gerMönikes, MarinaGreiff, KathrinDornack, ChristinaAnalyse von Aufbereitungsmöglichkeiten für mehr Kunststoff-Rezyklateinsatz in der Elektroindustrieinfo:eu-repo/classification/ddc/620This dissertation on the analysis of processing possibilities for the increased use of plastic recyclates examines the key question of what conditions must be met to close the plastics loops within production in the electrical industry. The aim of this work is to demonstrate the potential for the use of plastic recyclates within the electrical industry and to show which of the processing possibilities can be utilized to recycle plastic waste from the industrial environment to close the loops. The use of plastics has increased significantly in recent years, in part due to their material properties. As the processing of plastics increases, the associated environmental impact and climate change are also coming into focus. Plastics are durable, and only degrade very slowly. In addition, producing plastics generates emissions that have an impact on the environment and the climate. Within Germany, the electrical industry is the fourth largest plastics processing industry. Due to this, the industry is paying particular attention to how it uses raw materials and to where secondary materials can be used. However, due to the high demands on product properties coupled with process reliability issues, recycled plastics only account for 4.5% of the entire plastics requirement within the German electrical industry. The use of plastic recyclates within the electrical industry is limited by a plethora of constrictions, including the need for special approvals, material certifications, and quality standards. As a result of these constrictions, the secondary material must not have any significant limitations, such as reduced mechanical properties, and must be practically equivalent to the primary material. The potential for recycling has been analyzed in cooperation with Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG and presented as an example for the electrical industry. The plastics PA 6.6, PBT, PC, LCP, and TPU were selected as the research materials for the first phase; this selection reflects the application classes of engineering plastics and high-performance plastics and is a representative overview of the materials used in the electrical industry. Production waste sorted by type in the form of sprues and rejects was collected during production and processed by a recycling company into the regrind and regranulate forms of recyclate as a part of the plastics recyclate analysis. Furthermore, criteria were defined and a procedure developed for testing the recyclates for their suitability for use in the electrical industry. A test and measurement plan was drawn up for this purpose and an evaluation matrix was developed to validate the results. The first series of tests involved analyzing the material of the regrinds and regranulates. Eight different tests were carried out to document the color, moisture, degradation processes, grain size, annealing residue, and flow properties. The material analysis showed clear differences between the processing steps of the regrinds and regranulates. A second series of tests showed how the recyclates behave when primary material is added and what influence this addition has on component quality and the injection molding process. For this purpose, up to three test specimens with admixture proportions of 25%, 50%, and 100% regrind or regranulate were tested and compared with a reference measurement of 100% primary plastic. The second series of tests clearly showed that the use of 100% regrind or regranulate is not suitable due to the existing material damage, such as the reduced color quality and/or deterioration of the mechanical properties. Only the addition of primary material led to perfect results. The results of the analyses demonstrate that the technical recyclability of all plastic production waste in the electrical industry is over 80%. By recycling production waste and reusing it in internal company production processes, the current industry-typical proportion of recycled material of the total plastics requirement could be increased from 4.5% to over 14%. Prerequisites for this include the separation of production waste by type, appropriate processing, and compliance with approval requirements. This could close more loops in the electrical industry and thus actively support resource conservation and the circular economy. The insights gained show the complexity of this field of application and open up new perspectives for practical implementation and further research.Aachen : RWTH Aachen University 1 Online-Ressource : Illustrationen (2025). doi:10.18154/RWTH-2025-04654 = Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2025info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesisinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionRWTH Aachen University2025info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessDEhttps://publications.rwth-aachen.de/record/1011683https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/search?p=id:%22RWTH-2025-04654%22StudentsStudent Financial Aid ProvidersTeachersResearchersinfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.18154/RWTH-2025-04654