The Impact of Recycling on Nonwoven Fabric Production

As the primary raw material for spunbond nonwoven fabrics, the price of polypropylene is often subject to market fluctuations. Many manufacturers will add some recycled plastics to reduce production costs. Recycling plastic also contributes to environmental protection and promotes global sustainability. This article discusses plastic recycling methods and the impact of recycled plastics on spunbond nonwoven production processes and spunbond nonwoven fabric quality.

Plastic Recycling Methods

1. Granulation Recycling

Granulation recycling involves converting waste plastics or nonwoven fabric scraps into reusable pellets through physical or chemical processes.

• Features: Suitable for various materials (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene) and forms of waste (e.g., production scraps, discarded plastic products). However, this method often limits the reuse of color masterbatches in the waste material, restricting granulated material to darker-colored products. Additionally, reprocessing waste may cause degradation and introduce impurities, increasing ash content.

2. Compression Recycling

Compression recycling uses mechanical pressure to compress waste plastics or scraps generated during the nonwoven production process into sheet-like forms for easier storage, transport, and subsequent processing.

• Features: This method avoids complex chemical or thermal processes, relying instead on mechanical force for material shaping. It does not alter the chemical composition or melt flow characteristics of the material, allowing for a high proportion (30%-40%) of recycled content to be mixed with virgin materials.

3. Comprehensive Recycling of Edge and Waste Materials

Waste and edge materials are inevitable byproducts of nonwoven fabric production. These materials can be recycled using air laid processes to create fluffy materials, achieving circular reuse in an environmentally friendly way.

• Features: Recycled materials are often used in applications like soil erosion control, desertification mitigation, agricultural mulch, geotextiles, packaging, and etc.

Impact of Recycled Plastics on Nonwoven Fabric Production Processes

Adjustments on Processing Temperature

The melt index of recycled plastics is often higher than that of virgin materials, so it requires adjustments to extrusion temperatures during production.

Equipment Wear and Maintenance

Recycled plastics tend to contain higher ash content and impurities, which can affect screw rotation speeds and accelerate wear on screws and other components. More frequent maintenance is necessary. Larger-area cartridge filters should also be used to handle the increased ash content.

Uniformity and Color Consistency

Excessive use of recycled plastics may impact the uniformity of nonwoven fabric. Recycled plastics, having undergone multiple melting processes, may alter the color tone of pigments, affecting the final product's appearance.

Production Stability and Output

The complex composition of recycled materials may lead to uneven melting or blockages during production, increasing the frequency of production line adjustments and downtime. To ensure product quality, production speeds may need to be reduced, impacting overall output.

Conclusion

Using recycled plastics in nonwoven fabric production offers significant environmental and economic benefits but places higher demands on production processes. Non woven fabric manufacturers are encouraged to continuously adjust equipment and optimize process parameters to ensure stable operations while balancing cost efficiency and sustainability goals.