Recycled plastic material and method for manufacturing the recycled plastic material

Abstract

To provide an excellent RP material or a method for manufacturing an excellent RP material, when a used PP / PE resin material and a used talc are taken out from a used resin material, and an RP material is manufactured.SOLUTION: Used resin materials A1 (A2 and A3) are acquired from a used resin material, and a used PP / PE resin material and a used talc are acquired. The components and the component amounts of the used PP / PE resin material and the used talc are detected, predetermined amounts of a new PP resin material A4, a new PE resin material A5 and a new talc A6 are charged, and are melted and kneaded, and an RP material is molded. Material density of the RP material molded by melting and kneading is set to be within a specific range of 1.00 g / cm3 or more and 1.30 g / cm3 or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing recycled plastic materials (hereinafter also referred to simply as "RP materials"), and RP materials produced using the method. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacture of products using plastic materials (hereinafter simply referred to as "P materials"), in addition to the use of so-called virgin P materials, the use of RP materials is desired. According to Non-Patent Document 1, packaging containers etc. account for 47.5% (3.9 million tons) of the total amount of plastic waste generated, and packaging containers etc. account for 77.1% (3.16 million tons) of general waste by category. As such, since packaging containers etc. account for a large amount of distribution of waste, there is a desire to reuse RP materials from packaging containers etc. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] Publisher: Japan Industrial Publishing Co., Ltd. Published June 10, 2022 Japan Plastics Industry Federation Magazine Plastics June 2022 Issue Pages 79-83 Author: Masashi Hanba Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the quality of RP materials varies depending on the origin of the material. Furthermore, there is a considerable amount of unshipped and unused RP material due to production and processing losses (unshipped and unused RP material has the characteristic of being less contaminated with foreign matter). On the other hand, there is also a considerable amount of post-consumer waste (post-consumer waste has the characteristic of being contaminated with many foreign matter even after cleaning). Therefore, unlike virgin materials, which have a consistent material quality, various resins and foreign matter tend to be mixed into RP materials, which can easily cause deterioration, bias, and variability in the material's properties. This is particularly evident in the case of RP materials to which the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law applies. Therefore, various ingenuity and effort are required to manufacture products of a certain level of quality using RP materials to which the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law applies, and it is not necessarily easy to promote the use of RP materials to which the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law applies. Under these circumstances, when promoting the use of RP materials to which the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law applies, these materials are generally inexpensive, and their use is often desirable. Furthermore, there is a strong social demand for the promotion of the use of RP materials other than those to which the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law applies, from the perspective of effective resource utilization.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an excellent method for producing an RP material or an excellent RP material when producing an RP material using used P materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the manufacturing method of the present invention includes the following means. Specifically, as Means 1, the manufacturing method of the RP material is a manufacturing method of the RP material so that the material density is within a specific range of 1.00 g / cm3 or more and 1.30 g / cm3 or less, characterized by comprising: a PP-major-component calculation step for calculating the input amount of a PP-major-component resin material (which may consist of only PP) whose main component is polypropylene (hereinafter also referred to simply as "PP"); a used PP resin calculation step for calculating the input amount of used PP resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) obtained from used resin material based on the calculation results of the PP-major-component calculation step; and an inorganic filler calculation step for calculating the input amount of inorganic filler material based on the input amounts of the PP-major-component resin material and the input amounts of used PP resin material so that the material density after melt-kneading of the RP material is within the specific range. Note that, in the inorganic filler calculation step, if the content of the inorganic filler component after melt-kneading of the RP material exceeds the upper limit of the specific range, the input of new inorganic filler material is eliminated. Here, "specific gravity" is a physical property that has almost the same value as "density," so in this application, "density" and "specific gravity" are treated as synonyms. The same terms will be used in the following documents.

[0007] The manufacturing method of the present invention also includes the following means: Means 2 is a manufacturing method of an RP material by melting and kneading the RP material so that the material density is within a specific range of 1.00 g / cm3 to 1.30 g / cm3, characterized by having the following steps: a PE-major component calculation step for calculating the amount of PE-major component resin material (which may consist of PE only) to be added based on the material density; a used PE resin calculation step for calculating the amount of used PE resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) obtained from used resin material to be added based on the calculation result of the PE-major component calculation step; and an inorganic filler calculation step for determining the amount of inorganic filler to be added based on the amounts of PE-major component resin material and used PE resin material to be added so that the material density after melt-kneading of the RP material falls within the specific range. Note that if the inorganic filler component calculation step determines that the inorganic filler component after melt-kneading of the RP material exceeds the upper limit of the specific range, no new inorganic filler material is added.

[0008] The RP material of the present invention has the following means: Means 3 is an RP material produced by melt-kneading so that the material density is within a specific range of 1.00 g / cm3 or more and 1.30 g / cm3 or less, the RP material containing: a PP-based resin material (which may consist of only PP) whose main component is PP and whose input amount is calculated and input based on the material density after melt-kneading; a used PP resin material obtained from used resin material (which may contain an inorganic filler component) and whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amount of the PP-based resin material; and an inorganic filler material whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amounts of the PP-based resin material and used PP resin material, and the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading is within the specific range.

[0009] The RP material of the present invention has the following means: Means 4 is an RP material produced by melt-kneading so that the material density is within a specific range of 1.00 g / cm3 or more and 1.30 g / cm3 or less, and is characterized in that it contains: a PE-based resin material (which may consist of only PE) whose main component is PE and whose input amount is calculated and input based on the material density after melt-kneading; a used PE resin material obtained from used resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) and whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amount of the PE-based resin material; and an inorganic filler material whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amounts of the PE-based resin material and used PE resin material, and the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading is within the specific range.

[0010] Means 5 includes the following means. That is, the RP material is produced by melt-kneading a PP-based resin material, used PP resin material, and inorganic filler material to a predetermined component mixing ratio in the manufacturing method for the RP material described in Means 1, or by melt-kneading a PE-based resin material, used PE resin material, and inorganic filler material to a predetermined component mixing ratio in the manufacturing method for the RP material described in Means 2, and further by using an RP material produced by melt-kneading a PE-based resin material, used PE resin material, and inorganic filler material to a predetermined component mixing ratio in Means 3, or by using an RP material in Means 4, where the PP-based resin material, used resin material, and inorganic filler material are melt-kneaded to a predetermined component mixing ratio. Containers, plastic containers (including those for transportation or storage), pallets (for transportation or storage), dollies, pool floors, storage tanks, food packaging sheets, and food packaging containers are formed using these RP materials.

[0011] Other means may include the following. In Means 1 or 2, in the manufacturing method of the RP material, it is desirable that the target flexural modulus of the RP material after melt-kneading is 1100 MPa or more. In Means 3 or 4, with respect to the RP material manufactured by melt-kneading, it is desirable that the target flexural modulus of the RP material after melt-kneading is 1100 MPa or more. Products (merchandise) other than those described in Means 5 may be manufactured using the RP material manufactured by the manufacturing method of the RP material described in Means 1 or 2 and the RP material described in Means 3 or 4. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an excellent RP material or a method for manufacturing an excellent RP material when manufacturing RP materials by extracting them from used plastic products, and by effectively utilizing recycled resin obtained from used plastic containers and packaging, it is possible to expand its use while being environmentally friendly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing process of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 3 is a flowchart showing the apparatus for separating and treating RP materials extracted from used plastic products according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart for calculating and processing input amounts of PP-based resin material, PE-based resin material, used PP resin material, used PE resin material, and used and unused talc. [Figure 4] This is a graph showing the characteristics of barged PP resin material, talc, and used PP resin material after adding a predetermined amount each and melting and kneading them. [Figure 5] This is a graph showing the characteristics of barged PE resin material, talc, and used PE resin material after adding a specified amount each and melting and kneading them. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. PP-based resin materials, which are primarily composed of PP (they may consist of only PP, but may also contain components other than PP), and PE-based resin materials, which are primarily composed of PE (they may consist of only PE, but may also contain components other than PE), are sometimes collectively referred to as the first resin material. Used PP resin materials and used PE resin materials are sometimes collectively referred to as the second resin material. Talc is sometimes abbreviated to inorganic filler material as talc. The PP-based component calculation step and the PE-based component calculation step are sometimes collectively referred to as the first calculation step. The used PP resin material calculation step and the used PE calculation step are sometimes collectively referred to as the second calculation step. The inorganic filler material calculation step is sometimes referred to as the third calculation step.

[0015] In this embodiment, the specific range is a range in which the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading is 1.00 g / cm 3 or more and 1.30 g / cm 3 or less. The RP material of the first embodiment contains a PP main component resin material (first resin material) whose main component is PP and whose input amount is calculated and input based on the material density after melt-kneading, a used PP resin material (second resin material) obtained from used resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) and whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amount of the PP main component resin material, and an inorganic filler material whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amounts of the PP main component resin material and used PP resin material, and the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading is within a specific range (a range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less).

[0016] The RP material of the first embodiment described above is similar to "an embodiment in which the RP material contains used PP resin material (second resin material) obtained from used resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) and the input amount is calculated and input, a PP main component resin material (first resin material which may consist of only PP) whose main component is PP and the input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amount of the used PP resin material, and an inorganic filler material whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amounts of the PP main component resin material and used PP resin material, and the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading is within a specific range (a range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less)."

[0017] The second type of RP material contains a PE-based resin material (first resin material) whose main component is PE and whose input amount is calculated and input based on the material density after melt-kneading, a used PE resin material (second resin material) obtained from a resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) that falls within the used range based on the calculated input amount of the PE-based resin material, and whose input amount is calculated and input, and an inorganic filler material whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amounts of the PE-based resin material and used PE resin material, and the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading is within a specific range (a range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less).

[0018] The RP material of the second embodiment described above is similar in content to an embodiment in which "it contains used PE resin material (second resin material) obtained from used resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) and the input amount is calculated and input, PE-based resin material (first resin material) whose main component is PE and the input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amount of used PE resin material, and inorganic filler material whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amounts of PE-based resin material and used PE resin material, and the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading is within a specific range (a range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less)."

[0019] The first embodiment of the manufacturing method for RP material preferably includes a PP main component calculation step for calculating the amount of PP main component resin material (which may consist of only PP, and is the first resin material) to be added, based on the material density after melt-kneading of the RP material; a used PP resin material calculation step for calculating the amount of used PP resin material (which may contain an inorganic filler component, and is the second resin material) obtained from used resin material to be added, based on the calculation results of the PP main component calculation step; and an inorganic filler material calculation step for determining the amount of inorganic filler material to be added, based on the amount of PP main component resin material and the amount of used PP resin material to be added, so that the material density after melt-kneading of the RP material is within a specific range (a range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less).

[0020] The manufacturing method for RP material of the first embodiment described above is similar to "an embodiment having a used PP resin material calculation step to calculate the amount of PP main component resin material (which may consist of only PP) to be added based on the material density after melt-kneading of the RP material, a PP main component calculation step to calculate the amount of PP main component resin material (which may consist of only PP) to be added based on the calculation result of the used PP resin material calculation step, and an inorganic filler material calculation step to determine the amount of inorganic filler material to be added based on the amount of PP main component resin material (first resin material) to be added and the amount of used PP resin material (second resin material) to be added so that the material density after melt-kneading of the RP material is within a specific range (a range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less)," so the order of the PP main component calculation step and the used PP resin material calculation step may be changed.

[0021] The second embodiment of the method for manufacturing an RP material preferably includes a PE main component calculation step for calculating the amount of PE-main component resin material (which may consist of only PE, and is referred to as the first resin material) to be added, based on the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading; a used PE resin material calculation step for calculating the amount of used PE resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) obtained from used resin material to be added, based on the calculation results of the PE main component calculation step; and an inorganic filler material calculation step for determining the amount of inorganic filler material to be added, based on the amount of PE-main component resin material and the amount of used resin material to be added, so that the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading is within a specific range (a range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less).

[0022] The manufacturing method for RP material of the second embodiment described above is similar to the embodiment having "a used PE resin material calculation step to calculate the amount of PE-main component resin material (which may consist of only PE, and is referred to as the first resin material) to be added based on the material density after melt-kneading of the RP material; a PE-main component calculation step to calculate the amount of PE-main component resin material (which may consist of only PE, and is referred to as the first resin material) to be added based on the calculation result of the used PE resin material calculation step; and an inorganic filler calculation step to determine the amount of inorganic filler material to be added based on the amount of PE-main component resin material (first resin material) to be added and the amount of used PE resin material (second resin material) to be added so that the material density after melt-kneading of the RP material is within a specific range (a range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less)." Therefore, the order of the PE-main component calculation step and the used PE resin material calculation step may be changed.

[0023] As a third aspect, a third aspect may be adopted in which the RP material contains PP and PE as the main components, PP-based resin material and PE-based resin material (first resin material) whose input amounts are calculated and input based on the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading, used PP resin material d and used PE resin material (second resin material) obtained from used resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) and whose input amounts are calculated and input based on the calculated input amounts of PP-based resin material and PE-based resin material, and inorganic filler material whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amounts of PP-based resin material, PE-based resin material, used PP resin material, and used PE resin material, and the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading is within a specific range (a range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less).

[0024] In this embodiment, first, a food packaging sheet (generally consisting of three layers) formed by extrusion molding will be described. The food packaging sheet may be a single layer other than three layers, or may be a laminate of four or more layers. Furthermore, the thickness and layer ratio are not limited to those described above. Here, the term "sheet" also includes film-like materials. The food packaging sheet described above can be formed by vacuum forming or vacuum-pressure forming into lunch boxes (containers for storing food (container dimensions: approximately 235 mm long x 174 mm short x 34 mm deep) and a transparent lid to cover it) sold in supermarkets (retail stores) and the like. Note that the container is not limited to lunch boxes, and may also be used for salad containers and other food containers.

[0025] The food packaging sheet may be configured as a single-layer sheet made of new material (a first resin material made only of PP resin), but in the case of a food packaging sheet that directly packages food, the sheet layer that comes into contact with the food is preferably a sheet layer made of new material (a first resin material made only of PP resin) (i.e., a sheet that does not use recycled material). Therefore, a preferred configuration for a food packaging sheet that directly packages food is to have a sheet layer made of RP resin (a used resin material that includes PP resin, PE resin, and inorganic fillers) located in the middle (middle layer), and sheet layers made of new material (a first resin material made only of PP resin) located on the top and bottom of the sheet layer (middle layer) as surface layers (surface sheet layers).

[0026] Examples of molding methods for food packaging sheets and containers include known molding methods commonly used for known resin materials, etc. Specific examples include extrusion molding, vacuum molding (plug-assist molding, etc.), injection molding, ultra-high-speed injection molding, injection compression molding, two-color molding, gas-assisted and other hollow molding methods, molding using an insulated mold, molding using a rapidly heated mold, foam molding (including supercritical fluid), insert molding, IMC (in-mold coating molding), thermoforming, rotational molding, laminate molding, press molding, and blow molding. Furthermore, the molding conditions for molding resin materials, etc., are not particularly limited, and can be determined appropriately depending on the type of resin material.

[0027] Next, the resin material of the food packaging container of this embodiment will be described. In this case, the RP material used as the resin material for food packaging containers consists of PP, PE-based resin material, which is mainly composed of PP and PE (it may consist of only PP or only PE, and may be simply referred to as "PP, PE-based resin material or first resin material"), used PP, PE resin material obtained from used resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components, etc., and may be simply referred to as "second resin material"), and talc (inorganic filler material) which is added if there is a shortage.

[0028] Used PP resin material (second resin material), used PE resin material (second resin material), used inorganic filler, etc. obtained from used resin material are prone to being mixed with foreign matter, and in reality, it is generally difficult to obtain only PP resin material, only PE resin material, or only inorganic filler material.For this reason, when used PP resin material (second resin material), used PE resin material (second resin material), and used talc (inorganic filler material) are used, the RP material that is melt-kneaded and molded may not necessarily achieve the desired numerical targets in terms of quality (characteristics) such as flexural modulus.

[0029] In contrast, PP-based resin materials (first resin materials) or PE-based resin materials (first resin materials) are often composed solely of PP or PE, without any foreign matter. Therefore, when using PP-based resin materials (first resin materials) primarily composed of PP alone, or PE-based resin materials (first resin materials) primarily composed of PE alone, the desired numerical targets for quality (characteristics) such as flexural modulus after melt-kneading of the RP material can generally be achieved. On the other hand, PP- and PE-based resin materials (first resin materials) are typically more expensive than post-consumer PP or post-consumer PE resin materials (second resin materials) obtained from post-consumer resin materials.

[0030] Under the above circumstances, the inventors and researchers of our group have discovered that if a PP main component resin material (first resin material) whose input amount is calculated and input, a used PP resin material (second resin material) obtained from used resin material whose input amount is calculated and input, and talc (inorganic filler material) whose input amount is calculated and input based on the input amount of the PP main component resin material (first resin material) and the input amount of used PP resin material (second resin material), it is possible to achieve desired numerical targets in terms of the quality (characteristics) of the RP material, such as the flexural modulus after melting and kneading, which is formed by melting and kneading these materials.

[0031] In this case, by reducing the amount of PP-based resin (first resin), which has a higher manufacturing cost compared to used PP resin (second resin), which has a lower manufacturing cost, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the RP material molded by melting and kneading.In addition, it was found that the quality (characteristics) of the RP material molded by melting and kneading the calculated and added PP-based resin (first resin), calculated and added used PP resin (second resin), and calculated and added talc (inorganic filler) can achieve the desired numerical targets in terms of the flexural modulus and other qualities (characteristics) after melting and kneading, compared to using only used PP resin (second resin).

[0032] Similarly, it was discovered that when a PE-based resin material (first resin material) whose input amount is calculated and input, a used PE resin material (second resin material) obtained from used resin material whose input amount is calculated and input, and talc (inorganic filler material) whose input amount is calculated and input based on the input amount of the PE-based resin material and the input amount of the used PE resin material are mixed together, the RP material molded by melting and kneading can achieve the desired numerical target in terms of quality (characteristics) such as flexural modulus after melting and kneading.

[0033] In this case, by reducing the amount of PE-based resin (first resin), which has a higher manufacturing cost compared to used resin (second resin), which has a lower manufacturing cost, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the RP material molded by melting and kneading.In addition, it was found that the quality (characteristics) of the RP material molded by melting and kneading the calculated and added PE-based resin (first resin), calculated and added used PE resin (second resin), and calculated and added talc (inorganic filler) can achieve the desired numerical targets in terms of the flexural modulus and other qualities (characteristics) after melting and kneading, compared to using only used PE resin (second resin).

[0034] The RP material used for the resin material of food packaging containers may be a PP-based resin material alone or a PE-based resin material alone, or as a modified example, a mixed resin material of both a PE-based resin material and a PE-based resin material. The used resin material may be a used PP resin material alone or a used PE resin material alone, or as a modified example, a mixed resin material of both a used PP resin material and a used PE resin material. The talc (inorganic filler) added to these PP-based resin materials and PE-based resin materials may be mixed with virgin talc (inorganic filler), or used talc (inorganic filler) (a mixture of both virgin and used talc (inorganic filler) may be used).The inorganic filler added to used PP resin materials and used PE resin materials may be mixed with virgin inorganic filler, or used inorganic filler (a mixture of both virgin and used talc (inorganic filler) may be used).

[0035] Resin materials for food packaging containers are expected to be PP resin, PE resin, and / or talc (inorganic filler) in addition to being used under regulations such as the Food Sanitation Act, in order to keep manufacturing costs low and to facilitate mass production, mass consumption, and mass disposal. PP resin generally has low manufacturing costs, excellent mechanical properties, transparency, chemical resistance, and processability. However, it has drawbacks such as poor impact resistance and low-temperature embrittlement.

[0036] Many methods have been proposed to overcome these drawbacks of PP resin, such as blending PE resin with PP. This is based on the idea that by combining PO-based resin (PP blended with PE resin), the mechanical properties of the entire composite material will improve. However, there is a concern that PO-based resin (PP blended with PE resin) may become too hot during incineration, which could damage the incinerator. To alleviate this concern, talc (inorganic filler) is sometimes added to PO-based resin materials (PP resin blended with PE resin) to reduce combustion calories and prevent damage to incinerators. When inorganic filler is added to PO-based resin materials (PP resin blended with PE resin), the elastic modulus, conductivity, heat resistance, and flame retardancy of molded products made from this resin material are improved, and safety is increased even when heated in a microwave oven, etc.

[0037] Under these circumstances, if the talc (inorganic filler) content is low, the rigidity of molded products made from resin materials tends to decrease. On the other hand, if the talc (inorganic filler) content is high, the weight of molded products made from resin materials increases, making it difficult to meet the demand for lightweight food packaging containers during mass transportation. Under these circumstances, the inventors and researchers from our group conducted extensive trial-and-error research into the content ratios when molding PO resin materials (PP resin blended with PE resin) and other materials. As a result, we found that blend ratios of PP resin component, PE resin component, and talc (inorganic filler) of 50%, 20%, and 30% demonstrated excellent results in terms of manufacturing cost, mechanical properties, electrical properties, light weight, chemical resistance, and processability, and that these blend ratios of PP resin component, PE resin component, and talc (inorganic filler) for food packaging containers are optimal. Any known inorganic filler can be used as long as it does not affect the properties of the plastic material and improves rigidity.

[0038] Examples of inorganic fillers include powders of carbonates, sulfates, silicates, phosphates, borates, oxides, or hydrates of calcium, magnesium, titanium, aluminum, iron, zinc, etc. Specific examples include calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, silica, alumina, clay, talc, potassium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, aluminum silicate, magnesium silicate, calcium silicate, aluminum sulfate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, magnesium phosphate, barium sulfate, silica sand, carbon black, zeolite, molybdenum, diatomaceous earth, sericite, shirasu, calcium sulfite, sodium sulfate, potassium titanate, bentonite, wollastonite, dolomite, and graphite. These may be contained alone or in combination of two or more.

[0039] Note that the component amounts (e.g., 50%, 20%, and 30%) when mixing the PP resin component, PE resin component, and talc (inorganic filler) component do not mean the numerical values ​​(50, 20, 30) themselves, but rather mean that the specific numerical values ​​(the aforementioned numerical values ​​50, 20, 30) have a certain range (tolerance range) of plus and minus bands (tolerance range) of the specific numerical value. The expression of a band for the mixing ratio for food packaging containers means that the numerical value for the mixing ratio for food packaging containers may also have a numerical range in addition to the numerical value itself.

[0040] When there is a positive or negative range for the numerical value, under the condition that the total of the mixed PP resin material component, PE resin material component, and talc (inorganic filler material) component is approximately 100% (written as approximately 100% because it may contain small amounts of other components), and in relation to the analytical accuracy of the component analysis, etc., the numerical value of 50% may be allowed to range from, for example, about 40 to 45% (a range (tolerance) of minus 10 to minus 5) to, for example, about 60 to 55% (a range (tolerance) of plus 10 to plus 5). Furthermore, the value 30% may allow a range of, for example, 20 to 25% (a band (tolerance) of minus 10 to minus 5) to, for example, 40 to 35% (a band (tolerance) of plus 10 to plus 5). Furthermore, the value 20% may allow a range of, for example, 10 to 15% (a band (tolerance) of minus 10 to minus 5) to, for example, 30 to 25% (a band (tolerance) of plus 10 to plus 5).

[0041] Note that the plus or minus 10 to 5 values ​​are not limited to these values ​​and may be other values. Furthermore, when appropriately changing a plus or minus value (e.g., plus 6) or a minus value (e.g., minus 6), the plus or minus value does not necessarily have to match the minus value; for example, it can be changed to a plus or minus value (e.g., plus 7) or a minus value (e.g., minus 3). The component ratios when mixing the PP resin component, the PE resin component, and the talc (inorganic filler) component may be changed to 35% to 50%, 5% to 35%, or 60% to 5%, provided that the total is approximately 100%. Hereinafter, the component amounts when mixing the PP resin component, the PE resin component, and the talc (inorganic filler) component will be expressed as "A%, B%, and C%." "A%, B%, and C%" may be, for example, "35%, 33%, and 32%," or "40%, 5%, and 55%."

[0042] In this embodiment, FIG. 2 shows an outline of the recycling process of RP materials. First, used packaging containers (hereinafter simply referred to as "containers" in FIG. 1) are collected from the market (S1). A variety of plastic resin materials are used for food packaging containers, including polypropylene (PP)-based resin, polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based resin, and polystyrene (PS)-based resin. In this embodiment, it is assumed that used packaging containers primarily composed of polypropylene (PP)-based resin have already been sorted and collected at the time of collection. If food packaging containers made of different materials are mixed, they may be appropriately sorted using infrared spectroscopy or the like. The collected used packaging containers must be debrided to detect their material components and material properties (S2). The method for debriding is not particularly limited, and may include visual debriding or wind power debriding.

[0043] Furthermore, the collected packaging containers must be washed (S3) in order to detect the material components and material properties of the resin material. The used packaging containers that have been cleaned and washed must be finely crushed (S4) in order to detect the material components and material properties of the resin material. It does not matter which step (S3) of washing the containers and the step (S4) of crushing the containers are performed first. Furthermore, the washed containers or crushed material may be subjected to a process to remove moisture by natural drying or using a dryer.

[0044] Generally, the crushing must be performed to reduce the size to a predetermined size (for example, about 30 mm) or less. Specifically, if the crushed recycled material is larger than the screen mesh, it will be stopped by the screen mesh, but if it is in a form of crushed recycled material smaller than the screen mesh, it can pass through the screen mesh. When the crushed recycled material becomes a size that roughly matches the mesh size, the size of the crushed recycled material is standardized. In the case of resin material (crushed recycled material) with a standardized size, if the components and component ratios of the resin material (crushed recycled material) are known, the size and specific gravity (material density) are known in advance, and therefore the weight of each component contained in the resin material can be determined.

[0045] Crushed recycled plastic materials (including resin materials, etc.) (hereinafter also referred to as "crushed RP materials, etc.") obtained from crushed food packaging containers are sorted in a sorting processing device 1 shown in Figure 1. (In Figure 2, this sorting process is referred to as primary sorting (S5).) Then, after the primary sorting (S5) shown in Figure 2, secondary sorting (S6) is carried out. In the case of this embodiment, secondary sorting (S6) involves processing of PP resin materials, PE resin materials, and talc, etc., as shown in Figure 3.

[0046] The pulverized RP material A1 proceeds to step S5 (the sorting process shown in Figure 1) immediately after step S4 in Figure 2. However, prior to step S5, a density-based sorting method (liquid specific gravity sorting, wet specific gravity sorting) or other process may be performed. For liquid specific gravity sorting, it is desirable to use water, which has a specific gravity of 1, to sort the pulverized RP material. By using water for liquid specific gravity sorting, pulverized RP material with a specific gravity less than 1 (equivalent to a material density of 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter) floats to the surface, while pulverized RP material with a specific gravity greater than 1 sinks, making sorting possible. Alternatively, a liquid with a specific gravity less than 1 can be obtained by mixing water with alcohol. Increasing the ratio of alcohol to water reduces the specific gravity of the mixed liquid; the specific gravity of alcohol alone is approximately 0.80.

[0047] There are no particular restrictions on the liquid used in liquid gravity separation, and it may have a specific gravity greater or less than 1. When performing liquid gravity separation, applying vertical vibrations to the water tank tends to move heavy crushed RP materials downward and lighter materials upward, improving the accuracy of separation.

[0048] From the viewpoint of sorting accuracy (target density), it may be set to 1.05 grams per cubic centimeter or more, or 1.1 grams per cubic centimeter or more. The reason for specifying the material density within the specified range of 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter or less is that it improves the elastic modulus, conductivity, heat resistance, and flame retardancy of molded products made from RP material, and also increases safety when heated in a microwave oven, etc. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of weight reduction (reducing transportation costs, etc.) and convenience during construction, it is desirable to set the density at a level similar to that of the product, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[0049] Crushed RP materials, etc. are processed using a sorting and processing device 1 shown in Figure 1 (this process is the primary sorting). Note that devices other than the sorting and processing device 1 may also be used to separate crushed RP materials, etc. Note that used crushed RP materials, etc. are assumed to be food packaging containers collected from the market, but may also include food packaging containers generated within factories and collected before being released to the market. Depending on the recycling situation, used crushed RP materials, etc. may be obtained only from food packaging containers collected before being released to the market.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 1, the sorting device 1 includes a conveyor belt 10 that receives pulverized RP materials A1 falling in the direction of arrow B0. As the conveyor belt 10 moves in the direction of arrow B1, the pulverized RP materials A1 are placed on a loading surface 10A and move in the direction of arrow B1. Specifically, a belt conveyor system is used, moving at a predetermined speed, to transport a large amount of pulverized RP materials A1 falling in the direction of arrow B0 within a predetermined time. Note that a roller system or other conveying system capable of transporting pulverized RP materials A1 may also be used to move the pulverized RP materials A1 in the direction of arrow B1 at a predetermined speed. Robotic and / or manual operations may be used during the transport process, as needed.

[0051] Specifically, the conveyor belt 10 is stretched between a rotating roller 11 on one side (upstream side) and a rotating roller 12 on the other side (downstream side), and both rotating rollers 11 and 12 rotate in a predetermined direction so that the loading surface 10A of the conveyor belt 10 moves in the direction of arrow B1. In this case, both rotating rollers 11 and 12 rotate at a predetermined speed under the control of a sorting control device (not shown), and thereby the loading surface 10A of the conveyor belt 10 moves in the direction of arrow B1 at the predetermined speed.

[0052] In this way, as the loading surface 10A of the conveyor belt 10 moves in the direction of arrow B1, the pulverized RP material A1 loaded on the loading surface 10A moves at a predetermined speed from the rotating roller 11 on one side (upstream side) to the rotating roller 12 on the other side (downstream side). A plastic sorting device 13 (hereinafter also referred to as P sorting device 13 for short) is disposed above the loading surface 10A of the conveyor belt 10, between the rotating rollers 11 and 12. The P sorting device 13 is configured to determine the components (materials) and component ratios of the pulverized RP material A1.

[0053] In this case, the P sorting device 13 preferably employs Raman spectroscopy, but an image identification method or the like may also be used in combination. Raman spectroscopy evaluates substances using Raman scattered light, and utilizes the principle that when light (laser light) is irradiated onto a substance, the light interacts with the substance, causing the emission of Raman scattered light with a different wavelength from the incident light. Identification devices using Raman spectroscopy generally consist of a light source, a spectroscope, and a detector, but as these are well known, detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0054] The signal obtained by spectroscopy is a Raman spectrum, with the horizontal axis representing wavelength and the vertical axis representing intensity. The sharp peaks that appear in the Raman spectrum are clearly detectable even with short exposure times. Therefore, by analyzing the Raman spectrum, it is possible to detect the P resin material being measured (e.g., "P resin material containing PP resin material and PE resin material or other resin materials," "P resin material containing talc and PP resin material or other resin materials," "P resin material containing talc and PE resin material or other resin materials," or other P resin materials). The detection process may involve robotic or human inspection, or both, as needed.

[0055] In this embodiment, talc components are often added to PP resin materials and PE resin materials, and component information of these PP resin materials, PE resin materials, and resin materials containing talc components is indicated by the phenomenon of peaks in the Raman spectrum. For example, when a talc component is mixed only with PP resin material, when a talc component is mixed only with PE resin material, or when a talc component is mixed into a mixture of PP resin material and PE resin material, each piece of information related to the mixture is detected as a unique peak in the Raman spectrum, making it possible to detect detailed component information (i.e., information such as the component ratios of the PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc component).

[0056] Specifically, detailed information on each mixed amount (component ratio) of PP resin material and talc component (hereinafter referred to as "information on PP resin material and talc component and component ratio") is detected (hereinafter this detection is referred to as "first detection"). Also, detailed information on each mixed amount (component ratio) of PE resin material and talc component (hereinafter referred to as "information on PE resin material and talc component and component ratio") is detected (hereinafter this detection is referred to as "second detection"). Furthermore, detailed information on each mixed amount (component ratio) of PP resin material, PE resin material and talc component (hereinafter referred to as "information on PP resin material, PE resin material and talc component and component ratio") is detected (hereinafter this detection is referred to as "third detection").

[0057] To achieve high-precision detection in these first to third detection processes, multivariate analysis is used, which enables comprehensive judgment from the entire spectrum. Discriminant analysis using multivariate analysis uses previously established training data as a basis for classification. In other words, this method sequentially compares the Raman spectrum of reflected light from the resin material to be detected with the Raman spectra of reflected light based on various resin materials registered in advance, and by referencing the matching Raman spectrum, the resin material to be detected (the object to be detected) can be found. Here, analytical methods that utilize molecular vibrations, such as Raman spectroscopy and mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy, are collectively referred to as vibrational spectroscopy.

[0058] An air jet 14 capable of blowing away the pulverized RP material A1 in the direction of arrow B2 is disposed downstream of the P sorting device 13. In this case, the two rotating rollers 11, 12, the P sorting device 13, and the air jet 14 are controlled by a sorting control device (not shown) so as to cooperate with each other. On the arrow B2 side of the rotating roller 12, a proximity sorting area 15 (hereinafter also simply referred to as area 15) is arranged at a position close to the rotating roller 12, and further, a distant sorting area 16 (hereinafter also simply referred to as area 16) is arranged at a position farther from the rotating roller 12. In the proximity sorting area 15, three (multiple) small areas 15A, 15B, 15C are arranged in order according to the distance from the rotating roller 12.

[0059] In this case, the pulverized RP material A2 blown in the direction of arrow B2 is sorted and controlled by the adjacent area sorting device 18A (described later), and distributed by component and weight to small areas 15A, 15B, and 15C (hereinafter simply referred to as area 15). Note that area 15 does not necessarily have to be in this form (three small areas), and may be, for example, two areas or four or more areas. In the process of distributing the pulverized RP material A2 by component and weight, either robotic operation, manual operation, or both may be used as needed.

[0060] Meanwhile, in the remote sorting area 16, three (or more) small areas 16A, 16B, and 16C (hereinafter collectively referred to as simply areas 16) are arranged in order according to the distance from the rotating roller 12. In this case, the remote area sorting device 19A (described later) is sorting controlled, and the pulverized RP material A3 blown in the direction of arrow B2 is distributed to the small areas 16A, 16B, and 16C by component and weight. Note that area 16 does not necessarily have to be in this form (three small areas), and may be, for example, two areas or four or more areas.

[0061] In the near sorting area 15, a near area control device 18 and a near area sorting device 18A are arranged to process the pulverized RP material, etc. A2 that falls into the area 15. Meanwhile, in the far sorting area 16, a far area control device 19 and a far area sorting device 19A are arranged to process the pulverized RP material, etc. A3 that falls into the area 16. The near area control device 18 and the near area selection device 18A are described in a simplified manner for ease of understanding. Similarly, the far area control device 19 and the far area selection device 19A are also described in a simplified manner for ease of understanding. The near area control device 18 and the far area control device 19 may be collectively referred to as the control devices 18 and 19. Furthermore, the near area sorting device 18A and the far area sorting device 19A, which are controlled by the control devices 18 and 19, respectively, may be abbreviated as sorting devices 18A and 19A. If the configuration is changed to use only crushed RP materials A2 and A3 using the P sorting device 13 and not material A4 (described later), areas 15 and 16 may be configured not to be equipped with the control devices 18 and 19 and the sorting devices 18A and 19A.

[0062] The near area sorting device 18A is preferably equipped with a Raman spectroscopy device to distribute the pulverized RP material A2 and other materials by component and weight. The far area sorting device 19A is preferably equipped with a Raman spectroscopy device to distribute the pulverized RP material A3 and other materials by component and weight. The sorting devices 18A and 19A may use both Raman spectroscopy and an image identification method, or may use a mid-infrared absorption optical identification method or a near-infrared absorption optical identification method (either one or a combination thereof) in addition to Raman spectroscopy. Further, the near area sorting device 18A is equipped with an air jet type distributor (not shown) to distribute the pulverized RP material, etc. A2 to area 15 by component and weight, but a distributor other than an air jet may also be equipped. The far area sorting device 19A is equipped with an air jet type distributor (not shown) to distribute the pulverized RP material, etc. A3 to area 16 by component and weight, but a distributor other than an air jet may also be equipped.

[0063] In detail, when pulverized RP material etc. A1 moves at a predetermined speed in the direction of arrow B1 on the conveyor belt 10, the P sorting device 13 identifies the material and weight of the pulverized RP material etc. A1 and controls the air jet 14 to spray an appropriate amount of air. In this case, the pulverized RP material etc. A1 moves at a predetermined speed in the direction of arrow B2, and by spraying a small amount of air from the air jet 14, the pulverized RP material etc. A1 falls into the proximity sorting area 15 close to the rotating roller 12 on the other side (downstream side) as pulverized RP material etc. A2 due to its weight (load depending on the components, etc.) and moving speed, etc. Then, based on the first to third detections (i.e., based on information on the component ratios and weights of PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc component (inorganic filler material)), the adjacent area sorting device 18A distributes the crushed RP material etc. A2 into each of the three areas 15A, 15B, and 15C according to component and weight.

[0064] When a large amount of air is sprayed from the air jet 14, the pulverized RP material A1 is blown far in the direction of arrow B2. In this case, depending on the weight (which depends on the components, etc.) of the pulverized RP material A1 and the moving speed, the pulverized RP material A1 falls as pulverized RP material A3 into the far sorting area 16 (areas 16A, 16B, 16C) far away from the rotating roller 12 on the other side (downstream side). Then, based on the first to third detections (i.e., based on information on the component ratios and weights of the PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc components), the remote area sorting device 19A distributes the crushed RP material, etc. A3 to each of the three areas 16A, 16B, and 16C according to component and weight. In this way, air from the air jet 14 and the air jet type distributor (not shown) can be used to separate the pulverized RP materials A2, A3 into the near sorting area 15 and the far sorting area 16. As a result, separation of the pulverized RP materials A2, A3 based on information on the component ratio and weight of the resin materials etc. results in a large amount of processing per hour, and the processing efficiency per hour of the pulverized RP materials A2, A3 is high.

[0065] In this case, the pulverized RP material A2 contains a large amount of talc (inorganic filler material), which is heavier than the pulverized RP material A3, and therefore, due to its weight, it falls into the nearby sorting area 15 (15A, 15B, 15C) even when air is sprayed from the air jet 14. On the other hand, if the pulverized RP material A3 is made of a RP resin material with a low specific gravity, when air is sprayed from the air jet 14, it falls into the distant sorting area 16 (areas 16A, 16B, 16C) away from the rotating roller 12 on the other side (downstream) because of its light weight. An RP resin material with a low specific gravity is, for example, one that contains a large amount of PP resin material and PE resin material and contains only a small amount of talc (inorganic filler material), which is heavy, or one that contains almost no talc (inorganic filler material), which is heavy.

[0066] In this embodiment, the proximity area control device 18 can control the operation of the proximity area sorting device 18A to process the pulverized RP material, etc. A2. That is, the proximity area sorting device 18A can sort out the PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc contained in the pulverized RP material, etc. A2, and detect the amounts of each of the PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc components.

[0067] At this time, the proximity area control device 18 is configured to supply the required amount of material A4 (described below) in the direction of arrow B3 depending on the processing status (necessary). That is, the material falling in the direction of arrow B3 is supplied in a separated form as PP resin material A4, PE resin material A5, and talc A6, and therefore, by controlling the operation of the proximity area sorter 18A, the proximity area control device 18 can feed predetermined amounts of PP resin material A4, PE resin material A5, and talc A6 into each of areas 15A, 15B, and 15C.

[0068] In this case, the materials (including PP resin material A4, PE resin material A5, and talc A6) added to each area 15 are based on the component ratios and weights of the pulverized RP material, etc. A2, with the goal of ultimately achieving a predetermined mixing ratio (A%, B%, and C%) of each component of PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc (inorganic filler material) for all resin materials stored in each area 15. When these target mixing ratios are A%, B%, and C%, these numbers may have the above-mentioned range (e.g., a tolerance of 35 to 45%, e.g., 25 to 35%). Here, the added materials (PP resin material A4, PE resin material A5, and talc A6) may be in a separate state or may be pre-mixed (blended).

[0069] Furthermore, the remote area control device 19 can control the operation of the remote area sorting device 19A to process the pulverized RP material, etc. A3. That is, the remote area sorting device 19A can sort out the PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc contained in the pulverized RP material, etc. A3, and detect the amounts of each of the PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc components.

[0070] At this time, the remote area control device 19 is configured to be able to supply the required amount of material A4 in the direction of arrow B3 depending on the processing situation (necessary). That is, material A falling in the direction of arrow B3 is supplied in a form in which PP resin material A4, PE resin material A5, and talc A6 are separated along the direction of arrow B3, and therefore the remote area control device 19 can control the operation of the remote area sorting device 19A to feed predetermined amounts of each of the PP resin material A4, PE resin material A5, and talc A6 components into each of areas 16A, 16B, and 16C.

[0071] In this case, the materials (PP resin material A4, PE resin material A5, and talc A6) to be fed into each area 16 are based on the information on the component proportions and weights of the pulverized RP material, etc. A3, with the goal that the PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc components will ultimately reach predetermined mixing ratios (A%, B%, and C%) for all the resin material stored in each area 16. When these target mixing ratios are A%, B%, and C%, these numbers may have the above-mentioned ranges (e.g., tolerance ranges of 35 to 45%, e.g., 25 to 35%).

[0072] As a result, the pulverized RP materials A2 and A3 are sorted and fed (sorting process) into areas 15 and 16 based on the information on component proportions and weights. Furthermore, when the pulverized RP materials A2 and A3 are mixed with the materials (PP resin material A4, PE resin material A5, and talc A6) fed into areas 15 and 16, the content of each of the materials (including PP resin material A4, PE resin material A5, and talc A6) stored in areas 15 and 16 is detected (detection process) based on the information on component proportions and weights.

[0073] Here, examples will be described. In Examples 1 and 2, containers collected from the market were crushed, washed, dried, and then subjected to liquid gravity separation using water. In Example 1 (RP resin 20%), the detected content of PP resin (recycled material) is 20%. In this case, by comparing the detection result of each content (PP resin content 20%) with the mixing ratios (A%, B%, and C%) for food packaging containers, which are predetermined mixtures of PP resin, PE resin, and talc (inorganic filler), based on this comparison result, the amount of PP resin (virgin PP resin or new material) to be added (PP resin A-20%), the amount of PE resin (virgin PE resin or new material) to be added (PE resin B%), and the amount of inorganic filler (new material) to be added (talc C%) can be calculated and added.

[0074] That is, the amounts of the missing components (PP resin, PE resin, and talc) are calculated and added so that the detection result (20% PP resin) falls within the range (allowable range) of the food packaging container mixing ratios (A%, B%, and C%). As a result, the final mixing ratio approaches the target mixing ratio of A% PP resin, B% PE resin, and C% talc.

[0075] In Example 1 (RP resin material 20%), the sorting devices 18A and 19A supply the missing PP resin material (virgin resin material), missing PE resin material (virgin resin material), and missing talc (new material) from the material A4 (new material) supplied in the direction of arrow B3. In this case, the PP resin material (virgin resin material) is supplied in an amount of A%, the PE resin material (virgin resin material) in an amount of B%, and the talc (new material) in an amount of C%.

[0076] 1, PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc can be supplied in the direction of arrow B3 so that the amount of PP resin material added is A%, the amount of PE resin material added is B%, and the amount of talc added is C%. As a result, with regard to the resin materials, etc. stored in areas 15 and 16, the predetermined amount of PP resin material is A%, the predetermined amount of PE resin material is B%, and the predetermined amount of talc is C%, which are desirable mixing ratios for the resin materials, etc. contained in food packaging containers.

[0077] In this case, the mixing ratios of PP resin material (PP-based resin material and used PP resin material), PE resin material (PE-based resin material and used PE resin material), and talc (virgin and used talc) are expressed as predetermined ratios of "A%, B%, C%" based on the mixing ratios for food packaging containers (A%, B%, and C%). Here, the mixing ratio of PP resin material is preferably about "1 / 6" PP-based resin material and "5 / 6" used PP resin material, but it may also be changed to about "1 / 2" PP-based resin material and "1 / 2" used PP resin material.

[0078] The mixing ratio of the PE resin material is preferably about "half" PE-based resin material and "half" PE component of used resin material, but other mixing ratios are also acceptable. The predetermined mixing ratios of the PP resin material consisting of PP-based resin material and used PP resin material, the PE resin material consisting of PE-based resin material and used PE resin material, and talc are set for products intended for food packaging containers. In this case, it is preferable to appropriately set the predetermined mixing ratios (A%, B%, and C%) of the resin materials that make up the product.

[0079] In the case of Example 1 (RP resin material 20%), it is assumed that the used PP resin material (recycled material) is 10%, the used PE resin material (recycled material) is 5%, and the used talc (recycled material) is 5%. In this case, by comparing the detection results of each content (10% used PP resin material, 5% used PE resin material, and 5% used talc) with the mixing ratios for food packaging containers (A%, B%, and C%), which are specified mixing ratios of PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc, the amount of PP resin material (new material) to be added that is insufficient, the amount of PE resin material (new material) to be added that is insufficient, and the amount of talc (new material) to be added that is insufficient can be set based on the comparison results.

[0080] That is, sorting devices 18A and 19A can supply material A4 (described below) in the direction of arrow B3 with (A-10)% PP resin (new material), (B-5)% PE resin (new material), and (C-5)% talc (new material) in the direction of arrow B3. In this case, areas 15 and 16 will ultimately contain A% PP resin (mixture of new and recycled material), B% PE resin (mixture of new and recycled material), and (C-5)% talc (mixture of new and recycled material). As a result, the resin materials stored—A% PP resin (mixture of new and recycled material), B% PE resin (mixture of new and recycled material), and (C-5)% talc (mixture of new and recycled material)—are desirable blend ratios for resin materials used in food packaging containers.

[0081] In Example 2, it is assumed that the used PP resin component is 20%, the used PE resin component is 10%, and the used inorganic filler component is 10%. In this case, by comparing the detection results of each content (20% used PP resin, 10% used PE resin, and 10% used inorganic filler) with the predetermined mixing ratios of PP resin, PE resin, and inorganic filler for food packaging containers (A%, B%, and C%), it is possible to add the missing PP resin (new material) (A-20%), PE resin (new material) (B-10%), and inorganic filler (new material) (C-10%) based on the comparison results.

[0082] In other words, a predetermined amount of one or more of the missing components (PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc) can be added so that the detection results (20% used PP resin material, 10% used PE resin material, and 10% used talc material) fall within the range of the mixing ratios for food packaging containers (A%, B%, and C%).

[0083] Specifically, the sorting devices 18A and 19A can supply material A4 (new material) along the direction of arrow B3 so that predetermined amounts (PP resin material (new material) (A-20%), PE resin material (new material) (B-10%), and talc (new material) (C-10%) equivalent to one or more of the missing components are added as material A4 (new material) along the direction of arrow B3.

[0084] In this case, A% PP resin material (a mixture of new and recycled materials), B% PE resin material (a mixture of new and recycled materials), and C% talc (a mixture of new and recycled materials) will ultimately be stored in areas 15 and 16. As a result, the resin materials stored, A% PP resin material (a mixture of new and recycled materials), B% PE resin material (a mixture of new and recycled materials), and C% talc (a mixture of new and recycled materials), are desirable mixture ratios for resin materials used in food packaging containers.

[0085] It is desirable to crush and wash the containers collected from the market, and then perform liquid gravity separation and vibrational spectroscopy (Raman spectroscopy, mid-infrared absorption). The sheets and / or containers for which physical properties such as flexural modulus have been measured may be crushed again, washed, and then subjected to liquid gravity separation and vibrational spectroscopy (Raman spectroscopy, mid-infrared absorption).

[0086] When the RP resin content is 100%, comparative experiments have shown that situations can occur where the food packaging mix ratio is not achieved, i.e., the PP resin component is not at the specified ratio (e.g., A%), the PE resin component is not at the specified ratio (e.g., B%), and the talc component is not at the specified ratio (e.g., C%). In these situations where the food packaging mix ratio is not achieved, new material A4 (PP resin, PE resin, and talc) is not supplied along the direction of arrow B3, so new PP resin, new PE resin, and new talc are not supplied to areas 15 and 16. In this case, the PP resin, PE resin, and talc contained in areas 15 and 16 do not achieve the desired mix ratio.

[0087] In addition, for the pulverized RP materials A2, A3 that fall into the above-mentioned sorting areas 15, 16, the sorting devices 18A, 19A can grasp the components and amounts of PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc component under the control of the control devices 18, 19. Furthermore, in a state where the pulverized RP materials A2, A3 and new material A4 are mixed (mixed state), the sorting devices 18A, 19A are configured to grasp the components of PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc component, respectively, as well as the amounts of PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc component, respectively.

[0088] Next, the control of the control devices 18 and 19 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, first, it is detected whether the detection target contains a second resin material obtained from used PP / PE resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) (S11). That is, if it is determined that the detection target is not the second resin material (NO in S11), it is detected whether the detection target is a first resin material whose main component is a PP / PE resin material component (which may contain inorganic filler components) (S12). If it is determined that the detection target is not the first resin material (NO in S12), it is detected whether the detection target is talc (an inorganic filler component) (S13). Note that if the detection target is not talc (NO in S13), it is detected whether the detection target is the second resin material (S11). The order of determining whether the detection target contains the second resin material (S11), whether it contains the first resin material (S12), and whether it contains a talc component (S13) is not limited to this order. That is, the order may be to determine whether the detection target contains the first resin material (S12) and then determine whether the detection target contains the second resin material (S11).

[0089] If it is determined that the detected material is the second resin material (YES in S11), the used PP resin material, used PE resin material components, and used talc components contained in the second resin material to be detected are detected (S14). Detecting the amounts of the PP resin material components, PE resin material components, and talc components contained in the second resin material allows the input amount of the second resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) to be calculated, and the input amount is calculated and the second resin material is input (S15). These steps correspond to the second calculation step (used PP resin material calculation step, used PE resin material calculation step) that calculates the input amounts of used PP resin material, used PE resin material, and used talc components (including inorganic filler components) obtained from used PE container and packaging materials.

[0090] In this case, for RP materials with a specific density range of 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter or less, the amounts of used PP / PE resin components and talc components obtained from used resin materials (which may contain inorganic filler components) are detected. Then, based on the calculated amount of used PP / PE resin material (second resin material), the main component is set to PP / PE, and the amount of PP / PE-based resin material (first resin material) to be added is calculated, and the PP / PE-based resin material (first resin material) is added. Then, based on the calculated amounts of PP / PE-based resin material (first resin material) and used PP / PE resin material (second resin material), the amount of inorganic filler to be added is calculated so that the material density after melt-kneading of the RP material falls within the specific range, and the calculated inorganic filler material is added.

[0091] When detecting whether pulverized RP materials A2, A3 contain used PP resin materials and used talc components (including inorganic filler components), this detection process corresponds to the PP detection process. When detecting whether pulverized RP materials A2, A3 contain PE resin components, this detection process corresponds to the PE detection process. When detecting whether pulverized RP materials A2, A3 contain talc components, this detection process corresponds to the talc detection process.

[0092] If it is determined that the first resin material is a resin material that is primarily composed of PP or PE (YES in S12), the PP resin component, PE resin component, and talc component contained in the first resin material as the detection target are detected (S16). Once the amounts of PP resin component, PE resin component, and talc component contained in the first resin material are detected, the input amount of the first resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) can be calculated based on the calculated input amount of the second resin material, and once the input amount is calculated, the first resin material is input (S17). These steps correspond to the PP / PE main component calculation step, which calculates the input amount of the first resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) that is primarily composed of PP or PE.

[0093] If the detection target is determined to be talc (YES in S13), the talc component as the detection target is detected, and the amount of the missing talc component is detected based on the calculated amounts of the first resin material and the second resin material added (S18). Once the amount of talc component is detected, the amount of missing talc added can be calculated, so the amount of missing talc added is calculated based on the calculated amounts of the first resin material and the second resin material added, and the missing talc is added (S19). These steps correspond to the inorganic filler material calculation step.

[0094] With respect to the pulverized RP material A2, A3 or material (when virgin PP resin material A4, virgin PE resin material A5, and talc A6 are mixed) to be fed, the control devices 18, 19 detect whether or not the material contains a PE resin component, and when detecting the amount of the PE resin component, this detection process corresponds to a PE detection process. When the control devices 18, 19 detect whether or not the material contains a PP resin component, and when detecting the amount of the PP resin component, this detection process corresponds to a PP detection process. When the control devices 18, 19 detect whether or not the material contains a talc component, and when detecting the amount of the talc component, this detection process corresponds to a talc detection process.

[0095] The performance evaluation of the food packaging containers and food packaging sheets yielded the following results: The sheet flexural modulus was measured using an Autograph AGS-X manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation in accordance with JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) K7171 under the following measurement conditions: distance between supports: 30 mm, bending speed: 20 mm / min. Regarding the flexural modulus, the flexural modulus (MD) of Example 1 was 4320 MPa, and the flexural modulus (MD) of Example 2 was 4581 MPa. It was found that Examples 1 and 2 had a flexural modulus (MD) of 1100 MPa or more, and thus had sufficient mechanical strength. In contrast, in a comparative experiment, the flexural modulus was 983 MPa, less than 1100 MPa, and thus did not have sufficient mechanical strength. It is desirable that the target flexural modulus of the RP material after melt-kneading is 1100 MPa or more.

[0096] The material density can be measured using an electronic hydrometer SD-200L (manufactured by Alpha Mirage Co., Ltd.) according to the density and specific gravity measurement method (JIS K7112). The density of Example 1 was 1.15 grams per cubic centimeter, and the density of Example 2 was 1.16 grams per cubic centimeter, so gravity separation is possible.

[0097] A drop test was conducted to assess the container's physical properties. A 250 g weight was placed inside the container, and the thermoformed lid was placed on top. The container was then stored for 24 hours at 23°C. Then, the containers were dropped from a height of 1 m (n=10) in the same atmosphere, and the containers were visually inspected for cracks and the number of broken pieces was counted. In the drop test, none of Examples 1 and 2 were broken, but in a comparative experiment, when the RP resin was 100%, 5 out of 10 pieces were broken when the PP resin component, PE resin component, and inorganic filler component were not in the specified ratio (i.e., when the component mixture ratios of the PP resin component, PE resin component, and inorganic filler component did not reach the food packaging mixture ratios of A%, B%, and C%). This demonstrates that Examples 1 and 2 have excellent impact resistance, etc.

[0098] According to the above-described embodiment, the manufacturing method for manufacturing RP material so that the material density is within a specific range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less includes a PP / PE main component calculation step for calculating the amount of a first resin material (which may consist of only PP or PE) containing PP and PE as its main components to be added, a second calculation step for calculating the amount of a second resin material (used PP / PE resin material: which may contain inorganic filler components) obtained from used PP container packaging materials to be added based on the calculation results of the PP / PE main component calculation step, and a third calculation step (inorganic filler calculation step) for determining the amount of inorganic filler material to be added based on the amount of the first resin material and the amount of the second resin material to be added so that the material density after melt-kneading of the RP material is within a specific range.

[0099] According to the above-described embodiment, the RP material has a specific material density range of 1.00 g / cm3 to 1.30 g / cm3, and contains a first resin material (which may consist of only PP or PE) whose main components are PP and PE, a calculated amount of second resin material (used PP resin material and used PE resin material) derived from used resin material (which may contain inorganic filler) based on the calculated amount of the first resin material, and an inorganic filler material whose amount is calculated based on the calculated amounts of the first and second resin materials. The melt-kneaded material density of the RP material falls within the specific range. As a result, the molded resin material exhibits excellent manufacturing costs (low cost), mechanical and electrical properties, chemical resistance, processing characteristics, etc.

[0100] In particular, it was found that excellent effects were achieved when the target density of the RP material after the additional process was 1 gram per cubic centimeter or more and the flexural modulus was 1100 MPa or more. As a result, when manufacturing RP material for food packaging containers removed from used packaging containers, the manufacturing method for the RP material of this embodiment is excellent, and the food packaging sheet or food packaging container manufactured using this excellent manufacturing method is excellent.

[0101] According to the above-described embodiment, the RP material for food packaging containers removed from used packaging containers can contain the following ingredients. That is, the used PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc (inorganic filler material) obtained from the RP material for food packaging containers, whose contents are detected, are supplemented with predetermined amounts of new PP resin material, new PE resin material, and talc (inorganic filler material) based on the detected contents of each of the PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc (inorganic filler material). In this case, based on the comparison results with the predetermined mixing ratio for food packaging containers, one or more missing components are added and melt-kneaded so that the detected contents fall within the range of the mixing ratio for food packaging containers. The RP material for food packaging containers manufactured in this manner exhibits excellent manufacturing costs, mechanical and electrical properties, chemical resistance, and processing characteristics. Therefore, when manufacturing RP material for food packaging containers removed from used packaging containers, the RP material is excellent, and the resulting food packaging sheet or food packaging container will be excellent.

[0102] Furthermore, based on the results of the detection of the detected PP resin, PE resin, and inorganic filler content in used RP food packaging containers and the detected content of used PP resin, PE resin, and inorganic filler, new PP resin, new PE resin, and talc (inorganic filler) can be mixed and compared with the predetermined food packaging container mixing ratio. Then, a predetermined amount of one or more missing components (new PP resin, PE resin, and inorganic filler) is added and melt-kneaded so that the resulting mixture falls within the food packaging container mixing ratio range (A%, B%, C%). As a result, the RP food packaging container exhibits excellent manufacturing costs (low cost), mechanical and electrical properties, chemical resistance, and processing characteristics in its final state after melting and molding. The RP food packaging container removed from used packaging containers is superior, and the food packaging sheets or food packaging containers manufactured using this RP material are also superior. RP materials removed from used packaging containers can be used for products other than food packaging sheets or food packaging containers.

[0103] An example of a product molded using RP materials is a pool floor. A pool floor consists of a top plate on which pool users (such as short children) stand and multiple legs that support the top plate from below. This reduces the risk of drowning when short children stand on the top plate in water, as their heads remain above water. If the material density of the components that make up the product (pool floor top plate and legs) is 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter or more, the specific gravity (material density) is greater than that of water, and the components that make up the product (pool floor top plate and legs) will sink under their own weight, preventing them from floating up out of the water.

[0104] Furthermore, by installing underground storage tanks capable of storing large amounts of water or other liquids, above-ground space can be utilized more effectively. If the material density is 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter or less, the tank is likely to float up from the ground in the event of an unexpected disaster or other event that causes a large amount of water to be trapped around the tank. However, if the material density of the storage tank itself is 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter or more, the specific gravity (material density) is greater than that of water, causing the storage tank to sink underground, reducing the risk of the storage tank itself floating up from the ground.

[0105] If the material density of the pool floor (pool floor top and legs) and products including the components that make up the storage tank is 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter or less, the weight of the products can be reduced when storing or transporting them when they are installed in swimming facilities such as pools or storage tank facilities (indoor or outdoor). This can contribute to reducing costs such as shipping costs for the products.

[0106] Pool floors and storage tanks are given as examples of products used in relation to water, but other products may also be used. In this case, it is beneficial to set the material density of the RP material to 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter or more, so that the product will sink under its own weight, and avoid products that pose a risk of floating due to the presence of water. Also, by setting the material density of products including parts to 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter or less, the product will be lighter when transported to the installation site on a truck or other transportation means, which will be beneficial for reducing costs.

[0107] Products molded using RP materials may be used for purposes other than pool floors and storage tanks, depending on the intended use. For example, they may be containers, plastic containers (including those for transportation or storage), pallets (for transportation or storage), or carts. The resin materials used to make these containers, plastic containers (including those for transportation or storage), pallets (for transportation or storage), carts, and other products may be a mixture of PP-based resin, used PP resin, and inorganic filler, or a mixture of PE-based resin, used PE resin, and inorganic filler, with the ratios appropriately set. In this case, the mixture is preferably in a predetermined ratio, and the predetermined mixture ratio is determined to be the optimum ratio (A%, B%, and C%) for each product. In this case, the mixing ratio of PP resin material (PP-based resin material and used PP resin material), PE resin material (PE-based resin material and used PE resin material), and talc (virgin talc and used talc) is determined based on the known mixing ratios (A%, B%, and C%) for each product, and the amounts of PP resin material, PE resin material, and talc (PP-based resin material, used PP resin material, PE-based resin material, used PE resin material, virgin talc, and used talc) added are adjusted to achieve the predetermined ratios (A%, B%, and C%). This results in an RP material with a material density in the specified range of 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter or less, making it suitable for use in water, for example.

[0108] In Example 1 shown in Figure 4, when the component ratio of virgin PP resin (25%), the component ratio of recycled PP resin (60%), and the component ratio of talc (15%) was used, the specific gravity (material density) was 1.01 grams / cubic centimeter (in the range of 1.00 to 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter), the flexural modulus was 1260 MPa, and sufficient mechanical strength was obtained (flexural modulus of 1100 MPa or more is preferred). Similarly, in Example 2 (see Figure 4), when the component ratio of virgin PP resin (10%), the component ratio of recycled PP resin (60%), and the component ratio of talc (30%) was used, the specific gravity (material density) was 1.13 grams / cubic centimeter (in the range of 1.00 to 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter), the flexural modulus was 1110 MPa, and sufficient mechanical strength was obtained. Similarly, in Example 3 (see Figure 4), when the component ratio of virgin PP resin material (10%), the component ratio of recycled PP resin material (45%), and the component ratio of talc (45%) were used, the specific gravity (material density) was 1.28 grams / cubic centimeter (in the range of 1.00 to 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter), and the flexural modulus was 1150 MPa, indicating sufficient mechanical strength.

[0109] In contrast, in Comparative Example 1 shown in Figure 4, when the component ratio of virgin PP resin material (30%), the component ratio of recycled PP resin material (60%), and the component ratio of talc (10%) was used, the flexural modulus was 1320 MPa, but the material density (specific gravity) was 0.96 grams / cubic centimeter, which was less than 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter. Similarly, in Comparative Example 2, when the component ratio of virgin PP resin material (10%), the component ratio of recycled PP resin material (40%), and the component ratio of talc (50%) was used, the flexural modulus was 1160 MPa, but the material density (specific gravity) was 1.35 grams / cubic centimeter, which was more than 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter.

[0110] In Example 1 shown in Figure 5, when the component ratio of virgin PE resin (40%), recycled PE resin (45%), and talc (15%) was used, the specific gravity (material density) was 1.04 grams / cubic centimeter (1.00 to 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter) and the flexural modulus was 1220 MPa, demonstrating sufficient mechanical strength. Similarly, in Example 2 (see Figure 5), when the component ratio of virgin PE resin (35%), recycled PE resin (35%), and talc (30%) was used, the specific gravity (material density) was 1.16 grams / cubic centimeter (1.00 to 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter) and the flexural modulus was 1110 MPa, demonstrating sufficient mechanical strength. Similarly, in Example 3 (see Figure 5), when the component ratio of virgin PE resin material (30%), the component ratio of recycled PE resin material (30%), and the component ratio of talc (40%) were used, the specific gravity (material density) was 1.27 grams / cubic centimeter (in the range of 1.00 to 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter), and the flexural modulus was 1120 MPa, indicating sufficient mechanical strength.

[0111] In contrast, in Comparative Example 1 shown in Figure 5, when the virgin PE resin content (30%), recycled PE resin content (60%), and talc content (10%) were used, the material density (specific gravity) was 0.99 grams / cubic centimeter, or less than 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter. The flexural modulus was 980 MPa, less than 1100 MPa, indicating insufficient mechanical strength. Similarly, in Comparative Example 2, when the virgin PE resin content (25%), recycled PE resin content (30%), and talc content (45%) were used, the flexural modulus was 1060 MPa. The material density (specific gravity) was 1.32 grams / cubic centimeter, or more than 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter.

[0112] In addition to used plastic containers and packaging to which the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law applies, the following can be used as RP materials. For example, resin materials obtained from RP materials that are not subject to the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law but are subject to the Home Appliance Recycling Law can be used. This resin material can be said to be resin material derived from the Home Appliance Recycling Law. Resin materials that are not subject to the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law but are subject to the Automobile Recycling Law can also be used. This resin material is called resin material derived from the Automobile Recycling Law. RP resin materials obtained from general RP materials that are not subject to the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law, Home Appliance Recycling Law, or Automobile Recycling Law can also be used in products.

[0113] For the reasons stated above, it is desirable that the density of the resin material that makes up these containers, plastic containers (including those used for transportation or storage), pallets (for transportation or storage), trolleys, and other products (goods) be 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter or less.

[0114] RP materials can be used to manufacture containers, plastic containers (including those for transport or storage), pallets (for transport or storage), trolleys, pool floors, storage tanks, food packaging sheets or containers, and other products (merchandises). In this case, the specific range of material performance should preferably satisfy one of the following conditions (1) to (3): (1) MFR (based on JIS K7210) of 3.0 g / 10 min or more, (2) flexural modulus (based on JIS K7171) of 1100 MPa or more, and (3) Izod impact strength (based on JIS K7110) of 5.0 kJ / m or more. 2 Set it to be equal to or greater than this.

[0115] In the case of the above-mentioned RP material manufacturing method, as described in Non-Patent Document 1, in a situation where a large amount of second resin material obtained from used plastic packaging containers (which may contain inorganic filler components) is distributed but cannot be effectively utilized, a first resin material whose main component is PP and whose input amount is calculated and added is mixed into the second resin material, and the missing inorganic filler components other than the first and second resin materials are melt-kneaded, thereby improving the material's physical properties (such as flexural modulus) and improving the limited use situation. As a result, the second resin material, which is distributed in large quantities as a recycled material, can be used in a more environmentally friendly manner than before, and the use of RP materials subject to the Home Appliance Recycling Act, Automobile Recycling Act, Containers and Packaging Recycling Act, etc. (resin materials derived from the Home Appliance Recycling Act, Automobile Recycling Act, resin materials derived from the Containers and Packaging Recycling Act, etc.) can be effectively promoted.

[0116] The following supplementary notes are provided: Supplementary note 1 is a manufacturing method for producing an RP material by melt-kneading it so that the material density falls within a specific range of 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter or less, the method comprising: a polypropylene-main-component calculation step for calculating an input amount of a PP-main-component resin material (which may consist of only PP) containing PP as a main component based on the material density after melt-kneading; a used polypropylene resin calculation step for calculating an input amount of a used PP resin material (which may contain an inorganic filler component) obtained from a used resin material based on the calculation result of the polypropylene-main-component calculation step; and an inorganic filler calculation step for determining an input amount of an inorganic filler material based on the input amounts of the PP-main-component resin material and the input amounts of the used PP resin material so that the material density after melt-kneading of the RP material falls within a specific range.

[0117] As appendix 2, a manufacturing method for producing RP material by melting and kneading it so that the material density is within a specific range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less, characterized by having a PE main component calculation step for calculating the amount of PE main component resin material (which may consist of PE only) to be added based on the material density after melting and kneading, a used polyethylene resin material calculation step for calculating the amount of used PE resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) obtained from used resin material to be added based on the calculation result of the polyethylene main component calculation step, and an inorganic filler material calculation step for determining the amount of inorganic filler material to be added based on the amount of PE main component resin material to be added and the amount of used PE resin material to be added so that the material density after melting and kneading of the RP material is within a specific range.

[0118] As appendix 3, an RP material is manufactured by melt-kneading so that the material density is within a specific range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less, and contains: a PP main component resin material (which may consist of only PP) whose main component is PP and whose input amount is calculated and input based on the material density after melt-kneading; used PP resin material obtained from used PP products (which may contain inorganic filler components) and whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amount of the PP main component resin material and used PP resin material; and an inorganic filler material whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amounts of the PP main component resin material and used PP resin material, and is characterized in that the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading is within the specific range.

[0119] As appendix 4, an RP material is manufactured by melt-kneading so that the material density is within a specific range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less, and is characterized in that it contains: a PE-based resin material (which may consist of only polyethylene) whose main component is PE and whose input amount is calculated and input based on the material density after melt-kneading; a used PE resin material obtained from used PE products (which may contain inorganic filler components) and whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amount of the polyethylene-based resin material; and an inorganic filler material whose input amount is calculated and input based on the calculated input amounts of the PE-based resin material and used PE resin material, and the material density of the RP material after melt-kneading is within the specific range.

[0120] Supplementary Note 5: The RP material is produced by melting and kneading a PP-based resin material, used PP resin material, and inorganic filler material to a predetermined mixing ratio in the manufacturing method of the RP material described in Means 1, or by melting and kneading a PE-based resin material, used PE resin material, and inorganic filler material to a predetermined mixing ratio in the manufacturing method of the RP material described in Means 2. Furthermore, the RP material is produced by melting and kneading a PE-based resin material, used PE resin material, and inorganic filler material to a predetermined mixing ratio in the manufacturing method of the RP material described in Means 3, or by using an RP material with a PP-based resin material, used PP resin material, and inorganic filler material to a predetermined mixing ratio in the RP material described in Means 4. The containers, plastic containers (including those for transportation or storage), pallets (for transportation or storage), carts, pool floors, storage tanks, food packaging sheets or containers, and other products (merchandises) produced using such RP materials are excellent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 1. Separation processing device, 10. Conveyor belt, 13. P sorting device, 14. Air jet, 15. Close-up sorting area, 16··Far-field sorting area, 18··Proximity area control device, 19··Remote area control device, A1: Crushed RP materials, etc. (used resin materials, inorganic filler materials), A2: Crushed RP materials, etc. (used resin materials, inorganic filler materials), A3: Crushed RP materials, etc. (used resin materials, inorganic filler materials), A4··New PP resin material (PP main component resin material, first resin material), A5: New PE resin material (PE-based resin material, first resin material), A6··New talc (inorganic filler material), B1, B2, B3··Arrow, S11 Second resin detection (used PP resin calculation step, used PE resin calculation step, second calculation step) S12: First resin detection (PP main component calculation step, PE main component calculation step, first calculation step), S13 Talc detection (inorganic filler calculation step, third calculation step) S14 PP, PE, and talc detection (used PP resin calculation step, used PE resin calculation step, inorganic filler calculation step, second calculation step), S15··Calculation input (used polypropylene resin calculation step, used polyethylene resin calculation step, second calculation step), S16··PP·PE·Talc detection (PP principal component calculation step, PE principal component calculation step, first calculation step), S17··Calculation input (PP principal component calculation step, PE principal component calculation step, first calculation step), S18: Missing talc detection (inorganic filler calculation step, third calculation step), S19··Calculation input (inorganic filler calculation step, third calculation step), PP··Polypropylene (polypropylene resin material·PP resin material), PE··Polyethylene (polyethylene resin material·PE resin material), RP Materials: Recycled Plastic Materials

Claims

1. A manufacturing method for melting and kneading recycled plastic materials so that the material density is within a specific range of 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter or less, A polypropylene main component calculation step of calculating the input amount of a polypropylene main component resin material (which may consist of only polypropylene) containing polypropylene as a main component based on the material density after melt-kneading; A used polypropylene resin calculation step of calculating the input amount of used polypropylene resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) obtained from used resin material based on the calculation result of the polypropylene main component calculation step; and an inorganic filler calculation step for determining the amount of inorganic filler to be added based on the amount of polypropylene-based resin material and the amount of used polypropylene resin material to be added so that the material density of the recycled plastic material after melt-kneading falls within the specified range.

2. A manufacturing method for melting and kneading recycled plastic materials so that the material density is within a specific range of 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter or less, A polyethylene main component calculation step of calculating the input amount of a polyethylene main component resin material (which may consist of only polyethylene) containing polyethylene as a main component based on the material density after melt-kneading; a used polyethylene resin material calculation step of calculating the input amount of used polyethylene resin material (which may contain inorganic filler components) obtained from used resin material based on the calculation result of the polyethylene main component calculation step; and an inorganic filler calculation step for determining the amount of inorganic filler to be added based on the amount of polyethylene-based resin material and the amount of used polyethylene resin material to be added so that the material density of the recycled plastic material after melt-kneading falls within the specified range.

3. A recycled plastic material produced by melt-kneading so that the material density is in a specific range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less, Based on the density of the material after melt mixing, the main component is polypropylene, and the amount of polypropylene-based resin material (which may consist of only polypropylene) is calculated and added. A used polypropylene resin material obtained from a used resin material (which may contain an inorganic filler component) based on the calculated input amount of the polypropylene-based resin material, and the input amount is calculated and input; and an inorganic filler material whose input amount is calculated based on the calculated input amounts of the polypropylene-based resin material and the used polypropylene resin material, A recycled plastic material characterized in that the material density of the recycled plastic material after melt-kneading falls within the specified range.

4. A recycled plastic material produced by melt-kneading so that the material density is in a specific range of 1.00 grams / cubic centimeter or more and 1.30 grams / cubic centimeter or less, Based on the density of the material after melt mixing, the main component is polyethylene, and the amount of polyethylene-based resin material (which may consist of only polypropylene) is calculated and added. A used polyethylene resin material obtained from a used resin material (which may contain an inorganic filler component) based on the calculated input amount of the polyethylene-based resin material, and the input amount is calculated and input; and an inorganic filler material whose input amount is calculated based on the calculated input amounts of the polyethylene-based resin material and the used polyethylene resin material, A recycled plastic material characterized in that the material density of the recycled plastic material after melt-kneading falls within the specified range.

5. In the method for producing a recycled plastic material according to claim 1, the recycled plastic material is produced by melting and kneading the polypropylene-based resin material, the used polypropylene resin material, and the inorganic filler material so that the component mixing ratio is a predetermined ratio, or 3. The method for producing a recycled plastic material according to claim 2, wherein the recycled plastic material is produced by melt-kneading the polyethylene-based resin material, the used polyethylene resin material, and the inorganic filler material so that the component mixing ratio is a predetermined ratio, and further comprising:

4. The recycled plastic material according to claim 3, wherein the polypropylene-based resin material, the used polypropylene resin material, and the inorganic filler material have a predetermined component mixing ratio after melt-kneading; or 5. The recycled plastic material according to claim 4, wherein the polyethylene-based resin material, the used polyethylene resin material, and the inorganic filler material have a predetermined component mixing ratio after melt-kneading. Containers formed by using plastic containers (including those for transport or storage), pallets (for transport or storage), trolleys, pool floors, storage tanks, food packaging sheets or food packaging containers.

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