Recycled materials that impress – without drawing attention to themselves: odour reduction in recycled materials

Closely linked to the use of high-quality recycled materials is the issue of potential odour development, its causes and how to prevent it.

Closely linked to the use of high-quality recycled materials is the question of potential odour development – regardless of whether the material in question is post-consumer recycled material (PCR) from used products or post-industrial recycled material (PIR) from production waste. Low-molecular-weight, partly odour-active organic compounds can migrate out of the polymer and thus impair the successful use of the material.
In addition to actually determining the odour behaviour in accordance with, for example, VDA 270, it is particularly important to identify the causes in order to be able to take targeted action against them. Emission tests in accordance with VDA 278 (thermal desorption analysis) provide valuable insights for implementing appropriate remedial measures. The Materials Forum of the Future, together with its partners, has this capability at its disposal. Furthermore, a deodorisation plant from Zeppelin is available to test sample quantities using a thermal-physical cleaning process.