Research pays off
Recycled press felts improve CO2 balance
The production of press felts for paper machines generates considerable quantities of high-grade plastic as waste material. At our site in Gloggnitz, Austria, alone, this amounts to several hundred tons a year. Valuable material that we can now recycle and return to the production of new felts. This makes our product a bit more sustainable again - An advantage not only for the environment, but also for paper producers who are interested in sustainability.
State Award for Environmental Technology
Together with universities and companies from various fields, Andritz participated in a research project in 2018 with the aim of developing new processes for recycling textile waste of multi-material composition. The first result is the now realized recycling of polyamide blends. The project was awarded the Austrian State Prize for Environmental and Energy Technology last year.
From residual material to recyclable material
Press felts consist of up to three types of polyamides, which currently cannot be separated into homogenous fractions by any process again. In the research project, Andritz engineers together with university institutions, investigated how the polyamides can be further processed as a blend. The project team found a way to produce high-quality monofilaments again from recycled polyamide waste as feedstock for press felt production. Further extensive tests with press felts consisting of a mixture of virgin and recycled material also proved that these press felts meet Andritz's strict quality criteria without restriction.
Production up and running
For several months now, Andritz has been producing press felts consisting partly of recycled material. In the meantime, more than 50 such felts have been delivered to customers. And they are running well. It is now planned to increase the recycled content in certain parts of the press felt.
Outlook: Recycling of forming fabrics
Another development project at Andritz involves the recycling of forming fabrics. These fabrics, made of polyamide and polyester, form the paper at the entry to the paper machine and transport it through the wire section. In the future, forming fabrics could also be made of recycled material from production waste. With our recycling projects, we are closing the loop a little further and thus helping to reduce the CO2 emissions generated in the production of new plastics.
