Sulzer helps open new doors in the reuse of ocean-bound plastic waste by providing technical support to Tide Ocean SA and the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences.

Using its expertise in polymer processing, Sulzer Chemtech has developed a method to turn recycled PET into high-quality foams that match the properties of virgin plastics. This development will help Tide Ocean SA accelerate its work in addressing pollution and increasing the adoption of recycled polymer-based products.

A leader in the field of ocean-bound plastic upcycling, Tide Ocean SA collects and transforms this waste into premium raw materials, the award-winning #tide ocean material, for new sustainable products. The company is able to process a wide range of polymer waste including PET from plastic bottles, PP and PE. These are currently turned into pellets, yarn and filament which can be used in a variety of applications such as plastic injection, textiles and 3D printing.

Sulzer has proven that it is possible to use the recycled granules to produce XPET foam boards.

In the search for new processes to upcycle ocean-bound plastic waste, OST – University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland approached Sulzer Chemtech.

Leveraging its pilot plant facility equipped with advanced foaming equipment, Sulzer has proven that it is possible to use the recycled granules to produce expanded PET (XPET) foam boards. It also defined the key processing conditions to obtain boards that are indistinguishable from conventional XPET made from virgin plastic.

Daniel Schwendemann, Professor at the Institute for Material Science and Plastics Processing (IWK) at OST – University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland, commented, “The partnership with Sulzer Chemtech has been key in the development of XPET foam boards made from our recycled feedstock. The company’s specialists helped us determine the suitability of #tide ocean material as well as the optimum processes to deliver high-quality products.”

Marc Krebs, CCO at Tide Ocean SA, said “We are always looking for new applications for our recycled plastic pellets. The ability to produce expanded foams opens new doors to a wide range of markets, helping us reduce plastic waste by upcycling it to obtain advanced materials. We are very thankful to Sulzer Chemtech for helping us develop this new processing method for our recycled pellets.”

Daniel Rytz, Global Head Strategy and Business Development at Sulzer Chemtech, concluded, “We are delighted with the feedback received from OST and Tide Ocean SA. Our extensive experience in developing expanded foams from recycled plastics helps us conduct feasibility tests quickly and effectively. At the same time, we can leverage our advanced extrusion technology to develop and prove processes.”

Sulzer helps open new doors in the reuse of ocean-bound plastic waste by providing technical support to Tide Ocean SA and the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences.

Using its expertise in polymer processing, Sulzer Chemtech has developed a method to turn recycled PET into high-quality foams that match the properties of virgin plastics. This development will help Tide Ocean SA accelerate its work in addressing pollution and increasing the adoption of recycled polymer-based products.

A leader in the field of ocean-bound plastic upcycling, Tide Ocean SA collects and transforms this waste into premium raw materials, the award-winning #tide ocean material, for new sustainable products. The company is able to process a wide range of polymer waste including PET from plastic bottles, PP and PE. These are currently turned into pellets, yarn and filament which can be used in a variety of applications such as plastic injection, textiles and 3D printing.

Sulzer has proven that it is possible to use the recycled granules to produce XPET foam boards.

In the search for new processes to upcycle ocean-bound plastic waste, OST – University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland approached Sulzer Chemtech.

Leveraging its pilot plant facility equipped with advanced foaming equipment, Sulzer has proven that it is possible to use the recycled granules to produce expanded PET (XPET) foam boards. It also defined the key processing conditions to obtain boards that are indistinguishable from conventional XPET made from virgin plastic.

Daniel Schwendemann, Professor at the Institute for Material Science and Plastics Processing (IWK) at OST – University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland, commented, “The partnership with Sulzer Chemtech has been key in the development of XPET foam boards made from our recycled feedstock. The company’s specialists helped us determine the suitability of #tide ocean material as well as the optimum processes to deliver high-quality products.”

Marc Krebs, CCO at Tide Ocean SA, said “We are always looking for new applications for our recycled plastic pellets. The ability to produce expanded foams opens new doors to a wide range of markets, helping us reduce plastic waste by upcycling it to obtain advanced materials. We are very thankful to Sulzer Chemtech for helping us develop this new processing method for our recycled pellets.”

Daniel Rytz, Global Head Strategy and Business Development at Sulzer Chemtech, concluded, “We are delighted with the feedback received from OST and Tide Ocean SA. Our extensive experience in developing expanded foams from recycled plastics helps us conduct feasibility tests quickly and effectively. At the same time, we can leverage our advanced extrusion technology to develop and prove processes.”