Plastic regrind is the type of plastic material that has undergone at least one process and has been chopped and grounded. Once the plastic material is processed and it can be recycled by using the regrind process. The used plastic, scrap, chips, etc are fed into the granulator and reground. Therefore, plastic regrind is the outcome of the granulation process of used plastic. This process plays a significant role in the efficiency of the plastics processing industry. Plastic regrind sounds like a simple process, however, it makes a significant impact on the economic and production aspects of the plastic production industry. If you are unaware of the importance of plastic regrind, this post is for you. It offers insights on what exactly plastic regrind is, and why is it so important.
Plastic Regrind
Plastic regrind is the granular or palletized form of recycled plastic resin. Once the plastic is used, it turns into a scrap after a specific duration of application. Instead of disposing of the scrap plastic, it is recycled in the form of granules or pallets which is called plastic regrind.
The plastic regrinds of plastic materials such as ABS, acetal, nylon 6, PET, PPS, etc are used in different industries. The scope of utilization of plastic regrind is very high if the plastic materials are in good condition before palletization or granulation. Let us discuss why plastic regrind is important to use in the plastic production industries.
Importance of Plastic Regrind
Plastic regrind offers the following benefits to plastic manufacturers and their clients.
- Plastic regrind saves material. Since already processed, crap plastic is used in plastic regrind, material recycling enhances material utility. As virgin resins are manufactured by burning fossil fuels. Regrind plastic reduces the need for virgin resin production which eventually increases the availability of fossil fuels.
- Recycled and reused plastic costs lesser than virgin resins. During granulation or palletization, the plastic scrap is mixed with a small portion of virgin resin to regain its properties. The regrind cost remains lower than the production of virgin resins. Roughly, the use of 30% plastic regrind offers nearly 15% of cost-saving.
- Recycling and reusing scrap plastic reduces the non-biodegradable manmade waste.
- Reduction in the burning of fossil fuels contributes to a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases and carbon footprint.
All these benefits of using plastic regrind can only be reaped if high-quality plastic regrind is utilized, let us discuss how to select high-quality plastic to regrind.
Factors to Consider While Purchasing Plastic Regrind
Buying a high-quality plastic regrind can be challenging. The following steps will help you in the right selection.
- Level of Degradation: The plastic loses its molecular bonding force due to a reduction in molecular weight. This degradation takes a toll on plastic regrind. Therefore, while a selection of regrind, degradation records must be tested.
During the regrind, degraded plastic scrap is mixed with a calculated amount of virgin resins to regain the properties of plastic. Based on the degradation the quantity and intensity of virgin resin vary during palletization. Generally, 15%-30% of virgin resin is used for regrinding. During the selection of plastic regrind, the original degradation level and restored abilities of plastic must be tested.
- Granules/Pellet Sizes: The size of the pellet is important to consider because, during melting, the size of the pellet impacts thermal requirements and duration melting.
- Foreign Contamination: During regrind, foreign contamination is a problem. Often the contaminants like dirt, dust, oil, etc intervene in the granulation or palletization process. This leads to a reduction in regrind quality. Moisture is another issue that causes air bubbles in the pallets. In order to ensure the quality of regrind, the foreign contamination must be as less as possible.
In addition to these steps, you must source these plastic regrinds trusted plastic suppliers like Mid Continent Plastic. The company supplies high-quality regrind and virgin resigns. Being active plastic and resin suppliers since 1987, the company is well-recognized as a supplier of quality resins.
Related Blogs-
- Benefits of Buying Plastic Regrinds from Mid Continent Plastics
- Regrind Plastics Discussed at Length
