An independent comparative study carried out by Sidel has shown Joule RHB, the leading-edge PET reheat additive from ColorMatrix, offers the largest carbon footprint reduction in PET preform processing, while maintaining outstanding performance and aesthetic qualities. The study compared resin containing 5ppm Joule RHB-2, an inert blue-shaded inorganic particulate, with a typical 5ppm carbon black commercial reheat resin and a commercial non-reheat resin. The Joule RHB-2 outperformed the other materials in terms of NIR absorption, L* luminance, reheat efficiency and energy use. These reductions in energy use, energy cost and CO2 emissions are coupled with superb recycling credentials, making Joule RHB-2 the natural choice for PET processors wishing to improve the sustainability and environmental credentials of their products.
Sidel tested the three materials in the form of 18.8g, 500ml carbonated soft drink (CSD) bottles and compared various qualitative characteristics. Examining preform temperatures at constant power levels showed Joule RHB-2 was significantly more effective at increasing infrared absorption than the current commercial alternative: its temperature was 125°C, compared to 114°C and 96°C in the untreated resin. At 5.8°C reheat per ppm additive, Joule RHB-2 was 60% more efficient in terms of reheat than the commercial alternative (3.6°C per ppm). Using data from the Sidel study, ColorMatrix determined the energy required to blow one metric ton of PET. With no reheat additive, this was 221kWh. 19% energy savings were enabled with the commercial carbon black reheat resin (179kWh) but a reduction of 38% (just 138kWh) was made possible by Joule RHB.
The energy reduction enabled by ColorMatrix’s technology was then translated into financial savings and cuts in carbon footprint. Assuming a cost of €0.07 / kWh, Joule RHB-2 offered almost double the cost savings and twice the CO2 reduction of the alternative reheat agent. At the same time, inspection of container clarity (L* luminance) showed these notable processing benefits were accompanied by good container clarity.
“These independent results highlight clearly the considerable benefits of Joule RHB in PET packaging,” commented Ian Appleyard, ColorMatrix’s PET resins global market manager. “We have invested significantly to commercialize a reheat agent that offers compelling environmental advantages, excellent processing and aesthetic properties and crucial financial savings. Sidel’s study shows that PET processors can derive wide-ranging benefits from Joule RHB without any significant compromise on the color or clarity of their products. Sustainability has obviously been central in the development of our reheat additive, and this includes its role in recycling. Joule RHB masks yellowness in recyclate, retains 100% of its reheat capacity throughout the recycle stream and, thanks to its broad processing window, helps to process variable intrinsic viscosity (IV) materials.”
Morag Girdwood, global brand development and communications manager at ColorMatrix, added: “Being able to demonstrate and quantify real cost savings is extremely valuable to our customers, so we’ve built on the results of the Sidel study and developed a simple but representative PET resin calculator, which is available on our website at http://www.colormatrix.com/joule_rhb.swf. Processors just need to specify their annual PET tonnage and energy cost per kWh, and the calculator shows them what energy, CO2 and financial savings they might expect to achieve using ColorMatrix technologies.”
Joule RHB is available as a 10% liquid dispersion in ethylene glycol and is suitable for use in all PET process technologies. FDA and EU food contact approved for use in PET bottle resins, it is used at 2 – 10 ppm depending on container type, size and thickness.
