Recycled polyester RPET- Jiaxing Fuda Chemical Fiber Factory

【One ton of recycled PET yarn = 67,000 plastic bottles = 4.2 tons of carbon dioxide reduction = 0.0364 tons of oil saved = 6.2 tons of water saved】
We are in an era of accelerated change and rapid development. In the face of global population growth, we need more effective solutions. The pace of industrialization in emerging and developing countries continues to accelerate, and clean technologies are essential if we are to leave a sustainable environment to future generations.

The "2025 Report" is a report jointly participated by more than 30 scientists and economists. Referring to the publication of this year's report, Ian Johnson, Secretary General of the Club of Rome, said: "Climte change will intensify rapidly in the second half of this century, causing many disasters in the process. Every year, our greenhouse gas emissions are Forests can absorb twice as much as oceans." How do we deal with this problem? How can we adjust the process under the existing conditions?

What is recycled polyester (RPET)?

RPET means (recycled) polyethylene terephthalate. Mostly used in industry, packaging, clothing, and home textiles.

The R (recycle) of RPET means recycling and recycling in English.

PET is polyethylene terephthalate. The chemical formula is -OCH2-CH2OCOC6H4CO-. English name: polyethylene terephthalate, referred to as PET, is a high polymer derived from the dehydration condensation reaction of ethylene terephthalate. Ethylene terephthalate is obtained by the esterification reaction of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol.

So RPET is also called: (recycled) polyethylene terephthalate.

Recycled polyester RPET source

It refers to the use of waste polyester bottle flakes, spinning waste, foam materials, and pulp blocks as raw materials, usually mineral water plastic bottles or Coke bottles. The bottles are cut into small pieces, and crushed, and the flakes are melted to separate the core PET components. , recycled and granulated, spun into fibers and woven into fibers that can be used to make anything.

Recycled polyester RPET production process

After recycling, crushing, cleaning, drying, melt extrusion, spinning, winding, bundling, drafting, and curling (while adding different oils during curling according to customer needs), relax and heat set, and then cut to form different lengths of Polyester fiber, polyester is a synthetic material.

Uses of recycled PET pellets

PET bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate, commonly known as PET. Whenever we pick up resource recycling products, we always use PET bottles as the main material, supplemented by other recycled products, because PET The price of special bottles is the best when recycling, but its material is easily confused with PVC material.

Its characteristics are as follows: PET is transparent, tough, and has barrier properties against carbon dioxide. It is often used in the packaging of carbonated drinks. The simplest way to identify it is that it is colorless, transparent and can become light green, light blue or brown after adding color. The round PET bottle has a dot at the bottom and has no seams on the bottle body.

The bottom of the PVC round bottle is in a straight line, and white marks will appear when it is bent. It will turn iron-red after being exposed to sunlight for a long time. When burned with fire, there will be a cyan flame at the edge, and the burnability is poor.

PET bottles are widely used in carbonated drinks such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, and Sprite. Currently, most of them are composed of PET bottle bodies and HDPE bottle bottoms. The bottle cap material is HDPE, and the trademark is biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film, which is bonded using EVA. The agent adheres to the bottle body. The ways to reuse polyester bottles after recycling include regeneration granulation, alcoholysis and other methods.

No matter which method is used, the polyester bottle must first be separated from other bottles, and the polyester bottle body must be separated from the bottom of the bottle.

①Separation: The mixed addition bottles enter the crusher through the conveyor belt for crushing, and then undergo density separation.

②Regeneration granulation: Extruder can be used for regeneration granulation. The separated PET scraps are extruded and granulated by an extruder to form pellets. To avoid water absorption during extrusion and a decrease in physical viscosity, they should be dried before extrusion.

a. Re-manufacture PET bottles. The recycled pellets cannot be used in direct contact with food, but can be used in the middle layer of three-layer PET bottles to make carbonated beverage bottles.

b. Spinning to make fiber, recycled PET material can be used to spin to make fiber, which can be used as pillow core, mattress, sleeping bag, felt, etc.

c. Glass fiber reinforced materials. Glass fiber reinforced recycled PET has good heat resistance and mechanical strength and can be used to make automobile parts, such as heat-resistant automobile wheel covers. Its thermal distortion temperature can reach 240 degrees. The bending elastic modulus is 9500MPa, the bending strength is 214 MPa, and the impact strength is 15kf/m2.

d. Blending modification, recycled PET polyester non-woven fabric can be blended with other polymers to produce various modified materials. For example, blended with PE, PET blends with improved impact properties can be obtained. PE: PET is (10-50): (90-50): If a small amount of polypropylene is added, the dimensional stability of the blend can be significantly improved. Due to the large polarity difference between PE and PET, compatibility treatment is required during blending. The compatibility is generally improved through graft modification of polyolefin.

③Alcolysis: Alcoholysis of PET waste in the presence of an alkaline catalyst, and then adding dibasic acid anhydride and other polycondensation to obtain a product with an acid value greater than 12. After dilution, filtration, and adding an appropriate amount of catalyst, an alkyd resin paint can be produced. See the table below for the recipe. The reaction temperature is 80~85 degrees, and the reaction is 4~5 hours.

Application scope of recycled RPET

Industry categories: mountaineering bags, satchels, school bags, pencil cases, children's backpacks, fashion bags, camera backpacks, computer bags, trolley cases, suitcases, shopping bags, handbags, gift bags, drawstring bags, cosmetic bags, storage boxes, Bag linings, shoe linings, ice bags, medical kits, etc.;

Clothing: down (cold-proof) clothing, windbreakers, jackets, beach shorts, swimsuits, anti-static overalls, fashionable clothes, theater robes, pajamas, sportswear, etc.;

Home textiles: four-piece bed sets, blankets, toys, car cushions, sofa fabrics, fashionable chair covers, aprons, umbrellas, curtains, wipes, Western restaurant tablecloths, pillows, backrests, baby strollers, etc.;

Industrial construction: waterproof materials, coating materials, filter materials, insulation materials, etc.;

Others: tents, sleeping bags, hat materials, shoe materials, car accessories, etc.

Why promote RPET?

At present, the consumption of PET plastic beverage bottles in our country is very high. The recycling of discarded PET beverage bottles can not only reduce environmental pollution but also turn waste into treasure:

One ton of recycled PET yarn = 67,000 plastic bottles = 4.2 tons of carbon dioxide reduction = 0.0364 tons of oil saved = 6.2 tons of water saved

However, only a small part of it is currently used, and the rest is discarded at will, causing a waste of resources and environmental pollution. Therefore, its recycling technology has broad prospects.

Because PVC contains chlorine (which is the main source of dioxin, and dioxin is a confirmed carcinogen) and contains various heavy metals, plasticizers, etc. that pollute the environment, Taiwan's latest technology is used to produce a generation that does not contain PVC and almost Unmeasurable heavy metal content, specifically replacing PVC products, becoming a new generation supplier of environmentally friendly materials.

(1) Recycled PET fabric is a new type of environmentally friendly recycled fabric, that is, recycled polyester. Its yarn is extracted from discarded mineral water bottles and Coke bottles. It is also commonly known as Coke bottle environmentally friendly fabric (RPET fabric, recycle polyester fabric). This product is very popular abroad, especially in developed countries in Europe and the United States, because it recycles waste.

(2) Recycle PET fabric uses regenerated environmentally friendly fiber raw materials recycled from Coke bottles. The recycled Coke bottles are crushed into pieces and then processed into filaments. It can be recycled and effectively reduces carbon dioxide emissions. It is more efficient than conventional production processes. Polyester saves nearly 80% of energy.

(3) Recycle PET yarn, this fabric can be recycled and reused, which can save energy, oil consumption and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Each pound of recycled RPET fabric can save 61,000 BTU of energy, which is equivalent to 21 pounds of carbon dioxide. It has made certain contributions to reducing air pollution and controlling the greenhouse effect.

(4) After environmentally friendly dyeing, environmentally friendly coating, and calendering, the fabrics can pass the testing of international standards such as MTL, SGS, and ITS, including phthalates (6P), formaldehyde, lead (Pb), and polycyclic aromatics. Hydrocarbons, nonyl fen and other environmental protection indicators all meet the latest European environmental standards and the latest American environmental standards. At the same time, it has passed authoritative certifications from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency, the US SCS Environmental Protection Agency and the European Oeko-Tex Standard 100 ecological and environmental protection certification, achieving higher international recognition.

(5) It can withstand high temperatures (i.e. hot cars) without deformation, resistance to breakage, and has a smooth surface. RPET has strong chemical properties that prevent microorganisms and chemical leakage (which is why RPET is used in many cosmetic products). Therefore, RPET can be used in products with longer shelf life.

Companies have pledged and promoted RPET

For a long time, the problem of plastic waste, especially marine plastic waste, has plagued the world. In particular, China has strictly banned the entry of "foreign garbage" and strictly controlled the import of waste, which has caused profound changes in global waste recycling. Some countries that used to only rely on exports and never actively process waste have become stuck in the "quagmire" of waste, triggering international The society is generally concerned.

In the context of global concern about garbage issues, both environmental organizations and companies from all walks of life have made commitments and taken actions.

Recently, Volvo announced that starting from 2025, at least 25% of the plastic used in each new model will be made of recycled materials;

Starbucks announced that its stores will completely eliminate single-use plastic straws by 2020, replacing them with straws made of paper, compostable plastics, etc., or using recyclable materials, or directly abandoning straws and switching to sip cup lids ;

Well-known sports brands such as Nike and Puma are also promoting or launching sports products made of recyclable materials.

Objectively speaking, "environmental protection" and "sustainability" have become essential labels for enterprises. In this context, announcing the use of environmentally friendly recycled plastics or adopting sustainable alternatives can effectively fulfill the social responsibility of enterprises. Responsibility, on the other hand, can also create topics for the company, attract attention, win consumer support, and not fall behind competitors. It is a positive marketing tool.

The difference between recycled polyester RPET and PET

Ⅰ. Different performance

1.The strength and other properties of recycled polyester fiber are poor.

2.The strength and other properties of polyester fiber are relatively good.

Ⅱ. Different raw materials

1. Recycled polyester is made of recycled materials (PET bottle flakes, foam, etc.), then granulated and then drawn into fibers.

2. Polyester is made of chemical raw materials PTA and MEG, which are polymerized, esterified and drawn into fibe

Ⅲ. Polyester PET features:

1. High strength and toughness. The strength of short fiber is 2.6~5.7cN/dtex, and the strength of high-strength fiber is 5.6~8.0cN/dtex. Due to its low hygroscopicity, its wet strength is the same as its dry strength. The impact resistance is 4 times higher than nylon and 20 times higher than viscose fiber.

2. Good elasticity. The elasticity is close to that of wool. When stretched by 5% to 6%, it can almost completely recover. The wrinkle resistance is better than that of other fibers, that is, the fabric does not wrinkle and has good dimensional stability. Polyester fabric has high strength and elastic recovery ability. Therefore, it is durable, wrinkle-resistant and does not need to be ironed.

3. Heat-resistant polyester is made by melt spinning method. The formed fiber can be heated and melted again, which is a thermoplastic fiber. The melting point of polyester is relatively high, but the specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity are small, so the heat resistance and insulation of polyester fiber are higher. It is the best among synthetic fibers.

4. Good thermoplasticity but poor melt resistance. Due to the smooth surface of polyester and the tight arrangement of internal molecules, polyester is the most heat-resistant fabric among synthetic fabrics. It is thermoplastic and can be made into pleated skirts with long-lasting pleats. At the same time, polyester fabric has poor melt resistance and can easily form holes when exposed to soot, sparks, etc. Therefore, you should try to avoid contact with cigarette butts, sparks, etc. when wearing it.

5. Good wear resistance. The wear resistance is second only to nylon, which has the best wear resistance, and is better than other natural fibers and synthetic fibers.

6. Good light resistance. Lightfastness is second only to acrylic. Polyester fabrics have better light resistance. In addition to being worse than acrylic fibers, their light resistance is better than natural fiber fabrics. Especially the light fastness behind glass is very good, almost as good as acrylic.

7. Corrosion resistance. Resistant to bleach, oxidants, hydrocarbons, ketones, petroleum products and inorganic acids. Resistant to dilute alkali and not afraid of mold, but hot alkali can cause it to decompose. It also has strong acid and alkali resistance and UV resistance.

8. The dyeability is poor, but the color fastness is good and it is not easy to fade. Because there are no specific dyeing groups on the polyester molecular chain and the polarity is small, it is difficult to dye, the dyeability is poor, and the dye molecules cannot easily enter the fiber.

9. It has poor hygroscopicity and feels stuffy when worn. It is also easily charged with static electricity and contaminated with dust, affecting its appearance and comfort. However, it dries very easily after washing, has almost no drop in wet strength, does not deform, and has good washable and wearable properties.

What is GRS certification?

The Global Recycling Standard (GRS) is an international, voluntary and comprehensive product standard that sets out third-party certification requirements for recycled content, chain of custody, social responsibility and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions.

The goal of GRS is to increase the use of recycled materials in products and reduce/eliminate the hazards caused by their production.

■GRS certification application conditions:

The proportion of recycled content is ≥20%

■Requirements that must be met after applying for GRS:

1. Environmental impact assessment meets standards;

2. The third-party wastewater testing report meets ZDHC requirements;

■GRS certification traceability principle:

If the company wants to apply for GRS certification, the upstream suppliers of recycled raw materials should also have GRS certification certificates. When conducting GRS certification of the company, their suppliers should provide GRS compliance certificates (scope certificates, referred to as SC) and Transaction certificate (TC), and the supplier of reclaimed material at the source of the supply chain needs to provide a Reclaimed Material Supplier Agreement and a Reclaimed Material Declaration Form. Conduct on-site verification when necessary.