New additives enhance recycled resin properties

From the spring 2022 issue of Plastics Recycling.

By Bruce Geiselman 

Additive suppliers BYK and BASF have responded to ongoing demand for circularity with new additives that maintain or boost the properties of recycled resins. 

BYK, a global supplier of specialty chemicals, introduced the Recyclobyk line of additives, designed to improve the quality of recycled resins, allowing new, high-quality applications, rather than downcycling them.  

The additives can be added to PE, PP and PET sourced from battery cases, bottles, pails and beverage crates — products that normally might not be recycled, the company said.  

The Recyclobyk line consists of two products. Recyclobyk 4372 improves the properties of HDPE that can be processed, for example, into pallets and bottle crates designed for outdoor use. This is achieved via targeted restabilization of the polymer matrix, according to the company. 

Available in a granular form, Recyclobyk 4372 is a mixture of light stabilizers, antioxidants and co-stabilizers. It can be used with material originating from short-life applications such as packaging. The company recommends it particularly for recycling HDPE, LDPE and PP for use in outdoor products. It can also be used for recycling polyolefins for film applications.  

Adding Recyclobyk 4371 helps restabilize PP and polyolefin compounds that have been exposed to particularly aggressive substances. Available in granular form, it is a mixture of antioxidants and co-stabilizers. It is intended to be used with polyolefin blends, PP contaminated with other polymers, and mixed plastic from household or industrial waste streams. Recyclobyk 4371 preserves the melt-flow properties and the long-term thermal stability of the material, which enhances its value and potential applications, the company said. 

Recyclobyk additives allow for the manufacture of new everyday products from items that normally might not be recycled, the company said. 

BASF 

BASF’s new IrgaCycle additives allow processors to incorporate more recycled resin into their products while maintaining mechanical properties. The additives help processors meet sustainability goals, address consumers’ concerns about waste and meet increasingly strict regulatory requirements.  

“The production of plastics from mechanical recycling is expected to almost triple by 2030, driven by improved technologies and regulation,” Thomas Kloster, president of BASF’s Performance Chemicals division, said in a press release. “This corresponds to a growth of around 10 percent per year.” 

IrgaCycle additives can boost the amount of recycled resin that can be incorporated into packaging, automotive, transportation and building and construction products. The additives address quality issues associated with recycled resins, including limited processability, poor long-term thermal stability and insufficient protection from weathering. 

The IrgaCycle line has five formulations targeting specific plastics and markets: 

• PS 030 G enhances long-term thermal stability in rigid applications and is designed mainly for recycled HDPE, polyolefins and mixed polymers. 

• PS 031 G improves processing and long-term thermal stability of recycled LDPE and LLDPE for use in films and flexible packaging. 

• PS 032 G provides processing stability and long-term thermal protection for recycled PP and polyolefin blends containing impurities. 

• UV 033 DD combines weathering stability with enhanced thermal and processing stability for reclaimed HDPE and PP blends for reuse in outdoor items. 

• XT 034 DD rejuvenates processing and long-term heat stability and helps neutralize impurities of the “first life” of the plastic, and thus improves the mechanical properties of recycled polyolefins. 

The additives come in a granular form that is easy to dose during compounding or processing. 

For more information:

BASF, Florham Park, N.J., 973-245-6000, www.plasticadditives.basf.com 

BYK USA Inc., Wallingford, Ct., 888-295-2331, www.byk.com/en