A method of recycling superabsorbent polymers derived from a used absorbent article, the method including: treating the superabsorbent polymers with ozone water after inactivation; reactivating, with an alkaline aqueous solution, the superabsorbent polymers treated with the ozone water; and adding hydrophilic fine particles to the superabsorbent polymers reactivated with the alkaline aqueous solution and then drying the superabsorbent polymers.

The present invention is directed to a polyethylene-polypropylene composition comprising a blend (A) being a recycled material, said blend comprising polypropylene and polyethylene, and a compatibilizer (B) being a copolymer of 1-butene and ethylene. Further, the present invention is directed to an article comprising said polyethylene-polypropylene composition and a process for preparing said polyethylene-polypropylene composition. The present invention is also directed to the use of a compatibilizer (B) being a copolymer of 1-butene and ethylene for improving the impact-stiffness balance and the morphology of the blend (A).

Methods of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprise: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) adding one or more color concentrates to the flakes; (E) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder (400) while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion (420) of the MRS extruder (400) below about 25 millibars; (F) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter (450) having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (G) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

A process for manufacturing an expanded polystyrene foam article from used expanded polystyrene foam articles in combination with virgin polystyrene foam, the process comprising the steps of: stacking a plurality of individual used expanded polystyrene foam articles in a vertical block machine to occupy at least 20% of the internal volume in the block machine; conveying virgin polystyrene beads into the internal volume of the vertical block machine to occupy at least some of the remaining internal volume of the block machine by mixing the virgin polystyrene with the used stacked foam articles; and heating the internal volume of the block machine to a temperature of at least 75° C. by supplying pressurised steam into the heated internal volume of the block machine to fuse the virgin expanded polystyrene beads and the stacked expanded polystyrene foam articles to form the expanded polystyrene foam article.

The invention relates to a method for stabilizing thermoplastic recyclates or previously damaged plastic materials against oxidative, thermal and/or actinic degradation. According to the claimed method, at least one substituted sugar, selected from the group consisting of at least one ester and/or ether of an alditol or cyclitol, at least one ester of a saccharic acid, at least one amide and/or substituted amine of an amine sugar, and mixtures and combinations thereof, as the stabilizing component is introduced in a thermoplastic recyclate and optionally additionally at least one primary antioxidant and/or at least one secondary antioxidant is introduced in a thermoplastic recyclate.

Asphalt binders are modified using fractional products from waste tire pyrolysis, using an initial step of i) at least partially pyrolyzing, separately from such asphaltic binder, whole rubber articles or size-reduced rubber particles to provide one or more pyrolyzed rubber fractions including a pyrolyzed oil fraction having a selected minimum initial boiling point or flash point, and ii) removing some or all polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds from such pyrolyzed oil fraction to provide a reduced-PAH and preferably translucent pyrolyzed oil fraction that may be combined with an asphaltic binder to provide a modified asphalt composition.

A pyrolysis reactor and process for processing or recycling waste material. The pyrolysis reactor defines an internal cavity, and includes an inlet for the transfer of feedstock material into the internal cavity and an outlet for the transfer of processed material out of the internal cavity. The pyrolysis reactor also includes an induction heating apparatus comprising up to three induction heaters arranged outside of the internal cavity and an induction susceptor within the internal cavity e.g. granules up to 50 mm diameter and/or a helical stirrer including an induction susceptor material. The induction heating apparatus is configured to heat feedstock material within the internal cavity.

A method for manufacturing pellets from polymer, comprising: (1) melting polymer flakes in a first section of a melt processing unit to create a first single stream of polymer melt; (2) separating the first single stream of polymer melt into multiple streams of polymer melt by means of a separation element; (3) passing the multiple streams through a multiple stream section of said melt processing unit and exposing the multiple streams to a pressure within the multiple stream section of the melt processing unit as the multiple streams pass through the multiple stream section; (4) recombining the multiple streams into at least one combined stream of polymer melt; and (5) cooling the polymer melt and forming said pellets from the at least one combined stream. The intrinsic viscosity of the at least one combined stream may be determined and, in response, the chamber pressure within the multiple stream section adjusted.

Fluidized bed reactor apparatus, comprising a cylindrical reactor chamber (10), and a rotating shaft (14) equipped with radially extending fluidization units (16) disposed in the reactor chamber (10), said rotating shaft (14) being connected to a drive unit (42). The apparatus further comprising means for feeding fluidizing bed material into the rector chamber (10), creating a fluidized bed (28) in the reactor chamber (10), means for feeding organic material that shall be processed into the fluidized bed (28) in the reactor chamber (10), and one or more outlets (22,24) for discharge of material, gases and vapors, wherein the process in the reactor chamber (10) is controlled by a control system (40) connected to at least the drive unit (42). The invention also relates to a method for processing organic material using a fluidized bed reactor apparatus.

Torrefied textiles can be gasified to produce a syngas suitable for making chemicals. Gasifying torrefied textile can generate a consistent quality of syngas and a hydrogen/carbon monoxide ratio closer to that of coal relative to gasifying textiles. A variety of chemical compounds, reactants, polymers, fibers, and textiles can now be made utilizing syngas made by gasifying torrefied textiles.