Varieties of PET Flakes: Hot, Cold, and Unwashed High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a polyethylene thermoplastic made from petroleum. This is usually used in the production of plastic bottles. PET bottles go through treatment process and PET Flakes are produced as a result. The treatment process includes crushing, washing, separating and drying. PET Flakes are used as an alternative raw material to polyester. The raw material is used in producing a range of products. PET has several advantages such as (a) non-toxic (b) low water absorption (c) organic solvents (d) weather resistance (e) resistance to weak acids (f) anti-chemical stability (g) little affected by temperature etc. South Korea, India, China are some of the main markets for PET flakes. But recycled PET is a comparatively new industry in the Dominican Republic, where Biometal Green Management is playing an important role a newcomer. In sourcing sites such as in Alibaba.com, you will see many Indian, Chinese, Thai and even American companies are marketing and trying to connect to international buyers. It is expected that industry owners from the Dominican Republic will catch up the competition and start marketing more seriously in international platforms. All the hot, cold, unwashed PET Flakes have some common industry specified characteristics and specifications. The characteristics and specifications vary one wash type to another and manufacturer to manufacturer. Characteristics The following list is not a comprehensive list but a general list: • Internal Viscosity • Bulk Density: measured in LBS per FT3 • Flake Size: measured in mm • Screen Size: measured in mm Specifications The following list is not a comprehensive list but a general list: • Polyvinyl Chloride content: measured in particles per million • Non-PET / Paper content: measured in particles per million • Rubber / Stone / Wood / Alum content: measured in particles per million • Moisture content: measured in percentage (%) • Ash content: measured in percentage (%) • Metal content • Glass content Hot washed PET Flakes These are used for several purposes such as: Staple Fiber: You can use this raw material in producing household products such as carpets and filler for stuffed toys, pillows and cushions. These are also used in textile industry such as in making apparel, upholstery and fabrics. You can even use in producing fishing nets. PET Strapping Tape: The tape is primarily used for industrial packaging and cotton baling but there are other uses too.
PET Sheet for Thermoforming: You can use the sheets at least four ways such as – (a) roof insulation materials (b) packaging for toys and articles (c) PET films (d) containers for grocery and food items. PET Preforms: You can use to produce not only bottles for automotive fluids but also multi-layer bottles for food applications. Other uses: These are also used in recycled PET resin, monofilaments and injection molding. Cold washed PET Flakes Manufacturers may include labels and caps. These may have a thin PVC layer such as 88% PET, 4% PVC and the rest are multilayer. Some manufacturers offer PET Flakes that contains less than 0.05% PVC. It is important that the manufacturer should be careful of contaminations. Some manufacturers ensure that there is no PVC or any other contamination in the material whilst removing caps, rings and labels. Moisture (Humidity) is a common feature in cold washed PET Flakes. You may typically expect around 1% moisture. They can come as transparent as well as dark, green, blue or in other colors. Unwashed PET Flakes These Flakes are produced by crushing used PET bottles and may come with or without labels and caps. These flakes are widely used in industries for numerous purposes such as manufacturing of new PET bottles, preparation of resin, and production of bristles in tooth brushes. Grinding PET bottles and maintaining quality at the same time is not easy. These Flakes can be hazardous too. So, some manufacturers offer features such as flawless quality and non-hazardous. These can be sold or exported as transparent, one color or mixed colors. — Biometal Green Management is a premier producer and exporter of PET Flakes in the Dominican Republic. If you have any query please contact us, we would like to hear from you.