SRPET
FACTS ABOUT PET
PET offers the best chemical resistance performance of any mainstream polymer used in packaging today. Very good shelf-life performance, especially with the new higher barrier formulations.
The main reasons lying behind the success of PET containers is molecular structure of the material set into a web, it is unbreakable. The advantage of the PET material lies in its physical properties that allow for great freedom in design. Because of strength, thermo-stability and transparency of PET, it is widely used in packaging industries. The other reasons for popularity of PET among consumer are that it is lightweight, resalable, shatter-resistant, inexpensive and recyclable.
PET exists both as an amorphous (transparent) and as a semi-crystalline (opaque and white) thermoplastic material. PET can be semi-rigid to rigid, depending on its thickness, and is very lightweight. It makes good resistance to mineral oils, solvents and acids but not to bases. It is strong and impact-resistant. It is naturally colorless and transparent.
The semi-crystalline PET has good strength, ductility, stiffness and hardness. The amorphous PET has better ductility but less stiffness and hardness. Other properties of PET are heat resistance, barrier to moisture and gas.
While all thermoplastics are technically recyclable, PET bottle recycling is more practical than many other plastic applications. The primary reason is that plastic carbonated soft drink bottles and water bottles are almost exclusively PET which makes them more easily identifiable in a recycle stream.
ADVANTAGES OF COMFIL SRPET
Comfil combines a low-melting amorphous PET with high tenacity PET fibres for an ideal mix.
The difference in melting points between the LPET and HTPET makes you able to shape the fabric and sheets as you want.
Lay up the fabrics on a mould or heat the sheets up with a heatgun to the point where the LPET becomes mouldable. Vacuum pack and heat to 200 degrees Celcius. The HT PET fibres will remain stiff and intact, while the LPET matrix will flow and fix them in place and make for a nice finish.
ECOLOGY & RECYCLABILITY
The ecologic aspect of srPET is a decisive factor in deciding to use this material instead of standard mineral filled composites. Since PET is used for the making of everyday drinking bottles among other things, this means that the bottles can be recycled and processed into srPET or vice versa making srPET 100% recyclable.
Comfil has produced srPET for THE PLASTIKI EXPEDITION , a 60-foot catamaran, that sailed across the Pacific, highlighting the ecological damage done by all the plastic waste not being recycled. Sustainable solutions, such as using SRP's, is a big step along the road to superior plastic and composite products with great recycling prospects.
