1. Bottle-to-bottle recycling
Anne Roulin PTI Europe, Switzerland
&
Jean Bina Phoenix Technologies,
Bowling Green, USA

2. Outline Brief introduction to PTI and Phoenix
Objective of recycling studies
Steps required to evaluate new materials & technologies
Examples of previous studies

3. Part of Plastic Technologies Inc
Preform, bottle and package prototyping
Package & mould design
Material and package testing
Consulting services
Training seminars
Recycling technology development

4. Phoenix Technologies, Bowling Green, USA
PTI Subsiduary

5. Phoenix Technologies
Largest merchant pelletiser of recycled PET material in the world
Largest merchant supplier of food grade RPET material
Bottle to bottle for non-food applications
since 1992 (capacity 24ktons)
Bottle to bottle for food applications with FDA approved process since 2000 (current capacity 10ktons)

6. Objective of recycling studies:
To evaluate the compatibility of a specific bottle technology as it becomes part of the commercial recycle stream
New barrier technology
New colour
New additive

7. Scope of recyling evaluation:
Preliminary evaluation may be done on post-industrial flake
Comparisons to be made between a washed RPET control flake & the washed flake of the test  material
Visual inspection for any black specks, particulates, gels etc Steps should cover the following:
Step 1 Extrusion & pelletisation
Step 2 Solid stating (or decontamination) of the material
Step 3 Injection moulding of preforms
Step 4 Blow moulding of bottles
Step 5 Testing

8. Bottle to bottle recycling study
Recommended to be carried out at minimum of two concentration levels.
For example:
25% test flake 75% virgin
100% test flake
25% control flake 75% virgin
100% control flake
Other concentration levels can be evaluated as appropriate
Testing programme on standardised bottle for example 0.5 litre bottle with petaloid base

9. Visual inspection of flakes
Visual quality of the flakes will be compared:
Potential concerns: black specks, particulates, coloured particles etc

10. Step 1 Pelletisation
Incoming flake study and control materials will be pelletised under identical conditions
Experience from PETCORE tests for fibre & other applications will be used
Drying will be done to below 50 ppm
Pressure drop differences across the melt filter will be monitored.
Build up or residual on melt filter screen will be evaluated
Any significant differences between the two materials shall be noted
Process conditions will be recorded

11. Step 2: Solid stating
Stokes vacuum reactor (545kg max capacity) will be used to solid state control & test materials
Minimum 60 kg is recommended to conduct the injection, blow moulding & testing programme

12. Step 2 Solid stating
Rate of IV build-up to the target PETCORE protocol value will be carefully monitored via hourly IV checks.
When target IV is achieved pellets will be cooled
Example of specific conditions
Starting IV Final IV Temp 200°C.
Time 4 – 10 hours depending on the batch size, bulk density & material characteristics.
Any significant differences in solid stating between the two variables will be noted.

13. Injection moulding of preforms
Dry blend with virgin PET same IV as target value
Each material will be dried to below 50 ppm residual moisture
Preforms from control and study material will be injected on a single cavity Arburg (using for example a 0.5 litre 25g preform)
Conditions are carefully developed for recycled material to produce a production type preform with minimal thermal and shear stress while maintaining reasonable production process conditions (haze free, low mould stress etc)

14. Monitoring during injection moulding
Temperature settings in the various zones
Back pressure
Screw speed
Injection pressure
Holding pressure & time
Cooling time and injection times
Any significant differences between control and test material will be noted.

15. Step 3: Blow moulding
Control and test preforms will be blow moulded using a Sidel SBO1 machine
Monitoring: Oven lamp settings, overall power, low blow position, high blow position preform temp.
Any differences seen in the control and test material will be noted

16. Testing: Resin
Solution IV on incoming flake, pellets after extrusion, and pellets after solid stating
Colour (L, a, b) on flake, extruded pellets and solid stated pellets
AA solid stated pellets

17. Test programme: Preform
Visual inspection for any black specks, particulates, gels etc
Solution IV AA
Colour and haze
Any significant differences between the control and test materials will be noted

18. Test programme: Bottles Dimensional and appearance data
Visual inspection for any black specks, particulates, gels etc
Section weights (neck, label panel, base)
Colour and haze
Brimful & fillpoint volumes
Height
Any significant differences between control and test materials will be noted

19. Test programme: Bottles Performance data
Headspace AA, burst strength, drop impact, top load, stress cracking, thermal stability, CO2 loss by FTIR
Any significant differences between control and test materials will be noted.

20. Examples of bottle-to-bottle recycling studies done by PTI
Tetra Pak: Glaskin Plasma coating SiOx
Sidel: Actis Plasma coating carbon
BP: Amosorb oxygen scavenger
Pechiney: multilayer EVOH
Evalca: EVOH development materials
BP Amoco: PEN materials
PPG: Bairocade epoxy-amine spray system