The invention relates to a method for decontaminating recycled plastic materials, which comprises the steps of selecting, grinding, washing, rinsing, drying and decontaminating, wherein decontaminating is carried out by means of the steps of extracting and rinsing, and extracting is carried out using a water-soluble solvent having a boiling point greater than 180° C. at atmospheric pressure.

The invention relates to a continuous method for removing a solvent from a suspension or solution comprising a dissolved target polymer by integrated drum-drying and extrusion of said suspension or solution comprising the dissolved target polymer. The invention also relates to a plastic waste recycling system for recycling a target polymer. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a polymer material obtained by this recycling method.

There are provided recycled polystyrene polymers having a melt flow index of less than about 25 g/10 min. There are provided processes for recycling polystyrene waste. The processes can comprise dissolving said polystyrene waste in p-cymene under conditions to obtain a polystyrene/p-cymene mixture, adding the polystyrene/p-cymene mixture to a hydrocarbon polystyrene non-solvent under conditions to obtain precipitated polystyrene and washing the precipitated polystyrene with additional portions of hydrocarbon polystyrene non-solvent under conditions to obtain twice-washed polystyrene. The twice-washed polystyrene can optionally be dried and formed into polystyrene pellets. There is also provided recycled polystyrene obtained from such processes for recycling polystyrene waste.

A method for purifying a contaminated reclaimed polyethylene is provided. The method comprises obtaining the contaminated reclaimed polyethylene, extracting it with a solvent to produce an extracted contaminated reclaimed polyethylene, and then dissolving it in the solvent to produce a first suspension comprising dissolved polyethylene and suspended contaminants. The first suspension is settled to produce a second suspension comprising dissolved polyethylene and suspended remaining contaminants, and the second suspension is purified by contacting it with solid media to produce a third suspension comprising purer polyethylene. Finally, the purer polyethylene is separated from the third suspension and it has virgin-like optical properties.

The present invention relates to a method for removing a foreign material from the surface of an article comprising the following steps: i) providing an article having a surface covered at least partly with a foreign material; ii) contacting the article provided in step i) with a cleaning medium being an acid having a pKa in the range from −10 to 7 having a minimum concentration of 1 wt.-% and with a carrier medium having a density different from the density of the cleaning medium to obtain a mixture comprising the foreign material solved and/or dispersed in the cleaning medium, the carrier medium and the article free from the foreign material; iii) allowing the mixture obtained in step ii) to separate to obtain a heterophasic emulsion comprising at least a first phase comprising the carrier medium and the article free from the foreign material and a second phase comprising the cleaning medium and the foreign material solved and/or dispersed therein; iv) separating the phases obtained in step iii); and v) separating the article free from the foreign material from the carrier medium. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an installation for carrying out the inventive process.

Provided is a method of recycling an additively manufactured object into a reusable thermoplastic polymer, which method in some embodiments may include: (a) providing at least one additively manufactured object produced by stereolithography from a dual cure resin, the object comprising (i) a light polymerized polymer, and (ii) a heat polymerized polymer intermixed with said light polymerized polymer; (b) comminuting the object to produce a particulate material therefrom; (c) contacting the particulate material to a polar, aprotic solvent for a time and at a temperature sufficient to extract the heat polymerized polymer from the particulate material into said solvent, leaving residual particulate material comprising said light polymerized polymer in solid form; (d) separating the residual particulate material from said solvent; and then (e) separating the heat polymerized polymer from said solvent to provide a reusable thermoplastic polymer material in solid form.

Processes and facilities for using one or more PET-containing materials as a feedstock to a chemical recycling facility, and in particular a solvolysis facility, are provided herein. The PET-containing materials used as feedstock may comprise a quantity of PET-containing solidified purge material. The PET-containing solidified purge material may be derived from various processes and facilities, including PET reclaimer facilities, manufacturers of PET articles, and/or a polymer manufacturing facilities. For example, he purge material may be the solidified purge material from an extrusion and/or pelletization process. Such solidified purge materials are generally undesirable or unusable to mechanical PET recycling facilities, and typically are sent to landfills and/or incinerators. However, the processes and facilities described herein make use of the PET and other plastics present in these otherwise undesirable or unusable solidified purge materials.

The present invention generally relates to a method of reducing contamination from plastics. The resulting purer plastic can be used in demanding applications.

The present invention relates to a recycling process for a laminate and a solution used in such a process. The present invention finds particular application in the removal of an adhered overlay from an underlying substrate material such as plastic. The process includes subjecting the laminate to an impact frictional striking force, thereby substantially separating the substrate layer from the one or more surface layers of the overlay and then washing the substrate layer with a washing solution to remove the remaining surface layers of the overlay and glue from the substrate layer. The washing solution may be an aqueous solution including a surfactant, a solvent and a base.

Processes and facilities for using one or more PET-containing materials as a feedstock to a chemical recycling facility, and in particular a solvolysis facility, are provided herein. The PET-containing materials used as feedstock may comprise a quantity of PET-containing dry fines. The PET-containing dry fines may be derived from various processes and facilities, including PET reclaimer facilities and/or manufacturers of PET articles. For example, the dry fines may be collected from solid-liquid separators and/or dust collectors from processes that include conveying, drying, densification, centrifugation processes, and/or grinding PET-containing plastic material. Such dry fines are generally undesirable or unusable to mechanical PET recycling facilities, and typically are sent to landfills and/or incinerators. However, the processes and facilities described herein make use of the PET and other plastics present in these otherwise undesirable or unusable dry fines.