SurTec: New surface cleaner for PET flakes

The recycling of plastics, especially from non-refillable PET bottles, is an important approach to conserving natural resources. Before further processing, these are shredded into PET flakes, which then have to be cleaned. One of the main problems here is foam formation, which has to be suppressed by means of defoamers. This hinders the efficiency of the process and at the same time pollutes the environment. With SurTec 072, surface specialist SurTec has succeeded in developing a highly efficient cleaner that reduces the need for defoamers by half. "In our search for the perfect solution, we talked to various customers about their challenges," explains Dr. Yingjia Li, R&D Industrial Parts Cleaning at SurTec. "The issue of foaming was clearly at the top of the list. So our task was to develop a foam-suppressing, efficient cleaner that works well without the otherwise large amount of defoamer. This reduces resource consumption and protects the environment."

SurTec 072 cleans even heavily soiled PET flakes and reliably removes contaminants such as food residues, adhesive residues and cap material from bottles. The cost of defoamers is reduced, less chemicals are needed overall, and the cost of transport, storage and logistics is lowered. The nitrogen-free high-performance cleaner does not represent a hazardous material and has advantages for environmental and occupational safety. SurTec 072 allows optimal PET flake cleaning while protecting against recontamination and is approved for indirect contact with food. SurTec works closely with colleagues from other Freudenberg Business Groups. This is because the Technology Group has been active in PET recycling for decades: for example, millions of plastic bottles are recycled every day in several plants belonging to the Freudenberg Performance Materials Business Group. The exchange, cooperation and existing expertise supported SurTec in developing the perfect cleaner.