Recycling Hard PVC to a Flexible State

Hi, Pal, I have had some experience in mid 90s to mix the hard PVC (100 degree hardness PVC, but re-grinded) with EVA for flexible requirement. Some ratio should be interesting, 10% EVA to 90% hard PVC, almost liked 85 degree hardness PVC., 30% EVA to 70% hard PVC, performed liked a rubber band.

Hello Guest,

The first Guest post seems to be part of the answer.

I hope this site with several web sites linked to this subject will help as well. It does not look like much but, go to this site to get info on desolving etc. And on sorting the different plastics.

Hope you find this a help. Keep in touch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PolyVinyl_Chloride#Recycling

This site is what I got on searching using your filters:

Recycling Hard pvc to a flexible state.

http://uk.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A1f4cfld.WZJOXcAOPZLBQx.?p=recycling+Hard+pvc+to+a+flexible+state+&y=Search&fr=yfp-t-501&ei=UTF-8

Good luck and have a great new year.................

Not to complicate things but:

PVC is made with many molecular weights (MW). The lower the MW, the more "Rigid" the product.

It is also made with crosslinking, branching and bimodal molecular weight distributions giving various processing properties.

To make a flexable product (example shower curtains or wall coverings and pond liners) a high MW is made and formulated with both high porasity and the ability to quickly absorb plastisers and additives. It usually has a nawrrow MW distribution.

A rigid product has a much lower MW (bottles, pipe and siding) and may have a broader distribution to allow melt to start in an extruder at different temerature and pressures. Physical properties are made that increase flowability, minimize dusting, maintain color matching abilities and others taht are different than flexable products.

It would be very difficult to take a pipe, grind it up remove fillers and stabilizers and add plastisizers and lubricants and make a pond liner that is stable. You can not grind it and reduce the MW on the molecular level without degrading the "backbone" and discoloring, and chlorine loss. (that I know of)

My experience is several years old and would be interested if there is different understanding now. I hope I helped. Good luck

Hello Paddler,

As I was checking this out I seem to recall the ground end product was used for pavements, tyres, ornaments, mats, and things as a kind of filler or to bulk it out and strengthen it and make it tougher.

It was never intended as I recall, and I could be eating egg after this, but I do not think it was intended to make it back into a sheet or pipe.

That was how I read any reports I found on searching about recycled hard PVC.

Take care and have a great new year.................