Thermoforming

Thermoforming Products
Thermoforming
Thermoforming Video
Rotomolding
 Rotomolding
• Used for relatively
dimensionally inaccurate items,
usually with a hollow interior
– Can be very large
– Garbage Cans
– Kayaks
– Interior dimensions can not be
critical
– Relatively primitive and therefore
inexpensive process
 Polymer Recycling
• 1998 – Approximately 20% of plastic waste is
recycled (optimistic estimate)
• 1998 – Polymers account for approximately
18% by volume of material to landfills
 Needs vs Challenges
• Needs for a viable program: • Challenges
– Stable supply of materials – 10-12 main polymer types
with reliable collection and
sorting – Thousands of blends
– Economical, proven and – Additives
environmentally sound – Impurities in supply (labels,
recycling process glass, dirt, etc)
– End use applications for the
recycled material
 Recycling of Polymers
• PET (polyethylene
terphthalate) beverage
containers, boil-in food pouches,
processed meat packages
• HDPE (high density
polyethylene) milk bottles,
detergent bottles, oil bottles,
toys, plastic bags
• PVC (polyvinyl chloride) food
wrap, vegetable oil bottles,
blister packaging
• LDPE (low density
polyethylene) shrink-wrap, plastic
bags, garment bags
• PP (polypropylene)
margarine and yogurt
containers, caps for
containers, wrapping to
replace cellophane
• PS (polystyrene) egg
cartons, fast food trays,
disposable plastic silverware
• Other multi-resin containers
 Basic recycling steps
• Sorting
• Size Reduction
• Densification
• Pulverization
• Melt Filtration
 Sorting
• Manual – very common
• Density based sorter
– Centrifugal
– Float/Sink methods
• Optical – same as peas,
potato chips, etc
• Spectroscopy – Infrared –
automation possible
 Size Reduction

• Shredders
• Rotary Knife
 Densification

• Basic purpose is to reduce to volume taken up by

bulk material
– Reduce from only 20 kg/m3 to almost 400 kg/m3
• Agglomeration – heat it up and compact it
 Pulverization
• Convert clean plastic
waste into powder
• After this process, some
of the product can
actually be used if low
purity requirements
– Recycled plastic lumber
for example
 Melt Filtration
• Improve purity of pulverized
polymer
– Needed for extrusion,
injection or blow molding
processes
• Basic process concept:
– Melt it
– Shove it through a screen
• Additional chemical
processing may be needed
if additional purity
requirement