Next Generation

Recyclingmaschinen GmbH

Argicultrual film and recycling

RECYCLING OF

AGRICULTURAL FILMS

Types of agricultural films

• Greenhouse film, side wall films, tunnel films

• Mulch film

• Silage sheeting (black white film)

• Silage bags

• Fumigation film

• Geo-membranes

• Container liners

Greenhouse film

Greenhouse films combine long life time, superior

strength and high light transmissions with optical

characteristics that transform the film to an active

contributor to plant protection, grows and productivity.

Main features are:

Lifetime

Thermic effect

Light diffusion

Anti-drip effect

Anti-mist/anti-fog effect

Cooling effect

Disease control effect

Photo selective effects

Basic information:

Material: LD-PE, LLD-PE, mLLD-PE, EVA (3-14 % VA), EBA (3-9% BA)

Additives: antidrop, antifog, antivirus, UV stabilizer and IR absorber, CaCo³

Film thickness: 60 – 200 µm

Layers: up to about 3 – 5 layers

Mulch film

Mulch films replaced wood chips and are more practical

and easy to install by hand or mainly with a machine.

Therefore they need a certain mechanical strength. Lifetime

should between 1-3 years.

Main features are:

Prevention of weed growth.

Increase temperature of the soil.

Prevention of irrigation water from

evaporating.

Stabilizing the soil.

Protection from insects.

Enhancement of growth.

Guide the water into the ground

Basic information:

Material: LD-PE, LLD-PE, mLLD-PE, Bio degradable Polymers

Additives: carbon black and special antioxidants

Film thickness: 15 – 100 µm

Layers: mainly 3 layers

Silage sheeting

Silage sheeting maintaining grains in a hermetic

environment to increases Dioxide Carbon

concentration (CO2), decreases Oxygen concentration

(O2) and decreases the risk of deterioration.

Main features are:

High gas resistance.

Highly resistant to tearing.

Basic information:

Material: LD-PE, LLD-PE, mLLD-PE,

Additives: carbon black and UV stabilizers

Film thickness: 125 – 200 µm

Layers: mainly 3 layers

Silage bags

Silage bags maintaining grains in a hermetic environment

to increases Dioxide Carbon concentration (CO2),

decreases Oxygen concentration (O2) and decreases the

risk of deterioration.

Main features are:

Fungi control.

Insects control.

Grains respiration control

High gas resistance

Highly resistant to tearing due to the

different stretching behaviours on the

film

Basic information:

Material: LD-PE, LLD-PE, mLLD-PE,

Additives: carbon black and UV stabilizers

Film thickness: 180 – 220 µm

Layers: mainly 3 layers

Fumigation film

Fumigation films are used to avoid the escape of chemicals or methyl bromide in the

atmosphere. The film covers the soil and the disinfectant is released underneath the film or

in the soil.

Basic information:

Material: LD-PE, LLD-PE, mLLD-PE, EVOH

Additives: different chemicals like Methyl Bromide

Film thickness: 20 – 50 µm

Layers: mainly 3 to 7 layers

Main features are:

Sterilize the soil against diseases and

harmful viruses or bacteria that can reduce

the soils productivity

prevent damage to grains by plagues or

insects once the crop is collected and

stored in warehouse

good mechanical properties (elasticity and

tear resistance

Container liner

Container liners are used for absolutely hygienic transportation of

bulk goods, protect freight from dirt and dampness, reduces the

danger of freight damage, increase the versatility of containers.

For strong composite application are high reflective aluminum

layer required as well as fire retardant layer even sometimes

woven polyethylene or metallized layer

Main features are:

FDA approved

Oxygen barrier.

Reflecting up to 97% of radiant energy.

Eliminates conductive heat transfer.

Moisture barrier.

Prevention of theft.

Basic information:

Material: LD-PE, LLD-PE, mLLD-PE, EVOH, CoPA

Additives: antivirus, slip, antibloc

Film thickness: 100 – 200 µm

Layers: mainly 3 layers

Geo-membrane

Geo-membrane are used for tank lining, pond,

reservoir and lake lining. Covers for contaminated

land, e. g. waste dumps and are barrier against flood

water as well as waterproofing of cisterns.

Basic information:

Material: LD-PE, LLD-PE, mLLD-PE, HDPE, PP,

TPU, EPDM, PVC

Additives: carbon black and UV stabilizers

Film thickness: 300 – 3.000 µm

Layers: mainly 3 layers

Main features are:

Resistant against water, acids and alkalis.

Not resistant against oils, fuels and gases.

Post consumer washing line

• Challenges for post consumer application:

• Original material quality not always clear

• Degradation from environmental exposure

• Contamination with soil, dust, crops etc.

• Contamination by chemicals like fertilizers, pesticide and sulfide

Individual steps for post consumer

washing

• Wet shredder for the pre size reduction of

the post consumer material in a high wear

resistant execution and not sensitive to non

polymer particles like stones, rocks, wood

…… Water is removing a lot of this objects.

• Pre washing system for further reduction of

foreign objects by swim sink principle

supported by a washing drum and the

sediments are collected and removed from

the further processed which is increasing

the lifetime of the further machines

• Wet grinding with large amount of water

added during the granulation process for

the further size reduction and removal of

organically and inorganically materials

• Frictional washer is typically used after the

wet grinder to remove the water and the

contaminates from the film material by an

inclined screw system encapsulated in a

screen area for further separation.

Individual steps for post

consumer washing

• Hydro-cyclone is used for the separation of

foreign particles which has a density more

than about 1 by reaching more than 20

times the normal gravity. In the case the

remove also odder from the material and

additional process step of hot washing can

be added

• Mechanical dryer is used for the reduction

of the water content of the cleaned

material by centrifugal forces and further

removes contaminants to about 2 – 3 %

moisture content.

Individual steps for post

consumer washing

• Mechanical water treatment system is used to

reduce the total amount of fresh water in the

system dramatically.

Individual steps for post

consumer washing

Customer in Germany

• Task recycling of silage films in Germany collected. Incoming material

to the washing line about 3.500 kg / hour and 1bout 1.500 kg are

presented to the pelletizing line

• Test run at the NGR laboratory with little screw modifications to

increase the mixing performance to achieve the optimization of

degasing and filtration of reaming contaminates after washing. Level of

contamination prior to the pelleting are 3 % in which are about max

0,5% mineral content. Adding some additives like master batch and

modifiers for balancing the material changings.

• Re-feeding of pelletized melt filtered post consumer material in the

center layer for Silo Bags, Mulch films and other films like trash bags.

Film thicknesses of down to about 50 µm are possible.

• Capacity about 1.500 kg / hour

Solution and reference projects

Next Generation

Recyclingmaschinen GmbH

Gewerbepark 22, 4101 Feldkirchen, Austria

Phone +43 (0) 7233 70 1 07, Fax -2

office@ngr.at, www.ngr.at

WE TAKE CARE OF YOUR PLASTIC WASTE