Plastic recycling
28 Nov 2002
Matsushita Electric has developed what it claims is the industry's first plastic recycling system capable of separating flame retardants from plastic while maintaining its original physical properties.
The company plans to release a commercial version of the system during 2003.
Flame retardants are additives widely used in consumer electronics products to ensure safety. However, some brominated compounds used as flame retardants generate brominated dioxins when incinerated at low temperature.
For this reason, plastics containing such compounds are currently sent to landfills or incinerated at temperatures high enough not to generate brominated dioxins.
In the new system, the plastic parts are crushed, the pieces are heated until they become soft, and a liquid solvent is added to separate the retardants from the plastic. Next, new functional additives are added to the plastic, if necessary, to allow it to be moulded into various shapes.
The process is performed at relatively low temperature (160-200 degrees C) and does not change or damage the physical characteristics of the plastic so that it is possible to reuse it in new products.
