Claims
- 1. A process for recycling a thermoplastic molded article comprising:
a) providing a thermoplastic molded article incorporating as colorant at least one thermolabile sublimable colorant; b) subjecting the material of the molded article to elevated temperature conditions for a period of time sufficient to extract at least some of the thermolabile sublimable colorant and form an at least partially color modified composition; and c) recovering the color modified composition for further recycling steps.
- 2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the material of the molded article is subjected to elevated temperature conditions for a period of time sufficient to extract at least 10% of the thermolabile sublimable colorant.
- 3. A process according to claim 2 wherein the material of the molded article is subjected to elevated temperature conditions for a period of time sufficient to extract at least 20% of the thermolabile sublimable colorant.
- 4. A process according to claim 3 wherein the material of the molded article is subjected to elevated temperature conditions for a period of time sufficient to extract at least 30% of the thermolabile sublimable colorant.
- 5. A process according to claim 4 wherein the material of the molded article is subjected to elevated temperature conditions for a period of time sufficient to extract at least 40% of the thermolabile sublimable colorant.
- 6. A process according to claim 1, further including the step of recovering the extracted colorant for re-use.
- 7. A process according to claim 1 wherein the material of the molded article is subjected to elevated temperature conditions for a period of time sufficient to extract at least some of the thermolabile sublimable colorant and form an at least substantially color modified composition.
- 8. A process according to claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic molded article comprises two or more thermolabile sublimable colorants.
- 9. A process according to claim 8 wherein, said two or more thermolabile sublimable colorants comprise at least two selected from a violet colorant, a yellow colorant, a red colorant and a blue colorant.
- 10. A process according to claim 1, in which the thermoplastic molded article is made from a polyester.
- 11. A process according to claim 1 wherein the colored thermoplastic molded article is substantially free from carbon black and from inorganic pigments.
- 12. A process for making a useful article which comprises:
(A) providing a thermoplastic molding composition; (B) admixing with the thermoplastic molding composition at least one thermolabile sublimable colorant material to form a colored thermoplastic molding composition; (C) forming a colored molded article by a procedure including heating the colored thermoplastic molding composition and molding said hot composition into a molded article; (D) after use of the molded article, subjecting the material of the molded article to recycling steps which include subjecting the material of the molded article to elevated temperature conditions for a period of time sufficient to cause said material of the molded article to undergo a desirable change of color as a result of sublimation and migration to the atmosphere of the colorant material; and (E) re-forming the thus treated material into a useful article.
- 13. A process according to claim 12 including the step of recovering the sublimated and migrated colorant from step (D) for subsequent re-use.
- 14. A process for making an article from a colored thermoplastic molding composition which comprises:
(I) providing a colored thermoplastic molding composition comprising recycled colored thermoplastic material, said recycled colored thermoplastic material containing at least one thermolabile sublimable colorant material; (II) subjecting the colored thermoplastic molding composition to elevated temperature conditions for a period of time sufficient to extract at least some of the thermolabile sublimable colorant and form an at least partially color modified composition; and (III) extruding the resulting at least partially color modified composition to form said article.
- 15. A process according to claim 14 including the step of recovering at least some of the extracted thermolabile sublimable colorant from step (II) for subsequent re-use.
- 16. A process according to claim 14 wherein in step (III) the at least partially color modified composition is injection molded to form a bottle preform and wherein the resulting bottle preform is then blow molded to form a bottle.
- 17. The product of a process according to claim 14.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
0224072.9 |
Oct 2002 |
GB |
|
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a Non-Provisional Utility application which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 on the basis of U.K. Patent Application No. 0224072.9 filed Oct. 16, 2002, entitled “Process For Recycling Colored Thermoplastic Molded Articles” which is hereby incorporated by reference.
[0002] We, Fuquan Zeng, a citizen of China, residing at 17 Mill Croft, Cowling, Yorkshire, BD22 0AJ, United Kingdom, and Mark Frost, a citizen of the United Kingdom, residing at 9-15 Unity Grove, Knowsley Business Park, Knowsley, Merseyside, L34 9GT, United have invented a new and useful “Process For Recycling Colored Thermoplastic Molded Articles.”