Plastic waste from cables - Borealis

WC HO 501 GB 2012 02 BB
Recycling of cable plastic waste
The main plastic components in cable waste from cables recycled today are PVC and
polyethylene, either in crosslinked (XLPE) or thermoplastic (PE) form.
The separation technique in use today enables effective separation of the two main types.
The PVC fraction can be re-melted and processed to new products.
As the separated components are less clean than virgin material, the recycled material is
typically used in applications with lower quality requirements.
XLPE from cable waste can be recycled
XLPE waste is crosslinked and it cannot be reprocessed as a 100% ingredient. However, it
has been shown that a mix between virgin PE and up to 60 % XLPE waste gives a mixture
that can be reprocessed. This results in a material with good mechanical properties that can
be used, for example, in injection moulded articles. As the market for moulded products
based on recycled polyolefins represents several thousand tonnes per year in Europe, this
offers many opportunities. Recycle of waste from cables in certain cable applications is also a
possibility such as cable jacketing (figure 1).
Another option is to recover the energy of PE and XLPE. These materials originate from
hydrocarbons and carry an energy capacity similar to oil. As the new technique for cable
waste separation produces a very clean light fraction, it can be used in such applications as
complementary fuel in district heating plants or in cement kilns.
Production waste
XLPE/LLDPE recycled
compound
Figure 1: Recycling of XLPE into cables
Granulated XLPE
Extrusion cable jacked
Grounded XLPE
Cable with inner-jacket of
recycled compound
References
• „Environmental considerations for
end of life disposal of cables”
B. Helmesjö, B. Hagström.
Jicable 2003. B.4.2 p. 421– 426
• „Electrical insulation systems
and assessment methodologies
for energy technology and clean
environment”.
R.N. Hampton. Nord-IS 2005.
Invited paper
• „Development of recycling
technology of XLPE”.
Sekiguch et.al. Jicable 2007.
C.5.1 p 599 – 604.
• „Recycling of XLPE insulations”.
A. Boss, B. Hagström.
NordIS 2009
• „PlastSep- A new technology
for sorting and recycling of
cable polymers”.
E. Rasmussen,
A. Boss NordIS 2009