The Complete Handbook of Plastics Processing and Recycling Technology (Manufacturing Processes, Applications and Industrial Project Profiles)

About This Book

The Complete Handbook of Plastics Processing and Recycling Technology (Manufacturing Processes, Applications and Industrial Project Profiles) (Engineers India Research Institute, ISBN 978-8199282766) covers plastics conversion processes, product applications and recycling routes, with costed project profiles.

Processing sections cover the principal conversion methods: injection moulding of thermoplastics and thermosets with reaction injection moulding, extrusion, extrusion and injection blow moulding, coating by extrusion, wire covering, dip and fluidised bed routes, rotational moulding, thermoforming, calendering, casting, compression and transfer moulding. Reinforced plastics are covered through reinforcement types and open mould processes including hand lay-up, spray-up and filament winding, intermediate processes including cold press moulding, resin injection and pultrusion, and heated mould processes with sheet and dough moulding compounds. Fabrication and finishing sections cover machining, adhesive bonding, mechanical joints, welding by hot gas, ultrasonic, friction, high frequency, hot plate and induction methods, and decorating through integral colouring, in-mould transfers, painting, hot stamping, electroplating, vacuum metallizing and printing.

Product and application sections cover non-woven polypropylene fabrics for hygiene and medical use, polyethylene greenhouses, packaging trends including aseptic filling, multilayer barrier bottles and form fill seal systems, edible oil packaging with container types and Indian standards, nylon monofilaments, PVC filled tiles, corrugated pipes, braided reinforced hose, PET preform and bottle blowing by single and two stage processes, extrusion coating on woven sacks, refrigerator inner doors and liners, bag making with in-line printing, synthetic papers with in-mould labelling, structural foam moulding, oriented PVC pipe technology and wood plastic composites.

Recycling sections cover waste collection and separation by float sink and froth flotation, mechanical recycling of homogeneous waste, compatibilisation of incompatible polymers, chemical recycling and pyrolysis, energy recovery with incineration and emission control, landfill considerations and degradable plastics, followed by a detailed treatment of PET recycling covering contaminants, drying, melt processing, intrinsic viscosity recovery by solid state polymerisation and chain extension, reactive extrusion and stretch blow moulding of recycled resin. Ten project profiles close the book.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Complete Handbook of Plastics Processing and Recycling Technology cover?

The Complete Handbook of Plastics Processing and Recycling Technology (EIRI, ISBN 978-8199282766) covers plastics conversion, products and recycling. Its main divisions are: plastics processing technology across moulding, extrusion, blow moulding, coating and forming methods; reinforced plastics processing; fabrication, welding and decorating; product-specific technology including pipes, packaging, non-wovens, greenhouses, synthetic paper and wood plastic composites; PET preform and bottle manufacture; plastics recycling by mechanical, chemical and energy recovery routes with PET recycling treated in depth; and ten project profiles with capital and turnover figures.

Who is this plastics processing handbook written for?

This handbook is written for readers who need process and application detail across plastics conversion. Its intended audience includes plastics processors and moulders, extrusion and blow moulding plant staff, recyclers and reprocessors, packaging technologists, product development and tooling engineers, quality control personnel, students of polymer and plastics engineering, technical libraries, and entrepreneurs or consultants preparing project reports for a plastics processing or recycling unit.

Who should consider starting a plastics processing or recycling business, and why?

Plastics conversion suits entrants who can identify a specific product and customer base before selecting equipment, since machinery is product-specific and a moulding machine bought without an order book is an expensive idle asset. The sector is attractive because entry is possible at several capital levels, from small injection moulding or bag making up to pipe extrusion and preform lines; machinery is widely available domestically including a developed second-hand market; demand spans construction, packaging, agriculture, automotive and consumer goods so no single end market dominates; and conversion is a repeat-order business once a customer qualifies a supplier. Recycling has its own case, supported by recycled content obligations on brand owners and by extended producer responsibility, though it lives or dies on feedstock procurement rather than processing skill. The constraints matter. Polymer prices track crude oil and are passed through with a lag, compressing margins when resin rises. Conversion margins are thin, so machine utilisation and scrap rate determine profitability. Mould and die cost is a significant upfront commitment per product. Pollution control consent applies to recycling and to any operation with emissions or effluent. And regulation has removed some product categories from the market entirely, so the intended product should be checked against current rules before any commitment.

What plastics processing methods does the book explain?

Conversion coverage is broad and organised by method. Moulding content covers injection moulding of thermoplastics and thermosets, reaction injection moulding, compression moulding, transfer moulding, rotational moulding and structural foam moulding. Extrusion content covers thermoplastic and thermoset extrusion, extrusion coating, wire covering and profile production including oriented PVC pipe technology. Blow moulding covers both extrusion and injection blow routes, with stretch blow moulding treated separately under PET. Further methods covered include thermoforming, calendering, casting, dip and fluidised bed coating, and the full range of reinforced plastics processes from hand lay-up and spray-up through filament winding, pultrusion and resin injection to sheet and dough moulding compound moulding.

How detailed is the PET recycling coverage?

PET recycling is one of the most technically developed sections. It covers virgin PET synthesis, thermal transitions and crystallisation as a baseline, then the contaminants found in post-consumer material including acid-producing contaminants, water, colouring contaminants and acetaldehyde. Process content covers conventional mechanical and chemical recycling, contaminant removal, drying and melt processing, and the recovery of intrinsic viscosity through reprocessing under vacuum, stabilisers, solid state polymerisation and chain extension, with chain extender selection, process variables, equipment and reactive extrusion on single and twin screw machines. Downstream content covers injection stretch blow moulding of recycled resin, preform moulding, bottle blowing, resulting bottle physical properties and molecular orientation.

Does the book include project economics and cost data?

Yes. Ten project profiles give economics, each covering plant and machinery, fixed capital, raw materials, monthly working capital, total capital investment and annual turnover. The projects are: acrylic bath tub and shower tray; HDPE, PVC and CPVC pipes and fittings; PET preform and PET jars up to twenty litre capacity; plastic granules from waste; a plastic moulded unit producing chairs, tables and vegetable trays; plastic water storage tanks; a pyrolysis plant for plastic and rubber; expanded polystyrene disposable plates, cups and glasses; uPVC door and window profiles; and biodegradable or compostable plastics.

Are all the products covered in this book currently permitted in India?

No, and this should be checked before acting on any project profile. India's plastic waste rules prohibit the manufacture, sale and use of a defined list of single-use plastic items, which includes polystyrene and expanded polystyrene cutlery, plates, cups and glasses among other categories. One of the project profiles in this book covers expanded polystyrene disposable tableware, and readers should treat that profile as technical documentation rather than a current business proposition. Compostable alternatives are covered separately in the biodegradable plastics profile, and rules on recycled content, extended producer responsibility and food contact use of recycled PET have also tightened. Anyone selecting a product to manufacture should verify its current status with the Central Pollution Control Board and their state pollution control board before ordering machinery.

What other plastic products does the book cover?

Product coverage spans several industries. Packaging content covers new trends in flexible packaging, breathable films, form fill seal machinery, aseptic filling and bulk aseptic transfer, multilayer barrier bottles, blow moulded industrial packaging, electrostatic discharge protective packaging, and edible oil and fat packaging with container types, critical polymers and Indian standards. Construction and infrastructure content covers pipes in HDPE, PVC and oriented PVC, uPVC profiles, PVC filled tiles and wood plastic composites for decking and profiles. Other products covered include non-woven polypropylene for hygiene and surgical use, polyethylene greenhouses for protected cultivation, nylon monofilaments, refrigerator inner doors and liners, synthetic paper with in-mould labelling, and reverse printed extrusion coated woven sacks.