Methods of recovering and/or recycling expanded polymer tooling, the methods including collecting expanded polymer tooling, reducing the collected expanded polymer tooling into smaller particles, treating the reduced expanded polymer tooling in order to yield an at least partially purified recovered polymer composition, and then collecting the at least partially purified recovered polymer composition. The at least partially purified recovered polymer composition can then be used to form new expandable polymer tooling.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (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 extrusion system while maintaining the pressure within the extrusion system below about 25 millibars; (F) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter 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 plant and method for the online recovery of trimmings generated in an extrusion line of a plastic film includes a cutting apparatus configured to cut side portions, also called trimmings, from the plastic film made leaving a forming apparatus of the plastic film; a conveying apparatus, positioned downstream of the cutting apparatus, that conveys the trimmings; an extruder for treatment of the trimmings; and an apparatus dosing and feeding granules for forming the plastic film made in the extruder, the extruder and the apparatus dosing and feeding the granules being positioned upstream of the forming device. An apparatus for pre-treatment of the trimmings is provided at the inlet of the extruder and includes a shredder positioned coaxially with respect to the extruder.

A method for recycling powdered paint waste is provided in which, the powdered paint waste is being treated with the aid of a reactant in such a way that its adhesion to surfaces and especially to metal surfaces is reduced or eliminated. The treatment of the powdered paint waste allows the powdered paint waste to be additionally processed under the influence of heat and to use it as a starting material in various recycling processes or in other processes.

An extrusion device that produces plastic film includes at least two feed units that feed feedstock to an extruder, wherein each feed unit has at least one discharge opening including a discharge closure to open and close the discharge opening, and a container interface that reversibly fastens a discharge container that accommodates feedstock discharged from the respective feed unit.

Circuit and to a process for managing transients and process and product anomalies in a plant for production of granulated expandable polymers EPS or extruded polymers XPS, said circuit being placed e.g. in a granulation plant along which are positioned: a mixing device suitable for mixing additives and expanding agent within a stream of molten polymer; a granulator or an extrusion device positioned downstream of said mixing device; a deviation valve suitable for molten polymers placed along the line connecting said mixing device to said granulator or to said extrusion device upstream of said granulator or extruder, said deviation valve being provided with at least one inlet (A), a Stand-by position (A.fwdarw.C) and a Run position (A.fwdarw.B), said circuit further comprising a heating device downstream of said valve, a separation device downstream of said heating device suitable for physically separating the blowing agent from the polymer and any additives present therein, and a cooling device positioned between said separation device and said mixing device.

An apparatus for recycling a waste automobile floor mat according to the present invention includes: a plurality of conveyer belts which is sequentially disposed and transfers compressed, cut, crushed scraps; a first cutter which cuts each of the compressed, transferred scraps at predetermined intervals; a crusher which crushes the cut, transferred scraps; a pair of first hoppers into and from which the crushed, transferred scraps and polypropylene are introduced and discharged, respectively; a pair of first screw conveyers which transfer the scraps and the polypropylene; a second hopper into and from which the scraps and the polypropylenes are introduced and discharged; a second screw conveyer which transfers the scraps and the polypropylene; a melter which melts the scraps and the polypropylene; a third screw conveyer which forms an extrudate by extruding the mixed, molten scraps and polypropylene; and a second cutter which cuts the extrudate at predetermined intervals.

The present invention relates to an overturning device (10) for overturning a molten material (200) in a melt channel (110) comprising a melt inlet (20) and a melt outlet (30), wherein between the melt inlet (20) and the melt outlet (30) at least a melt guidance means (40) is assembled for a rearrangement of molten material (200) from the centre (22) of the melt inlet (20) at the edge (34) of the melt outlet (30) and for a rearrangement of molten material (200) from the edge (24) of the melt inlet (20) in the centre (32) of the melt outlet (30).

The buffing dust waste/polystyrene thermal insulator is a polymer composite containing 0.1%-25% by weight buffing dust waste from a leather tannery, the balance being polystyrene. The composite has extremely low thermal conductivity (e.g., 0.0447 W/m-K for a composite 10% budding dust by weight), making it a good insulator, while still having relatively high mechanical properties. The thermal insulator is made by mixing the buffing dust with the polystyrene polymer in a twin-screw extruder and pouring the mixture into a steel mold. The mold is heated and compressed in a hot press machine, e.g., at 500 kg force at 180 C. for 20 minutes, which may be followed by 500 kg force at 125 C. for an additional 20 minutes. The resulting composite polymer is suitable for use as thermal insulation in buildings.

Apparatus and methods for extruding plastic materials are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus comprises: a feeding portion; a melting portion in communication with the feeding portion and configured to transmit heat into material received from the feeding portion; and an output die in communication with the melting portion to permit extrusion of the material. The melting portion comprises: a melting barrel having an inner surface defining a melting chamber in communication with the feeding portion; and a melting insert inside the melting chamber. The melting insert comprises an outer surface in contact with the inner surface of the melting barrel where the outer surface comprises one or more open-ended channels formed therein. In some embodiments, the feeding portion and the melting portion may be thermally insulated from each other and a propeller of the feeding portion may be disposed entirely outside of the melting portion.