phenoformaldehyde plastics (or

"phenolics", as they are more popularly known), the first plastic to achieve worldwide
acceptance. More importantly, Baekeland also evolved techniques for controlling and
modifying the phenolformaldehyde reaction so that products could be formed under heat
and pressure from the material. This characteristic of liquefying the material so that it can
be formed into various shapes under heat and pressure is still common to most plastics.

The third major thrust in the development of plastics took place in the 1920s with
the introduction of cellulose acetate (which is similar in structure to cellulose nitrate, but
safer to process and use), ureaformaldehyde (which can be processed like the phenolics,
but can also be molded into light colored articles that are more attractive than the blacks
pg. 1
and browns in which phenolics are available), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC, or vinyl, as it
is commonly called). Nylon was also developed in the late 1920s through the classic
research of W.T. Carothers.

Each decade saw the introduction of new and more versatile plastics. In the 1930's,
there were acrylic resins for signs and glazing and the commercialization of polystyrene,
which became the third largest-selling plastic, literally revolutionizing segments of the
house wares, toys, and packaging industries. Melamine resins were also introduced; these
later became a critical element (in the form of a binder) in the development of decorative
laminate tops, vertical surfacing, and the like.

Today’s most widely used plastic (Polyethylene) evolved out of the need for a
superior insulating material that could be used for such applications as radar cable during
World War II. The thermoset polyester resins that only a decade or so later was to
radically change the boat-building business in the United States were also a wartime
development introduced for military use. And acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastics, or
ABS, (the plastic most often used today in appliance housings, refrigerator linens, safety
helmets, pipe, telephone headsets, and luggage) owes its origins to research work
emanating from the crash wartime program aimed at producing large quantities of
synthetic rubber.

The decade of the 1950s saw the introduction of polypropylene and the
development of acetal and polycarbonate, two plastics that, along with nylon, came to
form the nucleus of a sub-group in the plastics family known as the "engineering
thermoplastics." Their outstanding impact strength and thermal and dimensional stability
enabled them to compete directly and favorably with metal in many applications.

The 1960s and 1970s also saw their share of new plastic introductions, most
notably thermoplastic polyesters with the kind of outstanding resistance to gas
permeation that made them applicable for use in packaging. During this period, another
sub-group of the plastics family also started to emerge, the so-called "high temperature
plastics," which includes the polyimides, polyamide-imides, aromatic polyesters,
polyphenylene sulfide, polyether sulfone, and the like. These materials were designed to
meet the demanding thermal needs of aerospace and aircraft applications. Today,
however, they have moved into the commercial areas that require their ability to operate
at continuous temperatures of 400 degrees F, or more.

Like any material, plastics have their origins in nature, in such basic chemical
elements as carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, chlorine, or sulfur. These materials are
extracted from nature's storehouse of air, water, gas, oil, coal, and even plants.

From the basic sources come the feedstock's we call "monomers" (from "mono",
which means one, and "mer", which means unit - in this case, the specific chemical unit).
pg. 2
The monomer is subjected to a chemical reaction known as polymerization, which causes
the small molecules to link together into longer molecules. Chemically, the
polymerization turns the monomer into a "polymer" (many mers). Thus, a polymer may
be defined as a high-molecular-weight compound which contains comparatively simple
recurring units.

A monomer can contribute to the manufacture of a variety of different polymers,

each with its own distinctive characteristics. The way in which the monomers link
together into polymers, and resulting structural arrangement, is one determinant of the
properties of the plastic. The length of the molecules in the molecular chain (referred to
as "molecular weight") is a second determinant. And the type of monomer is a third
determinant. Polymerizing two or more different monomers together (a process known as
"copolymerization") is a fourth determinant. Incorporating various chemicals or additives
during or after polymerization is a fifth. [1]

1:2 Objectives
The objective of this research is to study methods of recycling of
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) through the provision of general information
on plastics, their structures, chemical properties, uses and environmental effects
in addition to study their types, availability and methods of PET recycling that
could be adopted in Sudan.

pg. 3
 CHAPTER 2
Literature Review

2:1 Background
Plastics can be classified by chemical structure, namely the molecular units that
make up the polymer's backbone and side chains. Some important groups in these
classifications are the acrylics, polyesters, silicones, polyurethanes, and halogenated
plastics. Plastics can also be classified by the chemical process used in their synthesis,
such as condensation, polyaddition, and cross-linking.

Other classifications are based on qualities that are relevant for manufacturing
or product design. Examples of such classes are the thermoplastic and
thermoset, elastomer, structural, biodegradable, and electrically conductive. Plastics can
also be classified by various physical properties, such as density, tensile strength, glass
transition temperature, and resistance to various chemical products.

Due to their relatively low cost, ease of manufacture, versatility, and

imperviousness to water, plastics are used in an enormous and expanding range of
products, from paper clips to spaceships. They have already displaced many traditional
materials, such as wood, stone, paper, glass and ceramic, in most of their former uses.
The use of plastics is constrained chiefly by their organic chemistry, which
seriously limits their properties, such as hardness, density, heat resistance, organic
solvents, oxidation, and ionizing radiation. In particular, most plastics will melt
or decompose when heated to a few hundred degrees celsius.While plastics can be made
electrically conductive, with the conductivity of up to 80 k.s/cm in stretch-
oriented polyacetylene, they are still no match for most metals like copper which have
conductivities of several hundreds k.s/cm. Plastics are still too expensive to replace
wood, concrete and ceramic in bulky items like ordinary buildings, bridges, dams,
pavement and railroad ties. [2]
The common plastics include Polyester (PES) which can be used in fibers
and textiles, Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which can be used in carbonated drinks
pg. 4
bottles, peanut butter jars, plastic film and microwavable packaging, Polyethylene (PE)
which can be used in wide range of inexpensive uses including supermarket bags and
plastic bottles, High-density polyethylene (HDPE) which can be used in detergent bottles
and milk jugs, Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which can be used in plumbing pipes and
guttering, shower curtains, window frames and flooring, Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC)
(Saran) which can be used in food packaging, Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) which
can be used in outdoor furniture, siding, floor tiles, shower curtains and clamshell
packaging, Polypropylene (PP) which can be used in bottle caps, drinking straws, yogurt
containers, appliances, car fenders (bumpers) and plastic pressure pipe systems,
Polystyrene (PS) which can be used in packaging foam/"peanuts", food containers,
plastic tableware, disposable cups, plates, cutlery, CD and cassette boxes, High impact
polystyrene (HIPS) which can be used in refrigerator liners, food packaging and vending
cups, Polyamides (PA) (Nylons) which can be used in fibers, toothbrush bristles, fishing
line and under-the-hood car engine moldings, Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)
which can be used in electronic equipment cases (e.g., computer monitors, printers,
keyboards), drainage pipe, Polycarbonate (PC) which can be used in compact
discs, eyeglasses, riot shields, security windows, traffic lights and lenses,
Polycarbonate/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (PC/ABS) which is a blend of PC and
ABS that creates a stronger plastic used in car interior and exterior parts, and mobile
phone bodies and they also include Polyurethanes (PU) which can be used in cushioning
foams, thermal insulation foams, surface coatings, printing rollers (Currently 6th or 7th
most commonly used plastic material, for instance the most commonly used plastic found
in cars). [3]

Chemical Structure of Plastics

Common thermoplastics range from 20,000 to 500,000 amu, while thermosets are
assumed to have infinite molecular weight. These chains are made up of many repeating
molecular units, known asrepeat units, derived from monomers; each polymer chain will
have several thousand repeating units. The vast majority of plastics are composed of
polymers of carbon and hydrogen alone or with oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine or sulfur in the
backbone. (Some of commercial interests are silicon based.) The backbone is that part of
the chain on the main "path" linking a large number of repeat units together. To
customize the properties of a plastic, different molecular groups "hang" from the
backbone (usually they are "hung" as part of the monomers before linking monomers
together to form the polymer chain). This fine tuning of the properties of the polymer by

pg. 5
repeating unit's molecular structure has allowed plastics to become an indispensable part
of twenty first-century world.
Some plastics are partially crystalline and partially amorphous in molecular
structure, giving them both a melting point (the temperature at which the
attractive intermolecular forces are overcome) and one or more glass transitions
(temperatures above which the extent of localized molecular flexibility is substantially
increased). The so-called semi-crystalline plastics include polyethylene, polypropylene,
poly (vinyl chloride), polyamides (nylons), polyesters and some polyurethanes. Many
plastics are completely amorphous, such as polystyrene and its copolymers, poly (methyl
methacrylate), and all thermosets. [1]

2:2 Classifications of Plastics

Plastics Families

Amorphous Semi-crystalline

SRP, TPI, PAI, High-

Ultra polymers PFSA, PEEK
temperature sulfone|HTS

Fluoropolymers: LCP,
High Polyarylamide|PARA, HPN, PPS, PPA
performance PPSU, PEI, PESU, PSU
polymers
Other polyamides

PC, PPC,
Mid range PEX, PVDC, PBT, PET, POM, PA 6,6,
COC, PMMA, ABS, PVC
polymers UHMWPE
Alloys

Commodity
PS, PVC PP, HDPE, LDPE
polymers

pg. 6
 There exists terrific variety among the many hundreds of different types of
plastics. In order to simplify the organization of their similarities and differences, it is
useful to classify plastics according to certain specific criteria; we can classify plastics to:

 Fossil-based plastics.
 Biodegradable plastics.
 Special purpose plastics.

2:2:1 Fossil-based plastics

a) Bakelite
The first so called plastic based on a synthetic polymer was made from phenol
and formaldehyde, with the first viable and cheap synthesis methods invented in
1907, by Leo Hendrik Baekeland, a Belgian living in New York state. Baekeland was
looking for an insulating shellac to coat wires in electric motors and generators. He
found that mixtures of phenol (C6H5OH) and formaldehyde (HCOH) formed a sticky
mass when mixed together and heated, and the mass became extremely hard if
allowed to cool. He continued his investigations and found that the material could be
mixed with wood flour, asbestos, or slate dust to create "composite" materials with
different properties. Most of these compositions were strong and fire resistant. The
only problem was that the material tended to foam during synthesis, and the resulting
product was of unacceptable quality.

Baekeland built pressure vessels to force out the bubbles and provide a
smooth, uniform product. He publicly announced his discovery in 1912, naming it
Bakelite. It was originally used for electrical and mechanical parts, finally coming
into widespread use in consumer goods in the 1920s. When the Bakelite patent
expired in 1930, the Catalin Corporation acquired the patent and began manufacturing
Catalin plastic using a different process that allowed a wider range of coloring.

Bakelite was the first true plastic. It was a purely synthetic material, not based
on any material or even molecule found in nature. It was also the first thermosetting
plastic.

pg. 7
b) Polystyrene and Polyvinyl Chloride
After the First World War, improvements in chemical technology led to an
explosion in new forms of plastics. Among the earliest examples in the wave of new
plastics were polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Polystyrene is a rigid, brittle, inexpensive plastic that has been used to

make plastic model kits and similar knick-knacks. It would also be the basis for one
of the most popular "foamed" plastics, under the name styrene foam or Styrofoam.
Foam plastics can be synthesized in an "open cell" form, in which the foam bubbles
are interconnected, as in an absorbent sponge, and "closed cell", in which all the
bubbles are distinct, like tiny balloons, as in gas-filled foam insulation and flotation
devices. In the late 1950s, high impact styrene was introduced, which was not brittle.
It finds much current use as the substance of toy figurines and novelties.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC, commonly called "vinyl"). has side chains

incorporating chlorine atoms, which form strong bonds. PVC in its normal form is
stiff, strong, heat and weather resistant, and is now used for making plumbing,
gutters, house siding, enclosures for computers and other electronics gear. PVC
can also be softened with chemical processing, and in this form it is now used
for shrink-wrap, food packaging, and rain gear.

All PVC polymers are degraded by heat and light. When this happens,
hydrogen chloride is released into the atmosphere and oxidation of the compound
occurs. Because hydrogen chloride readily combines with water vapor in the air to
form hydrochloric acid, polyvinyl chloride is not recommended for long-term
archival storage of silver, photographic film or paper (Mylar is preferable).

pg. 8
c) Nylon
The real star of the plastics industry in the 1930s was polyamide (PA), far
better known by its trade name nylon. Nylon was the first purely synthetic fiber,
introduced by DuPont Corporation at the 1939 World's Fair in New York City.

In 1927, DuPont had begun a secret development project designated Fiber66,

under the direction of Harvard chemist Wallace Carothers and chemistry department
director Elmer Keiser Bolton. Carothers had been hired to perform pure research, and
he worked to understand the new materials' molecular structure and physical
properties. He took some of the first steps in the molecular design of the materials.

His work led to the discovery of synthetic nylon fiber, which was very strong
but also very flexible. The first application was for bristles for toothbrushes.
However, Du Pont's real target was silk, particularly silk stockings. Carothers and his
team synthesized a number of different polyamides including polyamide 6.6 and 4.6,
as well as polyesters.
d) Rubber
Natural rubber is an elastomer (an elastic hydrocarbon polymer) that was
originally derived from latex, a milky colloidal suspension found in the sap of some
plants. It is useful directly in this form (indeed, the first appearance of rubber in
Europe is cloth waterproofed with unvulcanized latex from Brazil) but, later, in
1839, Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized rubber; this a form of natural rubber
heated with, mostly, sulfur forming cross-links between polymer chains
(vulcanization), improving elasticity and durability.
e) Synthetic rubber
The first fully synthetic rubber was synthesized by Sergei Lebedev in 1910. In
World War II, supply blockades of natural rubber from South East Asia caused a
boom in development of synthetic rubber, notably styrene-butadiene rubber. In 1941,
annual production of synthetic rubber in the U.S. was only 231 tonnes which
increased to 840,000 tonnes in 1945. In the space race and nuclear arms
race,Caltech researchers experimented with using synthetic rubbers for solid fuel for
rockets. Ultimately, all large military rockets and missiles would use synthetic rubber
based solid fuels, and they would also play a significant part in the civilian space
effort. [4]

pg. 9
2:2:2 Biodegradable (compostable) plastics

Research has been done on biodegradable plastics that break down with exposure
to sunlight (e.g., ultra-violet radiation), water or dampness, bacteria, enzymes, wind
abrasion and some instances rodent pest or insect attack are also included as forms
of biodegradation or environmental degradation. It is clear some of these modes of
degradation will only work if the plastic is exposed at the surface, while other modes will
only be effective if certain conditions exist in landfill or composting systems. Starch
powder has been mixed with plastic as a filler to allow it to degrade more easily, but it
still does not lead to complete breakdown of the plastic. Some researchers have actually
genetically engineered bacteria that synthesize a completely biodegradable plastic, but
this material, such as Biopol, is expensive at present. The German chemical company
BASF makes Ecoflex, a fully biodegradable polyester for food packaging applications.

2:2:3 Special purpose plastics

Special purpose plastics include Melamine formaldehyde (MF) – One of the

aminoplasts, and used as a multi-colorable alternative to phenolics, for instance in
moldings (e.g., break-resistance alternatives to ceramic cups, plates and bowls for
children) and the decorated top surface layer of the paper laminates (e.g., Formica),
Plastarch material – Biodegradable and heat resistant, thermoplastic composed
of modified corn starch., Phenolics (PF) or (phenol formaldehydes) – High modulus,
relatively heat resistant, and excellent fire resistant polymer. Used for insulating parts in
electrical fixtures, paper laminated products (e.g., Formica), thermally insulation foams.
It is a thermosetting plastic, with the familiar trade name Bakelite that can be molded by
heat and pressure when mixed with filler-like wood flour or can be cast in its unfilled
liquid form or cast as foam (e.g., Oasis). Problems include the probability of moldings
naturally being dark colors (red, green, brown), and as thermoset it is difficult to recycle,
Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) – Strong, chemical- and heat-resistant thermoplastic,
biocompatibility allows for use in medical implant applications, aerospace moldings. One
of the most expensive commercial polymers, Polyetherimide (PEI) (Ultem) – A high
temperature, chemically stable polymer that does not crystallize, Polylactic acid (PLA) –
A biodegradable, thermoplastic found converted into a variety of aliphatic polyesters
derived from lactic acid which in turn can be made by fermentation of various

pg. 10
agricultural products such as corn starch, once made from dairy products, Polymethyl
methacrylate (PMMA) – Contact lenses, glazing (best known in this form by its various
trade names around the world; e.g., Perspex, Oroglas, Plexiglas), aglets, fluorescent light
diffusers, rear light covers for vehicles. It forms the basis of artistic and commercial
acrylic paints when suspended in water with the use of other agents,
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) – Heat-resistant, low-friction coatings, used in things like
non-stick surfaces for frying pans, plumber's tape and water slides. It is more commonly
known as Teflon, also special purpose plastics include Urea-formaldehyde (UF) – One of
the aminoplasts and used as a multi-colorable alternative to phenolics. Used as a wood
adhesive (for plywood, chipboard, hardboard) and electrical switch housings. [5]

2:3 Plastics Environmental Issues

Plastics are durable and degrade very slowly; the molecular bonds that make
plastic so durable make it equally resistant to natural processes of degradation. Since the
1950s, one billion tons of plastic have been discarded and may persist for hundreds or
even thousands of years. In some cases, burning plastic can release toxic fumes. Burning
the plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) may create dioxin. Also, the manufacturing of
plastics often creates large quantities of chemical pollutants.
Prior to the ban on the use of CFCs in extrusion of polystyrene (and general use,
except in life-critical fire suppression systems), the production of polystyrene contributed
to the depletion of the ozone layer; however, non-CFCs are currently used in the
extrusion process. [6]
By 1995, plastic recycling programs were common in the United States and
elsewhere. Thermoplastics can be remelted and reused, and thermoset plastics can be
ground up and used as filler, though the purity of the material tends to degrade with each
reuse cycle. There are methods by which plastics can be broken back down to a feedstock
state.
Plastic can be converted as a fuel. Plastic is made from crude oil, so it can be
broken down to liquid hydrocarbon. One kilogram of waste plastic produces a liter of
hydrocarbon. Plastic wastes are used in cement plants as a fuel.
To assist recycling of disposable items, the Plastic Bottle Institute of the Society of
the Plastics Industry devised a now-familiar scheme to mark plastic bottles by plastic

pg. 11
type. A plastic container using this scheme is marked with a triangle of three "chasing
arrows", which encloses a number giving the plastic type:

1. PET (PETE), polyethylene terephthalate.

2. HDPE, high-density polyethylene.
3. PVC, polyvinyl chloride.
4. LDPE, low-density polyethylene.
5. PP, polypropylene.
6. PS, polystyrene.
7. Other types of plastics. [7]

2:4 Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

Polyethylene terephthalate (sometimes written poly(ethylene terephthalate)),
commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P, is a thermoplastic
polymer resin of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycole (A thermoplastic, also known as
thermo-softening plastic, is a polymer that turns to a liquid when heated and freezes to a
very glassy state when cooled sufficiently) PET is a strong, rigid and light material. PET
physical properties make it an ideal substance for using in various fields, such as
production of packing (bottles, cortexes, etc.), film, constructions elements, PET is also
used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming
applications; and engineering resins often in combination with glass fiber. The term
'polyethylene terephthalate' is a source of confusion because this substance, PET, does
not contain polyethylene. Thus, the alternate form, ‘poly(ethylene terephthalate)' is often
used in scholarly journals for the sake of accuracy and clarity.

Depending on its processing and thermal history, polyethylene terephthalate may

exist both as an amorphous (transparent) and as a semi-crystalline polymer. The semi-

pg. 12
crystalline material might appear transparent (particle size < 500 nm) or opaque and
white (particle size up to a few microns) depending on its crystal structure and particle
size. Its monomer (bis-β-hydroxyterephthalate) can be synthesized by the
esterificationreaction between terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol with water as a
byproduct, or by transesterification reaction between ethylene glycol and dimethyl
terephthalate with methanol as a byproduct. Polymerization is through a
polycondensation reaction of the monomers (done immediately after
esterification/transesterification) with water as the byproduct.

The majority of the world's PET production is for synthetic fibers (in excess of
60%) with bottle production accounting for around 30% of global demand. In discussing
textile applications, PET is generally referred to as simply "polyester" while "PET" is
used most often to refer to packaging applications. The polyester industry makes up about
18% of world polymer production and is third after polyethylene (PE)
and polypropylene (PP).

PET consists of polymerized units of the monomer ethylene terephthalate, with

repeating C10H8O4 units. PET is commonly recycled, and has the number "1" as
its recycling symbol.

The first PET was patented in 1941 by John Rex Whinfield, James Tennant
Dickson and their employer the Calico Printers' Association of Manchester. The PET
bottle was patented in 1973 by Nathaniel Wyeth. PET is used as substrate in thin film
and solar cell.
Because PET is an excellent barrier material, plastic bottles made from PET are
widely used for soft drinks. For certain specialty bottles, PET sandwiches an
additional polyvinyl alcohol to further reduce its oxygen permeability.

Biaxially oriented PET film (often known by one of its trade names, "Mylar") can
be aluminized by evaporating a thin film of metal onto it to reduce its permeability, and
to make it reflective and opaque (MPET). These properties are useful in many
applications, including flexible food packaging and thermal insulation, such as "space
blankets". Because of its high mechanical strength, PET film is often used in tape
applications, such as the carrier for magnetic tape or backing for pressure sensitive
adhesive tapes.

Non-oriented PET sheet can be thermoformed to make packaging trays

and blisters. If crystallizable PET is used, the trays can be used for frozen dinners, since
they withstand both freezing and oven baking temperatures. When filled
pg. 13
with glass particles or fibers, it becomes significantly stiffer and more durable. PET is
also used as substrate in thin film and solar cell.

2:4:1 Chemical Properties of PET

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is a condensation polymer produced from the
monomers ethylene glycol, HOCH2CH2OH, a dialcohol, and dimethyl terephthalate,
CH3O2C–C6H4–CO2CH3, a diester. By the process of transesterification, these monomers
form ester linkages between them, yielding polyester.

PET chemical resistance is good for concentrated acids, dilute acids, Alcohols,
greases and oils, halogens, and ketones, and it has a poor chemical resistance for Alkalis
and a fair one for aromatic hydrocarbons.

(Polyethylene Terephthalate)

 Antimony

Antimony (Sb) is a catalyst that is often used as antimony

trioxide (Sb2O3) or antimony triacetate in the production of PET. After
manufacturing a detectable amount of antimony can be found on the surface
of the product. This residue can be removed with washing. Antimony also
remains in the material itself and can thus migrate out into food and drinks.
Exposing PET to boiling or microwaving can increase the levels of antimony
significantly, possibly above USEPA maximum contamination levels. The
drinking water limit in the USA for antimony is 6 parts per billion. Although
antimony trioxide is of low toxicity when taken orally, its presence is still of
concern. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health investigated the amount
of antimony migration, comparing waters bottled in PET and glass: the
antimony concentrations of the water in PET bottles were higher, but still
well below the allowed maximum concentration. The Swiss Federal Office
pg. 14
 of Public Health concluded that small amounts of antimony migrate from the
PET into bottled water, but that the health risk of the resulting low
concentrations is negligible (1% of the "tolerable daily intake" determined by
the WHO). A later (2006) but more widely publicized study found similar
amounts of antimony in water in PET bottles. The WHO has published a risk
assessment for antimony in drinking water.

Fruit juice concentrates (for which no guidelines are established),

however, that were produced and bottled in PET in the UK were found to
contain up to 44.7 µg/L of antimony, well above the EU limits for tap
water of 5 µg/L.

2:4:2 Physical properties of PET:

PET can be semi-rigid to rigid, depending on its thickness, and it is very
lightweight. It makes a good gas and fair moisture barrier, as well as a good barrier to
alcohol (requires additional "barrier" treatment) and solvents. It is strong and impact-
resistant. It is naturally colorless with a high transparency.

Some of PET physical properties:

 Molecular formula: (C10H8O4)n

 Density amorphous: 1.370 g/cm3
 Density crystalline: 1.455 g/cm3
 Young’s modulus: 2800-3100 MPa

 Tensile strength (σt): 55-75 MPa

 Elastic limit: 50-150%

 Notch test: 3.6 KJ/m2

 Glass temperature: 75°C

 Melting Point: 260°C

 Vicat B: 170°C

 Thermal conductivity: 0.24 W/(m.K)

 Linear expansion coefficient (α): 7×10-5 /K
pg. 15
  Specific heat (C): 1.0 KJ/(Kg.K)

 Water absorption (ASTM): 0.16

 Refractive Index: 1.5750

Intrinsic viscosity
One of the most important characteristics of PET is referred to as intrinsic
viscosity (IV). The intrinsic viscosity of the material, measured in deciliters per gram
(dℓ/g) is dependent upon the length of its polymer chains. The longer the polymer chains,
the more entanglements between chains and therefore the higher the viscosity. The
average chain length of a particular batch of resin can be controlled
during polycondensation.

The intrinsic viscosity range of PET

Fiber grade
0.40 – 0.70 dℓ/g Textile
0.72 – 0.98 dℓ/g Technical, tire cord
Film grade
0.60 – 0.70 dℓ/g BoPET (Biaxially oriented PET film)
0.70 – 1.00 dℓ/g Sheet grade for thermoforming
Bottle grade
0.70 – 0.78 dℓ/g Water bottles (flat)
0.78 – 0.85 dℓ/g Carbonated soft drink grade
1.00 – 2.00 dℓ/g Monofilament, engineering plastic

I. Drying

PET is hygroscopic, meaning that it absorbs water from its surroundings.

However, when this 'damp' PET is then heated, the water hydrolyzes the PET, decreasing
its resilience. Thus, before the resin can be processed in a molding machine, it must be
dried. Drying is achieved through the use of a desiccant or dryers before the PET is fed
into the processing equipment.

pg. 16
 Inside the dryer, hot dry air is pumped into the bottom of the hopper containing the
resin so that it flows up through the pellets, removing moisture on its way. The hot wet
air leaves the top of the hopper and is first run through an after-cooler, because it is easier
to remove moisture from cold air than hot air. The resulting cool wet air is then passed
through a desiccant bed. Finally the cool dry air leaving the desiccant bed is re-heated in
a process heater and sent back through the same processes in a closed loop. Typically,
residual moisture levels in the resin must be less than 5 parts per million (parts of water
per million parts of resin, by weight) before processing. Dryer residence time should not
be shorter than about four hours. This is because drying the material in less than 4 hours
would require a temperature above 160 °C, at which level hydrolysis would begin inside
the pellets before they could be dried out.
PET can also be dried in compressed air resin dryers. Compressed air dryers do
not reuse drying air. Dry, heated compressed air is circulated through the PET pellets as
in the desiccant dryer, then released to the atmosphere.

II. Copolymers

In addition to pure (homopolymer) PET, PET modified by copolymerization is

also available.

In some cases, the modified properties of copolymer are more desirable for a
particular application. For example, cyclohexane dimethanol (CHDM) can be added to
the polymer backbone in place of ethylene. Since this building block is much larger (6
additional carbon atoms) than the ethylene glycol unit it replaces, it does not fit in with
the neighboring chains the way an ethylene glycol unit would. This interferes with
crystallization and lowers the polymer's melting temperature. Such PET is generally
known as PETG (Eastman Chemical and SK Chemicals are the only two manufacturers).
PETG is a clear amorphous thermoplastic that can be injection molded or sheet extruded.
It can be colored during processing.

Replacing terephthalic acid (right) with isophthalic acid (center) creates a kink in the PET chain, interfering
with crystallization and lowering the polymer's melting point.

pg. 17
 Another common modifier is isophthalic acid, replacing some of the 1,4-(para-)
linked terephthalate units. The 1,2-(ortho-) or 1,3-(meta-) linkage produces an angle in
the chain, which also disturbs crystallinity.

Such copolymers are advantageous for certain molding applications, such

as thermoforming, which is used for example to make tray or blister packaging from co-
PET film, or amorphous PET sheet (A-PET) or PETG sheet. On the other hand,
crystallization is important in other applications where mechanical and dimensional
stability are important, such as seat belts. For PET bottles, the use of small amounts of
isophthalic acid, CHDM, DEG or other comonomers can be useful: if only small amounts
of comonomers are used, crystallization is slowed but not prevented entirely. As a result,
bottles are obtainable via stretch blow molding ("SBM"), which are both clear and
crystalline enough to be an adequate barrier to aromas and even gases, such as carbon
dioxide in carbonated beverages.

III. Crystals

Crystallization of polymers occurs when polymer chains fold up on themselves in

a repeating, symmetrical pattern. Long polymer chains tend to become entangled on
themselves, which prevents full crystallization in all but the most carefully controlled
circumstances. PET is no exception to this rule; About 60% crystallization is the upper
limit for commercial products, with the exception of polyester fibers. Besides, about 60%
crystalline polymer about 40 % of the polymer chains remaining amorphous. Therefore
PET is commonly called a semi-crystalline polymer.

PET in its natural state is a semi-crystalline resin. Clear products can be produced
by rapidly cooling molten polymer below Tg glass transition temperature to form
an amorphous solid. Like glass, amorphous PET forms when its molecules are not given
enough time to arrange themselves in an orderly, crystalline fashion as the melt is cooled.
At room temperature the molecules are frozen in place, but if enough heat energy is put
back into them by heating above Tg, they begin to move again, allowing crystals
to nucleate and grow. This procedure is known as solid-state crystallization.

Like most materials, PET tends to produce spherulites containing many small
crystallites when crystallized from an amorphous solid, rather than forming one large
single crystal. Light tends to scatter as it crosses the boundaries between crystallites and
the amorphous regions between them. This scattering means that crystalline PET is

pg. 18
 opaque and white in most cases. Fiber drawing is among the few industrial processes that
produce a nearly single-crystal product.

IV. Degradation

PET is subject to various types of degradations during processing. The main

degradations that can occur are hydrolytic, thermal and, probably most important, thermal
oxidation. When PET degrades, several things happen: discoloration, chain scissions
resulting in reduced molecular weight, formation of acetaldehyde and cross-links ("gel"
or "fish-eye" formation). Discoloration is due to the formation of various chromophoric
systems following prolonged thermal treatment at elevated temperatures. This becomes a
problem when the optical requirements of the polymer are very high, such as in
packaging applications. The thermal and thermooxidative degradation results in poor
processibility characteristics and performance of the material.

One way to alleviate this is to use a copolymer. Comonomers such as CHDM

or isophthalic acid lower the melting temperature and reduce the degree of crystallinity of
PET (especially important when the material is used for bottle manufacturing). Thus the
resin can be plastically formed at lower temperatures and/or with lower force. This helps
to prevent degradation, reducing the acetaldehyde content of the finished product to an
acceptable (that is, unnoticeable) level. See copolymers, above. Other ways to improve
the stability of the polymer is by using stabilizers, mainly antioxidants such as
phosphites. Recently, molecular level stabilization of the material using nanostructured
chemicals has also been considered.
Degradation may cause acetaldehyde:
Acetaldehyde is a colorless, volatile substance with a fruity smell. Although it
forms naturally in some fruit, it can cause an off-taste in bottled water. Acetaldehyde
forms by degradation of PET through the mishandling of the material. At high
temperatures, (PET decomposes above 300 °C or 570 °F), high pressures, extruder speeds
(excessive shear flow raises temperature) and long barrel residence times all contribute to
the production of acetaldehyde. When acetaldehyde is produced, some of it remains
dissolved in the walls of a container and then diffuses into the product stored inside,
altering the taste and aroma. This is not such a problem for non-consumables (such as
shampoo), for fruit juices (which already contain acetaldehyde), or for strong-tasting
drinks like soft drinks. For bottled water, however, low acetaldehyde content is quite

pg. 19
important, because if nothing masks the aroma, even extremely low concentrations (10–
20 parts per billion in the water) of acetaldehyde can produce an off-taste.

2:4:3 The Advantages and Disadvantages of PET

a) The advantages of PET:
PET provides very good alcohol and essential oil barrier properties, generally
good chemical resistance (although acetones and ketones will attack PET) and a high
degree of impact resistance and tensile strength. The orienting process serves to improve
gas and moisture barrier properties and impact strength. This material does not provide
resistance to high temperature applications—maximum temperature 160 °F (71 °C).

Generally PET offers numerous advantages because it is easily moldable and thus
allows production of individual bottle shapes, specifically designed as non-returnable
items. Further advantages for the consumer are its stability, lightweight, inexpensive and
shatter-resistant. In addition bottles can be made completely from PET, which simplifies
recycling considerably.

Also recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET) can be used to make many new
products, including fiber for polyester carpet; fabric for T-shirts, athletic shoes, luggage,
upholstery and sweaters; fiberfill for sleeping bags and winter coats; industrial strapping,
sheet and film; automotive parts such as luggage racks, fuse boxes, bumpers, grills and
door panels; and new PET containers for both food and non-food products.

b) The disadvantages of PET:

I. Its influence on beverages:

Gas permeability is a major difficulty here, as it can lead to

problems within the beverage. Because these processes occur as
diffusion, independent of pressure, even a carbonated beverage takes up
oxygen and at the same time releases carbon dioxide. The intruding
oxygen can damage beverage ingredients, in particular vitamins and
flavors.

In addition, PET can absorb flavor components of the beverage.

This is a result of the structure of the plastic. The long polymer molecules
are tangled within each other like a sponge. In this "sponge", flavor

pg. 20
 components are stored and later released again. When the crystallization
level increases, this sponge structure becomes "untangled" and less
foreign material may be absorbed. This has made the development of
returnable PET bottles possible, despite the possibility of flavor
absorption. At the same time, crystallization of the material also improves
its resistance to heat, so that hot-fill PET bottles can also be produced
using the same technology.

However, these disadvantages mean that the shelf life of a

beverage in PET is usually shorter than in glass bottles. But through
appropriate recipe design, the manufacturer of flavor systems can offset
many of the disadvantages of PET.

II. Toxicity of PET:

Commentary published in Environmental Health Perspectives in April

2010 suggested that PET might yield endocrine disruptors under conditions of
common use and recommended research on this topic. Proposed mechanisms
include leaching of phthalates as well as leaching of antimony.

2:4:4 Bottle Processing Equipment

There are two basic molding methods for PET bottles, one-step and two-step.

In two-step molding, two separate machines are used. The first machine injection
molds the preform, which resembles a test tube, with the bottle-cap threads already
molded into place. The body of the tube is significantly thicker, as it will be inflated into
its final shape in the second step using stretch blow molding. In the second step, the
preforms are heated rapidly and then inflated against a two-part mold to form them into
the final shape of the bottle. Preforms (uninflated bottles) are now also used as containers
for candy, and by some Red Cross chapters to distribute to homeowners to store medical
history for emergency responders.

In one-step machines, the entire process from raw material to finished container is
conducted within one machine, making it especially suitable for molding non-standard
shapes (custom molding), including jars, flat oval, flask shapes etc. Its greatest merit is

pg. 21
the reduction in space, product handling and energy, and far higher visual quality than
can be achieved by the two-step system. [8][9]

2:5 Thermoplastic Products Manufacture

Thermoplastic resins are available to the processing industry as pellets of resin.
Converting the raw material into useful products can involve separate segments of the
plastics industry. As Figure 2.1 suggests, the resin might be compounded by a custom
compounder and formed into the final product by a processor or a fabricator. The
compounding can also be carried out by the processor in an in-house facility.

Figure 2.1 Flow diagram illustrating components of plastics industry.

The resin raw material needs to be mixed intimately with a variety of chemical
additives to impart specific properties to the end product. Additives are used widely in
the plastics industry, in nearly all types of plastic products. The use of common plastics
in consumer products would not be possible without the use of additives. For instance,
vinyl plastics (particularly PVC) undergo easy thermal and photodegradation; no useful

pg. 22
products can be made with it if stabilizer additives designed to protect the resin during
thermal processing and use were not available. Selecting the appropriate set of additives
called for by a given product and mixing these in correct proportion with the resin is
referred to as compounding. . To ensure adequate mixing or dispersion of the additive,
the mixing is accomplished by passing the resin and additive mixture at a temperature
high enough to melt the thermoplastic, through a mixing screw in an extruder (a
compounding extruder). Care is taken not to overheat or overshear the mix to an extent to
cause chemical breakdown of the plastic itself or the additive materials. The now
“compounded” resin with the additives evenly distributed within its bulk is repelletized,
cooled, dried (where the pelletization is carried out undercooling water), and stored for
subsequent processing.

Processing is the final step that converts the compounded material into a useful
plastic product. Basically, the compounded resin needs to be melted into a liquid and
heated to a temperature that allows easy handling of the fluidized plastic or the “melt.”
This melt is fed into molds or dies to force the material into required shapes and quickly
cooled to obtain the product. Usually, some minor finishing is needed before the product
is made available to the consumer. The basic principals involved in common processing
methods associated with high- volume products will be discussed briefly below. [10]

2:5:1 Extrusion Processing

Extrusion is the process where a solid plastic (also called a resin), usually in the
form of beads or pellets, is continuously fed to a heated chamber and carried along by a
feedscrew within. The feedscrew is driven via drive/motor and tight speed and torque
control is critical to product quality. As it is conveyed it is compressed, melted, and
forced out of the chamber at a steady rate through a die. The immediate cooling of the
melt results in resolidification of that plastic into a continually drawn piece whose cross
section matches the die pattern. This die has been engineered and machined to ensure that
the melt flows in a precise desired shape.

pg. 23
 Examples of extruders products are blown film, pipe, coated paper, plastic
filaments for brush bristles, carpet fibers, vinyl siding, just about any lineal shape, plus
many, many more. There is almost always downstream processing equipment that is fed
by the extruder. Depending on the end product, the extrusion may be blown into film,
wound, spun, folded, and rolled, plus a number of other possibilities. This article limits
any equipment discussion to the extruder itself.
Plastics are very common substances for extrusion. Rubber and foodstuffs are also
quite often processed via extrusion. Occasionally, metals such as aluminum are extruded
plus trends and new technologies are allowing an ever-widening variety of materials and
composites to be extruded at continually increasing throughput rates. This article will
focus only on the extrusion of plastics.
Figure 2.2 shows a basic extruder machine. Plastic pellets or beads (also referred
to as resin) are fed from the hopper along a feed screw through a barrel chamber. As the
resin travels along the barrel, it is subject to friction, compression, and heated zones. The
result is that the resin melts and further travel at the exit end of the screw serves to mix
the melt homogeneously. The melt enters a chamber designed to ensure an evenly
distributed flow to the die. In many machines, a melt pump is used to prevent any
pressure surges. Also, breaker plates serve to prevent any solid particles or foreign
objects from passing through the die.
The die is a precisely machined part with a patterned opening such that the extruded
plastic takes that die pattern for its cross sectional area. With products such as extruded
sheet, there are adjustments to the die to allow for a variety of sheet thicknesses with one
die. Shapes are varied, and typically are holes for filament, annular rings for pipe and
tube, or geometric patterned shapes for items such as vinyl siding and window frame
stock. All die surfaces must be free from defects otherwise unwanted patterns will appear
on the extruded product.
Product from the die solidifies quickly. Depending on the end product, this may be
achieved by immersion in cooling water, air cooling, or contact with chill rolls. As
mentioned above, overheating the melt is to be avoided at all costs, or the product will
not form properly on solidification. Once solid, the product material can be wound, spun,
or cut in defined lengths depending upon its intended end-use. [11]

pg. 24
 Figure 2.2 Basic extruder machine.

2:5:2 Injection Molding

Injection molding is one of the most popular processing operations in the plastics
industry. In recent years, more than half the processing machinery manufactured was
injection-molding machines. The equipment is basically designed to achieve the melting
of the resin, injecting the melt into a cavity mold, packing the material into the mold
under high pressure, cooling to obtain solid product, and ejecting the product for
subsequent finishing. It is different from extruders in that a mold is used instead of a die,
requiring a large force to pack the melt into the mold. A machine is typically classified by
the clamping force (which can vary from 1 to 10,000 tons!) and the shot size determined
by the size of the article to be manufactured. Other parameters include injection rate,
injection pressure, screw design, and the distance between tie bars.

The machine is generally made of a hydraulic system, plasticating and injection

system, mold system, and a clamping system. The hydraulic system delivers the power
for the operation of the equipment, particularly to open and clamp down the heavy mold
halves. The injection system consists of a reciprocating screw in a heated barrel assembly
and an injection nozzle.

pg. 25
 The system is designed to get resin from the hopper, melt and heat to correct
temperature, and deliver it into the mold through the nozzle. Electrical heater bands
placed at various points about the barrel of the equipment allow close control of the melt
temperature. The mold system consists of platens and molding (cavity) plates typically
made of tool-grade steel. The mold shapes the plastic melt injected into the cavity (or
several cavities). Of the platens, the one attached to the barrel side of the machine is
connected to the other platen by the tie bars. A hydraulic knock-out system using ejector
pins is built into one of the platens to conveniently remove the molded piece.

The machine operates in an injection-molding cycle. The typical cycle sequence is,
first, the empty mold closes, and then the screw movement delivers an amount of melt
through the nozzle into it. Once the mold is full, the pressure is held to “pack” the melt
well into the mold. The mold is then cooled rapidly by a cooling medium (typically
water, steam, or oil) flowing through its walls, and finally the mold opens to eject the
product. It is common for this cycle to be closely monitored and to be mostly automated
by the use of sophisticated control systems. Figure 2.3 shows a diagram of a simple
injection molding machine indicating the hydraulic, injection, and mold systems. The
mold filling (a), compaction (b), cooling (c), and ejection (d) steps are also illustrated in
Figure 2.3

Figure 2.3 Diagram of a simple injection-molding machine indicating the hydraulic,

injection, and mold systems

pg. 26
 When a multicavity mold designed for several “parts” is used, the ejected product
is complex, consisting of runners, a spruce, and flashing that needs to be removed (and
recycled) to obtain the plastic product. Figure 2.4 shows a molding with one of the
product “parts” removed from it. [10]

Figure 2:4 Injection-molded piece.

2:5:3 Blow Molding

Blow Molding is a highly developed molding technology developed back in the

late 1800's to produce celluloid baby rattles. It is best suited for basically hollow parts
(such as plastic bottles) with uniform wall thicknesses, where the outside shape is a major
consideration. The first polyethylene bottle was manufactured using the blow molding
process in December of 1942. This was the real beginning of a huge industry which
currently produces 30 to 40 billion plastic bottles per year in the U.S. alone.

The basic process in blow molding: a thermoplastic resin is heated to a molten

state, and then it is extruded through a die head to form a hollow tube called a parison,
the parison is dropped between two mold halves, which close around it and then the
parison is inflated. The plastic solidifies as it is cooled inside the mold and last the mold
opens and the finished component is removed (a parison is a plastic tubular form
produced by extrusion or injection molding.)

. Figure 2.5 illustrates the steps involved in extrusion blow molding.

pg. 27
 Figure 2.5 Blow molding of plastic bottle.

There are basically four types of blow molding used in the production of plastic
bottles, jugs and jars. These four types are:

1. Extrusion blow molding

2. Injection blow molding
3. Stretch blow molding
4. Reheat and blow molding.

Extrusion blow molding is perhaps the simplest type of blow molding. A hot tube
of plastic material is dropped from an extruder and captured in a water cooled mold.
Once the molds are closed, air is injected through the top or the neck of the container; just
as if one were blowing up a balloon. When the hot plastic material is blown up and
touches the walls of the mold the material "freezes" and the container now maintains its
rigid shape. Figure 2.6 illustrates the steps involved in extrusion blow molding.

Figure 2.6 Extrusion Blow Molding, (a) Parison extrusion (b) Mold halves close onto parison (c)
Parison inflated against internal mold walls and (d) Mold halves open, blow molded part ready
for enjection

pg. 28
 Injection blow molding is part injection molding and part blow molding. With
injection blow molding, the hot plastic material is first injected into a cavity where it
encircles the blow stem, which is used to create the neck and establish the gram weight.
The injected material is then carried to the next station on the machine, where it is blown
up into the finished container as in the extrusion blow molding process above. Injection
blow molding is generally suitable for smaller containers and absolutely no handleware.
Figure 2.7 illustrates the steps involved in injection blow molding.

Figure 2.7 Injection Blow Molding, (a) injection cycle, polymer melt supplied to mold halves
from injection molding machine, product formed is preform and (b) heated preform inflated
against cold mold wall halves

Extrusion blow molding allows for a wide variety of container shapes, sizes and
neck openings, as well as the production of handleware. Extrusion blown containers can
also have their gram weights adjusted through an extremely wide range, whereas
injection blown containers usually have a set gram weight which cannot be changed
unless a whole new set of blow stems are built. Extrusion blow molds are generally much
less expensive than injection blow molds and can be produced in a much shorter period
of time.

Stretch blow molding is perhaps best known for producing PET bottles
commonly used for water, juice and a variety of other products. There are two processes

pg. 29
for stretch blow molded PET containers. In one process, the machinery involved injection
molds a preform, which is then transferred within the machine to another station where it
is blown and then ejected from the machine. This type of machinery is generally called
injection stretch blow molding (ISBM) and usually requires large runs to justify the very
large expense for the injection molds to create the preform and then the blow molds to
finish the blowing of the container. This process is used for extremely high volume
(multi-million) runs of items such as wide mouth peanut butter jars, narrow mouth water
bottles, liquor bottles etc. Figure 2.8 illustrates the steps involved in stretch blow
molding.

Figure 2.8 Stretch Blow Molding, (A) Stretch-blow pin (B) Air entrance (C) Mold vents (D)
Preform (E) Stretch rod extended (F) Cooling channels.

The reheat and blow molding process (RHB) is a type of stretch blow process.
In this process, a preform is injection molded by an outside vendor. There are a number
of companies who produce these "stock" preforms on a commercial basis. Factories buy
the preforms and put them into a relatively simple machine which reheats it so that it can
be blown. The value of this process is primarily that the blowing company does not have
to purchase the injection molding equipment to blow a particular container, so long as a
preform is available from a stock preform manufacturer. This process also allows access
to a large catalog of existing preforms. Therefore, the major expense is now for the blow
molds, which are much less expensive than the injection molds required for preforms.
pg. 30
 There are, however, some drawbacks to this process. If you are unable to find a
stock preform which will blow the container you want, you must either purchase injection
molds and have your own private mold preforms injection molded, or you will have to
forego this process. For either type of stretch blow molding, handleware is not a
possibility at this stage of development. The stretch blow molding process does offer the
ability to produce fairly lightweight containers with very high impact resistance and, in
some cases, superior chemical resistance.

Whether using the injection stretch blow molding process or the reheat and blow
process, an important part of the process is the mechanical stretching of the preform
during the molding process. The preform is stretched with a "stretch rod." This stretching
helps to increase the impact resistance of the container and also helps to produce a very
thin walled container.

The extrusion blow molding process allows for the production of bottles in a wide
variety of materials, including but not limited to: HDPE, LDPE, PP, PVC, BAREX®,
PET, K Resin, PETG, and Polycarbonate. As noted above, a wide variety of shapes
(including handleware), sizes and necks are available. Injection blow molding allows for
the production of bottles in a variety of materials, including but not limited to: HDPE,
LDPE, PP, PVC, BAREX®, P.E.T., and Polycarbonate.

Besides the PET noted above for stretch blow molding, a number of other
materials have been stretch blown, including polypropylene. As time goes on and
technology moves forward, more materials will lend themselves to stretch blow molding
as their molecular structures are altered to suit this process. [12]

2:5:4 Extrusion Blowing of Film

Extrusion blowing of common plastics such as polyethylenes into film is one of

the oldest processing techniques (dating back to the 1930s in the United States). The
basic process is simple and is based on a special annular die that is connected to one or

pg. 31
more extruders. In the simple case with a single extruder, the molten plastic material is
extruded vertically upwards through the die into a thin-walled plastic tube. Blowing air
into the tube expands the soft molten polymer, deforming it circumferentially into a tube
with a wider diameter, while the pickup and winding up of the collapsed tube elongates
the tube in the machine direction. The ratio of the pickup or haul-off rate to that of
extrusion is called the draw-down ratio. The tubular film can be blown up by air only
while it is soft and soon forms a “freeze line” at a maximum diameter (the ratio of the
diameter at the freeze line to that of the annular die is the blow-up ratio for the film). To
obtain a uniform film, it is crucial to maintain constant extrusion rates and a symmetric
stable “bubble” or the inflated cylinder of polymer at all times during processing.
Typically the bubble can be 15–30 ft tall and up to several feet in diameter. The
processing variables as well as the grade of resin used for film blowing determines the
quality and uniformity of the film product Figure 2.6 shows a diagram of film blowing
equipment.

Figure 3.6 Schematic representation of extrusion blowing of plastic film.

pg. 32
 The same process can also be used to produce a multilayered film using several
extruders, one for each type of resin used, and a feed block to direct the resin into
different layers. The layers need to be selected carefully for their processing
characteristics as well as their performance in the final product. For instance, in
coextrusion of a barrier film for packaging applications, different layers of the film might
be selected for different functionality needed in the prod. [10]

2:5:5 Continuous Strip Molding

Continuous strip molding (or reel-to-reel molding) is used to efficiently
manufacture and assemble small electronic components and other parts that combine tiny
metal and plastic components. The process uses a feed reel and a take-up reel: a
continuous metal "carrier" strip is precisely indexed off the feed reel, passes through an
injection mold and onto the take-up reel. The molded parts are delivered to customers
still on the take-up reel, and placed directly in automated production equipment for
hands-off operations that add more components, install covers, or form electrical leads,
etc.

2:5:6 Rotational Molding

Rotational Molding begins with the melting of a plastic resin in a closed mold.
Unlike most other plastic processes, no pressure is involved. The three-stage process
includes loading the resin in the mold, heating and fusion of the resin and cooling and
unloading the mold. After the charged mold is moved into an oven, the mold is rotated on
two axes at low speed. As heat penetrates the mold, the resin adheres to the mold's inner
surface until it is completely fused. The mold is then cooled by air or water spray or a
combination of both while still rotating, lowering the temperature in a gradual manner.
The mold is opened, finished part removed and mold recharged for the next cycle. Cycle
times vary from 7 to 60 minutes, depending on part size, material and wall thickness. [12]

pg. 33
2:6 PET Bottle Manufacturing and Color
Measurement
The plastic bottle industry has many producer, each striving to manufacture high
quality products, Properties such as barrier characteristics, dimensional stability, shape
and appearance are of significant importance. Appearance attributes can include reflected
color, yellowness, and haze. For some applications the presence of proper levels of UV
inhibitors is also important. The use of color measurement instrumentation to test and
quantitate these attributes will ensure customer satisfaction and aid in reducing cost.

2:6:1 General Principles

There are two basic types of color measurement
instruments, tristimulus colorimeters and colorimetric
spectrophotometers. These instruments are categorized as
psychophysical measurement instruments, meaning they are
designed to give measurements that correlate with the human
eye-brain impressions. They have built in characteristics that
simulate the operation of the eye and brain in judgements of color appearance. The
tristimulus colorimeter uses colored glass filters to simulate the human eye response to
light and today finds limited application in the plastics industry. On the other hand, the
more versatile colorimetric spectrophotometer is widely used in the plastics industry. It
measures the wavelength distribution of light reflected or transmitted by a sample and
this data is used to calculate color values.
Color is measured in terms of a tristimulus color scale such as the CIE L*a*b*
scale. The L* value ranges from 0 to 100 and measures dark to light, the a* value
measures red to green with positive values being red and negative values green. The b*
value measures yellow to blue with yellow having positive values and blue negative
values. Comparisons between a standard and a sample is expressed in terms of
L*a*b*. This is the difference in L*, a* and b* between the standard and the sample.

pg. 34
 Using this information, one can interpret both the size of the difference (large or
small numbers) and direction of color difference (+ or -). When determining
acceptability, these numbers must fall within predetermined tolerance limits. In addition
to tristimulus color scales there are single number indices for measuring whiteness and
yellowness. MSphere geometry spectrophotometers have proven to be the ideal tool for
bottle makers to quantify appearance attributes. Users report that they find significant
benefit in the spectrophotometer’s ability to measure both reflectance and transmittance
and to obtain both spectral data (to detect UV inhibitors) and tristimulus color data (for
visual color), all with the same instrument. This type of instrument can be used to
measure raw materials, preforms, bottles and closures during manufacture. It can also be
used to measure fiber, film, sheet, and pellets for PET bottle recycling. Data can be
displayed, printed, stored and/or exported to other programs. If desired, tolerances can be
entered for Pass/Fail indication.

2:6:2 Pellets
The color, whiteness or yellowness of plastic pellets is often measured before the
pellets are molded into preforms or final product. Plastic pellets have several non-
uniform characteristics that require compensating preparation and presentation techniques
in order to ensure repeatable sample measurement.
 They are in the form of a pellet – not a solid sample –
and must be measured through the clear window of a
glass cell in order to be effectively made into a “solid”.
 Pellets are irregular in size and shape, requiring the
averaging of several readings with refilling of the glass
cell between each reading.
 Pellets are translucent – not opaque – and can be
sensitive to ambient light and to small differences of
the optical configuration of the instrument. Using sufficient sample thickness and
an opaque cover will minimize these effects.

pg. 35
 In practice the pelletsare poured into a large
transmission type cell with 50mm path length. This large
sample thickness makes the translucent, irregular pellets
effectively opaque for reflectance measurement. The filled cell
is placed on a sample shelf against the instrument reflectance
port so that the pellets will be read through the clear glass
window of the cell. A color reading of the pellets is then made. The pellets are then
dumped out of the cell and poured back in and another reading made. This process is
normally repeated three to five times and the readings averaged for a single color
measurement. Averaging multiple readings minimizes measurement variation associated
with non-uniform samples.

2:6:3 Preforms
The color of preforms is frequently measured prior to being reheat blow molded
(RHB) into final bottle form. Ensuring that the preform color is
correct greatly increases the probability that the blown bottle
will have the proper color. Thus off-color bottles are reduced
and money is saved. However, preforms can also be measured
earlier in the process. Measuring the preform during the
product changeover process helps to get the process on color
more quickly saving time and money.
Transparent preforms are measured by transmission and near opaque or opaque
preforms are measured by reflection. Because of their cylindrical shape, preforms require
special sample-handling to precisely position the sample to be
measured. This is accomplished by use of “Preform Holders”.
For transmission, a holder having an aperture and an insert
that is the proper size for the preform being measured, are
mounted in the instrument transmission compartment. The
instrument is standardized for total transmission and small

pg. 36
area view. The preform is placed on the preform insert and a reading taken. The preform
is then rotated and another reading made.
After a few readings are taken the average is recorded as the measurement. For
“colorless” preforms it may be desirable to measure yellowness and for some applications
confirm that the proper levels of UV inhibitors are present. Yellowness is measured as a
single number scale that is calculated and displayed by the instrument’s software. For UV
inhibitors the spectral data between 360nm to 420nm is viewed. Low transmittance
values in this range indicate the presence of UV inhibitors. Higher transmittance values
indicate less or no inhibitor.
For reflection measurement, a modified sample shelf is mounted at the reflectance
measurement port of the instrument. After the instrument is standardized for small area
reflectance a preform holder attachment having the proper diameter for the preform to be
measured is snapped onto the sample shelf. The preform is then inserted and
measurements made much like those for transmission.

2:6:4 Bottles
The color of bottles can also be measured. For
opaque or near opaque bottles, reflected color is measured.
Although a whole bottle can be measured by placing a
relatively flat and smooth surface of the bottle against the
instrument’s reflectance port, greater precision will be
achieved by cutting a section from the bottle. The cut
section is pressed flat against the instrument’s measurement
port. For transparent bottles a positioning device is mounted in the instrument
transmission compartment. This device is used to reproducibly position the bottle. The
bottle should be filled with distilled water to reduce the reflection from interior bottle
surfaces. This simulates the optical conditions of the bottle in use. If a smooth section can
be cut from a bottle for measurement, greater precision will be achieved and if desired,
transmission haze of the bottle material can also be measured. Haze is the scattering of
light within a nearly clear specimen and is responsible for cloudy appearance. The cut

pg. 37
section to be measured is held in place against the sphere on the inside of the instrument
transmission compartment by a “Transmission Sample Clamp”.

2:6:5 Caps
The color of bottle closures can be measured. In most cases the small area
reflectance mode of the instrument is used and a relatively flat surface, such as the top of
the closure, is placed against the instrument port. If the top is not flat, then the side of the
closure is measured. A positioning fixture mounted at the reflectance port would be used
to ensure that the closures are reproducibly positioned.
Collected PET bottles are frequently recycled into fiber, film, sheet, pellets and
new bottles. Fiber color, whiteness or yellowness can be measured by using a
“Compression Cell Attachment” on the instrument. This device is used for compressing
fibers into a compact mass to permit repeatable color analysis. A specified amount of
fiber is placed in a container having a glass window in the bottom and air pressure is
applied to a piston to compress the fiber. By applying a consistent amount of pressure to
the piston and using a consistent amount of fiber, a consistent yarn density is achieved for
reproducible measurements. Recycled film and sheet would be measured similar to
methods used for measuring bottles. The colorimetric spectrophotometer is a useful tool
for measuring color at many phases of the bottle making process. Checking the color of
raw material such as pigment, resin and compound helps to ensure that the molded
preform will be the proper color. And checking preform color ensures that the blown
bottle will meet color requirements. This enables the bottle manufacturer to produce the
highest volume of quality product at the lowest cost. [13]

pg. 38
2:7 PET Bottle Recycling

2:7:1 General
Approximately 5.8 million tons of PET were collected in 2009 worldwide. This
gave 4.7 million tons of flake. 3.4 million tons were used to produce fiber, 500,000 tons
to produce bottles, 500,000 tons to produce APET sheet for thermoforming, 200,000 tons
to produce strapping tape and 100,000 tons for miscellaneous applications.

Petcore, the European trade association that fosters the collection and recycling of
PET, reported that in Europe alone, 1.45 million tonnes of PET bottles were collected in
2010 - more than 48.3% of all bottles. After exported bales were taken into account,
975,000 tons of PET flake were produced. 382,000 tons were used to produce fibers,
244,000 tons to produce more bottles, 221,000 tons to produce APET sheets, 93,000 tons
for strapping tape and 33,000 tons for miscellaneous applications. [14]

From its beginning, the PET plastic packaging industry has demonstrated its
commitment to environmental responsibility through recycling. Prior to the introduction
of the PET soft drink bottle on grocery shelves, PET bottle manufacturers and consumer
product companies worked with private recycling companies to demonstrate that this new
packaging material could be recycled, a major concern for new packaging, given the
popularity of recycling with the American public.
Reportedly, the first PET bottle recycling process was established by a company
called St. Jude Polymers in 1976, that began recycling PET bottles into plastic strapping
and paint brush bristles. In 1977, St. Jude became to first to “repelletize” post-consumer
PET plastic. This was an important step, as many PET remanufacturing companies rely
on plastic in pelletized form for their processes, increasing the variety of products that
can be made from recycled, postconsumer PET plastic.
However, a major push in the development of both the demand and the capacity
for postconsumer PET recycling occurred when a major plastic fiber manufacturer named
Wellman, Inc., entered the picture. As early as 1978, Wellman began recycling PET
bottles into a fiber product that was suitable for both carpet and fiberfill applications.
Wellman continued to increase its use of recycled PET and throughout the 1980s and

pg. 39
early 1990s increased their processing capacity and consequently the market demand for
post-consumer PET. The major event in Wellman’s development of post-consumer PET
processing capacity was the vertical integration of the recycled PET it processed into its
own product lines. Another was the development of the first textile fiber manufactured
from 100% recycled PET in 1993, called “Eco Spun,” which is now a familiar fabric
material particularly in sportswear where it was first used. Today, St. Jude and Wellman
are joined by more than a dozen other companies, whose combined PET recycling
processing capacity produces over 1/2 billion pounds of recycled PET resin annually.
With recent advances in PET recycling technology, it is now possible to “close the
loop,” by recycling bottles and containers back into bottles and containers, even in some
food-contact packaging applications. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has issued “letters of non-objection” for the use of post-consumer PET in a number of
food-contact packaging applications. This has greatly increased the demand for recycled
PET plastic and the ability to produce new PET packages from 100%, post-consumer
recycled PET plastic. [15]

Purification and decontamination are the most important processing steps during
polyester recycling.The success of any recycling concept is hidden in the efficiency of
purification and decontamination at the right place during processing and to the necessary
or desired extent. Generally, the following applies: the sooner foreign substances are
removed, in the process, and the more thoroughly this is done, the more efficient the
process is.

The high plasticization temperature of PET in the range of 280°C is the reason
why almost all common organic impurities such as PVC, PLA, polyolefin, chemical
wood-pulp and paper fibers, polyvinyl acetate, melt adhesive, coloring agents, sugar and
proteins residues are transformed into colored degradation products which, in their turn,
might release reactive degradation products additionally. Then, the number of defects in
the polymer chain increases considerably. Naturally, the particle size distribution of
impurities is very wide, the big particles of 60–1000 µm (which are visible by naked eye
and easy to filter) representing the lesser evil since their total surface is relatively small
and the degradation speed is therefore lower. The influence of the microscopic particles,

pg. 40
which (because they are many) increase the frequency of defects in the polymer, is
comparable bigger.

The motto "What the eye does not see the heart cannot grieve over" is considered
to be very important in many recycling processes. Therefore besides efficient sorting the
removal of visible impurity particles by melt filtration processes is playing a particular
part in this case.

In general one can say that the processes to make PET bottle flakes from collected
bottles are as versatile as the different waste streams are different in their composition
and quality. In view of technology there isn’t just one way to do it. There are meanwhile
many engineering companies which are offering flake production plants and components,
and it is difficult to decide for one or other plant design. Nevertheless there are principles
which are sharing most of these processes.

Depending on composition and impurity level of input material the general

following process steps are applied:

1. Bale opening, briquette opening.

2. Sorting and selection for different colors, foreign polymers especially PVC,
foreign matter, removal of film, paper, glass, sand, soil, stones and metals.
3. Pre-washing without cutting.
4. Coarse cutting dry or combined to pre-washing.
5. Removal of stones, glass and metals.
6. Air sifting to remove film, paper and labels.
7. Grinding, dry and/or wet.
8. Removal of low-density polymers (cups) by density differences.
9. Hot wash.
10. Caustic wash.
11. Caustic surface etching, maintaining intrinsic viscosity and decontamination.
12. Rinsing.
13. Clean water rinsing.
14. Drying.

pg. 41
 15. Air sifting of flakes.
16. Automatic flake sorting.
17. Water circuit and water treatment technology.
18. Flake quality control.

When recycling polyethylene terephthalate or PET or polyester, two ways

generally have to be differentiated:

1- The chemical recycling back to the initial raw materials purified terephthalic acid
(PTA) or dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and ethylene glycol (EG) where the polymer
structure is destroyed completely, or in process intermediates like bis-ß-
hydroxyterephthalate.
2- The mechanical recycling where the original polymer properties are being maintained
or reconstituted.

Chemical recycling of PET will become cost-efficient only applying high capacity
recycling lines of more than 50,000 tons/year. Such lines could only be seen, if at all,
within the production sites of very large polyester producers. Several attempts of
industrial magnitude to establish such chemical recycling plants have been made in the
past but without resounding success. Even the promising chemical recycling in Japan has
not become an industrial break through so far. The two reasons for this are at first the
difficulty of consistent and continuous waste bottles sourcing in such a huge amount at
one single site and at second the steadily increased prices and price volatility of collected
bottles. The prices of baled bottles increased for instance between the years 2000 and
2008 from about 50 Euro/ton to over 500 Euro/ton in 2008.

Mechanical recycling or direct circulation of PET in the polymeric state is

operated in most diverse variants today. These kinds of processes are typical of small and
medium-sized industry. Cost-efficiency can already be achieved with plant capacities
within a range of 5,000 – 20,000 tons/year. In this case, nearly all kinds of recycled-
material feedback into the material circulation are possible today.

pg. 42
 Besides chemical contaminants and degradation products generated during first
processing and usage, mechanical impurities are representing the main part of quality
depreciating impurities in the recycling stream. Recycled materials are increasingly
introduced into manufacturing processes, which were originally designed for new
materials only. Therefore, efficient sorting, separation and cleaning processes become
most important for high quality recycled polyester.

When talking about polyester recycling industry we are concentrating mainly on

recycling of PET bottles which are meanwhile used for all kinds of liquid packaging like
water, carbonated soft drinks, juices, beer, sauces, detergents, household chemicals and
so on. Bottles are easily to distinguish because of shape and consistency and separate
from waste plastic streams either by automatic or hand sorting processes.

The established polyester recycling industry exists of three major sections:

 PET bottle collection and waste separation (waste logistics).

 Production of clean bottle flakes (flake production).
 Conversion of PET flakes to final products (flake processing).

Intermediate product from the first section is baled bottle waste with a PET
content greater than 90%. Most common trading form is the bale but also bricked or even
loose, pre-cut bottles are common in the market. In the second section the collected
bottles are converted to clean PET bottle flakes. This step can be more or less complex
and complicated depending on required final flake quality. During third step PET bottle
flakes are processed to any kind of products like film, bottles, fiber, filament, strapping or
intermediates like pellets for further processing and engineering plastics.

Aside this external polyester bottle recycling numbers of internal recycling

processes exist, where the wasted polymer material does not exit the production site to
the free market and where the waste is reused at one and the same production circuit. In
this way for instance fiber waste is directly reused to produce fiber, preform waste is
directly reused to produce performs and film waste is directly reused to produce film.
[16]

pg. 43
Impurities and Material Defects

The number of possible impurities and material defects which accumulate in the
polymeric material is increasing permanently (when processing as well as when using
polymers) taking into account a growing service life time, growing final applications and
repeated recycling.

As far as recycled PET bottles are concerned, the defects mentioned can be
sorted in the following groups:

a) Reactive polyester OH- or COOH- end groups are transformed into dead / not
reactive end groups, e.g. formation of vinyl ester end groups through dehydration or
decarboxylation of terephthalate acid, reaction of the OH- or COOH- end groups with
mono-functional degradation products like mono-carbonic acids or alcohols. Results
are decreased reactivity during re-polycondensation or re-SSP and broadening the
molecular weight distribution.
b) The end group proportion shifts toward the direction of the COOH end groups built
up through a thermal and oxidative degradation. Results are decrease in reactivity,
increase in the acid autocatalytic decomposition during thermal treatment in presence
of humidity.
c) Number of poly-functional macromolecules increases. Accumulation of gels and
long-chain branching defects.
d) Concentration and variety of non polymer-identical organic and inorganic foreign
substances are increasing. With every new thermal stress, the organic foreign
substances will react by decomposition. This is causing the liberation of further
degradation-supporting substances and coloring substances.
e) Hydroxide and peroxide groups build up at the surface of the products made of
polyester in presence of air (oxygen) and humidity. This process is accelerated by
ultraviolet light. During an ulterior treatment process, hydro peroxides are a source of
oxygen-radicals which are source of oxidative degradation. Destruction of hydro
peroxides is to happen before the first thermal treatment or during plasticization and
can be supported by suitable additives like antioxidants.

pg. 44
 Taking in consideration the above mentioned chemical defects and impurities,
there is ongoing a modification of the following polymer characteristics during each
recycling cycle, which are detectable by chemical and physical laboratory analysis.

In particular:

 Increase of COOH end groups.

 Increase of color number.
 Increase of haze (transparent products).
 Increase of oligomer content.
 Reduction in filterability.
 Increase of by-products content such as acetaldehyde, formaldehyde.
 Increase of extractable foreign contaminants.
 Decrease in color.
 Decrease of intrinsic viscosity or dynamic viscosity.
 Decrease of crystallization temperature and increase of crystallization speed.
 Decrease of the mechanical properties like tensile strength, elongation at break or
elasticity modulus.
 Broadening of molecular weight distribution.
The recycling of PET bottles is meanwhile an industrial standard process which is
offered by a wide variety of engineering companies. [10]

2:7:2 Recycling Back to the Initial Raw Materials

2:7:2:1 Glycolysis and partial glycolysis

The polyester which has to be recycled is transformed into an oligomer by adding

ethylene glycol or other glycols during thermal treatment. The aim and advantage of this
way of processing is the possibility of separating the mechanical deposits directly and
efficient through a progressive and stepwise filtration. The filtration fineness of the last
filtration step has a decisive effect on the quality of the end product. Taking partial
recycling with partial glycolysis as an example, it is to be demonstrated how bottle waste
pg. 45
can successfully be recycled in a continuously operating polyester line which is
manufacturing pellets for bottle applications.

The task consists in feeding 10–25% bottle flakes and maintaining at the same
time the quality of the bottle pellets which are manufactured on the line. This aim is
solved by degrading the PET bottle flakes—already during their first plasticization which
can be carried out in a single- or multi-screw extruder—to an intrinsic viscosity of about
0.30 dℓ/g by adding small quantities of ethylene glycol and by subjecting the low
viscosity melt stream to an efficient filtration directly after plasticization. Furthermore,
temperature is brought to the lowest possible limit. In addition, with this way of
processing, the possibility of a chemical decomposition of the hydro peroxides is possible
by adding a corresponding P-stabilizer directly when plasticizing. The destruction of the
hydro peroxide groups is, with other processes, already carried out during the last step of
flake treatment for instance by adding H3PO3. The partially glycolyzed and finely
filtered recycled material is continuously fed to the esterification or prepolycondensation
reactor, the dosing quantities of the raw materials are being adjusted accordingly.

The treatment of polyester waste through total glycolysis to convert the polyester
to bis-beta hydroxy-terephthalate, which is vacuum distilled and can be used, instead of
DMT or PTA, as a raw material for polyester manufacture, has been executed on an
industrial scale in Japan as experimental production.

2:7:2:2 Hydrolysis

Recycling processes, through hydrolysis of the PET to PTA and MEG, are
operating under high pressures under supercritical conditions. In this case, PET-waste
will be directly hydrolyzed applying for instance supercritical water steam. Purification
of crude terephthalic acid will be carried out by re-crystallization in acetic acid / water
mixtures similar to PTA purification. Industrial-scale lines based on this chemistry have
not been known to date.

pg. 46
2:7:2:3 Methanolysis

Methanolysis is the recycling process which has been practiced and tested on a
large scale for many years in the past. In this case, polyester waste is transformed with
methanol into DMT, under pressure and in presence of catalysts. After this an efficient
filtration of the methanolysis product is applied. Finally the crude DMT is purified by
vacuum distillation. The methanolysis is only rarely carried out in industry today because
polyester production based on DMT shrunk tremendously and with this DMT producers
disappeared step by step during the last decade. [17]

2:7:3 Practices in Collection and Recycling of PET

2:7:3:1 Collection

There are four basic ways in which communities around the world offer recycling
collection services for PET plastic bottles and containers (in addition, to other recyclable
materials) to their residents. The first method is not up to individual communities but is
created as a result of statewide laws known as Returnable Container Legislation, or
“Bottle Bills.” Many states around the United States have passed such legislation, which
establishes a redemption value on carbonated beverage (and, in some cases, non-
carbonated beverage) containers. These containers, when returned by the consumer for
the redemption value, facilitate recycling by aggregating large quantities of recyclable
materials at beverage retailers and wholesalers to be collected by recyclers, while
simultaneously providing the consumer with an economic incentive to return soft drink
containers for recycling.
The second, and most widely accessible, collection method is curbside collection
of recyclables. Curbside recycling programs are generally the most convenient for
community residents to participate in and yield high recovery rates as a result. In the
United States, research conducted by the Center for Plastics Recycling Research at
Rutgers University estimates that curbside collection gathers 70%-90% of available

pg. 47
recyclables. In addition, estimates by the National Association for Plastic Container
Recovery (NAPCOR) indicate that approximately 55% of all the PET plastic containers
collected for recycling are generated through curbside programs.
Communities that provide curbside collection generally request residents to
separate designated recyclables from their household garbage and to place them into
special receptacles or bags, which are then set out at the curb for collection by municipal
or municipally-contracted crews. Some communities allow their residents to commingle
recyclables, that is, mix recyclable materials of different kinds into the same receptacle.
Others require some level of material segregation known as “source separation.” For
example, many curbside collection programs require that newspapers and cardboard be
bundled separately and placed alongside the receptacle containing their commingled
recyclable containers. Some communities will collect recyclables on the same day as
normal garbage collection, while others have separate days for trash collection and
collection of recyclables.
The third collection method is known as drop-off recycling. In this method,
containers for designated recyclable materials are placed at central collection locations
throughout the community, such as parking lots, churches, or other civic associations.
The containers are generally marked as to which recyclable material should be placed in
them. Residents are requested to deliver their recyclables to the drop-off location, where
recyclables are separated by material type into their respective collection containers.
Drop-off centers require much less investment to establish than curbside programs, yet do
not offer the convenience of curbside collection. However, drop-off collection centers
work well in rural locations where curbside collection is impractical.
The last collection method employs the use of buy-back centers. While
communities do not provide this service per se, as most buy-back recycling centers are
operated by private companies, they often provide incentives, through legislation or
grants and loan programs, which can assist in the establishment of buy-back centers for
their residents. Buy-back centers pay consumers for recyclable materials that are brought
to them. Most buy-back centers have purchasing specifications that require consumers to
source separate recyclable materials brought for sale, in addition to other requirements
they may have (for example, removal of caps from bottles). These purchase specifications

pg. 48
can greatly reduce contamination levels and allow the buy-back center to immediately
begin processing the recyclables they purchase, while providing consumers with an
economic incentive to comply with the specifications.
Finally, many communities that offer curbside recycling collection services will
augment this service with drop-off and buy-back centers where curbside is not as
effective, such as near multi-family housing units. While buy-back centers may not be as
convenient as curbside collection, they offer an economic incentive to the public that
curbside collection does not.
PET plastic wastes are also collected by the following ways:

 Private Collection: This type of collection is done in restaurants, hotels, business

establishments, supermarkets and fast food chains.
 Household Consumer: The household consumers segregate and sell their plastic waste
to eco-aids. However, some of them dispose their commingled solid waste to garbage
bins or containers for pick- up by dump trucks or garbage collectors.
 Junk Shops: There are many junk shops collecting recyclable items and separate
them. They buy from scavengers and household consumers and sell their scrap to the
recyclers/ processors. PET bottles are sold after sorting and cleaning (removal of
cover and label) from the commingled waste.
 Middleman: The middleman or consolidators operates in the following ways:
a) Collects and grinds PET industrial waste "on- site".
b) Collects and grinds PET industrial and post consumer waste in their own
plant.
c) Collects PET industrial/ consumer waste and sell them to PET recyclers.

2:7:3:2 Sorting and grinding

After PET plastic containers are collected they must be sorted and prepared for
sale. Each subsequent step in the recycling process adds value to the post-consumer PET
and puts it into marketable form for other processors and end-users that will use them to
manufacture new products. The amount and type of sorting and processing required will

pg. 49
depend upon purchaser specifications and the extent to which consumers separate
recyclable materials of different types and remove contaminants.
Collected PET plastic containers are delivered to a materials recovery facility
(MRF) or a plastics intermediate processing facility (IPC) to begin the recycling process.
The value of the post-consumer PET plastic and its ability to be economically
remanufactured into new products is dependent on the quality of the material as it passes
through the recycling process.
MRFs accept commingled curbside collected recyclables and separate them into
their respective material categories. PET plastic bottles and containers are separated from
other recyclables and baled for sale to IPCs, plastics recycling facilities (PRFs), or
reclaimers.
Unlike MRFs and IPCs, plastic recycling facilities only accept plastic containers,
either commingled or source separated from other plastic containers. PRFs will generally
accept plastics in both loose and baled form. Very often, these materials are supplied by
drop-off and buy-back centers, which require source separation of recyclable materials
that are brought to them. Once again, PET plastic bottles and containers are sorted from
other plastic containers at PRFs and, in most cases, further processed by color sorting and
granulating PET for shipment to reclaimers as “dirty” regrind. Some PRFs merely
separate PET and other plastic containers by resin category and bale them for shipment to
reclaimers or end-users.
However, IPCs shall generally refer to recycling facilities that take in loose; source
separated plastic bottles and densifies them for shipment to PRFs, reclaimers or end-
users. And, PRFs will be used to describe sorting, baling, and/or grinding facilities.

2:7:3:3 Cleaning and drying

Sorting and grinding alone are not sufficient preparation of PET bottles and
containers for remanufacturing. There are many items that are physically attached to the
PET bottle or containers that require further processing for their removal. These items
include the plastic cups on the bottom of many carbonated beverage bottles (known as
“base cups”), labels and caps.

pg. 50
 Dirty regrind from PRFs is then sent to reclaimers that process post-consumer PET
plastic into a form that can be used by converters. Converters process the recycled PET
plastic into a commodity-grade form that can then be used by end-users to manufacture
new products. At a reclaiming facility, the dirty flake passes through a series of sorting
and cleaning stages to separate PET from other materials that may be contained on the
bottle or from contaminants that might be present. First, regrind material is passed
through an “air classifier” which removes materials lighter than the PET such as plastic
or paper labels and “fines” -- very small PET particle fragments that are produced during
granulating. The flakes are then washed with a special detergent in a “scrubber.” This
step removes food residue that might remain on the inside surface of PET bottles and
containers, glue that is used to adhere labels to the PET containers, and any dirt that
might be present.
Next, the flakes pass through what is known as a “float/sink” classifier. During
this process, PET flakes, which are heavier than water, sink in the classifier, while base
cups made from highdensity polyethylene plastic (HDPE) and caps and rings made from
polypropylene plastic (PP), both of which are lighter than water, float to the top. The
ability of the float/sink stage to yield pure PET flakes is dependent upon the absence of
any other plastics that might also be heavier than water and sink with the PET. It should
be noted that some reclaimers use a different device known as a “hydrocyclone” to
perform this same step. This device essentially operates like a centrifuge and separates
materials based on their weight (density) differences. Following the float/sink stage the
flakes are thoroughly dried.
After they have dried, the PET flakes pass through what is known as an
electrostatic separator, which produces a magnetic field to separate PET flakes from any
aluminum that might be present as a result of bottle caps and tennis ball can lids and
rings. Some reclaimers use a number of different particle separation technologies where
PET flakes are further processed to remove any residual contaminants that may still be
present, such as x-ray separation devices for PVC removal, or optical sorting devices to
remove other contaminants. The purity level to which PET flakes are processed depends
on the end-use applications for which they are intended.

pg. 51
 Once all of these processing steps have been completed, the PET plastic is now in
a form known as “clean flake.” In some cases reclaimers will further process clean flake
in a “repelletizing” stage, which turns the flake into “pellet.” Clean PET flake or pellet is
then processed by reclaimers or converters which transform the flake or pellet into a
commodity-grade raw material form such as fiber, sheet, or engineered or compounded
pellet, which is finally sold to end-users to manufacture new products.

2:7:3:4 End-use categories recycled PET:

There are five major generic end-use categories for recycled PET plastic:

1) Packaging applications (such as new bottles).

2) Sheet and film applications (including some thermoforming applications, such as
laundry scoops).
3) Strapping.
4) Engineered resins applications (such as reinforced components for automobiles).
5) Fiber applications (such as carpets, fabrics and fiberfill).

There are a number of emerging technologies that are generically referred to as

depolymerization processes. These processes -- like glycolysis and methanolysis -- break
down the PET plastic into its individual chemical components, which can then be
recombined back into PET plastic. While not used extensively, these technologies are
employed when the economics warrant and offer yet another market opportunity for post-
consumer PET plastic containers.
One of the highest value end-uses for recycled PET plastic is to manufacture new
PET bottles and containers. Recycled PET can be made into numerous other products
including: Belts, blankets, boat hulls, business cards, caps, car parts (bumpers, distributor
caps, and exterior panels), carpets, egg cartons, furniture, insulation, landfill liners,
overhead transparencies, paint brush bristles, pillows, polyester fabric for (upholstery, T-
shirts, sweaters, backpacks, athletic wear and shoes), recycling bins, sails, scouring pads,

pg. 52
strapping, stuffing for ski jackets, cushions, mattresses, sleeping bags and quilts, tennis
ball cans, tennis ball felt, twine and welcome mats.

2:7:3:5 Designing Community for PET Recycling Collection Program

Properly designed PET recycling collection programs greatly increase the
quantity and quality of PET collected and can reduce overall recycling system costs. In
order to maximize the recovery and value of PET plastic containers our community
recycling collection program. Two best practices should be followed when designing
program. The first is to establish an effective and ongoing consumer education program.
The second best practice is to designate all PET bottles with screw-neck tops as
acceptable for recycling.

There are seven basic messages that should be included in any consumer education
or promotional program aimed at the collection of PET bottles:

1) Only PET bottles with screw-neck tops to be placed for collection or brought to a
collection location. PET can be identified by looking for the #1 code, any non-bottle
PET should be excluded.
2) Only PET bottles that are clear or transparent green should be included for recycling,
other colors to be excluded.
3) Consumers should remove lips, caps and other closures from PET bottles placed for
recycling.
4) All PET bottles that are set out for recycling should be completely free of contents
and rinsed clean.
5) Consumers should flatten PET bottles prior to setting out for collection.
6) Consumers should never place any material other than the original content into PET
bottles for recycling.
7) Hypodermic needles are increasing safety concern at recycling facilities. [15]

pg. 53
2:7:4 Basic Benefits of PET Recycling
The greenhouse gas emissions from management of selected materials in
municipal solid waste’s report issued by the EPA, states: “recycling of PET and other
materials positively infects the environment by helping to reduce green house gas
emissions and global warming”. [18]
Recycling of PET plastic waste can help reduce waste disposal costs (since the
PET Plastic is removed from the waste stream) and it can generate revenues from the sale
of the recycled PET, it can also reduce labor costs associated with the handling of PET
during the waste disposal process, further more the recycling of PET can help with
streamlining overall waste processing operations, it can help free up space (used for the
temporary storage of PET), and also it can help improve workplace safety and neatness.

2:8 Safety Issues at the PET Intermediate

Processing Facility:
Maintaining a safe workplace environment is essential for reducing the incidence
of worker injury, complying with safety regulations at the federal state and local levels,
reducing liability costs associated with worker injury, and is corporate best practice in
maintaining the health and well-being of its employees.
There are many laws and regulations that deal with worker safety at the federal,
state and local levels of government. It is every facility operator’s responsibility to make
sure that they are in compliance with all laws and regulations. The most important law in
workplace safety is the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act. This law is
administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a division
of the federal Department of Labor.
Unlike other regulatory agencies that may have jurisdiction over the operations of
recycling facilities, OSHA does not issue permits for construction or operation, which
could help define worker safety requirements for specific types of operations. Given the

pg. 54
number and complexity of safety regulations, many plastics recycling companies have a
designated compliance officer who is responsible for identifying and complying with all
regulations that might effect a facility’s operations.
OSHA regulations and standards are contained in two volumes and are quite
extensive (CFR 29, Parts 1900 to 1910.999, and CFR 29, Part 1910, Secs. 1910.1000 to
end). OSHA regulations relate to almost every aspect of a facility’s operation and include
such generic regulatory categories as processing, receiving, shipping and storage
practices; the general condition of the building and grounds; exiting or egress; general in-
plant housekeeping practices; electrical equipment; lighting; heating and ventilation;
machinery, personnel, hand and power tools, chemicals, fire prevention, maintenance,
personal protective equipment and transportation, that must be complied with in specific
detail.
Hazards at plastics recycling facilities can be divided into three general categories:
1) Health and hygiene hazards (noise, dust, climate, EMFs - electromagnetic
frequencies).
2) Safety hazards (vehicle and machine hazards)
3) Ergonomic hazards (fatigue and musculoskeletal).

Compliance with worker safety regulations and proper system design and
maintenance are the best practices to be followed to minimize the incidence of workplace
hazards. In addition, reducing fatigue through proper ergonomic design can increase
worker productivity and improve material quality at PET processing facilities.
While a discussion of regulatory compliance for all OSHA regulations is beyond
the scope of this document, there are a number of major safety issues and safety best
practices at PET recycling facilities that should be discussed. Once again, it is the
responsibility of the facility operator to ensure that all safety regulations that apply to
their specific operations are complied with at all levels of government. And, the Best
Practices presented below are not intended as a comprehensive listing for regulatory
compliance.

pg. 55
General Safety Best Practices:
 Provide all employees with adequate personal protection equipment, which may
include such items as safety glasses, ear protection, gloves, hard hats, protective
footwear, back-support belts, dust masks, etc.
 Make sure all conveyors, balers, grinders, and other processing equipment are
equipped with emergency power-cut-off switches (often referred to as “kill”
switches) and machine guards. This will allow plant personnel to react to safety
hazard or emergency situations or to ensure worker safety during normal
equipment operation and when performing equipment repair or maintenance.
 Make sure all grinders and regrind evacuation systems (blowers) are insulated or
enclosed in a separate room to maintain noise levels below the OSHA regulated
noise exposure level for workers.
 Make sure that all cyclone discharges from grinders are properly exhausted into
baghouse or other dust collection systems, or are otherwise properly filtered in
compliance with regulatory requirements, to maintain ambient dust levels within
OSHA guidelines.
 Ensure that all equipment is properly maintained for safe and efficient operation
through the implementation of a regular and preventative maintenance schedule
for all equipment within the facility.
 Ensure that ergonomic considerations are factored into system design. For
example, the width of sorting conveyors must not exceed to ability of the line
inspector to comfortably reach the material on the belt, whether single-sided or
double-sided sorting stations are used. In addition, proper belt speeds on manual
sorting lines can greatly decrease worker fatigue and improve overall material
quality.
 Provide adequate space for vehicle and worker activities.
 Ensure that adequate lighting is provided for general plant visibility and to
prevent worker eye fatigue.
 Ensure that adequate fire protection equipment is in place based on the nature of
the materials being processed and stored, the types of equipment being used, local
fire codes and insurance requirements.
pg. 56
 Make sure that proper signage is maintained throughout the facility.
 If the facility is equipped with sorting systems that use electromagnetic
frequencies (EMFs), like x-rays or ultraviolet light, as the detection signal, make
sure that the equipment is properly shielded to eliminate worker exposure to
EMFs.
 Ensure that only trained personnel operate specific equipment and that designated
operators have any required operating certificates or licenses for that type of
equipment.
 Provide adequate disposal containers that are in regulatory compliance for the
disposal of oily, hazardous, or combustible wastes.
 Finally, hypodermic needles are an increasing safety concern at plastic recycling
facilities. Many recycling programs request community members who require
intravenous injections to store used needles in plastic containers that are then
collected through special needle collection programs. Unfortunately, many of
these containers make their way into plastic recycling facilities, increasing the
safety concerns of worker exposure to blood borne pathogens.
Every plastics recycling facility should have at least one employee who is
trained in the proper handling and disposal of used hypodermic needles and has
been inoculated for the hepatitis B virus. If a hypodermic needle is identified by
an employee, they should hit the emergency cut-off switch for their conveyor or
particular piece of equipment. Without handling the hypodermic needle or the
plastic bottle containing it, they should notify their supervisor to summons
properly trained and inoculated personnel to remove the hypodermic needle from
the system. Removed hypodermic needles should then be placed in approved
medical waste “sharps” containers for removal by trained medical or medical
waste disposal professionals. In addition, if employees should be stuck with
hypodermic needles encountered in the workplace, OSHA guidelines for proper
medical attention should be followed for vaccination and post-exposure
evaluation and follow-up. [19] [20]

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