Mechanical Separation of Nylon 6 and Fiber from Post Consumer Carpet Waste

Abstract

In 1992, Shred-Tech forged a relationship with BASF, to participate In the joint development of a closed loop recycling process to recycle the face fiber of nylon 6 based carpet, back to its raw material, caprolactam. This closed loop recycling prooess was formally announoed In February of 1994 by BASF, as The 6ix Again Program. The prooess consists of six steps: Collection; Separation; Monomer Recovery; Polymerization; Yarn Spinning and Carpet Manufacture. This paper focuses on the Separation Stage of the 6IX Again Program that BASF and Shred-Tech jointly developed. This stage encompasses the mechanical reduction, separation and densification of the final product.