Plastic Packaging
Plastic packaging materials are rather versatile and include both flexible and rigid packaging as well as laminated materials. Moreover, a wide variety of plastic materials is present in plastic packaging material. Examples include polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene and polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, polylactic acid and cellulose acetate. In laminated material some of these polymers are combined together or some are combined with aluminium foil, adhesive and/or paper. With our eutectic solvents delamination of these laminated materials, separation of the various materials, subsequent dissolution of polyester or polyolefin and removal of additives and colorants, and removal of printed inks is possible.
De-inking
The coating and/or inks printed on the packaging materials can be removed using our eutectic solvents. For example, printed polyethylene or polypropylene bags have been de-inked at temperatures (well) below 100 °C. The printed inks have also been removed from laminated beverage pouches.
Delamination
Laminated packaging materials containing layers of polyethylene and aluminium or polyethylene, PET and aluminium have been delaminated with our eutectic solvent system. Also materials comprising polypropylene on polypropylene have been separated. During delamination the polymers are generally not dissolved.
Separation
Polyolefins like polyethylene and polypropylene can be separated from polyesters like PET. Moreover, polyethylene and polypropylene can be separated using our eutectic solvents. Additionally, additives and/or colorants can be separated from the polymer(s).
Decolouring
The polymers that contain additives and/or colorants intrinsically can be dissolved in our eutectic solvent, and upon solidification polymers are obtained with no or hardly any additives and/or colorants.
Reuse of polymer
The polymer obtained after treatment is (near) virgin material, does not contain any additives or colorants, and can be re-used in conventional polymer processing.
The additives, pigments and dyes can be easily removed from the eutectic solvent system. Subsequently, the eutectic solvent can be re-used in the process.