Canada’s GreenMantra Technologies says it has successfully scaled its thermo-catalytic depolymerisation recycling technology to create specialty polymers and synthetic waxes from waste polymers such as PE, PP and PS. The company recently released application data showing how compounders and converters can use these materials as processing aids to increase recycled content in compounds. It says a key contributor to the low use of postconsumer recyclate (PCR) is the difficulty processors have incorporating higher levels (>25%) into end products. It says this is primarily due to the variability of properties in recycled plastic streams.
GreenMantra Global Market Development Director Christy Sapp says its new data demonstrates how additives such as its A115 product allow manufacturers to overcome some of these processing, compatibility, and quality challenges. “Compounders and converters typically use GreenMantra’s [processing aid] at a level of 1% to 4% — this in and of itself counts as recycled plastic,” says Sapp. “On top of that, the material gives companies a ‘multiplier effect’, allowing them to incorporate additional recycled content (or lower quality streams with higher MFI) at levels of up to 50% without losing output or impacting final performance properties.”
Typical effect of GreenMantra A115 on properties of a PE compound containing 25% post-consumer recyclate. MFI is increased while elongation is maintained and tensile strength improved.