EREMA VACUNITE PET recycling process

VACUNITE technology brings together EREMA’s VACUREMA bottle-to-bottle process with vacuum-supported solid state polycondensation (SSP) from Polymetrix. All thermal process steps take place in a nitrogen atmosphere, largely eliminating flake and pellet discolouration and removing additives which could lead to undesired reactions in the melt. The end result is rPET pellets which are said to exceed all existing food-contact requirements.

The vacuum support cleans the nitrogen, which means it can be returned to the previous processing stage and nitrogen consumption is reduced as a result. Any remaining dust particles are removed from the pellets before filling to avoid preform contamination.

Depending on machine type, 50–60 m² of floor space is sufficient for the SSP part. The height and substructure have less impact on the dimensions of the plant building compared to other SSPs, according to the company, with lower maintenance as a result. The energy consumption for the entire production process, from the flake to the final pellets, amounts to 0.35 kWh/kg.