The present invention concerns a method for processing and detoxification of a material, especially a thermoplastic material, and for removal of contaminants or impurities from this material, wherein the material is heated under vacuum in at least one receiving tank, mixed and possibly comminuted, and wherein a rinsing medium is introduced into the receiving tank beneath the material level, conducted through at least a partial region of the material, and the rinsing medium enriched or saturated with contaminants is brought out from the receiving tank once more. According to the invention, the quantity of rinsing medium introduced into the receiving tank is less than 0.1 liter per hour per kilogram of material or material throughput per hour, while at the same time the vacuum in the receiving tank is kept constantly below 100 mbar.

A process for manufacturing biodegradable plastic from high percentage recyclable plastic feedstock and the product thereof. The process includes receiving recyclable plastic feedstock including high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, expanded polyethylene, and stretched wrap, separating the plastic feedstock by plastics of like type, grinding the separated plastics into particulate while maintaining the temperature below said separated plastic's decomposition and melting point. The plastics are mixed in proportion, adding a biodegradable additive to the particulated plastic mixture with further mixing to produce the biodegradable plastic. Optionally, the resulting plastic is extruded for later use.

A process arrangement and a process for the production of a fiber-reinforced plastics component made of at least one continuous-fiber-reinforced semifinished textile fiber product with reactive thermoplastic matrix material, where during the manufacture of the semifinished fiber product trimming residues (m.sub.R, m.sub.A) arise, composed of a composite made of fibers and of the reactive thermoplastic matrix material, and during finishing of the finished plastics component final-trimming residues (m.sub.E) arise, composed of a composite of fibers and of polymerized thermoplastic matrix material, and are further processed in a recycling unit to give a recyclate. The trimming residues arising during the manufacture of the semifinished fiber product are polymerized in a preparatory unit and then are delivered in the invention to the recycling unit.

According to one aspect, a recycled asphalt shingle pellet can include a core including a recycled asphalt shingle waste and a softening agent; and a shell including no greater than 5% recycled asphalt shingle waste. The recycled asphalt shingle pellets can be a part of a batch of recycled asphalt shingle pellets having a large fiberglass sieve factor, F.sub.L, of at least 98.2 wt. %. The batch can also have a small fiberglass sieve factor, F.sub.s, of at least 99.1 wt. %.

The present invention relates to an improved method and system for reclaiming the individual components of a synthetic or artificial turf product in a form almost similar to their original outset. The result is achieved by a method divided in three sections a first section in which the turf is downsized and dried, a second section where infill, such as rubber and sand, is separated and a third section where grass fiber and backing are separated.

A method for preparing a recycled polymer is provided. The method includes: bringing a recovered polymer containing an additive into contact with an impregnation solvent in an impregnation tank to obtain a slurry containing a swollen polymer and an eluate; separating the slurry into a solid mixture containing the swollen polymer and a liquid mixture containing the eluate in a solid-liquid separator; and obtaining a recycled polymer from the solid mixture and recovering the additive from the liquid mixture, wherein the impregnation solvent is a mixed solvent of two or more solvents.

A process for the extraction of one or more colour pigments from waste plastic in which a waste plastic feedstock is mixed with a solvent in a reactor having a shearing mechanism and the solvent is separated out and recycled in the process. The shearing mechanism provides high shear, high contact mixing so as to move the pigment to the surface of the plastic for contact with the solvent to give efficient colour pigment removal. Embodiments of reactors with shearing mechanisms are described. Environmentally friendly solvents are also described. The process gives highly sought after natural recyclate at a commercial scale.

There is symmetry of cause and effect in nature; the thermal stabilities of PVC polymers and geoformation are pronounced examples. Methods are herein provided to make heat stabilizing additives for such polymers and geoformation. In one forward mode, an additive is made by generating a first acidic aqueous solution of an amine solvent and a trivalent cation within the first pK.sub.a of the latter; adding a divalent cation to the first acidic aqueous solution to form a second aqueous solution by adsorbing the divalent cation; and titrating the second aqueous solution with a strong base or the amine solvent to precipitate the additive. In another backward mode, an additive is made by generating a first basic aqueous solution by dissolving a trivalent cation in an amine solvent; and adding a divalent cation to the first basic aqueous solution to consume the hydroxide anions of the amine solvent, thereby precipitating the additive.

The invention comprises methods of robotically separating unwanted heteroatom-containing materials from a plastic mixture and catalytically pyrolyzing the resulting mixed plastics to obtain olefins and aromatics. Systems and compositions useful in the catalytic pyrolysis of plastics are also described.

According to one aspect, a recycled asphalt shingle pellet can include a core including a recycled asphalt shingle waste and a softening agent; and a shell including no greater than 5% recycled asphalt shingle waste. The recycled asphalt shingle pellets can be a part of a batch of recycled asphalt shingle pellets having a large fiberglass sieve factor, F.sub.L, of at least 98.2 wt. %. The batch can also have a small fiberglass sieve factor, F.sub.s, of at least 99.1 wt. %.