The underwater system claims savings of E25/tonne

The underwater system claims savings of E25/tonne

A new underwater granulation system can cut the cost of producing bottle grade PET granulate by E25/tonne or more, Kreyenborg’s BKG division has claimed.

BKG managing director Ralf Simon yesterday told PRW.com the company’s CrystallCut system uses a number of special features to obtain a minimum 45% degree of crystallisation, high viscosity and low acetaldehyde content directly after polycondensation. It eliminates the usual subsequent solid state polycondensation (SSP) pre-crystallisation process.

The granulator uses hot water at above 90°C and a special arrangement of cutting blades and the granulator’s nozzle plates. It can also be used to recycle PET scrap.

Simon was not prepared to give further technical details until worldwide patent coverage is obtained within the next few weeks. “The CrystallCut system will be an absolute novelty at the K2004 show and I believe there will be great interest in it. Large PET producers have been trying for years to develop just such a system”. A 10 tonne/hour CrystallCut plant has been running since early 2004 at a BKG customer.