Plastic recycling

A method for the fractionation of at least one reclaimed polymer in at least one solvent in a process for purifying reclaimed polymers, comprising the steps:

• (a) inputting at least one reclaimed polymer and at least one solvent into a reactor vessel to create a mixture in the vessel:
• the at least one reclaimed polymer comprising first polymers having a molecular weight in a first range and second polymers having a molecular weight in a second range wherein the first range is lower than the second range;
• (b) operating a mixing device within the reactor vessel for a first time duration;
• (c) operating the reactor vessel at a first temperature;
• (d) dissolving the first polymers in the solvent;
• (e) fractionating the first polymers in solution from the second polymers;
• (f) removing the first polymers from the vessel independent from the second polymers;
• (g) passing recovered purified first and second polymers to an extruder where the polymer is pelletised and remaining volatile solvent removed;
• characterised in that, the mixing device comprises:
• a plurality of discs aligned parallel to each other in a stacked arrangement;
• each disc extending over a majority of the cross-sectional area of the reactor vessel and including a plurality of perforations to allow the mixture to flow from a first end of the reactor vessel to a second end of the reactor vessel, through the discs;
• one or more supports to hold the discs in position;
• and the one or more supports connected to a linear motion generator so that the discs are moved to oscillate at a first frequency and first amplitude, the linear motion dissolving at least the first polymers in the solvent in the first time duration.