Title: Recycling Polyurethanes - An Industry Update from the Polyurethanes Recycle and Recovery Counsel (PURRC)
text: The Polyurethanes Recycle and Recovery Council (PURRC), a unit of the Polyurethane Division of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., continues to evaluate the technical and commercial viability of current and evolving technologies to recover and recycle polyurethanes. This report will update key PURRC projects targeting automotive polyurethane recovery and recycling issues. Candidate part applications will be reviewed. A project was completed in 1994 to collect post consumer seats from salvage yards and to recover the flexible foam. Process economics and seat collection viability were evaluated. Acoustical foams derived from rigid, semi-flexible and flexible foam scrap combinations are being evaluated. Flexible Slabstock foam production using up to 18% seating scrap has been demonstrated. PURRC is currently recovering polyurethane foam from instrument panels and evaluating techniques to process this scrap into acoustical padding, rebond carpet underlay and industrial structural parts. A study is underway to evaluate the most effective methods to grind flexible polyurethane scrap into powder to be used in the production of seating and headrests.