Virgin Pa6 From Recycled Sources?

AlliedSignal Europe (Leuven, Belgium) has launched a new post-consumer recycled PA6 called Infinity Forever Renewable Nylon. The difference between Infinity and conventional recycled thermoplastics is the use of a new, patented depolymerisation process operation resulting from an US$80 million joint venture with DSM Chemicals North America. Scrap PA6 is converted to the original caprolactam monomer which is then purified and re-polymerised to produce essentially virgin resin. The recycled product offers the same performance as virgin resin, which positions AlliedSignal to take advantage of draft European Union directives which set vehicle re-use and recovery targets at 85 percent for 2005, rising to 95 percent by 2015. The new PA6 could theoretically be recycled forever.

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