Recycling Extruder Can Handle Highly Contaminated Materials

The E-GO R single-screw extrusion line from Bausano enables highly contaminated plastic materials — such as HDPE residues from containers for milk, motor oil, shampoos and conditioners, soap, detergents and bleach— to be fully reintegrated into production processes. The line can also reportedly handle PP waste from lunch boxes, yogurt jars, syrup and medicine bottles, caps; and LDPE waste from cling film, shopping bags and squeezable bottles.

According to Bausano, E-GO R extruders are suited for recycling both light and highly humid materials, as well as heavy films and materials with low water content. Following crushing, the flaked and ground plastic is conveyed directly into the extruder by a force-feed system designed specifically for this application. In the process, volatiles and moisture are removed by a high-performance degassing system, which prevents the development of defects in the granule, such as “air bubbles,” which are caused by gases in the starting compound or formed in the extrusion steps.

The extruded mass is then filtered and directed to the granulation head. In addition, constant speed, combined with advanced screw design, ensures the highest standards of product quality. A liquid ring or immersion pelletizing system completes the line.

E-GO R lines can also be equipped with Bausano’s Smart Energy System, a patent-pending system based on induction heating of the barrel that meets the needs of optimizing production processes in plastics extrusion. Unlike traditional resistor-based systems, heating is done without contact by an alternating electromagnetic field, synonymous with maximum performance and superior energy savings of up to 35%, Bausano says.

“In recent years, only 5% of the plastic produced in the U.S. has been recycled, registering a significant decrease compared to the trend of previous years,” says Marco Masiero, R&D and test extrusion manager. “In this sense, Bausano's mission to give new life to industrial and postconsumer waste acquires a higher valence and helps to promote a paradigm shift toward a circular economy. In fact, our extrusion lines make it possible to treat waste as a new resource in order to allow it to be better reintroduced into the production cycle and contribute substantially to a more sustainable industrial approach.”