Mobile Test Unit CONTIFRESH Now Measures Potential for Deodorizing Plastic Recyclate

Plastic recyclate can contain volatile materials that may produce unpleasant odors. Coperion’s CONTIFRESH deodorizing systems reliably eliminate these offensive smells, significantly broadening the potential applications for incorporating recyclate into new products.

To optimize the specifications of such a deodorizing system and individually determine its operational parameters, Coperion now offers on-site testing using its mobile CONTIFRESH unit at customers' production facilities for reducing odors in plastic recyclates. By applying this solution to freshly produced material under real-world production conditions, the potential for odor reduction in recyclates can be thoroughly evaluated, enabling system parameters to be precisely defined on-site to achieve the desired optimal product quality.

Safe Solution for Maximum Product Quality

Demand for integrating plastic recyclate, particularly from post-consumer waste, is on the rise. However, unpleasant odors often pose a significant challenge during processing. To ensure that PCR (Post-Consumer Recycling) recyclate can be used to produce new products, offensive smells must be reliably eliminated.

Coperion offers a range of technological solutions designed to efficiently eliminate unpleasant odors from recycled plastics. Coperion's deodorizing systems play a crucial role in reliably removing odors from bulk materials immediately after the extrusion process.

Coperion has now developed CONTIFRESH, a mobile version of its deodorizing systems specifically designed for conducting deodorization tests at customer sites. This mobile unit can be seamlessly integrated into the existing production environment. Operators receive results promptly, enabling them to make immediate adjustments and ensure maximum product quality.

Using CONTIFRESH, Coperion identifies the optimal parameters for targeted odor reduction, enabling flexible selection of both the devolatilization medium (dry or humid air, pressure) and temperature. This versatility allows for in-depth investigation into which conditions most effectively eliminate odors. Deodorization temperatures as high as 150°C can be achieved.

With CONTIFRESH, product samples can be collected during the odor-reduction process and immediately analyzed on-site in the operator’s lab—without wasting time or compromising quality. Deodorization is already feasible even with very small product quantities (15 liters per test run).

Coperion’s mobile deodorizing unit operates as a standalone solution, requiring only water, pressurized air, and a power supply for operation. It gives operators the confidence—before making an investment—that the desired recyclate product quality can be achieved reliably. Additionally, the operator receives detailed information on the exact specifications needed for their deodorization equipment.