Pelletron to Supply PET Bottle Flake and Pellet Handling System at New CarbonLITE Plant

Pelletron Corp. will supply the PET bottle flake and pellet handling systems for CarbonLITE’s newest post-consumer recycled PET plant in Pennsylvania. The new CarbonLITE plant will produce 80 million lb of rPET pellets/yr and will reportedly be one of the largest in the world.

In this project, Pelletron will design, engineer and install pneumatic transfer systems from and to multiple flake-storage silos. The system will be based on Pelletron’s Strandphase technology and will utilize the company’s patented Pellbow conveying elbows, which combined are said to provide gentle and economical handling of the flakes even over distances as long as 400 ft.

For PET pellet transfer, Pelletron is providing CarbonLITE with its Continuous Slow-Motion Dense Phase technology, which operates with low conveying velocities ranging from 400 ft/min at the pick-up point to the maximum 1000 ft/min at the terminal point. This technology is said to be especially suitable for handling plastic pellets, keeping the end product as clean as possible, with “fines” levels well below the industry standard of 100 ppm, the company stated.

The entire Pelletron conveying and storage system is fully automated and driven by a central control system with HMI operator interface. Interlocks and PID loops provide efficient operation of the conveying system, based on constant conveying pressure settings, which automatically compensate for slight fluctuations of product bulk densities.

All key components, such as rotary valves and diverter valves, are equipped with speed switches and limit switches for constant feedback of operating condition and selected path confirmation, eliminating the danger of cross contamination.

For the flake handling systems, the selected rotary valve type is the Pelletron Medium Pressure Model GRM, with special, patented V-shape rotor and anti-shear inlets for minimizing cutting of product. For the pellet systems, the selected rotary valve type is the Pelletron High Pressure Model GRH, with additional side plate seals to keep the leakage air volume as low as possible and ensure safe operation even at higher conveying pressure levels.

All diverter valves selected for the PA plant (flakes and pellets) are the Pelletron Model PDV equipped with a positive mechanical seal package at each port. PDV’s are Pelletron’s zero-leakage valve and are suitable for powder, flake and pellet applications.

Pelletron also provided the entire conveying and storage system for CarbonLITE’s Riverside, Calif. and Dallas facilities, which began production in 2017.