Extrusion International 5-2024-USA

59 Extrusion International 5/2024 smaller recycling operations. Ad - ditionally, the increased complexity of the recycling process can lead to higher operational costs. However, FIMIC has a proven double filtration technology that allows to process heavily contami- nated plastic waste streams, with only one machine and two filtration steps: ERA melt filter. With the ERA filter, some very contaminated material streams can be effectively processed, bypass- ing the need to install two separate melt filters and a melt pump be - tween them, or two separate ex- truders. Recyclers not only avoid a higher investment but also a longer residence time of the melt in the dif- ferent parts of the line which could take to degradation issues caused by prolonged friction. It is in fact proven that processing plastic waste at lower temperatures, lower pressure levels and shorter residence times leads to superior quality of the final product. FIMIC is specifically concentrating to reach such levels with post-consumer ma- terial streams, by keeping an eye on low operational costs, which is one of the many advantages of FIMIC range of products. By placing a first screen and a sec - ond finer screen in the second filtra - tion chamber, recyclers can obtain a pre-filtration in the first scraping chamber of the ERA Filter and dis- charge the contamination from the first discharge valve. The same can be done with the contamination left on the second screen, by dis- charging it from a second discharge valve (independent from the first one and placed at the bottom of the melt filter). Being the two discharge valves independent, the one on the second chamber works at a slower pace and will discharge much less material compared to the first one. This new FIMIC technology allows to process heavily contaminated plastic waste streams, with only one machine and two filtration steps, by using a much cheaper filtering screen to filter out the coarser (and usually the most dangerous) impuri - ties to then proceed to a finer filtra - tion screen (i.e. the most expensive one). FIMIC’s Melt Filter ERA represents a significant advancement in plas - tics recycling technology, offering a solution to some of the industry’s most pressing challenges. With its automatic operation, self-cleaning system, and ability to handle high contamination levels, the ERA melt filter is setting new standards for efficiency, quality, and versatil - ity in the recycling process. As the demand for high-quality recycled plastics continues to grow, the ERA is poised to play a crucial role in the industry’s efforts to achieve sustain - ability and reduce plastic waste. FIMIC srl Via Ospitale 44, 35010 Carmignano di Brenta (PD), Italy www.fimic.it Innovative Plastic Film Material Made from PLA Bioplastic Flexible, disposable plastic films used in shopping or garbage bags are made mainly from petroleum-based low-density polyethylene (LDPE). These films, however, come with a large carbon footprint and contribute to environmental pollution. A team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP has now developed a flexible and recyclable plastic film material based on polylactide (PLA) bioplastic and paved the way for its commercialization. Their efforts have earned the researchers the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for 2024. R ecycling and defossilization play a crucial role when it comes to sustainable plastics. After use, plastics are ideally broken down into their basic com- ponents, which are used to produce new plastics with the same properties. However, part of the material is lost in the cycle of production, use and reuse. “To fur - ther advance the circular economy, these losses must be offset by non-fossil raw materials. This, however, poses a challenge since there are usually not any bio- based counterparts for fossil plastics with the same material properties,” says Dr. Antje Lieske, Head of the Polymer Synthesis department at Fraunhofer IAP in the Potsdam Science Park. “Although these properties can be improved through various additives, these in - terfere with recycling processes further down the line. In addition, they can be expensive and harmful to the