Multiple loop mechanical recycling of polypropylene
The demand for high quality recycled plastic resins is growing rapidly. Today, the proportion of plastic materials that re-enter the recycling stream after being recycled once is relatively low. However, to meet the industry’s ambitious targets and commitments, it will become increasingly important to enable multiple recycling loops for plastic materials.
But what are the limits to mechanical recycling in multiple loops? And how and for how long can sufficient quality be maintained for demanding applications? What role do plastic additives play in the preventing of accumulated molecular damage?
To systematically answer these questions, BASF has recently published a research article in the Journal of Polymer Science summarizing a multiple-loop mechanical recycling study for polypropylene, focusing on the changes in molecular polymer structure and the role of stabilizing additives.
