Recovery and potential use for non-polyolefin materials after physical recycling of complex multilayers

<ns3:p>Standard flexible packaging in the market contains many components that differ from polyolefins (PO). These components can include barrier materials (Polyamides (PA), Polyethylene-terephthalate (PET), Ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH), Polyvinyl-alcohol (PVOH), and aluminum), inks, lacquers, adhesives, fillers, and pigments. All these materials are insoluble in the solvents used for the physical, dissolution-based, and recycling of polyolefins, leaving them as a solid residue in the process. Characterization of the residue obtained after physical recycling of printed/metallized polyolefin flexible structures using the TNO Möbius dissolution process was performed to select potential applications, stakeholders, and/or secondary valorization routes. The residue resulted in a heterogeneous material composed of PET (60%), inorganic fraction (28%), and other organic components (12%). The potentially valuable materials from this residue are the PET and aluminum fractions. After a desk study, possible secondary recovery techniques for PET and aluminum were selected.</ns3:p>