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Recycling of polyethylene film for reuse. Polyethylene recycling methods Polyethylene film waste disposal method

The neglect of polyethylene waste is dangerous for the ecological situation. Recycling polyethylene into granules allows you to give it a new life, because many useful goods can be made from this raw material.

Limit the production of packaging products made of polyethylene in modern world quite difficult, but competent waste management solves the problem. Polyethylene raw materials are highly recyclable, modern technology recycling is environmentally friendly and does not require significant costs of natural resources.

Why is it important to recycle waste instead of throwing it in landfills?

  1. In natural natural environment polyethylene decomposes for more than 300 years, releasing toxic substances into the soil and water.
  2. Recycling allows you to use raw materials rationally, produce the necessary goods from recycled polyethylene cheaper, and save resources.
  3. Recycling practically does not affect the quality of the material, secondary polyethylene is almost the same in properties as the primary one.

Stages of processing

  1. Collection of raw materials.
  2. Sorting, separation from household waste.
  3. Cleaning - polyethylene must be washed from contaminants in special washing machines.
  4. Grinding - in special crushers, the material is crushed.
  5. Processing in a centrifuge relieves raw materials of residual impurities and excess moisture.
  6. Drying - polyethylene undergoes heat treatment in special drying chambers.
  7. Agglomeration - on special equipment under temperature and pressure, as well as using catalysts, raw materials are melted and sintered into granules.

Polyethylene granulation

  1. Bulk material enters the granulator, several heating cycles clean it from impurities (garbage, metal, water, air inclusions).
  2. At a temperature of 200°C, the molten polyethylene mass is passed through the forming holes (dies), from where the molten polymer flows out in thin streams.
  3. Raw materials are cut with knives and cooled with cold water.
  4. Collection of the product in the storage hopper and packaging in containers.

Necessary equipment

The line for recycling polyethylene waste includes:

  • washing machine;
  • crusher;
  • drying plant;
  • centrifuge;
  • agglomerator;
  • granulator;
  • extruder.

For automatic supply of raw materials to the line, a conveyor or pneumatic conveyor is used. Processing of polyethylene into granules takes place directly in the agglomerator. With the help of special machines, finished products are formed. Granulation equipment is not always part of the production line.

Granular polyethylene can be of different quality, it is divided into 3 grades:

  • Higher - made from unpainted packaging films, according to the characteristics of such granules are universal, suitable for the production of cast products and secondary film;
  • 1st - physical characteristics similar to the highest grade, the basis for the production of granules is dyed in light colors packaging material;
  • 2nd - made from sorted dark-colored raw materials (black, gray), then building materials and household goods are made from recycled granules.

Application

From recycled polyethylene you can get:

  1. New bottles for bottling drinks.
  2. Disposable container.
  3. Packaging films and bags.

Recycled polyethylene can become the basis for the production of building materials:

  • finishing and decorative tiles;
  • heat and waterproofing;
  • sanitary communications (pressure pipes, drainage systems);
  • decorative fences and pool accessories.

The use of pellets for the production of useful goods can be much wider. The technology is constantly being improved, specialists are looking for new areas of application for recycled polyethylene.

Recycling polyethylene waste into pellets is very profitable. Residents of large cities, handing over raw materials to special items reception, can contribute to the improvement of the ecological situation. As a result, production receives inexpensive raw materials, which allows producing quality goods at more affordable prices. In the recycling process, the main difficulty is to establish a regular collection and delivery of raw materials to the site. A civilized way of waste disposal helps relieve public landfills and improve the quality of life for people in megacities.

Polyethylene recycling various types is important for the environment and industry, but we must not forget that the process of processing household and industrial polyethylene components is largely different (this is due to differences in technical specifications). Sometimes recyclable materials, namely polyethylene, may have some characteristics that do not correspond the right parameters. Quite significant is the fact that plasticization has an extremely positive effect on the growth of the quality of the material.

Features of polyethylene recycling

Polyethylene has a wide range of applications, which undoubtedly include its use as packaging. It is important to take into account the fact that the service life of such packaging is very long, as well as the impact on it of a variety of weather factors:

The effect of various temperatures, as well as their abrupt change;
- direct impact sun rays;
- gets contaminated.

A process such as the processing of polyethylene is not much different from the production of primary materials. But the change in the process still takes place, and therefore, the number of processing cycles is also excellent.

Polyethylene waste recycling technologies

Today, the most advanced method of processing polyethylene is the replacement of wooden materials with intermediate ones. During the process, a special degree of purification of secondary materials is required (as an example, containers from fuel and lubricants can be cited).

At the same time, it is very popular to use secondary materials for the manufacture of various containers. They are made either completely from recycled materials, or source material is added during the manufacturing process. Such containers are very actively used by a variety of companies.

An alternative method of processing polyethylene components, which is based on the use of irrigation pipes, is also very actively used. The diameter of such pipes can exceed 600 mm. Recycling of polyethylene can be carried out by the application method. An important factor is that the quality of the resulting material becomes lower. But such materials are also in demand, for example, panels for garbage cans are made from them.

Equipment for polyethylene processing

Recycled materials must be processed into granules, it is optimal to use agglomerates for this. This is a special one, which consists of several modules. It should be noted that in order to work with plastic bottles you can connect the appropriate module, which will wash and crush them.

Polyethylene recycling is carried out on equipment that has a number of advantages that simplify the fluid workflow:

Very high performance and economy, very well combined with small dimensions;
- the opening for loading is located at a sufficiently low level, which makes it possible to do without auxiliary devices (ladders, platforms, etc.);
- equipped with an easily removable housing, which increases the convenience in repair and maintenance;

Aerodynamic swirlers make it possible to process even the smallest and thinnest secondary materials;
- all vital components and mechanisms are perfectly protected from the ingress of the working mass, as well as dust and dirt;
- Reliable insulation against moisture.

Using recycled polyethylene materials for the production of new household and industrial products is more efficient than using only virgin raw materials. Products from recycled polyethylene product, which are the result of processing polyethylene, are much cheaper than products from virgin materials.

For some reason, many people have the opinion that polyethylene is suitable only for the manufacture of packaging products. Actually it is not. Polyethylene is used in different areas human activity and is a universal material. Recycling of polyethylene can be carried out several times. A profitable occupation is the purchase of polyethylene waste. Recycling companies work closely with businesses. In replenishment raw material base the population is actively involved.

The basis for all types of polyethylene is one chemical monomer. However, finished products in their qualities and properties are very different from each other. The reason lies in the fact that macromolecules have different geometric shapes and the ability to form crystals.

There are three types of polyethylene, which differ in the way they polymerize.

Polyethylene high pressure produced at a temperature of 180 ° C and a pressure of 1500-3000 atmospheres. This method of production makes it possible to obtain a product of low density, rather soft and elastic. High pressure polyethylene contains branched macromolecules.

Medium pressure polyethylene is obtained at a temperature of 120-150 ° C and a pressure of 30-40 atmospheres. The process requires a diluent and metal oxide catalysts.

Polyethylene low pressure obtained by polymerization with an organic solvent. The temperature should be less than 80 ° C, and the pressure should be low, about 5 atmospheres. An organometallic complex is used as a catalyst. The processes involve an ionic mechanism.

Polyethylene, obtained using low or medium pressure, has a linear structure of molecules, a high degree crystallization, is a hard material. Polyethylene is a frost-resistant material, it can also be used at temperatures down to -60 ° C. There are grades that retain useful properties at even lower temperatures. Limit hydrocarbon, it is not affected by aggressive media and organic liquids.

In industry, polyethylenes are produced in the form of granules, sheets and blocks. Further, by casting under very high pressure, the so-called extrusion - softened polymers are squeezed out through the nozzles of the spitz machine, and various products are made from the material by further blowing.

Polyethylene is intended for the production of seamless pipes, insulation of electrical wires and film, which is widely used for product packaging. Partitions, greenhouses for Agriculture, buckets, basins, bottles.

Polyethylene has dielectric properties, which leads to its use as an insulating material for cables in television, radar, telephone lines. It is for these reasons that it is so important to recycle polyethylene.


Collection of polyethylene

Our company does not process all types of plastic bags, but only film, bags, bags, defective stretch film production (so-called shrink film) and LDPE.

LDPE is high pressure polyethylene or, as it is also called, low density polyethylene. LDPE waste can be generated during the direct production of polyethylene film. A lot of waste - in stores (packaging of bottles, boxes, boxes), glass factories (from packaging of bottles, cans), distilleries and breweries (from packaging of containers or finished products).

Stretch film is a linear high-pressure polyethylene (LDPE). It can stretch a lot. Due to this property, as well as increased resistance to punctures and tearing, stretch film is used for packaging various goods, in particular on pallets (pallets). Stretch film waste is mainly generated and accumulated in warehouses of any value, at customs terminals, in logistics centers, etc.

But we do not recycle the popular HDPE (low pressure polyethylene) T-shirt bags and “biodegradable” bags, which can be found, for example, in Azbuka Vkusa. Polypropylene film, PVC film, air bubble film, polyamide film, LDPE+PP, LDPE+PA multi-layer films, as well as double-sided two-color films are also not suitable. Finally, we do not accept film contaminated with oils, fats, food waste and pesticides.


Sorting

We transport the collected polyethylene to the warehouse. Up to 100 tons of film waste can be stored here, naturally in pressed form. At the first stage, the raw materials are carefully sorted. They separate stretch from LDPE, reject types of films that cannot be processed by our facilities.


Crusher

After sorting, packages of a certain color are put into a crusher. In it, on V-shaped knives (in our circles, this type is also called “dovetail”), the film is crushed to particles of uniform size. The knives are powered by an electric motor.



Washing

From the crusher, through the pneumatic conveyor, the so-called "crushed" gets into the sink. In it, with the addition of special cleaning solutions, the "crushed" is cleaned of dust and other non-polyethylene inclusions.




Cooking

The next stage of processing is agglomeration. In it, the so-called "cooking" takes place. The operator loads clean "crushed" into the working chamber through the loading window. The raw material enters the rotating rotor along the guides, is crushed by knives and due to friction against the body and between themselves is heated to the temperature of plasticization. In this case, the entire volume of loaded raw materials becomes similar to a mushy mass.

When the material becomes homogeneous, "shock" water is added to it, as a result of which the material is rapidly cooled and sintered into separate small balls. irregular shape. For some time, the agglomerate is dried at natural temperature. environment and unloaded into a prepared container to go to The final stage. The cooking process itself lasts from 5 to 10 minutes.







Granulation

The process of granulation can be compared to scrolling minced meat through a meat grinder. Agglomerate, which we received at the previous stage, is loaded into the extruder hopper. It is called so because the production of granules is based on the extrusion method - forcing the molten mass through a forming hole.

In general, our “minced meat” from boiled bags is melted under the action of heaters and pressure created by a rotating screw. The polymer melt is forced through a filter into a rotating extruder head. So-called threads are already coming out of it. For cooling, we run them through a water hose, and then into knives, where we cut them into homogeneous granules.


Storage

The granules are packaged in clean polypropylene bags, approximately 50 kg each. special conditions storage is not required, but it is desirable that it be a dry room.


Finished raw materials

The resulting granules, depending on the composition and color, we sell. Natural color stretch granule goes to the production of secondary stretch. The natural color LDPE granule is used for the production of secondary shrink or technical film. Colored LDPE granules are mainly used for the production of garbage bags.

Removal, processing and disposal of waste from 1 to 5 hazard class

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Why is neglect of containers dangerous and how important is polyethylene recycling for the environment? In our life, polyethylene is present as a packaging container, but despite its narrow specialization, it is widespread everywhere. Almost every house has a package with packages that we collect from the principles of economy. But the trouble is, it turns out that the better the raw material, the more difficult it is to dispose of it and the longer the period of its decomposition itself.

The relevance of processing

Recycling of polyethylene raw materials is an important cost item for the city, as the material is characterized by incredible stability. He is not afraid of water, alkali, salt solutions. Polyethylene is not afraid even of organic and inorganic acids. It can be noted that these are good qualities, but they can turn into a number of problems.

First of all, the ecological situation causes concern - according to approximate estimates, the decomposition of polyethylene takes up to 300 years. If simple plastic bag ends up in a landfill total mass household waste, it greatly complicates the processing process. Over time, this package undergoes thermal aging, gradually decomposing under the influence of sunlight, heat and oxygen. In the course of destruction, a harmless package releases harmful chemical substances into soil and water.

Alas, it is not possible to limit the production of plastics and polyethylene, but it is possible to rationally organize the entire workflow. Waste polyethylene, in fact, is a versatile material. Recycling of polyethylene, without exaggeration, can be called new life raw materials. Man is required to create and improve ways to collect and process raw materials in order to make the process cyclical. Polyethylene waste may well become everyday items.

Processing companies

AT last years the number of organizations processing this raw material is steadily growing. And it's not just about environmental issues but also in the prospects for the development of such a business. Polyethylene can be an excellent base for creating plastic panels, garbage containers, all kinds of household containers. There is a certain scope for the imagination of entrepreneurs, although, of course, secondary polyethylene products involve some limitations.

Difficulties recycling It does not cause films and bags, since the structure of the materials used does not change for the most part, but the quality of the processed raw materials decreases, and the scope of further application narrows accordingly.

Workflow features

There are several cycles of processing plastic bags, films. The first cycle has almost no effect on the decrease in consumer characteristics of new products. But each subsequent cycle makes its own “negative contribution”, making raw materials suitable only for the production of special materials.

According to existing technologies, six stages of polyethylene waste processing can be distinguished:

  1. First comes the collection of raw materials: films, bottles, other household waste. Waste sorting can be done by manual or mechanical labor. If household waste during collection is divided into waste paper, glass, paper, PET, then it is possible to reduce the amount of garbage that needs to be disposed of by a third.
  2. The collected raw materials are sent to washing machines. This stage is necessary in order to get rid of dirt, foreign objects and paper. If raw materials are delivered directly to collection points, then the receiver can check the condition of the film, bottles, waste paper in order to increase or decrease the price offered for them.
  3. Next, the collected raw materials are crushed, for which crushing plants are used.
  4. In case moisture or random solid impurities remain in the raw material, the centrifuge process is carried out.
  5. Now the material is sent to the drying chamber, where heat treatment also takes place.
  6. The work is completed and the material is ready for recycling. It can be used to make universal products: plastic film, bags, packaging, pipes.

Work in detail

And now let's try to take a closer look at the process of processing polyethylene into granules, because before that the process was considered only schematically. Of course, the right equipment is required for the job.

Well-established work is possible with:

  • washing machine
  • crushing plant
  • centrifuges
  • drying plant
  • agglomerator
  • granulator
  • extruder

In production, the presence of a conveyor or pneumatic conveyor will be relevant, which will allow the process to be fully automated.

At home, it is almost impossible to establish an uninterrupted process for obtaining recycled polyethylene, but you can lay the foundation for promising business. First of all, you can declare the process of collecting raw materials, since without it such work is in principle impossible. Manual sorting of household waste will cost less than mechanical sorting, but you will have to start with a small amount of raw materials used.

Self-processing of the film allows you to get a dense waterproof fabric with a waterproofing function. The work process itself is simple - a piece of film must be laid between two parts of the fabric and ironed with an electric iron. The output is a three-layer composite material, as the film melts and penetrates into the layers of the fabric. With your own hands, you can get a composite material based on film, fabric and aluminum foil. The algorithm of operation is the same except for the fact that one layer of fabric is replaced by foil. Film, fabric and foil material is an excellent heat insulator. With the help of cross-linked polyethylene, many people equip a warm floor in the house.

For more benefit

Agglomerator - a device capable of processing film and bottles. Due to the temperature effect, an agglomerate is obtained - baked lumps from former bottles and films. The agglomerate can be sold already at this stage or go further and process it into pellets.

The polyethylene granulator allows you to increase the company's income from the collection and sale of secondary raw materials. The result is a product that technically outperforms its “powdery or flake counterparts in the shop” due to its small volume (and, accordingly, lower packaging and transportation costs), high flowability, minimization of losses and dust formation, lower risk of destruction and photoaging.

Why does an enterprise need an extruder? Just with its help, you can get a unique material - low-pressure polyethylene. The extruder starts working after the agglomerator has his say and turns the result of collection and processing into slurry. Now the molten mass of plastic goes through the forming hole, where it melts and creates threads that cool under water and are cut into small pieces. At the output, a HDPE granule is ready.

At low pressure

Low density polyethylene is widely used all over the world. It is an organic compound that resembles white wax. Recycled polyethylene low pressure is obtained through the collection and recycling of bottles and pipes.

This material is not afraid of frost or chemicals. It does not feel shock and is not a current conductor. It should be added that this material is waterproof and does not react with alkalis, acids and salt solutions. HDPE decomposes under the action of nitric acid (50%), chlorine and fluorine.

How this product can be useful

  1. Based on HDPE, accessories for swimming pools are made.
  2. It is used in the process of 3D printers.
  3. Such material is actual for work in the conditions of chemical and electric influence.
  4. HDPE is good for creating anti-corrosion coating, food containers, bottles and collecting water connections.
  5. In sports facilities, HDPE is used for the production of gymnastic hoops.
  6. In restaurants, HDPE is a future plastic bag, plastic set or container. The HDPE bag rustles and wrinkles, so it is used for the so-called "T-shirts".
  7. Pyrotechnics makers use HDPE to make their work more spectacular.

Outcome

The processing of polyethylene raw materials into granules makes it possible to significantly reduce the amount of garbage in urban landfills. Remember that polyethylene and plastic almost do not decompose. Meanwhile, on the basis of PET, you can make successful business. Don't throw away things that might come in handy later. Even a simple package, bottle, film - can be useful for business.