Aarau, June 2015: Recently, experts from EMPA and WRFA participated in a training course on plastic processing technologies at the Plastic Education and Training Centre in Switzerland (KATZ) in Aarau. The course was given by Mr. Jürg de Pietro, managing director of KATZ. This marks the launch of a closer copperation between Swiss Plastics and its associated technology center KATZ, focusing on the SRI recycling initiative in India.
The training allowed the SRI project team to deepen its knowledge of plastic sorting and processing technologies. A special focus was set on the following topics:
- Process control during compounding, extrusion and injection molding.
- Material properties of HIPS, ABS, PVC and their application.
- Quick tests for the recognition of plastic resins.
- Material quality in plastics: criteria and analytical methods.
- Stabilisation and formulation of plastic on the example of PVC.
The team learned about the use of various additives to modulate the properties of plastics, about the limitations of plastic recycling, and on analytical methods used to determine quality defects. A particular highlight was to use the quick tests chart to recognise different plastic types. This training served to study the practices of plastic recycling in the informal sector in India. Local project partners and experts from Empa will use and compare the test sheet of KATZ with the techniques used by workers in the informal sector, identifying the best of the two approaches.
