Sharp Develops New Technologies for Waste Plastics Recycling

Sharp has developed a new technology that can recycle plastic parts that can only be discarded before. This technology recovers high-purity polypropylene from polypropylene components to which metal parts and different resins are attached to produce recycled plastics. Mainly for the components recovered from the four major parts of household appliances (TV, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines); and items recovered from the four major parts of home appliances, such as metal parts such as iron and aluminum screws, and attached poly Polypropylenes such as styrene, acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene can only be discarded.

In order to establish this recycling technology, three new technologies have been adopted in addition to the original recycling technology.

First, the metal removal line was introduced. This line was newly established in KANSAI RECYCLING SYSTEMS, a home appliance recycling company co-funded by seven companies including Sharp and Mitsubishi Materials. Before the recovered plastic member is thrown into the crusher, the detected metal member can be removed in advance through the production line.

Second, the "High-Purity PP Separation and Recovery Technology" for recovering high-purity polypropylene has been developed. This technology can be used to screen high-purity polypropylene from the shredded plastic after crushing by using wind and water specific gravity. The use of wind to remove the fine powder, the use of water specific gravity to remove polystyrene, acrylonitrile · butadiene · styrene. Polypropylene with a purity of more than 99% can be recovered.

Third, plastic coloring technology developed by Ube Industries was used. This technique can wash the recovered high-purity polystyrene, and then mix the additives so that the foreign objects are not easily seen by coloring. The plastic thus recovered can be applied to the exterior member.

Sharp will apply the plastics obtained through this recycling technology to refrigerator exterior components scheduled for September 2007. The company also intends to expand the scope of application in the future, and strive to increase the use of recyclable plastics for 620 tons in 2006 to 1,000 tons in fiscal 2008.