PP (Polypropylene)
Polypropylene (PP) is a light, tough polyolefin used in moulded goods, raffia and packaging, and one of the most traded recycled plastics in India.
Plastics knowledge base Polymers, specifications, material forms and trade terms
Short, plain-language explanations of the terms used when buying and selling recycled plastic in India.
Polymers
HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a stiff, chemical-resistant polyethylene used in bottles, cans, pipes and crates, widely recycled in India.
LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a soft, flexible polyethylene used mainly for films, bags and liners, and is commonly recycled from film scrap.
LLDPE (Linear Low-Density Polyethylene)
Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) is a tough, stretchable polyethylene used in film, stretch wrap and rotomoulding, recycled mainly from film scrap.
PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is the clear polyester used for bottles and fibre; recycled PET flakes are among the most traded recycled materials in India.
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is a versatile plastic made rigid for pipes and profiles or flexible with plasticisers for cables, hoses and footwear.
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
ABS is a tough, glossy engineering plastic used in appliance housings, electronics and automotive parts, recycled mainly from moulding scrap and e-waste.
HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene)
HIPS (high impact polystyrene) is rubber-modified polystyrene used for appliance parts, disposables and sheet, traded as scrap, regrind and granules.
GPPS (General Purpose Polystyrene)
GPPS (general purpose polystyrene) is clear, rigid and brittle polystyrene used for transparent packaging, disposables and housewares.
Polycarbonate (PC)
Polycarbonate (PC) is a clear, very tough engineering plastic used in sheets, lenses, electrical parts and housings, recycled from sheet and moulding scrap.
Nylon (Polyamide, PA)
Nylon (polyamide, PA) is a strong, wear-resistant engineering plastic used in fibre, automotive and electrical parts, recycled from yarn and moulding scrap.
POM (Polyoxymethylene, Acetal)
POM (acetal) is a stiff, low-friction engineering plastic used for gears, clips and precision parts, recycled mainly from moulding scrap.
PMMA (Acrylic)
PMMA (acrylic) is a glass-clear, weather-resistant plastic used in sheets, signage, lighting and lenses, recycled from sheet offcuts and moulding scrap.
EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate)
EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) is a soft, rubbery copolymer used in footwear foam, films and hot-melts, recycled mainly from footwear and sheet scrap.
TPE / TPR (Thermoplastic Elastomer / Rubber)
TPE and TPR are rubber-like plastics that can be melted and remoulded, used in footwear, grips, seals and soft-touch parts.
Testing & specifications
MFI (Melt Flow Index)
Melt flow index (MFI) measures how easily a molten plastic flows, in g/10 min, and is the most quoted specification for recycled granules.
Intrinsic Viscosity (IV)
Intrinsic viscosity (IV) indicates the molecular weight of PET in dl/g and decides whether recycled PET suits bottles, sheet, strap or fibre.
Density
Density is the mass per unit volume of a plastic in g/cm3; it helps identify polymers, detect fillers and separate materials by float-sink.
Moisture Content
Moisture content is the percentage of water in plastic material; too much causes bubbles, splay and degradation, especially in PET, nylon and PC.
Ash Content
Ash content is the inorganic residue left after burning a plastic sample, used to estimate filler, glass fibre and mineral contamination.
K-Value
K-value is a viscosity-based number that indicates the molecular weight of PVC resin and guides which grade suits pipes, profiles or flexible products.
Shore Hardness
Shore hardness measures how resistant a plastic or rubber is to indentation, on Shore A for soft materials and Shore D for harder ones.
Impact Strength
Impact strength measures how much energy a plastic absorbs before breaking under a sudden blow, commonly tested by Izod or Charpy methods.
Tensile Strength
Tensile strength is the maximum pulling stress a plastic withstands before yielding or breaking, reported in MPa along with elongation.
Contamination
Contamination is any unwanted material in recycled plastic, such as other polymers, metal, paper, dirt or labels, that lowers quality and processability.
Material forms
Regrind
Regrind is plastic scrap that has been ground into irregular pieces, ready to be mixed with granules or reprocessed without re-pelletising.
Flakes
Flakes are thin, flat pieces of ground and usually washed plastic, most commonly made from PET and HDPE bottles.
Agglomerate
Agglomerate is film, raffia or fibre scrap densified into small, irregular lumps so it can be fed and processed more easily.
Granules (Recycled Pellets)
Granules are uniform pellets made by melting, filtering and cutting recycled plastic, the most processing-ready form of recycled material.
Compound
A compound is a plastic melt-blended with additives, fillers, reinforcements or other polymers to meet a specific property target.
Masterbatch
Masterbatch is a concentrated mix of pigment or additive in a carrier polymer, added in small amounts to colour or modify plastics during processing.
Filler
A filler is a mineral or other material, such as calcium carbonate or talc, added to plastic to cut cost or change stiffness and other properties.
Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR)
Post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic is made from products that were used by consumers and then collected, sorted and reprocessed.
Post-Industrial Scrap (PIR)
Post-industrial scrap is plastic waste generated during manufacturing, such as trims, rejects and runners, that never reached a consumer.
Virgin Plastic
Virgin plastic is new polymer produced directly from petrochemical feedstock that has never been processed into a product or recycled.
Raffia
Raffia is woven fabric made from stretched PP or HDPE tapes, used for sacks and bags, and a large source of recycled PP in India.
Processing
Blow Moulding
Blow moulding makes hollow plastic products such as bottles and cans by inflating a heated plastic tube or preform inside a mould.
Injection Moulding
Injection moulding forms plastic parts by injecting molten plastic into a closed mould under pressure, then cooling and ejecting the part.
Extrusion
Extrusion melts plastic and pushes it continuously through a shaped die to make pipes, profiles, sheet, film, tapes and pellets.
Film Blowing
Film blowing makes plastic film by extruding a tube of molten polyethylene and inflating it into a thin bubble that is cooled and flattened.
Pelletising
Pelletising melts, filters and cuts recycled plastic into uniform granules that are easier to transport, store and process.
Washing Line
A washing line is a set of machines that shreds, washes, separates and dries post-consumer plastic to produce clean flakes or regrind.
Float-Sink Separation
Float-sink separation uses water to separate ground plastics by density: polyolefins float while PET, PVC and most other plastics sink.
Trade & compliance
Resin Identification Codes
Resin identification codes are the numbers 1 to 7 marked on plastic products to show the type of polymer used, helping sorting and recycling.
EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility)
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) makes producers, importers and brand owners responsible for the plastic packaging they place on the Indian market.
HSN Code for Plastics
HSN codes classify goods for GST invoices and trade; plastics fall in Chapter 39, with plastic scrap under heading 3915.
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