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Deliverable 3.6

Technical reports on Optimized 100% and 50% PCR-PET preforms (3 colors)

The preforms produced during the this last year of RE-PACK EDOILS Project are 31g preforms

with 100% R-PET and 50% R-PET clear and colored as shown in Figures 1-4.

Figure 1. 31g PET preforms clear produced during the RE-PACK EDOILS Project.

Figure 2. 31g green PET preforms produced during the RE-PACK EDOILS Project.

100% V-PET 100% R-PET 50% R-PET

100% V-PET 100% R-PET 50% R-PET

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Figure 3. 31g white PET preforms produced during the RE-PACK EDOILS Project.

The materials used for preform production are:

-Virgin PET (V-PET) Ramapet by Indorama supplied by Nuovaplast Srl and Lighter C93 by

Equipolymers supplied by Lagaram SA (technical datasheet are attached as annex of the present

report).

-Recycled PET (R-PET) LP80 supplied by CIER srl (technical info reported in Deliverable 2.4).

All Colorants are supplied by Clariant masterbatch:

Green: NT63050294 RENOL-NT/N-MC-VERDE

White: NT0DOA12020 TERSAR/N PD BIANCO 36352

Red: NT33050032 TERSAR/N MC ROSSO 31910

The 31 g preforms have been produced with an industrial injection molding line and the process

parameters have been set properly according to the polymer fed, in order to reduce the preform

degradation and to obtain a high quality product.

The optimized parameters for the injection process of the different material used are reported in

the following Table 1.

Table 1 Optimized process condition parameters set according the different PET materials used for RE-PACKEDOILS preforms.

Preform’s Materials 100% V-PET 50% R-PET/V-PET 100% R-PET

Plasticization temperature [°C] 295-300 290-295 280

Hot runner temperature [°C] 288 285 280

Injection time [s] 5,4 5,5 5,7

Residence time [s] 5,2 5,2 5,3

Pressure [bar] 54 52 55

Cooling time [s] 18,0 19,3 19,0

100% V-PET 100% R-PET 50% R-PET

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It is important to underline that the addition of colorant during the colored preform production

(white, green and red preforms) have not required a significant change in process parameters.

However, it is also possible to observe that the different temperature profiles set according to

the different PET material is essentially due by a different melt viscosity of the materials.

Rheological measures carried out in dynamic mode on the raw materials have shown that R-PET

LP80 supplied by CIER, even if is characterized by an Intrinsic Viscosity similar of the V-PET used

for preform production, shown a complex viscosity at 280°C significant lower than V-PET.

Therefore, during the 100% R-PET preform production, it was possible to work with the

plasticizing and injection temperatures much lower than those required to process the virgin

PET.

Figure 4 Complex viscosity curve in function of frequency for V-PET and R-PET used for preform production evaluated at 280°C 20% strain.

Moreover, the production of 50% R-PET-50% V-PET preforms (here reported as 50% R-PET)

requires higher temperature profile compared to 100% R-PET preform process, due to the

presence of high percentage of virgin PET that is characterized by an higher melt viscosity, as

shown in Fig 4.

After the production a visual and dimensional check of the preforms have been performed. All

dimensional data are in accordance with the technical drawing. For the detail of analytical results

of the characterization performed on produced preforms, see the Deliverable 4.1 relative to a

Technical reports on results of verification analysis performed on preform.

An industrial production of clear, white and green 50% R-PET preforms for Italian seed and frying

oils markets were carried out.

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Recycled Polymer storage area

Mixer added on injection molding machine

Optimized parameters for mixing phase

before injection molding

Particular of the production line

devoted to preforms in PCR-PET

Recycled Preforms storage area

50% PCR-PET preforms

Figure 5. Photos of the production of preforms in PCR-PET destined to an Italian customers.

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0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

green white clear

Preforms in PCR produced

May June

Figure 6. Productive situation (year 2014) relative to preforms in recycled materials carried out by Fabio Mataluni & C. s.r.l..

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Annex: Technical Data Sheet

RAMAPET

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Lighter C93

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