New: Upcycling plastics with Kraton innovation
The American company Kraton, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is now producing CirKular+™ – a range of additives that enhance the reusability and quality of mixed recyclable plastics in a wide variety of applications. Starting this autumn, Nordmann will begin distributing these new products in several European countries.
Mixed-plastics recycling streams with non-compatible materials and difficult-to-recycle engineering polymers are a challenge for the recycling industry. The inferior mechanical properties and poor processability of these streams often limit their reusability.
Wide range of applications
CirKular+™ Plastics Upcycling solutions from Nordmann’s partner Kraton create sustainable value for the various stakeholders in the value chain – from recyclers and compounders to converters and brand owners. Potential uses of CirKular+™ include compatibilization of post-consumer and industrial plastics recycling streams, the modification of bioplastics and flexible product design through a combination of virgin and recycled plastics.
Product overview
The CirKular+™ Compatibilization series is available in three grades (C1000, C1010 and C1010 (50% recycled), enabling cost-efficient compatibilization of a wide range of contaminated post-consumer recycling streams – including PET, polyamides and ABS contaminants. The C2000 and C3000 series offers performance enhancement solutions for polyolefinic recycling streams (HDPE, PP, LDPE, polyolefinic blends and PS).
High-level performance
Even at low levels, the addition of CirKular+™ can improve the mixing and miscibility of incompatible resins and improve the processability of recyclates while delivering improved mechanical performance (e.g. better elasticity and up to 500% higher impact strength). Plastics modified with CirKular+™ show better reusability and can withstand up to five recycling cycles. The products demonstrate excellent processing versatility and can be used by converters through dry-blending in extrusion and injection molding, or in compounded applications to deliver cost-effective solutions. CirKular+™ grades are now available as samples.
