Plastic Recycling
Foam control for recycled plastics manufacturing
Foam control for recycled plastics manufacturing
How can you optimize your plastic recycling process with our foam control agents ?
The interest for plastic recycling has been on the rise for the last decade due to the growing concerns towards waste management, environmental issues and greenhouse gas emissions. It is also being driven by new and more cost-effective technologies that make recycled plastics economically feasible versus producing plastics from scratch.
From sorting to repackaging, recycled plastics have to go through multiple process stages, where foam can be a real problem. For example when PET (PolyEthylene Terphtalate) and HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene) containers such as water or milk bottles are recycled, they are washed at very high temperatures and flow rates, generating a great deal of foam.
SILCOLAPSE™ silicone foam control agents are effective in reducing and controlling this foam, due to their long-lasting and efficient dispersion properties in aqueous media. Efficient at low dosage levels and with very low COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), SILCOLAPSE™ silicones are economically and ecologically friendly.
For over 40 years, Elkem Silicones has been developing and producing foam control ingredients, formulations and processing aids for major clients worldwide. In addition, Elkem Silicones experts provide advice and work closely with plastic recycling manufacturers to make sure that the foam control products they use do what's needed in their manufacturing processes.
Use our set of customized services, including laboratory or on site trials and support for ramping up to industrial scale production. Also, Elkem Silicones ensures product stewardship, providing all the information and certifications needed to comply with regulatory constraints.
To sustain this offer, we invest in development and innovation so that SILCOLAPSE™ foam control agents will remain effective, cost efficient and safe through:
- More efficient and cleaner processes
- Improved quality of final products
- Reduced waste and energy consumption
Customers will have the possibility to optimize their plastic recycling process thanks to SILCOLAPSE™ large offer available worldwide:
- SILCOLAPSE™ RG11, RG12 and RG21
- SILCOLAPSE™ 621 and 623
- SILCOLAPSE™ 721 and 723
- SILCOLAPSE™ C581 and C585
We can also provide BLUESIL™SP 3304 : a defoaming enhancer used upstream at the separation stage, facilitating plastic sorting in float processes because of its excellent wetting properties and which is also useful downstream as a release agent for demolding recycled plastic components.
In addition to its antifoams and defoamers, Elkem Silicones is developing BLUESIL™ Clean 101 and BLUESIL™ Clean 102, functional low-foam cleaning formulations designed specifically for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene (PE) wash systems.
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SILCOLAPSE™ for Plastic Recycling, get reliability at every stage
Product reference | Type | Solid content (approx, %) | Viscosity (approx, mPas) | Features | Zone |
SILCOLAPSE EASY 10 |
Emulsion | 17 | 1 000 | Highly effective in a wide pH and temperature range and multipurpose Easy handling |
Global |
SILCOLAPSE EASY 50 |
Emulsion | 50 | 1 500 | High active content, easy to formulate High stability of diluted emulsions |
Global |
SILCOLAPSE 621 | Emulsion | 14 | 1 000 | Highly effective and versatile emulsion | North America |
SILCOLAPSE 623 | Emulsion | 36 | 1 250 | Highly effective and versatile emulsion | North America |
SILCOLAPSE 721 | Emulsion | 15 | 1 200 | Highly effective food grade emulsion | North America |
SILCOLAPSE 723 | Emulsion | 40 | 1 000 | Highly effective food grade emulsion | North America |
SILCOLAPSE RG 11 | Emulsion | 20 | 500 | Effective in a wide pH range Multipurpose |
Latin America |
SILCOLAPSE RG 21 | Emulsion | 30 | 2 000 | Effective in a wide pH range Multipurpose |
Latin America |
SILCOLAPSE C581 | Emulsion | 10 | 1 000 | Highly effective in a wide range of pH | APAC, LATAM, MEA |
SILCOLAPSE C585 | Emulsion | 40 | 2 300 | High efficiency Concentrated emulsion |
APAC, LATAM, MEA |
BLUESIL CLEAN 102 | Surfactant | - | - | Highly effective plastics cleaner | North America |
BLUESIL SP3304 | Separation aid | 100 | 1 700 | High efficiency in plastic separation process | Global |