Raw materials shortage in the spotlight: Recycling breathes new life into high-quality polymers

Woman technician inspecting pellets made of biodegradable materials

Polymer recycling is often the subject of criticism, as recycling laboriously separated polymers waste frequently leads to lower-quality products and is quite appropriately also termed downcycling.

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.”
Equipment with conveyor for working with small plastic granules for the chemical industry

Recompounds for industries of the future

Brenntag Polymers Germany helps its customers with precisely this ground-breaking change. Combining distribution, compounding and technical support, the company is a highly capable partner to the polymer industry. High-quality polymers with special properties are needed more than ever: For fields of the future such as innovative mobility, renewable energy or in mechanical and systems engineering, they are irreplaceable.
In order to economize on resources despite the strong demand for thermoplastics, the Brenntag Polymers service portfolio now includes advising customers on developing their own circular economy. “Our customers are keen to use resources responsibly and reduce their carbon footprint,” explains Martin Reers. “They also need to save on costs in order to operate competitively.”
Plastics colored objects and small pieces colored in white

Products for sophisticated applications

Brenntag Polymers’ expertise comes in useful when a desire to cut back conflicts with a desire for quality. As ultimately, only high-quality recompounds become new high-performance products like those needed in technology sectors in particular, such as for lightweight components, battery holders, carrier boards, spacers, casing and covers for e-mobility, as components in heat pumps, wind and solar energy systems or as elements in lighting technology and LEDs. Production residues are used for this purpose and are usually ground at the customer’s end. Brenntag Polymers combines this ground material with specific additives to produce a high-quality granulate that is reused in sophisticated applications.
Martin Reers shows the sample of a vehicle light made from a red-translucent, recompounded material. “Our customer is using this to manufacture a product with a complex structure that fulfills very specific requirements – and in the process is saving over half of its previous costs,” says the experienced technician, enthusing about the outstanding result. He has been working in the industry for 38 years already and sees a clear path forward: “Giving thought to recycling valuable materials as early as the product development stage – this is something we help our customers with. In this way, we save on primary raw materials, produce less waste and reduce our environmental impact.”

Compounding

is a technical term used in thermoplastics engineering. It refers to the process of adding different additives to a base polymer in order to improve the properties of the materials and modify them according to the customer’s requirements. Additives are fillers and reinforcing materials, such as glass fibers and beads or carbon fibers, which influence the structure and surfaces of polymers. Other additives include chemical substances used to achieve certain properties in a material, such as thermal endurance, abrasion characteristics, color or plasticity. In recompounding at Brenntag Polymers, production residues such as sprues and runners from thermoplastics manufacturing are recycled as a base. These are sorted by type, meaning that the recycled material consists only of one type of thermoplastic. They are then mixed with additives and returned to product development and production.

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