Agency:

Forest Service

May 30, 1995

The invention relates to a device for recycling thin walled containers and other forms of sheet plastic scrap. Previous attempts to recycle scrap have two main problems. First the different types of plastic must be separated. This is because of the varying melting points and viscosities of the various plastics do not permit them to be melted and extruded together. Second labels must be removed so that the newly melted product can be extruded or molded into a new product. According to the invention, plastic of all sorts is shredded into fine plastic slivers and mixed with a fibrous filler such as cellulosic fibers, wood chips or excelsior, and possibly additional virgin plastic. The mix is then heated and pressed into rigid sheets or into new products. During heating and pressing, plastic melts and flows around the fibrous material.

Brent W. English

Forest Product Laboratory

One Gifford Pinchot Drive

Madison, WI 53705

(608) 231-9393

Industry Keywords:

HDPE, high density polyethylene, furniture making, chair seats, interior automotive panels, air-laid composites