Reactive recycling and recolour plus: advanced additive solutions for post-consumer recycled plastics
Proprietary peroxide-free additive technology that restores molecular weight and improves performance of post-consumer recycled (PCR) polyolefins and PET. Combines Reactive Recycling with a colour-matching concept to enable higher recyclate content in extruded and blow-moulded products without requiring new equipment.
Overview
Nexam Chemical offers Reactive Recycling, a proprietary additive technology designed to address two of the biggest challenges in post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics: degraded molecular weight and inconsistent appearance. By rebuilding molecular weight and chain branching in recycled polyolefins and PET, the technology improves melt strength, processing performance, and stress cracking resistance. When combined with the ReColour Plus concept, which addresses colour-matching challenges in mixed recyclate streams, manufacturers can achieve both improved aesthetics and enhanced material performance. This enables a higher fraction of recyclate in extruded and blow-moulded products without investing in new processing equipment, since standard mechanical extrusion recycling lines are sufficient.
Technical specifications
Reactive Recycling additives:
- Peroxide-free chemistry that becomes fully incorporated into the polymer backbone, preserving future recyclability
- R305 reduces Melt Flow Rate (MFR) of recycled LDPE by up to 75% at 5 wt% addition
- R203 significantly reduces MFR of recycled polypropylene, an effect not achievable with conventional peroxide-based modifiers
- Applicable to LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, and PP recyclate streams
- Increases Environmental Stress Cracking Resistance (ESCR) in HDPE
- Compatible with standard compounding and extrusion conditions, requiring little or no process modification
- Food approval process for the additive has been initiated
ReColour Plus concept:
- Colour-matching solution tailored to mixed and inconsistent PCR feedstocks
- Designed to deliver customer-specified colour targets from variable recyclate streams
Technology readiness level
Reactive Recycling has been developed and validated in-house at Nexam Chemical, with extensive lab-scale testing confirming MFR reduction, melt strength improvement, and ESCR gains across multiple polyolefin types. Patent documentation supports the underlying chemistry. The next phase of development includes identifying suitable recyclate streams, optimising compositions and process conditions via Design of Experiments, lab-scale verification, pilot-line injection moulding trials, pilot extrusion up-scaling, semi-commercial production, and customer verification leading to commercial launch. The ReColour Plus concept is positioned for commercial partnership launch in the US market, with a development pathway aimed at second-generation Reactive Recycling for polyolefins and tailored grades for extrusion blow-moulded applications.
About Nexam Chemical
Nexam Chemical is a specialty chemical company that develops and manufactures advanced polymer additives and masterbatch solutions. Its core technology, referred to as connecting molecules, utilizes heat-activated crosslinking chemistry to modify the properties of polymer materials. By implementing these solutions during production processes, the company enables plastics to become more temperature-resistant, stronger, and tougher. Their product portfolio includes chain extenders, crosslinkers, compatibilisers, and functional masterbatches, which are designed to be compatible with conventional processing equipment, allowing for performance improvements without requiring additional infrastructure investment.
These solutions are vital for customers seeking to enhance the sustainability and quality of recycled plastics, such as recycled polyethylene (rPE), polypropylene (rPP), and PET. The company’s technology helps restore the mechanical properties and processability of recycled polymers, facilitating higher incorporation levels of post-consumer recycled content in industrial applications like film, pipe, and moulded parts. Beyond recycling, Nexam Chemical provides high-performance materials for demanding sectors, including automotive and industrial manufacturing, and offers comprehensive chemical services ranging from synthesis to pilot-scale testing and contract manufacturing. Their products support manufacturers in reducing material usage and replacing heavier, more expensive alternatives with optimized polymer solutions.
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