Valuable engineering thermoplastics (ETPs) are currently not recycled because of contamination by paint or other coatings used in the production of durable plastic products. Many OEMs in various industries are committed to the use of recycled ETPs, but currently lack suppliers of depainted, virgin-compatible recycled feedstocks. Thus, post industrial and post consumer ETP recycling opportunities are currently lost because of this paint removal barrier. This project will develop a mechanical paint removal technology to erase this paint removal barrier to recycle valuable engineering thermoplastics. In conjunction with improvements in systems to identify and separate ETPs and the establishment of an agile collection infrastructure, recycling can become an innovative new resource management tool. Avoided landfill costs will help drive this change to improve resource management. Phase I work will determine the technical and economic feasibility of a mechanized prototype to remove paint from engineering thermoplastics, and develop a complete engineering design for a commercial-scale paint removal technology to remove paint from durable plastics.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Successful roll out of a commercial depainting technology will revolutionize the plastic recycling industry as we presently know it. Over 3 billion pounds per year of post consumer and post industrial plastics could be recycled that currently are landfilled.
