Extrusion International 5-2023

52 Extrusion International 5/2023 the material for butterfly grains. By evaluating the material with the PURITY CONCEPT V, conclusions can be drawn about any mechani- cal problems that may have occurred during granulation that lead to the undesired deformation. Addition- ally, the system can also be used to analyze amorphous and crystalline pellets as well as test plates. The PURITY CONCEPT V impressed the RCS Group, as it reliably detects black spots and localizes them with precision. The companywas also very satisfied with the consulting prior to the investment and the service of SIKORA during commissioning. "We are pleased that we have gained a reliable partner with SIKORA, with whom we will further advance the topic of recycling together," says Renner. SIKORA AG Bruchweide 2, 28307 Bremen, Germany www.sikora.net FILM EXTRUSION PET bottles in the cycle: The flakes from used deposit bottles are processed into high-quality regranulate, which is then used to produce new beverage bottles The Use of Recyclates Reduces the Carbon Footprint of Films the Most What influences the carbon footprint of a plastic film and where is the greatest potential for reduction? Brückner Maschinenbau, supplier of film stretching lines, and the energy consulting company envistra investigated this question in a study. Based on the data from a running film production plant in Eastern Europe, the energy consumption and emissions of the plant as well as the specific emissions from the production and transport of the raw materials were recorded. R esult: Per square meter of biaxially oriented poly- propylene film (BOPP) produced, the proportion of energy-related CO 2 emissions from the production plant is around 12%, while the CO 2 emissions from the manufacture of the raw materials are just under 72%. The remaining 16% is accounted for by packaging, transport and, in this example, thermal recycling. This clearly showed that the greater lever for reducing CO 2 emissions lies in the raw materials used. By using 30% recyclate, it was also possible to re - duce the total CO 2 emissions by 20%, from 2.744 kg to 2.193 kg per kilogram of film produced. If you consider that modern Brückner film stretching systems produce around 8,000 kg per hour, the reduction in CO 2 emis- sions when using recyclate is even more striking, namely with 4.4 tons fewer emissions per hour of production. Michael Baumeister, Managing Director/CTO of Brück - ner Maschinenbau: "For us, a continuously declining use of fossil raw materials and ever lower energy consump- tion in film production are traditional goals in the further development of stretching technology. We have also de- voted ourselves to the increased use of recyclates in re- search and development for years. The study under real production conditions is now another important step.” Steffen Kuhnigk, process engineer at Brückner Maschinenbau, is already active in several cooperations and initiatives and hopes to convince new partners with the results of the current study: “Recyclate quality, avail - ability and new areas of application for films contain - ing recyclate must be developed together. To do this, we need all members of the value chain, from recyclers and raw material manufacturers to branded companies and retailers. And politics and legislation must also be on board.” Brückner Maschinenbau GmbH Königsberger Str. 5-7, 83313 Siegsdorf, Germany www.brueckner.com