PVC is one of the most commonly used plastics in the world. The main problem in PVC recycling is the high chlorine content of raw PVC and the high proportion of harmful additives added to the polymer to achieve the desired material quality. Therefore, PVC must be separated from other plastics before recycling. PVC products have an average lifespan of 30 years, some even over 50 years. This means that more and more PVC resin products are reaching the end of their life cycle and entering the waste stream, and that amount is likely to increase significantly in the near future.
PVC Recycling Methods:
Currently, PVC plastic is recycled in two ways.
Mechanical Recycling
This involves mechanically treating (e.g. crushing) waste to break it down into smaller particles. The resulting granules, called PVC recycle, can be melted and shaped into various products. Usually, the recycle PVC products are the original product.
Raw Material Recycling
Converting waste into chemical components using chemical processes such as pyrolysis, hydrolysis, and heating. The resulting products (sodium chloride, calcium chloride, hydrocarbon products, heavy metals, etc.) are used in producing virgin PVC, either as feedstock for other manufacturing processes or as fuel for energy recovery.
What Is PVC Recycling Methods?
Mechanical recycling is the most recommended way to recycle PVC. The easiest way is to recycle the material directly at the production facility where the waste is generated. Such waste occurs, for example, in starting and stopping production, machining finished parts, and waste due to production errors. In such cases, recycled materials can be carefully selected with little effort so as not to lead to their contamination. PVC waste after mechanical shredding can be used as a blend to the starting material. It is also important that the composition of PVC waste processed in the same production facility is known. This allows the adjustment of additional PVC components (process lubricants, heat stabilizers, increased plasticizer content, etc.) and such for the manufacture of a different product range when dosing of the original material is not possible. You can easily change it by specifying the material.
Achieving raw material composition consistency when recycling post-consumer materials is somewhat challenging. In this case, it is necessary to consider the need to clean raw materials. In addition, it may be necessary to modify the PVC recycle to obtain the specific processing and performance characteristics required for new applications. In some cases, removing modifiers (such as heat stabilizers and certain plasticizers) may be justified. However, this process may prove uneconomic due to the high investment costs of purchasing specialized technology.
Another method of PVC waste management is raw material recycling. For economic and environmental reasons, this type of PVC recycling must include waste that cannot be mechanically recycled. A relatively simple method for this type of PVC recycling is energy recovery, which consists of fuel gasification or direct combustion in specialized heat treatment plants. It is important to note that PVC can occur as a mixed fraction with other types of waste during energy PVC recycling. However, we must not forget that the resources contained in waste are irrevocably excluded from the circular economy.
A slightly more advanced method of raw material recycling is to process PVC into valuable raw material for the chemical industry. These processes are carried out in well-designed pyrolysis. In this case, a large amount of capital investment is required to construct dedicated facilities. This type of recycling can often prove uneconomical. But closing the material loop of the global economy may require such investments. It should also be borne in mind that scientific and technological advances open up new opportunities for processing PVC into other raw materials, as well as prospects for further development of existing technologies.
PVC Recycling Technologies
Like other material waste, PVC waste can be disposed of in three different ways. PVC recycling, Mechanical recycling for mixed plastics, and Feedstock recycling.
Mechanical Recycling
Mechanical recycling of pure PVC is technically relatively simple and common. Suitable end-of-life products are those that can be easily identified and separated from the waste stream, or those that can be kept relatively clean and that end up in high-quality recyclables for use in existing PVC applications.
Examples include tubes (usually recycled into tubes), window profiles (recycled into profiles or tubes), flooring, roofing membranes, and coated fabrics. These flexible applications are further processed into products such as shoes, mats, and traffic cones.
Recycles from PVC applications that contain other substances to perform a function but cannot be separated into pure PVC (so-called “composites”) are suitable only for applications where mixed compositions are permitted. PVC recycling measures for these products have also been initiated.
The recycling process involves collecting, sorting, and cleaning PVC waste before converting it back into PVC resin, which can then be used to manufacture a wide range of new products. Through PVC recycle efforts, we can help reduce the amount of plastic waste and promote a more sustainable future.
Mechanical Recycling For Mixed Plastics
If a homogeneous plastic stream is not available, recycling systems suitable for mixed plastics, including PVC, can be used. Mixed plastic waste containing up to 15% PVC is considered technically safe, but the quality of recycling is suitable for limited numbers.
Plastics Europe has treated this topic intensively. A technical report on “Mechanical Recycling of Mixed Plastic Waste”, published October 1994, is available on request.
Feedstock Recycling
Raw material recycling should be considered complementary to mechanical recycling for two reasons: Second, to improve the overall capacity to handle large amounts of waste in the future.
In fact, there are numerous composite compositions or products that cannot be economically classified into a common (single) polymer stream when returned for recycling. Examples are laminated foils, “leather fabrics”, shoes or car dashboards, the construction of which contains various plastic and non-plastic materials.
These materials are closely related for performance reasons, but economic separation is not yet feasible.
Today’s raw material or PVC recycling processes deal with mixed plastic waste from packaging materials. For PVC shares, this means a maximum of 10%. “Pyrolysis” of this plastic waste stream can be done by hydrogenation, pyrolysis, or gasification. Since the recovered hydrocarbon products are primarily used in petrochemical processes, the specification limits halogen levels in the waste to below limits. This limit typically varies between 0.1% and 1%. One way he achieves this is by pre-treating the waste.
Such pretreatment consists of a sorting or separation step of the spent input. This allows the chlorine content of the main waste stream to be adjusted. A second option is thermal or chemical dehalogenation of the pretreated product prior to further processing. This dehalogenation is carried out in liquid or fluid bed pyrolysis. The resulting hydrochloric acid is neutralized or separated for industrial use.
The chlorine content of the resulting hydrocarbon feedstock can vary depending on the final processing step which is the determining factor. It is also common to dilute chlorine-containing hydrocarbon feedstocks with non-chlorinated petroleum fractions obtained from refineries. Therefore, the relatively low PVC/chlorine content found in the mixed plastic waste (mainly due to short-lived uses such as packaging) can be compared with existing raw materials, as long as proper pretreatment of plastic waste is ensured. are acceptable in the recycling process.
Recycling of waste streams in which PVC is the predominant material (>30%) (e.g. the multicomponent products mentioned above) must be designed primarily for the recovery of hydrochloric acid, but the hydrocarbon content must also be designed for the recovery of / or energy. Recycle PVC not only helps conserve natural resources but also prevents the release of harmful chemicals into the environment when plastic is incinerated.
There are several commercial plants in Europe that are capable of processing large amounts of chlorinated waste. Many other processes have been proposed to specifically address this issue, such as gasification in metal or slag baths and pyrolysis in circulating fluidized beds. Most are in the concept or early development stage, but some have reached the pilot plant stage, notably a process developed by Sumitomo Metals in Japan. The primary operation is to purify HCl so that it can be supplied as a gas to the oxychlorination unit of a vinyl chloride monomer plant, feedstock for the production of virgin PVC, or other chemical processes.
Challenges And Limitations of PVC Recycling
The main limitations were the lack of new secondary sources and the lack of experts with expertise on PVC waste in each country. Data on waste composition and the presence of PVC were scarce, unavailable, or outdated in many countries. This was supplemented by expert interviews. The initial pre-selected expert pool (6 experts per country) is not sufficient. In all countries, the initial response rate was lower than expected (for example, out of 38 contacts, in Finland she answered 9), so a snow bowling approach was used to increase the pool of interviewees. The increased pool of interviews was deemed sufficient to complement the existing literature.
PVC recycling is an important process that helps reduce waste and minimize the impact of plastic on the environment. PVC, also known as polyvinyl chloride, is a popular type of plastic used in a variety of products such as pipes, vinyl siding, and flooring. However, like many plastics, PVC can take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills. Fortunately, PVC recycling offers a sustainable solution. By collecting and processing discarded PVC products, the materials can be transformed into new products, reducing the need for new PVC production. As a result, PVC recycling helps conserve resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect the environment.
Benefits of PVC Recycling
Polyvinyl chloride or PVC is a plastic also known as vinyl. Our products are he made of PVC, which increases functionality and increases efficiency and ease of use for the end user. In addition, PVC has good strength and abrasion resistance, so customers can use the product for a long time instead of using other traditional materials.
There are 3 Benefits of Recycle PVC Equal Endless Opportunities
- Reduce Resource Depletion – Conserving natural resources of nature is important to the earth and ecological conditions. Every tree we cut down irresponsibly depletes oxygen, repels animals, risks heavy rainfall, and increases the chances of landslides. By continuing to use PVC as a viable alternative, we can help protect natural resources from unnecessary consumption and overexploitation.
- Reduce Waste – As land becomes scarce, the problem of land reclamation grows. As the number of waste increases, more space needs to be found to dispose of the waste, and the area needs to be considered safe and free from potential hazards such as soil and water contamination. Unique ability to collect end-of-life PVC products for recycling is a huge advantage as it now removes different materials from landfills and returns them to consumers.
- Reduce Energy – When we create solutions, we use energy to create those solutions. However, the energy requirements of recycled PVC are approximately 90% less than original PVC production*. Essentially, using fewer resources saves energy for more important things. Reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, reduce our use of electricity, and protect ecosystems from the resulting destructive pollution.
It is important to note that PVC recycling is without significant loss of performance. Additionally, PVC recycles multiple times without showing any signs of damage to its structure.
End Products Of PVC Recycling
PVC is a powder mixed with a plasticizer to make it flexible. The resulting dry blend is then extruded into the desired shape. Other additives are added (UV protection, pigments, heat stabilizers, lubricants, etc.) to give the desired product extrudability and final properties.
PVC is 100% recyclable. PVC Recycling significantly reduces our carbon footprint compared to producing virgin materials. You can save energy and avoid extracting more carbon from the soil.
PVC is collected at a landfill or in a city-provided container. Garbage bins will be placed at construction sites to collect waste. You can also bring your PVC waste or waste to a PVC recycling center.
Polystox recycles all PVC waste. If it cannot be reused directly by us, it is shredded and sold to recycling companies that are used to make pipes and wires. Polystox also offers its customers the PVC recycling of production waste.
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