Chemical recycling of dried plastic granules

Abstract

Chemically recycle PET-containing dry granules from PET reclaimer facilities and / or manufacturers of PET products in an economically viable manner. [Solution] The PET-containing material used as a raw material may contain a certain amount of PET-containing dry granules. The PET-containing dry granules may be derived from various processes and facilities, including PET reclaimer facilities and / or manufacturers of PET products. The dry granules may be collected from solid-liquid separators and / or dust collectors from processes including the transport, drying, densification, centrifugal separation, and / or grinding of PET-containing plastic materials. Such dry granules are generally undesirable or unsuitable for use in mechanical PET recycling facilities and are usually sent to landfills and / or incinerators, but this process and facility utilizes the PET and other plastics present in these dry granules.

Claims

1. A method of recycling plastic waste, (a) A step of supplying a certain amount of PET-containing dried granules from the plastic waste to a chemical recycling facility, and (b) A step of depolymerizing at least a portion of the PET-containing dried granules in the chemical recycling facility. Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned amount of PET-containing dried granules contains at least 90% by weight of PET on a dry basis.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned amount of PET-containing dried granules contains at least 0.1 weight percent of copolyester on a dry basis.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned amount of PET-containing dried granules contains 50% by weight or less of polyolefin on a dry basis.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned amount of PET-containing dried granules contains 20% by weight or less of PVC on a dry basis.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dried granules are recovered from a solid-liquid separator and / or dust collector in a PET reclaimer facility and / or manufacturer of PET articles, and the dust is generated from the conveying, drying, densification, centrifugal separation process and / or grinding of PET-containing plastic materials.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the dried granules include dust formed during the PET reclaimer densification, extrusion, and / or packaging process.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the dried granules are directly supplied to the chemical recycling facility by a transport system that interconnects the chemical recycling facility to a PET reclaimer facility.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising the step of densifying the dried granules in the chemical recycling facility to form densely packed plastic particles having a D90 particle size of 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch) to 2.54 cm (1 inch) prior to the depolymerization step (b).

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of supplying the high-density plastic particles to a solvolysis facility within the chemical recycling facility.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising the step of supplying the dried granules through a screener and separating at least a portion of the dried granules having a D90 of less than 1,000 μm.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of densifying a portion of dry granules having a D90 of less than 1,000 μm to form densely packed plastic particles having a D90 particle size of 0.32 cm (1 / 8 inch) to 2.54 cm (1 inch).

13. Use of PET-containing dried granules as a raw material to be supplied to chemical recycling facilities.

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