The Polyplastics Group has developed two new polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) grades from the Durafide family based on mechanically recycled content. The new materials, reinforced with 40% glass fiber, are Durafide rG-PPS 1140A1R00 and 1140A1R30, containing 100% and 30% mechanically recycled glass fiber-reinforced PPS respectively. Market launch of these grades is planned in the coming months.
The new offering is part of the Duracircle initiative, which aims to achieve full circularity in the field of engineering plastics. These grades are supplied through a re-compounding service in which process scrap collected from customers is used as feedstock under an open post-industrial recycling (PIR) mechanical recycling scheme. The feedstock consists of selected, glass-filled Durafide PPS grades from partners that meet specified quality requirements. After inspection, sorting and reformulation, the materials are processed under optimized compounding conditions and subjected to the same quality control as virgin materials.
The PPS recyclate collected in this way is re-compounded while maintaining parameters required in engineering applications. Sales of the new Durafide rG-PPS grades will be carried out through Polyplastics' global sales network. At the current stage, the collection program covers selected, specific Durafide PPS glass fiber-filled grades, which is intended to ensure homogeneity of the feedstock stream and consistency of the final material properties.
Re-compounding within an open PIR scheme
The development of the re-compounding business and the establishment of an open PIR mechanical recycling scheme require parallel efforts to create new applications for recycled PPS grades and to secure stable collection routes for process scrap. Polyplastics plans to cooperate not only with existing Durafide PPS customers, but also with companies operating in various segments of the waste management and waste-to-value industries.
The company emphasizes that the high quality of the final material depends on a rigorous approach to qualifying partners supplying process scrap, as well as to inspection and sorting stages. The use of appropriately selected compounding parameters is intended to ensure that recycled Durafide PPS grades maintain performance parameters comparable to virgin materials in typical engineering applications.
Expanding the portfolio of recycled PPS grades
Polyplastics is examining the possibility of expanding its range of PPS grades with mechanically recycled content in response to market signals. One of the objectives is to create closed, local recycling chains based on the "local production for local consumption" concept in individual countries and regions. Such a structure is expected to enable more efficient use of available process waste streams, shorten the logistics chain and stabilize the supply of recyclate with the required quality.
In parallel, the company is considering extending the scope of incoming feedstocks to include PCR materials, which in the future would increase the capacity to supply high-quality, consistent recycled plastics. Including both post-industrial and post-consumer recyclates in the portfolio has the potential to further reduce environmental impact and increase flexibility in meeting diverse customer requirements regarding material parameters and environmental profile.
Polyplastics notes that the development of such solutions requires cooperation with many links in the value chain, from plastics processors and end users to companies specializing in waste logistics and pre-treatment. The scale of these activities is expected to gradually support the development of a circular economy system in the field of engineering plastics based on PPS.
