Page 32 - Plastics News August 2022

PET is currently high, this concept makes the material a cost-effective alternative.
EFSA has approved numerous recycling processes for PET, thus ensuring that rPET Asahi Kasei Joins
is available in Europe. European Bioplastics

“PET offers the benefit of having closed-loop recycling system already in place.”
To date, PET is the only packaging material which can be processed as a recycled
material on an industrial scale to create food packaging. This innovation sees partner
companies pave the way for removing the need to downcycle packaging products apan-headquartered Asahi Ka-
other than bottles, and opens an opportunity for recycling or upcycling. This would Jsei has announced that in June,
substantially extend the range of uses for PET and rPET. In addition to the bottle- it became a member of European
to-bottle cycle, this also means that the establishment of bottle-to-cup or even a Bioplastics, the European associa-
cup-to-bottle recycling is conceivable. tion representing the interests of the
bioplastics industry along the entire
Injection molding at 1,400 mm/55 inches per second.
value chain. The association, found-
The modified rPET being processed at the K show is sourced from PET beverage ed in Germany in 1993, has around
bottles recycled in the plants of packaging and recycling specialists ALPLA Group, 70 member companies.
which is headquartered in Hard, Austria. Other partner companies involved in the Asahi Kasei activities in this area in-
show exhibit are Brink (Harskamp, Netherlands) for the mold and IML automation clude the development of a PA 66
and IPB Printing (Reusel, Netherlands) for the labels. made from hexamethylenediamine
(HMD) based on biomass-derived
An Engel e-speed 280/50 injection molding machine is the heart of the production raw material. To that end, the com-
cell. Engel specifically developed this hybrid machine with its electrical clamping pany recently formed a strategic
unit and hydraulic injection unit for the high-performance requirements of thin- partnership with Genomatica, the
wall injection molding. producer of bio-based HMD. Until
now, Asahi Kasei has used fossil fuel
The new model 280 e-speed high-performance injection unit for K 2022 (shown derived HMD as an intermediate to
above) achieves injection speeds up 1,400 mm/55 inches per second at a maximum manufacture its Leona polyamide
injection pressure of up to 2,600 bar when processing small shot weights with an 66, which is used for plastic parts in
extreme wall-thickness-to-flow-path ratio. automotive and electronics applica-
tions, as well as yarn for airbag fab-
To process rPET, Engel combines the new injection unit with a plasticizing unit from ric. In this way, the company is striv-
in-house development and production specifically designed for processing recycled ing to fulfil the aims set down in its
material. During plasticizing and injection, the viscosity of the PET is configured current medium-term management
for thin-wall injection molding. The new Engel e-speed supports the processing of plan: to contribute to a sustainable
arbitrary recycled materials up to 100% rPET. society and to strive for sustainable
growth of corporate value. Accord-
Engel is presenting a mold at the K show which can process different labels at the ing to Asahi Kasei, the two are mu-
same time. This sees the partners respond to the globally different trends in in-mold tually reinforcing aspects of sustain-
labeling which are in line with the EPBP and/or Recyclass recommendations in the ability; the company has established
EU, and with the specifications from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) for strategies directed towards a long-
the USA. term vision for the future in areas
that provide value.
The dyes used on in-mold labels for the American market and its requirements can One of these areas, Environment
be washed off as the intent is to recycle the labels and the packaging. & Energy, has been identified as a
A different technology is used in Europe: an in-mold label that floats during the priority field for the ‘provision of
recycling process makes it easy to separate the dyes and the label from the PET. value’. This includes a focus on so-
lutions for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions from chemical products
derived from fossil fuels.

32 PLASTICS NEWS August 2022