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Truth Behind the HDPE

Author : ECOWATER AQUA

Update time : 2023-07-18 12:05:21

Truth Behind the HDPE

" Recycling Realities and Potential Hazards "

HDPE is an abbreviation for High-Density Polyethylene, a kind of plastic that is commonly used. Polyethylene is a polymer formed from ethylene monomers via a polymerization process, and it comes in a variety of densities. One variety is High-Density Polyethylene, which has a high density and a strong molecular structure.

HDPE vs. Polyethylene: Material Differences and Comparisons ❘ Xometry

In terms of stability, HDPE provides substantial benefits. It has a great strength and stiffness, as well as a good chemical resistance. It also has a high melting point and thermal deformation temperature. HDPE is widely employed in a variety of areas because to its electrical insulating qualities, plasticity, and processability, including packaging, building, automation, power, agriculture, and healthcare

Let's talk about HDPE today!!!

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) has not been effectively recycled for applications involving food contact due to the presence of chemical compounds in the polymer. Paula Vera and colleagues from the University of Zaragoza in Spain examined plastic containers constructed from post-consumer HDPE milk bottle flakes from two European plastic recycling enterprises in a research published on January 11, 2023 in the Journal of Food Packaging and Shelf Life. The authors discovered antioxidant component degradation products, cleaning product, detergent, and flavoring residues.

The European Union demands that at least 55% of plastic packaging be recycled by 2025 in order to decrease plastic waste. The European Commission formally established new laws for recycled plastic materials and goods in contact with food in September 2022, which went into force in October 2022. In the draft, the Food Packaging Forum voiced concerns about the chemical safety of recycled packaging. As a result, recognized or unknown toxic compounds may be passed over from earlier goods to the new ones through the recycling process of plastic garbage.

Aside from the possibility of dangerous chemical elements in the material, the stench of recycled HDPE may further deter its use. Because of its strong chemical adsorption ability, HDPE may absorb food scents as well as the odors of cleaning solutions used during the recycling process. The researchers looked at six different types of original HDPE pellets, 15 different types of recycled HDPE sheets produced by mechanical recycling including crushing, washing, and drying, and 19 different types of recycled pellets obtained through re-pelletization and extrusion methods. They used an electronic nose, headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectroscopy, and headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze volatile chemicals.

According to the researchers, "the sources of volatile organic compounds in recycled HDPE may be contamination of post-consumer bottles and their thermal oxidation degradation." Furthermore, the re-pelletization process from sheets to pellets was discovered to remove the majority of the volatile organic chemicals. Aromatic hydrocarbons, terpenes, and certain acids, however, persisted in the pellets, and the results also revealed that d-limonene and octanal had the biggest overall odor influence on the recycled pellets.

So, what is the truth of HDPE recycling? The process of recycling HDPE is extremely complicated and difficult to standardize. Among the steps involved include, but are not limited to:

1.Collection and sorting: Collecting and sorting waste HDPE items such as plastic bottles, containers, and packaging.

2.Cleaning and processing: The recycled HDPE goods must be cleaned to eliminate impurities, residues, and grime.

3.Grinding and crushing: The cleaned HDPE products are crushed into small particles or sheets.

4.Flotation or density separation: Separating HDPE from other plastic or non-plastic contaminants using flotation or density separation techniques.

5.Reprocessing and preparation: Reprocessing HDPE and producing new HDPE goods utilizing procedures such as extrusion, injection molding, or blow molding.

6.Quality control and inspection: Quality control and inspections are performed to verify that recycled HDPE satisfies applicable norms and requirements.

Given the discussion of "chemical adsorption capacity" in the preceding paragraph, the collected HDPE products can have a considerable influence on each batch of HDPE. Consider a batch of HDPE barrels that were previously used for chemicals. Because of the nature of the material, the chemical residues in these containers may still be present in the recycled material. Recycling method and standard implementation and regulation remain a mystery.

If recycled HDPE material cannot be utilized directly in the food sector, its indirect usage in the aquaculture industry, which is closely connected to food, necessitates more investigation.

Using recycled HDPE to make things that do not come into close touch with humans is a huge step toward environmental protection. However, most aerator,fish tank,filter media,aerotubes in the aquaculture business, are made of HDPE. These products spend a long time in the water, engaging with fish, shrimp, shellfish, and other aquatic goods. Can chemical residues influence water quality monitoring, product quality, or even organism death if there are manufactured from recycled materials?

Therefore, farmers should carefully evaluate the quality of items on the market, since equipment quality has an indirect or direct influence on yearly output and returns. As a competent aerator producer, Ecowater assures that all equipment offered uses new raw materials that are food-grade. Ecowater's first focus is always the pleasure of fisherman and the maximum performance of the equipment.

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