Agglomerator vs Pelletiser for Film Recycling: Which Do You Need?

Film is one of the most common forms of plastic scrap, and also one of the hardest to handle. It is light, bulky and difficult to feed into an extruder as it is. Recyclers usually turn it into something denser before selling or using it, and the two machines most often used for this are the agglomerator and the pelletiser.

They are not competitors so much as different steps. This guide explains what each does, what comes out, and how to decide which suits your operation.

What an agglomerator does

An agglomerator is a drum with fast rotating blades. Film is fed in and cut, and friction heats it until the pieces soften and stick together. A small amount of water is then added, which cools the material suddenly and breaks it into dense, irregular crumbs. The output is called agglomerate, also known as densified film or lumps.

The process does not fully melt the plastic and does not filter it. Whatever contamination was in the film, such as paper, ink residue or other polymers, stays in the agglomerate.

What a pelletiser does

A pelletiser line melts the plastic fully in an extruder, pushes it through a screen to filter out solid contamination, and cuts the melt into uniform pellets or granules. Many lines include a vent to remove moisture and volatiles. Film is often fed directly with a compactor or force feeder, or as agglomerate from a separate machine.

Because the material is melted, mixed and filtered, the output is more uniform and cleaner than agglomerate. See pelletising for more detail.

Comparing the outputs

Point	Agglomerate	Granules
Shape	Irregular crumbs of mixed size	Uniform pellets
Bulk density	Higher than film, lower than granules	Highest
Melt filtration	None	Yes, through screens
Consistency	Varies more from batch to batch	More uniform after melt mixing
Typical buyers	Pelletisers, some moulders of non-critical products	Film blowers, moulders, extruders, compounders

Agglomerate is mainly an intermediate product. It feeds easily into a pelletiser and can be used directly by some processors making thick or non-critical items. Granules are what most manufacturers prefer, because they flow evenly through hoppers and give steadier processing.

When an agglomerator makes sense

• You collect film and want to cut transport volume before selling to a pelletiser.
• Your film is reasonably clean and sorted, so filtration is less critical.
• You want a lower investment step before deciding on a full line.
• You already have a pelletiser and want steadier feeding than loose film gives.

Agglomerators also work for other thin materials such as raffia and fibre. See the PP lumps and agglomerate page for how buyers describe this material.

When a pelletiser makes sense

• You want to sell to film blowers and moulders who need consistent granules.
• Your feed contains printing, small contamination or mixed batches that need filtering and blending.
• You want to quote properties such as MFI and density for each lot.
• You have the volume to keep a line running steadily.

Products such as recycled LDPE granules come from this route. Their quality depends heavily on screen mesh, degassing and how well the feed was washed.

Quality points for either route

Neither machine removes dirt that was not dealt with earlier. Washing, sorting by polymer and keeping colours apart decide most of the output quality. With agglomerators, watch for overheating, which can degrade the material and darken it. With pelletisers, change screens on time, control melt temperature and use venting if the feed is damp. In both cases, test MFI on regular lots so you can tell buyers what to expect. For the differences between the two main film types, read LDPE vs LLDPE film recycling.

Running both machines together

Many film recyclers end up using both. The agglomerator densifies light, bulky film so that it feeds steadily, and the pelletiser then melts, filters and cuts it into granules. This combination can also let you buy agglomerate from smaller collectors and pelletise it yourself. If you take in agglomerate from outside, test incoming batches for polymer type and moisture before blending them with your own feed.

Selling agglomerate or granules

Whichever form you produce, describe it clearly: polymer, form, colour, source film type, and any test values. PlasticSetu buyers ask for both agglomerate and granules, and the sourcing desk contacts suppliers whose private listings match. List your materials to be considered when a matching requirement comes in.