Recently, Coperion has developed a new version of the ZS-B side feeder, which is specially used to recycle materials that were previously considered to have no recycling value, turning these materials into treasures.

Coperion’s new ZS-B
The MEGAfeed side feeder significantly improves the feeding efficiency of ZSK twin-screw extruders for fiber recyclate and flake recyclate, making more types of plastic recycling more economical, and making some plastics that were impossible to recycle now become possible. (Photo courtesy of Coperion)

These plastic recyclates with bulk densities below 200 kg/m³, long considered unrecyclable due to limited feeding, use the innovative ZS-B
MEGAfeed technology can be reliably mass-fed into Coperion’s ZSK twin-screw extruders for regeneration and compounding.

According to reports, the unique design of the ZS-B side feeder enables it to feed fibers and broken flakes such as PA, PE, PET and PP very efficiently. When using the ZS-B MEGAfeed, the ZSK
Twin-screw extruders maximize high throughput. Very high yields can be achieved in both mechanical and chemical recycling of post-consumer plastics applications.

Coperion’s new ZS-B
The MEGAfeed side feeder significantly improves the feeding efficiency of ZSK twin-screw extruders for fiber recyclate and flake recyclate, making more types of plastic recycling more economical, and making some plastics that were impossible to recycle now become possible.

Production can be greatly increased

Taking a ZSK 58 Mc18 twin-screw extruder as an example, when recycling nylon fibers with a bulk density of 40-50 kg/m³, the traditional recycling method can only achieve about 70
production in kg/h.

When using the ZS-B MEGAfeed technology to feed the nylon fibers into the ZSK extruder, the output increased approximately 14 times to 1,000 kg/h.

Similar results were also observed for carbon fiber recycling with bulk densities of 50-70 kg/m³. By using the ZS-B MEGAfeed technology it is possible to increase the output from 50 kg/h to
2,500 kg/h.

The yield increased from 50 kg/h to 700 kg/h when recycling PCR (post-consumer recycled) fragments and from 80 kg/h to 1,300 kg/h when recycling multilayer films.

Improving the economic benefits of recycling all kinds of plastics

Plastics that were not considered to have recycling value in the past by using the latest ZS-B
MEGAfeed technology can be recycled into high value material. For example, PCR fragments or carbon fiber reinforced plastics can now be fed into ZSK extruders efficiently and economically.

In terms of mechanical upgrading and recycling, the upstream process flow necessary for compounding, such as compaction, melting, agglomeration, etc., is achieved by using ZS-B
After MEGAfeed technology can be saved. During the recycling process, the broken flakes and fibers can be fed directly to the ZSK extruder, and straight-drawn in the extruder completes melting, compounding, devolatilization and filtration in one step. In this way, investment costs and energy consumption are reduced. Production becomes more efficient. In addition, this recycling process has less shear and lower melting temperature, resulting in a corresponding increase in the quality of the recycled material.

Even when recycling PET, feeding is no longer a bottleneck affecting yield. With the ZS-B MEGAfeed, PET flakes and fibers can be fed into the ZSK in large quantities
Twin-screw extruder without pre-drying or crystallization, maximizing the economics of recycling.

ZS-B
MEGAfeed can also feed a large amount of post-consumer plastic waste, providing a huge help for ZSK’s application in the field of chemical recycling. The recyclate is heated up by the mechanical energy of the twin-screw, which provides a more economical heating solution for the subsequent reaction of chemical recovery.

Existing Coperion extruder lines can also be retrofitted with the latest ZS-B MEGAfeed technology to increase output and expand the range of applications.

Coperion said that the use of the ZS-B MEGAfeed side feeder has significantly improved the feeding efficiency of plastic fibers and flakes, resulting in a significant increase in output when recycling plastics with the ZSK twin-screw extruder.