CWC

Best Practices in PET Recycling

Drying Methods and Requirements

Issue: PET is an extremely hygroscopic thermoplastic, in that it readily absorbs moisture from
the atmosphere. The presence of minute amounts of moisture will hydrolyze PET in the melt
phase, severely reducing molecular weight. As a result, mechanical properties of PET decrease
and end-product quality is compromised. Therefore, PET must be thoroughly dry just prior to
melt processing, and in some cases, recycled PET may have to be crystallized prior to drying.

Background: Unlike the other major packaging resins (e.g., polyolefins, polystyrene, and
PVC), PET is produced by a condensation reaction. Various starting materials are used and
reacted in a series of steps to produce PET. This reaction, which also produces water, is
reversible. Therefore, when undried PET is melted, the resin and water chemically react.
Hydrolysis occurs and key mechanical properties of the PET are reduced. This hydrolysis
reaction also changes PET melt viscosity and crystallization rate, making it very difficult to
process into a quality end product.

PET is a "semi-crystalline" thermoplastic, meaning it has both crystalline and amorphous regions
within its molecular structure. The crystalline portion develops where the molecules can align
themselves in a very compact linear structure. Otherwise, the molecules are set in a random or
amorphous pattern.

Virgin PET resin is sold in crystallized form so that it can be dried before being melt processed.
Uncrystallized PET becomes sticky and clumps when its temperature reaches 175F. This is
PET's glass transition temperature; the point at which the amorphous portion begins to soften.
Recycled PET may have to be crystallized prior to drying to avoid drying difficulties.
Crystallization permits trouble-free drying in conventional equipment at 280F-320F.
End-product manufacture from clean, recycled PET flake introduces an additional variable to be
considered when drying. A rule of thumb is that a crystallizer is not required if the amorphous
portion of the feedstream is less than 40% of the total. However, this generalization ignores
wide variation in the level of crystallinity in flake. For example, flake from clear thermoformed
parts, trim scrap, or PET bottle preforms, is highly amorphous. Flake from whole soda bottles
will be a mixture of crystalline and amorphous fractions, while that from strapping will be highly
crystalline.
Most PET drying is done in dehumidifying hoppers using hot air at a very low dew point. The
dehumidified air passes through a bed of PET to extract moisture from the resin. A desiccant
material, such as silica, absorbs moisture from the circulating air. Dual desiccant bed systems
are common, so that one bed is on-stream while the stand-by bed is
being regenerated. Either a time cycle or a predetermined decrease in air dew point is used to
shift airflow from one bed to the other.

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1997 CWC. All rights reserved. Federal Copyright Laws prohibit reproduction in whole or in part without express permission of CWC.
CWC
Best Practices in PET Recycling

Due to rapid growth in PET recycling, many new plastic converters are manufacturing
end products from post-consumer PET. A number of these companies are just now
learning how critical drying is when producing high quality PET end products. Others
may not be aware of the differences in behavior between amorphous and crystallized
grades of PET. It is important to note that inadequate drying, (ppm) causes 60% of all
quality and molding problems in PET processing (1).

Best Practices: Drying. PET must be dried to <100 parts per million (ppm)
moisture and maintained at this moisture level to minimize hydrolysis during melt
processing. This is not optional with PET; it is absolutely essential. A dry resin will help
control the Intrinsic Viscosity (IV) loss, which should be less than 0.04 dL/gram. An IV
reduction greater than this can result in a product outside of the useful range (0.70-0.80
dL/gram) for several recycled PET applications. Controlling IV loss is critical to
maintaining impact strength, stiffness, chemical resistance, melt viscosity, and other key
properties of the starting material.
The PET should be dried at 280-320F, using dehumidified air with a dew point of -20F
or less. Higher drying temperatures can degrade the resin and cause discoloration. Lower
drying temperatures will not dry the resin below 100 ppm moisture.

Dew point is an absolute measure of air moisture and is independent of air temperature.
Dew point should always be used to control dryer performance, therefore, the dryer
should be equipped with a dew-point monitor and alarm plus a temperature monitor on
the dryer inlet line. Airflow to the dryer heats the resin and absorbs its moisture.
Sufficient air flow maintains the resin at the proper temperature for its entire residence
time. Airflow must be maintained at one cubic foot of air/minute for every pound/hour of
PET being dried. A volumetric flow indicator is recommended to monitor airflow.

Pellets should be dried for four hours, while regrind should be dried for five to six hours.

Another best practice for minimizing moisture-related degradation of PET is to dry any
blending ingredients, colorants, additives, or internal scrap that could potentially
contribute moisture to the base resin. If any portion of the formulation is hygroscopic, it
must be dried according to the supplier's recommendation. Some non-hygroscopic
components may not have to be dried if their equilibrium moisture content and
percentage of the formulation are small.

The manufacture of end products from clean, recycled PET flake may require that the
PET feedstream be crystallized prior to drying. However, this generalization ignores the
fact that the level of crystallinity in the flake is subject to wide variations. For example,
flake from clear thermoformed parts, trim scrap, or PET bottle preforms is highly
amorphous. Flake from whole soda bottles will be a mixture of crystalline and
amorphous fractions, while that from strapping will be highly crystalline.

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1997 CWC. All rights reserved. Federal Copyright Laws prohibit reproduction in whole or in part without express permission of CWC.
CWC
Best Practices in PET Recycling

The sticking (or agglomeration) problem in dryers will worsen as a higher percent of the
mix consists of amorphous material. A rule of thumb is that a crystallizer is not required
if the amorphous portion of the feedstream is less than 40% of the total. For some end-
product manufacturers, it is not feasible or cost-effective to maintain the amorphous
portion at a content level low enough to prevent this phenomenon.

The clumps that form due to sticking of amorphous or partly amorphous resin do not
break up as the temperature rises. In fact, they will stick to the container walls and
thermocouples and cause bridging as the clumps grow. Drying of the non-sticking resin
becomes inefficient and some of the bridged material will heat degrade and reduce
product quality.

Crystallizers are drying hoppers equipped with agitators that break up the clumps. The
crystallizers generally are positioned just above a series of dryers. Slow agitation is used
to prevent agglomeration and creation of fines. The transition from amorphous to
crystalline PET takes 5-10 minutes at 270-300F. The crystallized material then is
conveyed into a hopper dryer.

Moisture Control. Drying must be coordinated with production at all times. Dryness of
the PET must be maintained until it enters processing equipment. It is best to use dried
material right away so it does not absorb ambient moisture. Depending on ambient
conditions, dried PET that is not kept in a sealed enclosure can pick up enough moisture
in five minutes to defeat most of the benefits of drying.

To maintain dryness, it is best to vacuum load the pellets and/or regrind directly from a
centralized drying unit to feed hoppers above the processing equipment. In some
instances, portable hopper dryers are used and the dried resin is conveyed directly to the
feed hopper.

Moisture Analysis. The Best Practice for moisture analysis of dried samples is to check
two to three samples at the end of each drying cycle to confirm that moisture content is
below 100 parts per million. Goodyear's test method R-123b is used by several recycling
companies. This procedure utilizes a Meeco electrolytic moisture analyzer.

Contact: For more information, contact CWC at (206) 443-7746 or e-mail at [email protected].
Reference:
1) Kozielski, Gary. "Molding Reinforced PET: How to Do It Right", Plastics Technology,
October 1988

Issue Date / Update: January 1998

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Plastics Council
1997 CWC. All rights reserved. Federal Copyright Laws prohibit reproduction in whole or in part without express permission of CWC.