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Efficient. Sustainable. Responsible.

Coperion technology plays a key role in the global manufacture of high-quality plastic recyclates. Learn from the expert how plastics processing operations can increase the proportion of recycled material used in compounds while maximizing quality.

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Successful Plastics Recycling

Coperion has acquired an excellent reputation in recent years in markets where compounds are made from recycled plastics. Today, ambitious recycling companies worldwide are using Coperion’s technology, motivated by the uniformly high quality of the finished product and the high achievable throughput rates.

Coperion designs complete recycling systems for a wide range of applcations, from chemical recycling to PET recycling, film recycling and upcycling. We ensure the smooth interaction of all process steps which include material handling, feeding, twin screw extrusion, pellet treatment (cooling, drying, homogenization) and finished product handling. Our plants provide maximum productivity and efficiency.

Video: Coperion Plastics Recycling Technology Solutions

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Learn more about why circular economy is becoming increasingly important for the plastics industry and for which recycling applications Coperion offers technology solutions.
Coperion Plastics Recycling Technology

Plastic Recycling Technology - Solutions for Various Applications

Plastics Recycling

Comprehensive product range

Coperion ZSK 70 Extruder

Extruders and Compounding Machines

Coperion twin screw extruders are at the heart of each recycling process. With their good processing properties and high devolatilization performance Coperion’s twin screw extruders are suitable for the processing of recycled plastics of all types, as well as mixing these materials with new products.

Coperion's ZS-B MEGAfeed Side Feeder

ZS-B MEGAfeed Side Feeder

Using the innovative ZS-B MEGAfeed side feeder, plastic recyclate with bulk densities starting as low as 20 kg/m³, long considered intake-limited and thus not worth recycling, can be reliably fed in large quantities into the ZSK twin screw extruder and be concurrently recycled and compounded.

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Coperion K-Tron single and twins screw feeders over an extruder inlet

Feeding Equipment

Coperion K-Tron feeders are ideal for accurate feeding of raw ingredients into an extrusion process.  The wide range of products available includes twin screw feeders, single screw feeders, bulk solids pumps, vibratory feeders as well as other types in a variety of sizes and configurations. The K4G blending station allows up to six feeders to be arranged closely around an extruder inlet. Coperion K-Tron feeders ensure a continuous, uniform infeed with a very tight short-term accuracy and repeatability. Our engineers can help you find the right solution for your process.

Material Handling Equipment

Our material handling systems are designed for the challenges of conveying recycled materials. Our designs can handle a variety of products from the flake materials to your finished pelletized products. Using cyclones or filter receivers we can help with a solution for your recycling process. 

Plants and Systems

Due to our comprehensive engineering expertise we design compounding lines for recyled products that ensure smooth interaction of all process steps – from material handling to feeding, twin screw extrusion up to pellet treatment and finished product handling.

Service

From single spare parts to total service agreements Coperion and Coperion K-Tron provide comprehensive services for recycling lines – all with focus to optimal performance of your plants and systems.

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Coperion Glossary

Circular Economy
A circular economy is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources.

Resource Material
Plastic is viewed as a resource material, since significant energy is used in its manufacture (base material petroleum or natural gas) and it can be recycled well. Refuse is presorted, crushed, and then processed into high-value regenerate which is then reused in the plastics industry, closing the loop.

Post-Consumer Waste
Post-consumer waste is waste originating from users, i.e., individual persons, households, and offices.

Post-Industrial Waste
Post-industrial waste is waste material resulting from manufacturing or production.

Chemical Recycling
Using chemical recycling, fossil-based resources can be replaced by material recycled from plastic waste. Using thermochemical processes, plastic waste is transformed and recycled into raw materials, whereby new products with outstanding product characteristics result, based upon recycled plastic waste.

Mechanical Recycling
The term mechanical recycling designates the mechanical processing of used plastics. The chemical structure remains unchanged.

Thermal Utilization
Incineration of plastics; should take place whenever possible in waste incineration plants equipped for this purpose in order to filter out highly toxic substances that are released during incineration, such as dioxins, furans, mercury, cadmium, lead, etc.

Upcycling
Processing of lower-value recyclates, transforming them to higher-value compounds.

Odor reduction
When recycling plastics, there is often the difficulty that the plastic reused and the recyclates made from it have strong odors. For example, post-consumer plastic waste contains migrated substances from food, cosmetics or cleaning agents. At the same time, residues of monomers, oxidation, hydrolysis and decomposition products can be responsible for the unwanted odors. Odor reduction measures can be taken in various process steps of plastics production and processing. Coperion offers both technologies for degassing during compounding processes and for odor reduction in silos.

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