An international industrial research project has been initiated to obtain recycled PVC without heavy metals. In this transnational project, the French chemical company Kem One, the Swiss plastic distributor Meraxis, and the German profile brand REHAU Window Solutions are working on extracting heavy metals from recycled PVC.
Mechanical processing is supplemented with chemical processing. Initially, for example, PVC window frames are mechanically shredded. Heavy metals such as lead are removed from the shredded plastic using a chemical process. Then the extracted lead will be reintroduced into existing streams of secondary processing. Recycled PVC, free from lead, can be reused for manufacturing window profiles.
Initial trials were successfully conducted at Kem One, France, allowing the project to be expanded to a pilot scale. Currently, chemical engineers and technologists from the three companies are focused on further process optimization and preparation for industrial implementation, planned for 2030.
Lead is a pressing issue. Public awareness and efforts to reduce the impact of lead are crucial for a sustainable future. Developing from the early phase to a large-scale industrial solution requires significant effort and investment, hence the project also relies on government funding.
Photo: Meraxis
REHAU plans to remove lead from recycled PVC on an industrial scale
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