Extrusion International 6-2023

47 Extrusion International 6/2023 Holistic AI-based optimisation of plastic packaging containing recyclate One such project is the "AI application hub, plastic packaging", within which IKV is pursuing several ob- jectives in a sub-project entitled "KIOptiPack: Holistic AI-based optimisation of plastic packaging containing recyclate". The primary target is the provision, valida- tion and application transfer of practically tested, AI- supported moulding tools for successful product design and the production of plastic packaging with a high re- cyclate content and the required quality. This is support- ed by an AI-application and data room and the creation of a central network platform (which integrates, for example, the consumers and their attitude) for added value engineering. A concrete example of an AI-supported tool is com- pound development (Picture 1). Instead of an "iterative approach" to the desired viscosity of the compound, use is made of existing data points and – where neces- sary – the characterisation of extreme points, while an AI model describes the space between the data points. This produces a much better imaging quality (R² = 0.97) than, for example, a regression analysis (R² = 0.60). This illustrates how AI can, from easily documented (or already existing) data, create added value and save plastics converters a great deal of time and expense in finding the ideal viscosity of the compound, so that they do not have to work extra shifts. Nevertheless, with recyclate material, not only pro- cessing properties such as the viscosity have to be taken into account, but also the performance properties. For example, suitable measures have to be taken to protect goods packed in plastic from contamination through undesirable substances potentially contained in the re- cyclate. This is where extra shifts of a different nature are deployed: Plasma barriers protect packaged goods A highly promising platform for barriers is a surface coating with plasma-based chemical gas phase deposi- tion. The deposited barriers also serve to prevent migra- tion of harmful materials from the recycled plastics to the packaged contents (Picture 2). However, the devel- opment of such plasma barriers has so far advanced rel- atively slowly because of the analytical work involved in determining the barrier performance. Through a newly developed process at IKV, which is based on innovative model contaminants and a new approach to incorporat- ing them into the plastics, the barrier effect can in fu- ture be evaluated much faster. Accordingly, the optimi- sation of the plasma barriers will also take less time so that, thanks to this, product safety can be achieved with minimum emissions – and without having to fall back on poorly recyclable multi-layer plastic composite films. Circular economy at the 32nd International Colloquium Plastics Technology At the Colloquium, Session 2 (AI-based methods to boost PCR usage in plastics packagings), Session 8 (Plas- ma-based barrier coatings for sustainable packaging) and Session 13 (Challenges of PCR processing), will deal with the topic of the circular economy and the use of recyclate , each with a keynote paper from the industry, plus two scientific presentations from IKV. At "IKV 360° – Research live”, the research assistants will demonstrate the topic at various stations. Institute for Plastics Processing In Industry and Draft at RWTH Aachen University Dr.-Ing. Malte Schön malte.schoen@ikv.rwth-aachen.de www.ikv-kolloquium.de www.ikv-aachen.de Plasma barriers as migration barriers with the example of recyclate