For a long time, this was similarly true of high-quality polymers used in technical applications. But thanks to the expertise of our polymers technicians, it is now possible to recycle them to a consistently high standard of quality. One example is the recycling of reusable thermo-plastics from industrial production.
Polymers have their work cut out. Especially if they are technical thermoplastics, as is the case at Brenntag Polymers. They are developed to function reliably in plant and machinery, cars, electrical and electronic components or medical products: as cooling elements with thermal-conducting properties in the engine compartment, under continuous load conditions and yet abrasion-resistant on industrial conveyor belts or as detectable elements optimized for hygiene in the food and healthcare sectors. At the same time, the properties must also be suitable for the different processing methods in the polymers industry. “Increasingly, recyclability also plays a central role in our industry. This attribute is gaining enormously in relevance,” says Martin Reers, who as a process engineer at Brenntag Polymers in Ramstein, Germany, advises his customers on everything to do with the development of customer-specific materials – termed ‘compounds’ – and the manufacture and processing of thermoplastics. “For one to two years now, we have been witnessing a major change in the industry, driven by energy prices and the difficulties in supply chains. Recycling polymers by producing recompounds is becoming increasingly attractive. The word waste has ceased to exist in this context.”