Recycled-content PP meets specs

The Plastics Group of America (TPG), a compounder and toll processor, recently introduced Polifil RC, a recycled-content polypropylene developed in response to the growing demand for recycled-content resins. ?The processing technology for plastics recycling has evolved to the point that some reclaimers can produce postconsumer resin that can compete with the performance of virgin resin in many applications,? says Robert Lebeaux, TPG president. ?Our new reinforced polypropylene compounds are useful where the inclusion of recycled resin is specified or desirable.? According to the company, Polifil RC allows customers to choose specific resins to meet product performance requirements. By closely controlling the quality and quantity of the recycled material, TPG says it is able to produce materials with predictable properties. An in-house 17025-compliant laboratory will test and validate all Polifil RC materials and supply certificates of analysis. The result, TPG contends, is a series of compounds with processing and properties comparable to virgin materials. Typical applications include noncosmetic automotive parts such as HVAC ducts, dashboard and instrument housings, wiring harness components, light housings and brackets, and bumper and trim components. ?Manufacturers are writing material specifications for new parts, including mandates on the minimum content of recycled material. This creates a market for the same type of plastics recovered from scrapped automobiles,? says Lebeaux. Nonautomotive applications include wire spools, filter components, lawn and garden machinery parts, and irrigation and drainage components.?MM

The Plastics Group of America
Woonsocket, RI
(401) 767-2700
www.plasticsgroup.com