A Polish research team has invented a new, simple, low energy-consuming and cheap way of PET recycling into thermal-insulating materials for the building industry, that could be produced as blocks, slabs, prefabricated units or 'sandwich' thermal-insulating materials, which are water and steam permeable. The mechanical properties of this material are better than those of expanded polystyrene. They are looking for partners for collaboration with companies collecting and recycling waste.

A Polish research team has invented a simple, low energy-consuming and cheap way of recycling PET (polyethylene terephthalate) into thermal-insulating materials for the building industry. This new material could be produced from PET industrial and post-consumer wastes (films, drawpieces, containers, tapes, bottles) as blocks, slabs, prefabricated units or 'sandwich' thermal-insulating materials, which are water and steam permeable. The mechanical properties of this material are better than those of expanded polystyrene.
The worked out method is a simple and easy way of recycling post-consumer PET bottles into composite material. This material consists of grinding PET bottles and polyurethane, used as a binding agent. After the grinding process, PET flakes and polyurethane are mixed together and this composition is next pressed in steel (or even wooden) mould. The mechanical properties of this new material (density 800 kg/m3) are similar to those of concrete (concrete B-20). Moreover, this composite material has a good thermal insulation coefficient (l = 67 mW/(m*K)), so it might have the same applications as expanded polystyrene. It also has a good sound absorbing efficiency, and is resistant to atmospheric and biological corrosion.

Innovative Aspects:
This method makes it possible to omit unnecessary processes as follows: precise plastics separation, washing and drying, labels and adhesive removing, agglomeration, heat plasticising, extrusion and cutting. The slabs produced by the new method have better load resistance and bending strength than foamed polystyrene, so they might be used for thermal insulation of e.g. floor in engine rooms. The invention was award by 'Leader of Innovation 2002' prize, Katowice 2002, and golden medal on 30th International Exhibition of Innovations, New Techniques and Products in Geneva 2002.

Main Advantages:
1) Changes the recycling method for PET bottles
2) Makes PET bottles recycling on a mass scale possible
3) Produces modern thermal-insulating materials
4) PET bottles recycling costs fall

• Building Materials, Components and Methods
• Sound Insulation
• Rubber
• Energy production, transmission and conversion
• Ecology
• Technology, Society and Employment

• Materials technology
• Waste management
• Environment protection

• Pollution and Recycling Related
• Chemical and solid material recycling
• Other pollution and recycling related

• Commercial Agreement with Technical Assistance