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Matrix
Matrix

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__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 30px;)Matrix Tool Introduction:__
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One of the hindrances of using recyclate is the challenge of finding suitable recyclate grades for specific products. The correlation between product/process requirements is difficult to make, and in most cases, field studies need to be carried out to validate the material selection. In this perspective, Matrix tool helps to find suitable recyclate (recycled plastic material or rPM) for converters or producers who want to replace virgin plastics. Furthermore, recyclate suppliers or traders can use this tool to sell their materials more efficiently.
__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Type of tool:__ Web aplication
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__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Advantages of the Matrix Tool:__
__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Required skills: __
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[{Image src='Matrix/Tool-benefits-19.JPG'}]
- Knowledge of material properties
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__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Type of Tool:__
- No programming or data science knowledge needed
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Web application
__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Short description of the tool: __
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__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Required Skills and data: __
Matrix Tool increases the use of recycled plastic material (recyclate) by matching converter requirements with recyclate supply.
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- Basic knowledge of material properties
Before you get started, take a look at the :[guidelines | matrix//matrix-guidelines.pdf] and make yourself familiar with how to use the tool.
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- Material properties of currently used virgin materials
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__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Tool Guideline and Access__
__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)How to access it:__
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- Before you get started, take a look at the [guidelines | matrix//matrix-guidelines.pdf] and make yourself familiar with the functionalities.
The tool is available at [https://matrix.sis.cs.uos.de/login.xhtml].
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- To access the tool you will need an account. If you are interested in using the tool contact the admin who will create an account for you. After that, you can access the tool directly via [this link|https://matrix.sis.cs.uos.de/login.xhtml] using your account details.
__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Use case/problem:__ The tool helps selecting material (recyclate) for specific product requirements. Converters can put their desired specifications (polymer type, processing technology, properties etc.) in the tool. The tool will search the current recyclate supply for for exact matches. If no exact matches exist in the current database, the tool will use an algorithm to recommend alternative recyclates which do not exactly match the filled in specifications. The algorithm includes expert knowledge and could find suitable recyclate batches, which do not exactly fit the filled-in specifications. Additionally, a separate tab on the web-based tool shows the current demand for recyclate batches with a specified set of properties that has not been resolved yet. This information can be used by suppliers in order to sell their recyclate more targeted. Furthermore, this information can be used by suppliers to modify their materials to these specifications.
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- You can also download the tool source via [GitHub|https://github.com/cslab-hub/Di-Plast-Matrix-Tool-2.0].
__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Description of the problem the tools solves:__
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__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 24px;)Your contact for the Matrix tool:__
European Commission has the goal of reaching a circular economy and plastics have a crucial role in reaching this goal. Plastics are used in many sectors such as packaging, building and construction, textiles, consumer products, transportation, electrical and electronics, and so on. Thus it is important to close the plastic loop to reach a sustainable and resource-efficient economy. One of the ways of achieving the goal is to use recyclate (recycled plastic) as an alternative to the virgin material for new plastic products. Although there is a high demand for recyclate material in the market, a very small amount of product is made from recyclate. This indicates the presence of some challenges in the uptake of the recyclate. Therefore, the main goal of the Interreg Di-Plast project was to increase the uptake of recyclate among the companies.
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Martine Bonnema [mailto:m.bonnema@polymersciencepark.nl]
The Matrix Tool was developed for this purpose. The tool works in two directions. Firstly, it allows converters to easily select the material that matches their process or product requirements. Secondly, it allows recyclate suppliers to make their materials easier to find. Additionally, the recyclate suppliers can check on the demand for batches with a specific set of properties to sell their material in a more targeted way.
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__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 24px;)Detailed Tool Description:__
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European Commission has the goal of reaching a circular economy and plastics have a crucial role in reaching this goal. Plastics are used in many sectors such as packaging, building and construction, textiles, consumer products, transportation, electrical and electronics, and so on. Thus it is important to close the plastic loop to reach a sustainable and resource-efficient economy. One of the ways of achieving this goal is to use recyclate (recycled plastic) as an alternative to virgin material for new plastic products. Although there is a high demand for recyclate material in the market, a very small amount of products is made from recyclate. This indicates the presence of some challenges in the uptake of the recyclate. Therefore, the main goal of the Interreg Di-Plast Project was to increase the uptake of recyclate among the companies. The Matrix tool was developed for this purpose. Details about the Di-Plast Project can be found at [Di-Plast Website|https://www.nweurope.eu/projects/project-search/di-plast-digital-circular-economy-for-the-plastics-industry/]
__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Contact person of the tool: __ Nils Schut and Leonid Schwenke
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__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Working Mechanism:__
__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Related tools:__
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__Recyclate Supplies:__ This section contains the database of the existing recyclates. Converters can choose the material specifications (polymer type, process technology, properties, etc.) they want to see by clicking on the "column" tab. When they fill in the values or specify the ranges for those specifications, the tool will search the current recyclate supply for exact matches. If no exact matches exist in the current database, it will use an algorithm to recommend alternative recyclates which do not exactly match the filled-in specifications. In addition, suppliers can add information about a new recyclate by clicking on the "create recyclate" tab.
- Analyse and Visualize your process data with data analytics -> [Data Analytics]
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[{Image src='Matrix/3.14.png'}]
- Get guidance to set up a working data infrastucture -> [Data Infrastructure Wiki]
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__Recyclate Request:__ This section shows the current demand for recyclate batches with a specified set of properties that have not been resolved yet. Suppliers can use this information to modify their materials according to these specifications.
- Find the right sensor to survey your process -> [Sensor Tool]
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[{Image src='Matrix/4.2.png'}]
- Improve internal information and material flow -> [VSM]
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__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Explanation of Material Specifications:__ 
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__Polymer Type:__ This describes the main type of polymer present in the material. Some common types of polymers are:
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- PE (Polyethylene)
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- PP (Polypropylene)
!Plastic Pollution: A Major Threat to the World
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- PS (Polystyrene)
%%viewer
[Matrix Tool Video | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS7IzU2VJIQ]
\%%
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- PA 6 (Polyamide 6)
!Advantages of the Matrix Tool
__
[{Image src='Matrix/Tool-benefits-6.JPG'}]
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- PA 6.6 (Polyamide 6.6)
!Explaination of commonly used material properties
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- PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
__MFI:__ This value gives an indication of the fluidity of the molten polymer. The MFI is an important value for prediction of processing behaviour. For this reason, the MFI is one of the main properties used in selection of materials. The MFI could be seen as a measured viscosity at a single temperature and shear rate. The MFI of a material is often measured at a specified temperature and weight. However, due to the fact that the viscosity of polymers is shear-dependent, the MFI could also be measured at multiple weights (shear rates).
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- PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
__Impact strength:__ The energy needed for brittle fracture of a material. The greater the value, the more resistant the material is to breaking upon impact. Impact strength can be measured via Charpy or Izod methods. Samples could be measured notched or unnotched. Notched values are lower than unnotched values due to the limitation of energy dissipation throughout the sample. Furthermore, the impact strength can be measured at different temperatures to predict impact behavior in different environments.
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__Process Technology:__ This indicates the technology used in converting raw materials into semi-finished or finished products such as buckets, automobile parts, crates, tanks, pipes, bottles, etc. Some typical process technologies are:
__E-modulus:__ The stiffness of a material in the tensile direction. For blown films this value is measured in the machine direction and transverse direction.
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- Injection Molding
__Flexural modulus:__ The stiffness of a material in the flexural direction.
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- Blow Molding
__Strain at yield:__ Denotes the strain (percentage of elongation) of the material at its maximum elastic point. Deformation lower than this value is elastic, meaning the material can return to its original shape. Deformation greater than this value is plastic, meaning the material is permanently deformed. For blown films this value is measured in the machine direction and transverse direction.
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- Rotational Molding
__Strength at yield:__ The applied stress at yield strain. This value is the maximum stress that can be applied to a material before plastically deforming. For blown films this value is measured in the machine direction and transverse direction.
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- Blown Film
__Strain at break:__ This value denotes the strain (percentage of elongation) of the material at its breaking point. The strain at break gives information about the ductility of a material. For blown films this value is measured in the machine direction and transverse direction.
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- Cast Film
__Vicat softening temperature:__ Denotes the temperature at which the material loses its hardness.
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- Thermoforming
__Heat deflection temperature:__ It is a measure of a polymer's resistance to alteration under a given load at an elevated temperature.
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- Extrusion
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__Melt Flow Index:__ It indicates the fluidity of the molten polymer. This property is important for the prediction of processing behavior and material selection. The MFI could be seen as a measured viscosity at a single temperature and shear rate. It is often measured at a specified temperature and weight. However, since the viscosity of polymers is shear-dependent, the MFI could also be measured at multiple weights (shear rates).
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__Impact Strength:__ It denotes the energy needed for fracturing material. The greater the value, the more resistant the material is to break upon impact. It can be measured via Charpy or Izod methods. Samples could be measured notched or unnotched. Notched values are lower than unnotched values due to the limitation of energy dissipation throughout the sample. Furthermore, the impact strength can be measured at different temperatures to predict impact behavior in different environments.
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__E-Modulus:__ It denotes the stiffness of a material in the tensile direction. For blown films, it is measured in the machine direction and transverse direction.
__Flexural Modulus:__ It denotes the stiffness of a material in the flexural direction.
__Strain at Yield:__ It denotes the strain (percentage of elongation) of the material at its maximum elastic point. Deformation of a product lower than this value is of elastic nature, meaning the material can return to its original shape. Deformation greater than this value is of viscous nature, meaning the material is permanently deformed. For blown films, it is measured in the machine direction and transverse direction.
__Strength at Yield:__ It is the applied stress at yield strain. This value is the maximum stress a material can handle before it yields. For blown films, it is measured in the machine direction and transverse direction.
__Strain at Break:__ It denotes the strain (percentage of elongation) of the material at its breaking point. The strain at break gives information about the ductility of a material. For blown films, it is measured in the machine direction and transverse direction.
__Vicat Softening Temperature:__ It denotes the temperature at which the material softens.
__Heat Deflection Temperature:__ It is a measure of a polymer's resistance to alteration under a given load at an elevated temperature.
__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 18px;)Use Case/Problem:__
Do you face problems in finding the right recyclate for your virgin material or are you looking to increase the publicity of your recyclate? In this case, the Matrix tool is the perfect candidate for you. Over the years the tool has been used by several companies (both converter and supplier). Some of the use cases of the Matrix tool are as follows:
-One converter wanted to use recyclate HDPE instead of virgin HDPE in their product. In the beginning, the virgin material properties were determined through tests. Those properties were put into the Matrix tool. After that, the tool provided a ranking of the potential PE or PE/PP recyclates using the database from the "recyclate supplies" section. From the ranking, 3 recyclates were chosen and the suppliers were contacted. The recyclates were ordered and tested for verification of their properties. After the tests, one out of the three recyclates was recommended for their product.
-One supplier sells polyolefin recyclates. They can see the demand in the "recyclate requests" section of the Matrix tool. In addition, they can see the overview of the producer requests using the filters. This in turn also helps them to optimize their recyclates according to the demand.
__%%( color: #003399; font-size: 24px;)Related Tools:__
We recommend also taking a look at the following Di-Plast tools below:
- Analyze and visualize your process data with data analytics -> [Data Analytics]
- Get guidance to set up a working data infrastucture -> [Data Infrastructure Wiki]
- Find the right sensor to survey your process -> [Sensor Tool]
- Improve internal information and material flow -> [VSM]
This page (revision-285) was last changed on 14-Sep-2022 10:00 by LeonidTop